Her first major solo hits were " Amoureuse" (written by Véronique Sanson, with English lyrics by Gary Osborne) (1973) and " I've Got the Music in Me" (written by Tobias Stephen Boshell), the latter credited to the Kiki Dee Band (1974). Nevertheless, it was only after she signed with Elton John's label, The Rocket Record Company, that she became a household name in the UK. She also appeared in an early episode of The Benny Hill Show in January 1971, performing the Blood, Sweat and Tears hit, " You've Made Me So Very Happy". ![]() In the days before BBC Radio 1, Dee was a regular performer of cover versions on BBC Radio, and she starred with a group of session singers in the BBC Two singalong series, One More Time. In the United States she became the first white British artist to be signed by Motown, releasing her first Motown single in 1970. Songwriter Mitch Murray created her stage name, and penned her first single, "Early Night". Much of her early recorded work for Fontana Records, was released on 24 January 2011, on the CD compilation I'm Kiki Dee. Her 1968 release "On a Magic Carpet Ride", which was originally a B-side, has remained popular on the Northern soul circuit. She recorded her debut album, I'm Kiki Dee, in 1968 which included a series of Phil Spector-style tracks and covers. She brought out an EP, Kiki In Clover – which included "Take a Look at Me" – at the same time as the film's release. Also in 1966, she achieved wider coverage by singing "Take a Look at Me" in the hit comedy, Doctor in Clover. Her 1966 release "Why Don't I Run Away From You" (a cover of Tami Lynn's "I'm Gonna Run Away From You") was a big hit on Radio London and Radio Caroline, and she sang the B-side "Small Town" in her appearance in Dateline Diamonds the same year. In 1963, Dee released her first single, "Early Night", the first of eleven singles on Fontana, none of which reached the charts. ![]() She sang backing vocals for Dusty Springfield, among others, but did not achieve solo success in the UK for many years. Career Musician Īfter singing with a local band in Bradford in the early 1960s, Dee began her recording career as a session singer. There, in 1963, she signed as a solo artist to Fontana Records. A record scout liked her singing and invited her to London to do an audition. She went on to say: "My older brother had a lot of Elvis on vinyl and really that was my first introduction to music during the Fifties." Īged 16, Dee worked at Boots in Bradford during the day, whilst in the evenings she sang songs with a dance band in Leeds. "I realised when I sang at family parties and Christmases I'd suddenly get everyone's attention and, being the youngest of three, I thought what a brilliant attention-seeking ploy it was," stated Dee in a 2013 interview. At the age of 10 she won a local talent contest, and at 16 she had her first paid job in show business. During her career, she has released 40 singles, three EPs and 12 albums.ĭee was born in Bradford, West Riding of Yorkshire, England. ![]() ![]() In 1993, she performed another duet with John for his Duets album, a cover version of Cole Porter's " True Love", which reached number 2 in the UK. Her 1981 single "Star" became the theme song for the talent show Opportunity Knocks when it was revived by the BBC in 1987. ĭee is best known for her 1973 hit " Amoureuse", her 1974 hit " I've Got the Music in Me" and " Don't Go Breaking My Heart", her 1976 duet with Elton John, which went to number 1 on both the UK Singles Chart and the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. Known for her blue-eyed soul vocals, she was the first female singer from the UK to sign with Motown's Tamla Records. Pauline Matthews (born 6 March 1947), better known by her stage name Kiki Dee, is an English pop singer.
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