Kiki Dee (born March 6, 1947) – Chicago (1977)
This very funky jam from her self-titled 1977 LP was co-produced by Elton John and arranged by Gene Page, with a special disco remix by Tom Moulton.
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Blue-eyed soul diva Kiki Dee is best known for “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,” her classic 1976 duet with Elton John. But before that, she was the first white UK artist signed to Motown and her early records became Northern Soul faves.
Born Pauline Matthews in Bradford, England, she sang backup for Dusty Springfield then signed with Fontana Records in 1963 and released records under a new stage name, Kiki Dee. None of her first eleven singles on Fontana charted.
Her final record on the label came out in 1968. “Now The Flowers Cry” b/w “On A Magic Carpet Ride” later became so highly prized on the Northern Soul scene that today, original copies sell for around $500 on Discogs.
Despite her lack of hits, Dee became the first white UK artist to be signed to Motown and released her first single on the company’s Rare Earth sub-label in 1970, followed by an album later that year, Great Expectations.
But success still eluded her until she began working with Elton John. After signing with his fledgling label The Rocket Record Company, she sang backing vocals on several of his songs, including “All the Girls Love Alice” from the 1973 double LP Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. Clive Franks and John co-produced her next two albums, Loving And Free (1973), and I’ve Got The Music In Me (1974).
The upbeat, rockin’ title track to I’ve Got The Music In Me became her first real hit when it went top 20 in both the U.S. (#12) and UK (#19). Dee’s heartfelt, soulful vocals were on full display as she sang about not letting anything hold her back, and helped make the song a motivational anthem for the ages.
In 1976, their duet “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” topped the the pop charts on both sides of the Atlantic. Dusty Springfield was originally supposed to record the song, but fell ill and Dee took her place. It spent six weeks at #1 in the UK, and was John’s first chart-topping single there, although he had already had five number-one hits in America.
Her self-titled 1977 LP included the very funky jam “Chicago.” It was co-written by Jack Conrad, who played bass for the Doors after Jim Morrison’s death, and prolific Nashville songwriter Don Goodman, who also wrote for Wilson Pickett, Ike & Tina Turner, and the New Riders Of The Purple Sage.
“Chicago” was released as a B-side twice. First the track appeared on a promo-only 12” before the album came out with “Standing Room Only” on the flip. Next, it was made commercially available around the world as a special Tom Moulton disco remix, b/w another Moulton remix of one of John’s songs, “Bite Your Lip (Get Up And Dance)” (1976). Both remixes were produced by Gus Dudgeon.
The song’s accompanying orchestra was arranged and conducted by the great Gene Page. Like the rest of the album, the original LP cut was co-produced by Clive Franks and John. Members of the Kiki Dee Band who played on it were Phil Curtis on bass, Steve Holley on drums, and Bias Boshell on electric piano, plus Ray Cooper on percussion and James Newton Howard on piano, two musicians from Elton John’s band.
On February 26, 1977, the Kiki Dee Band gave a superb live performance of “Chicago” as part of their concert set on the eighth episode of the brand new UK television show Sight & Sound In Concert, which aired from 1977-1984.
Hat tip to DJ A-Ski, one of Los Angeles’ finest old school DJ’s, for originally turning us onto this track.
#soul #funk #disco #GenePage #TomMoulton #EltonJohn #KikiDee