I was a kid growing up with my aunt when I first heard Kiki. I was going through one of the dozens of boxes of old 45s that she and her partner collected and I stumbled upon some UK 45s by Kiki on the Fontana label. There was always something magical about the singles from England. Their 45s had this built in adapter that you could punch out if you wanted to and they always sounded better than the ones made over here. There were quite a few of these old discs by Kiki including an EP which had a picture of her on it- a cute girl with auburn hair, pretty eyes and a mischievous expression. Right then I knew I was going to love these songs.
The first song I put on the turntable was actually a b-side: “That’s Right, Walk on By”. I chose this because it was one of my favorite Timi Yuro songs. This could have proved deadly for Kiki because I loved that song and I would not have touched the other records if it was bad. I wound up liking Kiki’s version better than Timi’s. Kiki sung it more like a rock song. She belted it out, but really delivered the words at the same time. I flipped it over and listened to the a-side, a song called “Miracles”. It blew me away. A fast intense early 60s UK beat record, Kiki sang it with such force and emotion that it practically knocked me over. I had found my new singer crush in this pretty girl with the auburn hair.
I worked my way through the other singles. There were cool pop-beat songs like “Why Don’t I Run Away From You” and “Baby I don’t Care”. Cute tunes like “Lucky High Heels” and “Early Night”. A sweet version of Goffin-King’s “I was Only Kidding”. A beautifully sung pop ballad, “With a Kiss” and some amazing soulful performances like “Small Town” and especially “Running Out of Fools”. It seemed that Kiki could sing any type of song like she really felt it. The song I kept going back to was “Miracles” which I played over and over again and progressively louder. This prompted Aunt Laura to walk into the room and say “I see you’ve discovered Kiki Dee.”
Laura and May brought out two albums by Kiki, “I’m Kiki Dee” and her 1970 Motown album “Great Expectations” (Kiki was the first white UK artist to be signed by Motown). I loved both of the LPs but there was one track that stood out for me: “Excuse Me”. It was different from all of the others. Kiki sings this song of lost love with such quiet, intimate and intense passion you can almost picture her trembling with tension and holding back tears at the microphone. This song would become the theme-song to every break up I would go through and there would be plenty of them. I’m not the easiest girl to get along with and my world is not an easy one to live in. Enough about me and let’s get back to Kiki Dee.
Kiki in the film Dateline Diamonds (1965)
I couldn’t get enough of this stack of singles and the two LPs. But I wondered about two things. First, why hadn’t I heard these songs and second, where is she now? Of all of the UK sixties girls she came closest to Dusty. She was much better than Cilla, Lulu and definitely Sandie. {Helen Shapiro’s not included here because she was in another class altogether.) Kiki didn’t have as good a voice as Dusty, but she knew how to deliver the goods. (Kiki and Dusty sang backing vocals on each other’s records). She believed what she sung and could handle a diverse assortment of music. According to May, Kiki wasn’t really big in the sixties, even though she should have been. May listened and became a fan because, like her, Kiki was a girl from Bradford.
Eventually I asked, “So what happened?” May put on a record that I immediately recognized but not from hearing around the house. I knew it from AM radio, doctor’s waiting rooms and mall loudspeakers: “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart.” Kiki how could you? Thankfully, I learned this several months after first hearing her and I was too deep in love with that voice to let it come between us.
Even a kid like me recognized selling out, but I would come to understand it. Here was this girl with this amazing voice and she barely got recognition in her own country and none in the United States. She should have been almost as well known as Dusty Springfield. So make money and have a good life. I understand.
Kiki still records today and her voice is still great. She records with guitarist Carmelo Luggeri, and while not all of it’s my cup of tea, it’s still great to hear that voice. (They do a sweet cover of Jane Siberry’s “Calling All Angels”.) And no, her recent stuff is no sellout. You can tell it’s from the heart again.
As a final note, the amazing UK label RPM just put out a collection of Kiki’s Fontana material. I was very happy that they did not try to improve the recordings. They sound just like the old 45s without the scratches and pops. It’s nice when someone appreciates the old stuff.
Actually, the real final note: Thanks for singing to me, Kiki, and all is forgiven regarding that song.
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