Hazell Dean
Encyclopedia
Hazell Dean is a British
dance-pop
singer, who achieved her biggest success in the 1980s as a leading Hi-NRG
artist. She is best known for the top ten hits "Searchin' (I Gotta Find a Man)
", "Whatever I Do (Wherever I Go)" and "Who's Leaving Who". She has also worked as a songwriter
and producer
.
. Dean was elected three times as the "Best Live Performer" by the "Federation of American Dance Clubs" (US
), and twice as a "Best British Performer" by "Club Mirror Awards" (UK
).
She participated twice in the A Song for Europe
contest. In 1976 she took eighth place (out of twelve) with the ballad
, "I Couldn't Live Without You for a Day", written by contest veteran Paul Curtis
. 1984 saw Dean finish in seventh place of eight, with another dramatic ballad, "Stay In My Life", which she wrote herself. She also provided backing vocals
for Samantha Janus
in 1991's Eurovision Song Contest
.
with the double A-sided single, "Evergreen" / "Jealous Love" which peaked at #63. Two months later however, she scored her first Top 10 hit with the re-release of "Searchin' (I Gotta Find A Man)", which peaked at #6. Dean then released the follow-up "Whatever I Do (Wherever I Go)
" (produced by Stock Aitken Waterman
) in August which hit #4. "Whatever I Do" was originally recorded by Michael Prince as "Dance Your Love Away", but the song was re-written by Mike Stock & Matt Aitken because Dean disliked the chorus. It's #4 placing gave Stock Aitken Waterman their first Top 10 hit. Further singles from the album, "Back In My Arms (Once Again)" and "No Fool (For Love)" both peaked at #41.
From her second album, Always, "They Say It's Gonna Rain", reached #58 on the UK Singles Chart, although she secured a #1 single in South Africa
with this Stock Aitken Waterman produced single. Subsequent singles fared worse with "ESP", "Stand Up" and "Always (Doesn't Mean Forever)" not reaching the UK chart. In early 1988 however, she achieved her biggest hit in four years with "Who's Leaving Who
", which reached #4. The follow-ups, "Maybe (We Should Call it a Day)", made #15, and "Turn It Into Love" (which was originally recorded by Kylie Minogue
and included on her debut album, Kylie
) peaked at #21.
and signed with Lisson Records, releasing two singles for the label. The first was a cover of Yvonne Elliman
's "Love Pains
" in 1989, produced by PWL
producers Phil Harding
and Ian Curnow. It reached #48 on the UK Singles Chart. It was nearly two years before she released her next single, the SAW penned and produced "Better Off Without You", which was originally recorded by Lonnie Gordon
. It was her final UK chart entry, peaking at #72. After the failure of these two singles, Dean no longer continued to work with Stock Aitken Waterman and began working with Ian Levine
who had previously remixed and produced tracks with her in the mid 1980s.
During this time, Dean produced and wrote songs for Bad Boys Inc
, Bona Riah (produced "House of Rising Sun"), Miquel Brown
(produced "It's a Sin"), MEN 2 B (co-wrote "Love Satisfaction"), Upside Down and Sandra Feva.
1996 saw the release of Dean's next album, The Winner Takes It All, which was released on Carlton Records. This album contained covers of ABBA
songs. The title track was released as a single. In 1999, Dean released a cover version of Bon Jovi
's "Living On A Prayer" and, in 2001, a remixed version of "Who's Leaving Who" was released. Neither of these singles charted.
for Trade Him for a Newer Model was released on YouTube
by Levine in 2007.
In 2009, a number of songs (that have never before been available on any Dean album in their original form) were released on ITunes
, including some never before released remixes, while Cherry Red Records re-issued Dean's first mainstream pop album Heart First
in early 2010.
2010 saw Dean sign to the dance label, Energise Records, who also have The Three Degrees
, Sonia
, Tina Charles and Nicki French
signed to them. With Energise, Dean recorded an updated version of her 1980s single, "They Say It's Gonna Rain". The new track was produced by KlubKidz and has remixes from the Sleazesisters, Glamma and PMG.
Dean continues to perform live and occasionally records with various producers, with tracks appearing via her official website.
in London and has subsequently enjoyed a large gay
and lesbian
following. Always acknowledging the support she has received from the Gay community
throughout her career Dean frequently performs at Gay Pride
events both in the UK and abroad. She was one of the headline acts at Stockholm Pride
in 2010, and Torbay Pride the same year.
In 2010, Dean announced to the press that she was herself gay.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
dance-pop
Dance-pop
Dance-pop is dance-oriented pop music that originated in the early 1980s. Developing from post-disco, it is generally up-tempo music intended for clubs with the intention of being danceable or merely dancey...
singer, who achieved her biggest success in the 1980s as a leading Hi-NRG
Hi-NRG
Hi-NRG describes a form of high-tempo disco music as well as a genre of electronic dance music originating in the United States during the late 1970s...
artist. She is best known for the top ten hits "Searchin' (I Gotta Find a Man)
Searchin' (I Gotta Find a Man)
"Searchin' " is a hi-NRG song written by Ian Anthony Stephens, originally recorded and made famous by British singer Hazell Dean. Originally released in 1983, it became a Top-Ten hit on the UK Singles Chart and U.S. Dance/Disco charts...
", "Whatever I Do (Wherever I Go)" and "Who's Leaving Who". She has also worked as a songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
and producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
.
Career
She started her career in the mid 1970s and came to prominence in the 1980s after many years as a club performer and working on the gay scene with her brand of Hi-NRGHi-NRG
Hi-NRG describes a form of high-tempo disco music as well as a genre of electronic dance music originating in the United States during the late 1970s...
. Dean was elected three times as the "Best Live Performer" by the "Federation of American Dance Clubs" (US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
), and twice as a "Best British Performer" by "Club Mirror Awards" (UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
).
She participated twice in the A Song for Europe
A Song for Europe
A Song for Europe may refer to:*A Song for Europe, former name of British pre-selection competition for the Eurovision Song Contest, now known as Eurovision: Your Country Needs You...
contest. In 1976 she took eighth place (out of twelve) with the ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
, "I Couldn't Live Without You for a Day", written by contest veteran Paul Curtis
Paul Curtis (musician)
Paul Michael Curtis is an English singer, songwriter, record producer from London, who holds the record for the most number of songs to make the finals of the A Song for Europe contest, the BBC's annual competition to choose the UK entry to the Eurovision Song Contest, competing with 22 separate...
. 1984 saw Dean finish in seventh place of eight, with another dramatic ballad, "Stay In My Life", which she wrote herself. She also provided backing vocals
Backing vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
for Samantha Janus
Samantha Janus
Samantha Zoe Womack is an English actress, singer and director, both on television and stage. In recent years she has been best known for playing the role of Ronnie Branning in EastEnders, but made her name in the early 1990s as Mandy Wilkins in Game On, and also represented the United Kingdom in...
in 1991's Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
.
Mainstream success
Dean gained initial success in the 1980s, in February 1984 when she entered the UK Singles ChartUK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
with the double A-sided single, "Evergreen" / "Jealous Love" which peaked at #63. Two months later however, she scored her first Top 10 hit with the re-release of "Searchin' (I Gotta Find A Man)", which peaked at #6. Dean then released the follow-up "Whatever I Do (Wherever I Go)
Whatever I Do (Wherever I Go)
"Whatever I Do " is a Hi-NRG song written and produced by British hitmaking team Stock Aitken & Waterman, which became a hit for singer Hazell Dean in 1984....
" (produced by Stock Aitken Waterman
Stock Aitken Waterman
Stock Aitken Waterman, sometimes known as SAW, were a UK songwriting and record producing trio consisting of Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman. They had great success during the mid to late 1980s and early 1990s...
) in August which hit #4. "Whatever I Do" was originally recorded by Michael Prince as "Dance Your Love Away", but the song was re-written by Mike Stock & Matt Aitken because Dean disliked the chorus. It's #4 placing gave Stock Aitken Waterman their first Top 10 hit. Further singles from the album, "Back In My Arms (Once Again)" and "No Fool (For Love)" both peaked at #41.
From her second album, Always, "They Say It's Gonna Rain", reached #58 on the UK Singles Chart, although she secured a #1 single in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
with this Stock Aitken Waterman produced single. Subsequent singles fared worse with "ESP", "Stand Up" and "Always (Doesn't Mean Forever)" not reaching the UK chart. In early 1988 however, she achieved her biggest hit in four years with "Who's Leaving Who
Who's Leaving Who
"Who's Leaving Who" is a song written by Jack White and Mark Spiro, first recorded by Canadian country singer Anne Murray in 1986. It achieved a bigger popularity in Europe when it was covered by British Hi-NRG singer Hazell Dean in 1988...
", which reached #4. The follow-ups, "Maybe (We Should Call it a Day)", made #15, and "Turn It Into Love" (which was originally recorded by Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
and included on her debut album, Kylie
Kylie (album)
Kylie is the debut album by Australian singer and songwriter Kylie Minogue, released by PWL on 4 July 1988. Stock, Aitken and Waterman produced and wrote eight of the ten tracks on the album....
) peaked at #21.
1990s
Dean left EMIEMI Records
EMI Records is the flagship record label founded by the EMI company in 1972 and launched in January 1973 as the successor to its Columbia label. The EMI label was launched worldwide...
and signed with Lisson Records, releasing two singles for the label. The first was a cover of Yvonne Elliman
Yvonne Elliman
Yvonne Marianne Elliman is an American singer who performed for four years in the first cast of Jesus Christ Superstar...
's "Love Pains
Love Pains
"Love Pains" is a dance song written by Michael Price, Dan Walsh, Steve Barri and originally recorded by Yvonne Elliman in 1979.-Yvonne Elliman version:...
" in 1989, produced by PWL
PWL
Pete Waterman Entertainment is the production company one-time pop and dance record label owned by pop mogul Pete Waterman. The label, originally PWL, is most famous for being the home of hit record producers Stock Aitken Waterman....
producers Phil Harding
Phil Harding (producer)
Phil Harding is an English audio engineer, producer and remixer, best known for his extended collaboration with keyboardist and programmer Ian Curnow....
and Ian Curnow. It reached #48 on the UK Singles Chart. It was nearly two years before she released her next single, the SAW penned and produced "Better Off Without You", which was originally recorded by Lonnie Gordon
Lonnie Gordon
Lonnie Gordon is a female Hi-NRG, house and soul singer-songwriter from New York's Bronx, who has scored many chart hits during the 1990s and 2000s.-Early life and career:...
. It was her final UK chart entry, peaking at #72. After the failure of these two singles, Dean no longer continued to work with Stock Aitken Waterman and began working with Ian Levine
Ian Levine
Ian Levine is an English songwriter, producer, and DJ. He is also a well-known fan of the long-running television show Doctor Who.Levine attended Arnold School in Blackpool from 1963 to 1970...
who had previously remixed and produced tracks with her in the mid 1980s.
During this time, Dean produced and wrote songs for Bad Boys Inc
Bad Boys Inc
Bad Boys Inc were an English boy band, formed in 1993 by the record producer, Ian Levine. Signed to A&M Records, the members were David W. Ross, Matthew Pateman, Tony Dowding and Ally Begg.-Career:...
, Bona Riah (produced "House of Rising Sun"), Miquel Brown
Miquel Brown
Miquel Brown Miquel Brown Miquel Brown (born Michael Brown, 1954 is a Canadian actress and Disco/Soul singer from the 1970s and '80s most popular for the songs "Close to Perfection" and the Hi-NRG songs 'So Many Men, So Little Time' and "He's A Saint, He's A Sinner" (both now considered vintage gay...
(produced "It's a Sin"), MEN 2 B (co-wrote "Love Satisfaction"), Upside Down and Sandra Feva.
1996 saw the release of Dean's next album, The Winner Takes It All, which was released on Carlton Records. This album contained covers of ABBA
ABBA
ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog...
songs. The title track was released as a single. In 1999, Dean released a cover version of Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
's "Living On A Prayer" and, in 2001, a remixed version of "Who's Leaving Who" was released. Neither of these singles charted.
Recent career
In 2007, Dean returned to record with Ian Levine, completing the track "Trade Him for a Newer Model" for the album Disco 2008. The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for Trade Him for a Newer Model was released on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
by Levine in 2007.
In 2009, a number of songs (that have never before been available on any Dean album in their original form) were released on ITunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
, including some never before released remixes, while Cherry Red Records re-issued Dean's first mainstream pop album Heart First
Heart First
Heart First is the second album by British singer Hazell Dean. It was her first album as a mainstream pop artist following the top ten successes of "Searchin' " and "Whatever I Do "...
in early 2010.
2010 saw Dean sign to the dance label, Energise Records, who also have The Three Degrees
The Three Degrees
The Three Degrees are an American female vocal group. Formed in 1963 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,, the group has always been a trio though there have been a number of personnel changes and a total of fourteen women have represented the group so far. The original members were Fayette Pinkney,...
, Sonia
Sonia
Sonia may refer to:* Sonia, the allied code name for the Mitsubishi Ki-51, Japanese WW2 era bomber* SONIA, Sterling OverNight Index Average, a financial market rate* Sonia , a 1991 album by Sonia Evans...
, Tina Charles and Nicki French
Nicki French
Nicola S. French is a female English singer and dancer. She is best known for her 1995 dance cover version of "Total Eclipse of the Heart", and for representing the United Kingdom in 2000 at Eurovision in Stockholm.-Career:French provided backing vocals on Rose-Marie's 1992 album, Emotional Exposure...
signed to them. With Energise, Dean recorded an updated version of her 1980s single, "They Say It's Gonna Rain". The new track was produced by KlubKidz and has remixes from the Sleazesisters, Glamma and PMG.
Dean continues to perform live and occasionally records with various producers, with tracks appearing via her official website.
Gay following
After the success of "Searchin'", Dean made her gay club debut at HeavenHeaven (nightclub)
Heaven is a Superclub in London, England which appeals predominantly to the gay market. It is located underneath Charing Cross railway station in Central London, just off Trafalgar Square.-Early history:...
in London and has subsequently enjoyed a large gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
and lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
following. Always acknowledging the support she has received from the Gay community
Gay community
The gay community, or LGBT community, is a loosely defined grouping of LGBT and LGBT-supportive people, organizations and subcultures, united by a common culture and civil rights movements. These communities generally celebrate pride, diversity, individuality, and sexuality...
throughout her career Dean frequently performs at Gay Pride
Gay pride
LGBT pride or gay pride is the concept that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people should be proud of their sexual orientation and gender identity...
events both in the UK and abroad. She was one of the headline acts at Stockholm Pride
Stockholm Pride
Stockholm Pride is an annual gay pride festival held in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. Since the start in 1998, Stockholm Pride has grown....
in 2010, and Torbay Pride the same year.
In 2010, Dean announced to the press that she was herself gay.
Albums
- 1981 The Sound of Bacharach and David
- 1984 Heart FirstHeart FirstHeart First is the second album by British singer Hazell Dean. It was her first album as a mainstream pop artist following the top ten successes of "Searchin' " and "Whatever I Do "...
- 1988 AlwaysAlways (Hazell Dean album)Always is the third album by British singer Hazell Dean.Released in 1988, it coincided with the singer's comeback and featured the hit singles "Who's Leaving Who" , "Maybe " and "Turn It into Love"...
(#38 UK Albums ChartUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
) - 1995 The Best Of Hazell Dean (contained new songs)
- 1996 The Winner Takes It All / Hazell Dean Sings Abba
Singles
- 1975 "Our Day Will Come"
- 1976 "I Couldn't Live Without You for a Day"
- 1976 "Got You Where I Want You"
- 1976 "Look What I've Found at the End of a Rainbow"
- 1977 "No One's Ever Gonna Love You"
- 1977 "Who Was that Lady"
- 1981 "You Got Me Wrong"
- 1983 "Stay in My Life"
- 1983 "Searchin' (I Gotta Find a Man)Searchin' (I Gotta Find a Man)"Searchin' " is a hi-NRG song written by Ian Anthony Stephens, originally recorded and made famous by British singer Hazell Dean. Originally released in 1983, it became a Top-Ten hit on the UK Singles Chart and U.S. Dance/Disco charts...
" (#76 UK June 1983, #8 US Club Play Singles) - 1984 "Evergreen" / "Jealous Love" (#63 UK February 1984)
- 1984 "Searchin' (I Gotta Find a Man) (reissue)" (#6 UK April 1984)
- 1984 "Whatever I Do (Wherever I Go)Whatever I Do (Wherever I Go)"Whatever I Do " is a Hi-NRG song written and produced by British hitmaking team Stock Aitken & Waterman, which became a hit for singer Hazell Dean in 1984....
" (#4 UK July 1984) - 1984 "Back in My Arms (Once Again)" (#41 UK November 1984)
- 1985 "No Fool (For Love)" (#41 UK March 1985)
- 1985 "They Say it's Gonna Rain" (#58 UK October 1985, #6 Sweden, #6 Norway, #1 South Africa)
- 1986 "ESP" (#98 UK May 1986)
- 1986 "Stand Up" (#79 UK September 1986)
- 1987 "Always Doesn't Mean Forever" (#92 UK June 1987)
- 1988 "Who's Leaving WhoWho's Leaving Who"Who's Leaving Who" is a song written by Jack White and Mark Spiro, first recorded by Canadian country singer Anne Murray in 1986. It achieved a bigger popularity in Europe when it was covered by British Hi-NRG singer Hazell Dean in 1988...
" (#4 UK; #9 U.S.Hot Dance Music/Club Play); #11 Switzerland; #17 Austria; #31 Netherlands) - 1988 "Maybe (We Should Call it a Day)" (#15 UK June 1988)
- 1988 "Turn It into LoveTurn It into Love"Turn It into Love" is a single released from singer Kylie Minogue's debut album Kylie. The single was released in December 1988 as the album's sixth and final single and was written by Stock Aitken Waterman.-Song information:...
" (#21 UK September 1988) - 1989 "Love PainsLove Pains"Love Pains" is a dance song written by Michael Price, Dan Walsh, Steve Barri and originally recorded by Yvonne Elliman in 1979.-Yvonne Elliman version:...
" (#48 UK August 1989) - 1991 "Better Off Without You" (#72 UK March 1991)
- 1993 "My Idea of Heaven"
- 1994 "Power and Passion"
- 1996 "The Winner Takes It AllThe Winner Takes It All"The Winner Takes It All" is a song recorded by Swedish pop group ABBA. Released as the first single from the group's Super Trouper album on July 21, 1980, it is a ballad in the key of F-sharp major, reflecting the end of a romance...
" - 1997 "Searchin' 97"
- 1998 "Sisters Are Doin' It for ThemselvesSisters Are Doin' It for Themselves"Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves" is a hit duet recorded between British pop duo Eurythmics and American soul/R&B musician Aretha Franklin, released as a single by RCA Records in October 1985...
" - 1999 "Living on a Prayer"
- 2001 "Who's Leavin' Who 2001"
- 2004 "Searchin' 2004"
- 2011 "They Say it's Gonna Rain 2011"
External links
- HazellDean.net The official Hazell Dean website.
- HazellDean.com Hazell Dean's fan website.
- EuroDanceHits.Com - Info page.