How popular is/was Kiki Dee in England?
Posted by AcadiaRemarkable6992@reddit | AskABrit | View on Reddit | 46 comments
Us Americans only know her from that one song with Elton John. Was she a flash in the pan or did she have a respectable music career?
Illustrious_Bit3557@reddit
Never heard of it
tunaman808@reddit
*her
And I'm sure if you grew up in the English-speaking world you've heard her big hit with Elton John:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0qW9P-uYfM
gus442@reddit
She's still performing, I saw her at Cropredy folk festival a couple of years ago
nasted@reddit
I know her name and that she had a hit duet with Elton John. I think she wore dungarees in the video… maybe it was Elton.
Informal-Tour-8201@reddit
She also had a hit with "Star", the theme tune for the reboot of Opportunity Knocks in 1987.
SchoolForSedition@reddit
62 know exactly who you mean
Wasps_are_bastards@reddit
Who?
KirasStar@reddit
Apparently the woman that sang Don’t Go Breaking My Heart with Elton John. I’ll be honest, I’ve never thought about who did that duet with him.
Norphus1@reddit
They did ‘True Love’ together in the early 90s too
Wasps_are_bastards@reddit
Ah ok, never thought about that either!
Its-Axel_B@reddit
She's referenced in my grans house, but she isn't that popular overall.
jessop-bentine@reddit
Fun fact: She was the 1st woman singer from the UK signed to Motown.
Ojohnnydee222@reddit
See if you can find 'Amoureuse' somewhere, it's superb. Was quite a decent hit in the early 70s.
noddyneddy@reddit
One of my favourite songs and it should get more airplay
Ojohnnydee222@reddit
smouldering, sexy and powerful. Even as an an adolescent gay boy this made me aware, in some way, of female sexuality.
Another_Random_Chap@reddit
My mother knew her when they were children - her parents lived a couple of doors down from my grandparents in Bradford. I apparently met her once as a very small boy.
Mikon_Youji@reddit
No idea which that is.
Implanted1@reddit
Well known to the Top Of The Pops followers 50 years ago; not so much for the AOR and non7" crowd(s)...
It wouldn't surprise me if she did a live spot on OGWT, but that was an far a crossover it likely got.
ossifiedbird@reddit
38 and vaguely know the name but couldn't pick her out of a lineup
M27TN@reddit
47, same
snapper1971@reddit
Well, my geography teacher dated her at college so there's that.
Bringmesunshine33@reddit
One song springs to mind.
Feeling_Anteater_142@reddit
Her best song is Amoreuse. She's had a steady but low key career otherwise and these days tours very small venues in the UK with Carmelo Lugieri. A decent show.
Remote_Development13@reddit
Mid 30s, first time I've ever heard of her
rcp9999@reddit
She was popular on the northern soul scene.
SnoopyLupus@reddit
I’m 56, grew up in the U.K., and honestly, I only remember that song.
AcadiaRemarkable6992@reddit (OP)
I didn’t know if she had a body of work like Cliff Richard. He’s barely known for two songs in the States but apparently he’s had a very prestigious career in the UK. ‘Devil Woman’ still slaps
PeteUKinUSA@reddit
Cliff had a career (note career, not necessarily cultural impact) similar to Elvis. Started as a proper rock and roll guy in the late 50’s, made some movies, had a TV show and then knocked out the occasional album in the 80’s and after. Very much a household name.
SnoopyLupus@reddit
Definitely not on the level of Cliff. I’m not a fan, but I might be able to name between six and ten songs of his.
GonnaGetTheWonka@reddit
Who?
_Daftest_@reddit
Yeah just that one song
CreativeAdeptness477@reddit
46, that's the only thing I know her from. A little before my time, I think.
Also as we all called her in the playground, Kinky Dee, not that we really knew what that meant.
Foundation_Wrong@reddit
A background singer, only came up as an also . I’m 65 and the duet with Elton is the only song of hers I can think off. Female singers and musicians were not big in the 1970s.
dread1961@reddit
I can remember I've Got the Music in Me from my teens and Don't Go Breaking My Heart still lives on but that's it.
Decalvare_Scriptor@reddit
Not "big" but she had a few hits in the 70s/80s and was pretty well known for a short period. "I got the music in me" is probably her biggest aside from the one with Elton. AFAIK she carried on recording and performing so certainly a respectable career in that it has carried on all through her life.
Hunter037@reddit
I only know that one song
Alternative_Guitar78@reddit
My impression was that she was someone on the periphery of the entertainment business for quite a long time, the hit with Elton John probably being the pinnacle of her career. I've seen things about swinging London in the sixties and she was a "face," in that scene. It wouldn't surprise me if she'd been in musical theater. In the 70's and 80's she was maybe someone that would pop up on game shows and chat shows.
ValidGarry@reddit
I dunno. Just Google it.
NickofWimbledon@reddit
I remember her well as a good singer, though it’s not my preferred musicHer duet with Elton John was
811545b2-4ff7-4041@reddit
Mid-40s guy here.. beyond the two songs with Elton John (Did you forget about True Love?) I'm probably too young to really know her from the Kiki Dee Band since she was probably best known in the 70s.
BUT.. in the spirit of musical exploration, I found "I've got the music in me". It's quite the jam. [YouTube]
eventworker@reddit
She had a fairly respectable music career, but most of the people who saw it are now dead. Before she charted she was very popular in the West Yorkshire area as a working mens club style act.
There was a period in the 90s when she and Elton released another song and he re-recorded 'Don't Go Breaking my Heart' with RuPaul and her name came up a few times on TV aimed at kids and teens and the suggestion was always to 'ask your grandma about her'.
Only-Investigator-88@reddit
All I know is that my childhood nickname is KikiDee, and I love it
Klor204@reddit
No clue 33
becpuss@reddit
A vague memory from my childhood i I’m 46
Prestigious-Gold6759@reddit
Kiki Dee - Wikipedia
qualityvote2@reddit
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