I'M Kiki Dee : The Fontana Years 1963 - 1968

構成数 : 1枚
合計収録時間 : 01:19:29
Audio Remasterer: Paschal Byrne. Liner Note Authors: Michael Robson; Les Reed. Kiki Dee is mostly known for her brief period of commercial success in the mid-'70s and her association with Elton John. So it comes as a surprise to most listeners to learn that her recording history stretched back more than a decade earlier, and that she issued quite a few records before making the charts. This compilation does a phenomenal job of compiling the output of her first five years or so as a recording artist, jamming 32 tracks and 79 minutes of material onto one disc. Some foreign-language recordings she did during the time are missing, but otherwise it has everything, adding three previously unreleased tracks from a 1967 radio session. It may also come as a surprise to listeners familiar only with her mainstream '70s work to find that she was a pretty credible soul-pop singer in her youngest days, also mixing in elements of middle-of-the-road jazz, girl group, and early British Invasion sounds. She was at her best in this period, however, when working a somewhat blue-eyed soul vein, sometimes covering obscure American soul songs like "Why Don't I Run Away from You?" (originally cut by Tami Lynn as "I'm Gonna Run Away from You"). Much of this will appeal to fans of Dusty Springfield's lushly produced mid-'60s records -- uncoincidentally, as Dee often sang backup harmonies for Springfield at this time. True, she wasn't quite in Springfield's league as a singer, and didn't quite get the obviously hit-worthy tunes that Springfield did. Yet much of this is catchy, well-produced, and sung with commitment, making it a worthwhile and surprisingly consistent guilty pleasure for fans of this sort of British woman-sung '60s pop. The detailed liner notes include numerous comments from Dee herself. ~ Richie Unterberger
録音 : ステレオ (Studio)