Description
During the 80’s Hazell Dean scored 10 major chart hits in the UK, she had her first hit in 1984, though she started her singing career in the 70’s. She released a number of singles as the Hazell Dean Orchestra but without any success. Hazell moved from soul music to dance music and in February 1984 she entered the UK top 75 with the AA side Evergreen/Jealous Love and later that year she released Searchin’ which spent 15 weeks in the chart and reached no. 6 in the pop charts. Hazell Dean has the accolade of being the first Stock/Aitken/Waterman artist to make the top ten when her single Whatever I Do, Wherever I Go reached no. 4. Hazell released her first album Heart First in 1985. Which also spawned the singles Back in my Arms, Harmony and No Fool (For Love).
Despite being in the SAW fold Hazell’s next few singles failed to make an impact on the charts, until the Hit Factory as SAW became known as became the biggest name in pop, they produced Hazell’s second album Always and scored 3 hit singles Who’s Leaving Who (No. 4) Maybe (we should call it a day) (no. 15) and Turn It Into Love (no.21)
Hazell left the Hit factory in 1991 after the release of her single Better Off Without You in favour of a new dance sound she finally released her badly named 3rd Album The Best of Hazell Dean, which contained 5 hits and 11 new tracks. In 1996 she released album of ABBA covers The Winner Takes it All and the title track had minor chart success. Searchin’ 97 also grazed the charts, the classic single had been remixed to the full by Over 18 and Jock in a Box and made it an anthem in the gay clubs all over again.
More recently Hazell has recorded Sisters are doin’ it for themselves as a duet with American popstress Marina. She has also made a number of appearances at gay venues throughout London.
