DINAH LEE – Breathing Life Into An Old Rock'n'Roll Chestnut

DINAH LEE – Breathing Life Into An Old Rock'n'Roll Chestnut

The 1960s . . . tumultuous times of change, new beginnings in fashion, music, films, social awareness . . . In New Zealand, a handful of artists led the charge and foremost amongst them was Dinah Lee – the boots, the mini-skirts, that hairstyle.

Dinah was NZ's Queen of the Mods and the Queen of Pop. In truth, she was much more, favourably compared to Britain's Dusty Springfield and, like Dusty, performing and recording credible interpretations of black American artists. Dinah’s biggest hits were culled from the repertoires of Dee Dee Sharp, Jackie Wilson, the Exciters, Ray Charles . . . her third single, “Do The Bluebeat”, helped introduce Australia and NZ to a new genre – the Jamaican music Ska, precursor to reggae.

Between 1964 and 1966, Dinah released over a dozen singles and three albums, topping charts on both sides of the Tasman, while earning a reputation as one of the hardest working entertainers around, performing on numerous package tours and television shows, twice entertaining Anzacs in Vietnam, appearing on British and USA TV (even dueting with Glen Campbell on Shindig!), touring England with a young David Bowie, and flatting with Millie Small in London. In September 1965 Dinah Lee collected the inaugural NEBOA Entertainer Of The Year Award and shortly after shifted base to Sydney.

But after three furious years as a superstar, Dinah's career seemingly dried up. Oh, the records still came out but with lower chart placings and as the onus shifted from pop and soul to hard rock and psychedelia, she battled to regain a foothold. That said, Dinah Lee has never been short of a gig and, it can be argued, her greatest vocal achievements have been in the years since. A consummate singer and performer, Dinah Lee has few equals as an exponent of Blue Eyed Soul.

And now Dinah has released her first single in two years – a cover of that old Chuck Berry chestnut, “Johnny B Goode Tonight” but you haven't heard a version like this before! Arranged by Dinah and her manager, Doug Jansen, this version still rocks but with a shuffling reggae beat. Available only online from i-Tunes and other download sites.

From Sydney, Dinah said, “Releasing my new single 'Johnny B Goode Tonight' keeps me putting new product into the market place, being true to what I am known as – 'The Queen Of The Mods' – allowing me to live up to my name and stay current. I have been asked to record in New Zealand later in the year so let’s see what develops.”

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