The year was 1984 ... Hazell Dean had just had a top 10 hit with Searchin' (I Gotta Find A Man) and was looking for a follow-up single. Her record company contacted then-up and coming producers Stock Aitken Waterman who had just had a hit with You Think You're A Man, a UK no. 8 hit by American drag queen, Divine, and the trio wrote the song Dance Your Love Away.
Hazell Dean hated the chorus and the song was re-written as Whatever I Do (Wherever I Go) and the rest, as they say, was history. The song was a huge hit for Dean, reaching no. 4 in the UK. The song was fresh and catchy even to this day (even if I do say so myself).
Check out Hazell Dean performing the song on Top Of The Pops :-
Stock Aitken Waterman, of course, went on to have huge hits with such diverse artistes as Rick Astley, Kylie Minogue, Bananarama, Donna Summer and Sir Cliff Richard and Hazell Dean herself had further chart entries, both with Stock Aitken Waterman and other producers.
Singles like Who's Leaving Who (UK No. 4), Maybe (We Should Call It A Day) (UK No. 15) and cover of Kylie's Japanese hit Turn It Into Love (UK No. 21) provided Dean with further forays into the UK charts although perhaps not quite matching the chart glory of Whatever I Do (Wherever I Go).
The song was covered by the late American singer Laura Branigan which was also produced by Stock Aitken Waterman. I'm not such a huge fan of her version because to me it seems so tame and sanitised compared to Dean's version but you can check out the song here :-
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