She started her career in 1970s, but achieved a chart success in the 1980s working with the famous Stock Aitken Waterman team. Dean was elected three times as the 'Best Live Performer' by the Federation of American Dance Clubs (U.S.), and twice as a 'Best British Performer' by Club Mirror awards (UK). She participated twice in the A Song for Europe contest. In 1976, she took eighth place (out of twelve) with the ballad, "I Couldn't Live Without You for a Day", written by contest veteran Paul Curtis. 1984 saw Dean finish in seventh place of eight, with another dramatic ballad, "Stay In My Life", which she wrote herself. She also provided backing vocals for Samantha Janus in 1991's Eurovision Song Contest.
In February 1984 she entered the UK Singles Chart with the double A-sided single, "Evergreen" / "Jealous Love" which peaked at #63.Two months later however, she scored her first Top 10 hit with the re-release of "Searchin' (I Gotta Find A Man)", which peaked at No 6. Dean then released the follow-up "Whatever I Do (Wherever I Go)" (produced by Stock Aitken Waterman) in August which hit No 4. "Whatever I Do" was originally recorded by Michael Prince as "Dance Your Love Away", but the song was re-written by Mike Stock and Matt Aitken because Dean disliked the chorus. Its No. 4 placing gave Stock Aitken Waterman their first Top 10 hit. Further singles, "Back In My Arms (Once Again)" and "No Fool (For Love)" both peaked at No 41. These singles were included on her debut mainstream pop album, "Heart First", which did not sell well and failed to chart.
In 1985 Dean signed with label EMI Records, releasing the single "They Say It's Gonna Rain", which reached No 58 on the UK Singles Chart, although she secured a No 1 single in South Africa with this Stock Aitken Waterman produced single. Subsequent singles fared worse with "ESP", "Stand Up" and "Always (Doesn't Mean Forever)" failing to reach the UK Top 75. In early 1988 however, she achieved her biggest hit in four years with "Who's Leaving Who", which reached No 4. The follow-ups, "Maybe (We Should Call it a Day)", made #15, and "Turn It Into Love" (which was originally recorded by Kylie Minogue and included on her debut album, Kylie) peaked at No 21. Her second album Always (Hazell Dean album) was released in late 1988 and featured many of the singles from the past 3 years, as well as new material. The album charted at No 38 in the UK.
Dean left EMI and signed with Lisson Records, releasing two singles for the label. The first was a cover of Yvonne Elliman's "Love Pains" in 1989, produced by PWL producers Phil Harding and Ian Curnow. It reached #48 on the UK Singles Chart. It was nearly two years before she released her next single, the SAW penned and produced "Better Off Without You", which was originally recorded by Lonnie Gordon. The song peaked at #72. After the failure of these two singles, Dean no longer continued to work with Stock Aitken Waterman and began working with Ian Levine who had previously remixed and produced tracks with her in the mid 1980s.
During this time, Dean produced and wrote songs for Bad Boys Inc, Bona Riah (produced "House of Rising Sun"), Miquel Brown (produced "It's a Sin"), MEN 2 B (co-wrote "Love Satisfaction"), Upside Down and Sandra Feva.
1996 saw the release of Dean's next album, The Winner Takes It All, which was released on Carlton Records. This album contained covers of ABBA songs. The title track was released as a single. In 1999, Dean released a cover version of Bon Jovi's "Living On A Prayer" and, in 2001, a remixed version of "Who's Leaving Who" was released. Neither of these singles charted.
In 2007, Dean returned to record with Ian Levine, completing the track "Trade Him for a Newer Model" for the album Disco 2008. The music video for Trade Him for a Newer Model was released on YouTube by Levine in 2007. In 2009, a number of songs (that have never before been available on any Dean album in their original form) were released on iTunes, including some never before released remixes, while Cherry Red Records re-issued Dean's first mainstream pop album "Heart First" in early 2010.
2010 saw Hazell Dean sign to the dance label, Energise Records, who also have The Three Degrees, Sonia, Tina Charles and Nicki French signed to them. With Energise, Dean recorded an updated version of her 1980s single, "They Say It's Gonna Rain". The new track was produced by KlubKidz and has remixes from the Sleazesisters, Glamma and PMG. She also released the singles "Shattered Glass", "In The Name Of Love", "This Is My Life", "We Belong/Can You Feel It" & I Close My Eyes & Count To Ten" In 2013, she released an album entitled "In The Name Of...".
Cherry Red Records released a Deluxe Edition of Always on 23 April 2012. On 10 September 2012, a new 21 track greatest hits collection called Evergreen: The Very Best of Hazell Dean was released through Music Club Deluxe Records. The CD pressing features a bonus disc of 11 remixes and rare extended mixes of Dean's 1980s hits. On 21 December 2012, Dean performed at the Stock Aitken Waterman "Hit Factory Live" reunion concert at London's O2 Arena, along with many other former SAW acts.
2015 saw Hazell Dean release the single "24 Hours" through Energise. The single included mixes by Dean & Ware, and Matt Pop. Also included was the 2015 version of her classic Top 5 smash, Whatever I Do (Wherever I Go).
After the success of "Searchin'", Dean made her gay club début at Heaven in London and has subsequently enjoyed a large homosexual following. Always acknowledging the support she has received from the gay community throughout her career, Dean frequently performs at Gay Pride events both in the UK and abroad.
Dean continues to perform live and records with various producers, with tracks appearing via her official website.
Never Can Say Goodbye
Hazell Dean Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Still I can't pretend
My heart is torn just knowing that
I'm losing my best friend
If it's easier said than done
Then someone tell me why
Though I try
I can't find the words to say goodbye
I can tell her that I'm sorry
And hope she'll understand
And she'll have to do with someone else
All that we had planned
I'd rather her hear the truth
Than hurt her with a lie
So I try
I can't find the words to say goodbye
I know I have to go
There's no other way
But goodbye is not what I
Can bring myself to say
I tell her "see you later"
but then I might be wrong
This voice inside is driving me
To find where I belong
I know I must leave her now
Everytime I try
I can't find the words to say goodbye
Don't know why
I can't find the words to say goodbye
The lyrics of Hazell Dean's Never Can Say Goodbye reveal the inner turmoil of a person trying to end a romantic relationship with someone they still deeply care for. The opening line "I can't say I don't love her" establishes that the singer's love for their partner still exists, but they have to end things due to some unmentioned reason. The singer admits that their heart is torn because they are losing their best friend, indicating that their bond was much stronger than just a romantic connection. Despite the difficulty, the singer knows that they have to end the relationship, but struggles to find the words to say goodbye.
The second verse continues to illustrate the singer's struggle with ending the relationship. They want to tell their partner that they are sorry and hope they will understand, instead of hurting them with a lie. The singer knows that they have to move on, but their heart is not ready to say goodbye. They try to console themselves by saying "see you later," but deep down, they are unsure if they will see their partner again. The confusion is expressed in the final line "Don't know why I can't find the words to say goodbye," which reveals that the singer doesn't fully understand their own feelings.
Overall, the lyrics of Hazell Dean's "Never Can Say Goodbye" paint a poignant picture of a person struggling to end a relationship that still holds a special place in their heart. It shows the emotional pain of letting go of someone and how difficult it can be to say goodbye, even if it's necessary.
Line by Line Meaning
I can't say I don't love her
I still love her deeply and cannot deny it
Still I can't pretend
But I can't fake my feelings and pretend I don't care
My heart is torn just knowing that
Just the thought of losing her is breaking my heart
I'm losing my best friend
I'm not just losing a partner, but a friend I trusted and could depend on
If it's easier said than done
If ending things was simple and straightforward
Then someone tell me why
Why am I struggling with finding the right words to say?
Though I try
Even if I attempt to find the words
I can't find the words to say goodbye
I can't seem to express my farewell properly in order to make things right
I can tell her that I'm sorry
I can apologize to her for the situation
And hope she'll understand
And hope she'll be capable of comprehending my decision
And she'll have to do with someone else
And she will move on and start a new life with someone else
All that we had planned
All the things we had imagined and planned for our future together
I'd rather her hear the truth
It's better if she hears the truth from me directly
Than hurt her with a lie
Because hurting her with a lie would hurt me too
So I try
But no matter how hard I try
I can't find the words to say goodbye
I simply can't bring myself to say my final words to her
I know I have to go
I'm aware that I have to leave her
There's no other way
There isn't any other alternative
But goodbye is not what I can bring myself to say
But I'm unable to find the courage to bid her my final adieu
I tell her "see you later"
I tell her that I'll see her again soon
but then I might be wrong
But I'm not too certain if it's true or not
This voice inside is driving me
I'm hearing a voice inside me that motivates me to move forward
To find where I belong
To look for my place and purpose in life
Everytime I try
Every attempt I make
I can't find the words to say goodbye
I am incapable of finding the right approach to part ways with her and move on
Don't know why
I don't know the answer
I can't find the words to say goodbye
I am at a loss for words to express my parting message
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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