Perfect Timing is an album of great substance by Kiki Dee, surrounding herself with more top-notch players and very strong material.
Elton John duets on the
Stevie Wonder/
Ivy Hunter gem, and of course it's good, but other songs are the standouts here: Chris Bradford's "Wild Eyes"; Dee's co-write with
Eric Kaz, "There's a Need"; pianist Bias Boshell's "You Are My Hope in This World"; and the beautiful title track, "Perfect Timing." Let's face it, Dee got more breaks than most, with
John putting a remake of "Sugar on the Floor" from her Loving & Free album on the flip of one of his hit singles, her chart success in 1974 with "I Got the Music in Me," and her number one duet with
John, "Don't Go Breaking My Heart." How could music this good, with so much support, fail to make more of a dent in the charts and in the hearts of fans? Producer Pip Williams, who worked with
the Moody Blues,
Status Quo,
Barclay James Harvest, and others, co-wrote "Another Break," featuring
Patrick Moraz on clavitar, and the Teresa Straley/Eddy Brown co-write "Love Is Just a Moment Away" gets a classy treatment with
Wings/
Elton John drummer Steve Holly adding his magic. It's an amazing cast and every song on the album has a different songwriting team or songwriter; the only people with two credits each are Dee with former
John co-writer
Gary Osborne and
Doreen Chanter, who penned the opening track, "Star," on her own, co-writing "Midnight Flyer" with
Irene Chanter. "Love Is Just a Moment Away" would have been huge on AAA radio had that format been around in full force in 1981. What a great song for those radio stations to seek and find after the fact. What a tremendous artist, with songs like '"Midnight Flyer" and the powerful "Wild Eyes." "Wild Eyes" is as strong as "I've Got the Music in Me," though a bit more subdued. Dynamic drums and a low and definite vocal from Dee make it a standout. This album has the goods: a beautiful cover photo, striking back cover mini photos, and a blue inner sleeve with the lyrics and credits. A real gem worth hearing anytime and anyplace; the timing was perfect, but somehow it didn't click with radio and inevitably the public. [Edsel's 2008 reissue included four bonus tracks.]
