Dee Walker

Dee Walker, a 22-year-old building society employee from Kent, was chosen in 1984 to be the Dance Network’s new signing. Label boss Paul Bultitude said: “We can call her Dee. The mod scene needs a Cilla or a Sandy.”

Paul Bevoir was charged with writing her debut single, “a groovy dance song along the lines of The Locomotion.” Jump Back is all of that and more – an infectious, foot-stomping shaker that stormed straight into the Ready Steady Go studios on a scooter. Released in the June of 84, its driving Motown beat, jubilant horn-driven riff and sun-soaked joie de vivre make Jump Back one of the perfect summer singles.

It didn’t chart of course. People were too busy buying Frankie Goes To Hollywood records, the clowns. A mini-album, Dial L For Love, was released a year later, featuring three songs by Bevoir and three by Ed Ball. A couple more songs came out on the Hot Hits compilation (see post below) and that was it.

Dee got married in 1986, moved to Nottingham and lost touch with her music contacts in London. All nine songs – and a fine legacy it is, too – can be found on the Tangerine CD compilation, Jump Back, which you can still pick up if you look hard enough. I’m sure I had some promo photos of Dee, but I’m buggered if I can find them.