- Elkie Brooks
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Elkie Brooks 
Background information Birth name Elaine Bookbinder Born 25 February 1945 Origin Broughton, Lancashire, England, UK Genres Pop, rock, blues, jazz Occupations Singer Instruments Vocals Years active 1960–present Associated acts Vinegar Joe, Robert Palmer, Humphrey Lyttelton Website http://www.elkiebrooks.net/ Notable instruments Piano/Fender Rhodes Elkie Brooks (born 25 February 1945, Broughton, Salford) is an English singer, formerly a vocalist with Vinegar Joe, and later a solo artist. Elkie has been nominated twice for Brit Awards' top female singer. She is known for her powerful husky voice. Elkie Brooks is a patron of International Animal Rescue.
Contents
Life and career
Brooks was born in 1945 as Elaine Bookbinder to a Jewish father and Catholic mother in Broughton, Salford and raised in Prestwich. She attended North Salford Secondary Modern School.
According to Brooks, her unofficial debut was a gig at a club called the "Laronde" on Cheetham Hill Road, Manchester when she was thirteen. A professional singer since she was fifteen, Brooks' debut, a cover of Etta James's "Something's Got A Hold On Me", was released on Decca in 1964. She spent most of the 1960s on Britain's cabaret scene, a period of her life that she did not particularly enjoy.[1] In the early 1960s Brooks supported The Beatles in their Christmas show in London, then, as an established act, helped the Small Faces in their early career by introducing them at several venues. She went on to tour the United States with several bands including the Animals.
After she met Pete Gage, whom she would marry, she joined the short-lived fusioneers Dada before forming Vinegar Joe with Gage and Robert Palmer. Elkie gained the reputation as the wild woman of "Rock n Roll" due to her wild stage performances. After three albums, they split up in 1974, and Brooks and Palmer both went solo. After a time as backing singer with the American southern boogie band Wet Willie, she returned to England. Her first solo album on A&M records was Rich Man's Woman (1975).Released to critical acclaim Elkie was given a hard time due to the album's cover, which was considered outrageous for the time.
It came before a run of sixteen UK hit albums in twenty-five years, starting with Two Days Away, produced by the legendary duo Leiber & Stoller, who had also worked with Elvis Presley and many others (1977). Brooks wrote some tracks with Leiber and Stoller. The hits "Pearl's a Singer", "Sunshine After the Rain" came from this album. "Lilac Wine", Don't Cry Out Loud, came later. The albums Shooting Star (1978), Live and Learn (1979), Pearls (at the time, the largest selling album by a British female artist) (1981), "Fool (If You Think It's Over)" was a hit for Brooks taken from this album, written by Chris Rea. Pearls II (1982), Minutes (1984) and Screen Gems, the first album to be produced on CD in the UK (1984), were all UK chart successes.
In 1986 No More the Fool gave her biggest hit single to date while the parent album reached the top 5. The haunting video featured a young Leah Harounoff founder of the Inside of Out Theatre Group who in 2011 performed Titus Andronicus at the Barons Court Theatre to critical acclaim. Following chart success ensued with the albums The Very Best of (1986), Bookbinders Kid On Bookbinders Kid, she covered "What's The Matter Baby" previously recorded by Timi Yuro (1988), Yuro impressed with Elkie's version contacted Brooks to tell her so. The two remained friends. Inspiration (1981), Round Midnight (1993), Nothin' But the Blues (1994), Amazing (1996) and The Very Best of (1997). In 1980 Brooks performed at the Knebworth Festival with The Beach Boys, Santana and Mike Oldfield.[2]
Brooks' success landed her in the Guinness Book of Records as the most charted British female album artist of the last 30 years.[citation needed]
In March 2003 she participated in the ITV music talent show Reborn in the USA, alongside musicians such as Peter Cox (Go West Singer), Tony Hadley and Leee John. The Electric Lady album (2005) saw a return to her blues and rock roots, featuring self-penned tracks alongside re-workings of numbers by The Doors, Bob Dylan, Paul Rodgers and Tony Joe White. The following year saw the release of her first official DVD, titled Elkie Brooks & Friends: Pearls featuring an array of guest musicians.
Brooks has toured almost every year during her solo career. Her 1982 UK concert tour was seen by more than 140,000 people in just three months. She has performed at every major UK theatre including sell out runs at the London Palladium, Dominion Theatre, Hammersmith Apollo, Ronnie Scott's, Royal Albert Hall and Wembley Arena. Brooks was offered "Don't Cry For Me, Argentina" but turned it down. It was then recorded by Julie Covington, and by others. Brooks also turned down the song " The Flame " it was then recorded by the band " Cheap Trick " it reached no. 1 in the U.S. and no. 1 in Australia.
Brooks' 20th studio album - Powerless was released in 2010, featuring songs such as Prince's "Purple Rain" and Dylan's "Make You Feel My Love".
Family
In 1978 she married sound engineer Trevor Jordan; they have two sons. Trevor Jordan has been Brooks's sound engineer since 1977.
Discography
Studio albums
Year Album UK #[3] Label 1975 Rich Man's Woman - A&M 1977 Two Days Away 16 A&M 1978 Shooting Star 20 A&M 1979 Live and Learn 34 A&M 1981 Pearls 2 A&M 1982 Pearls II 5 A&M 1984 Minutes 35 A&M 1984 Screen Gems 35 A&M 1986 No More the Fool 5 Legend 1988 Bookbinder's Kid 57 Legend 1989 Inspiration 58 Telstar 1991 Pearls III (Close to the Edge) - Freestyle 1993 Round Midnight 27 Castle 1994 Nothin' But the Blues 58 Castle 1995 Circles - Permanent 1996 Amazing 49 Carlton Classics 2003 Shangri-La - Classic Pictures 2003 Trouble in Mind (with Humphrey Lyttelton) - Classic Pictures 2005 Electric Lady - Swing Cafe 2010 Powerless - Eventful Music Productions Live albums
Year Album Label 1997 The Pearls Concert Artful 2000 Live at the Palladium JAM Records 2000 Live 2000 JAM Records 2005 Don't Cry Out Loud Recall 2007 Live With Friends EMP Compilations
Year Album UK #[3] Label 1986 The Very Best of Elkie Brooks (Telstar) 10 Telstar 1993 The last teardrop Pilz 1997 The Very Best of Elkie Brooks (Polygram) 23 Polygram Singles
Year Song UK #[3] Album Label 1964 "Something's Got a Hold on Me" - - Decca 1964 "Nothing Left to Do but Cry" - - Decca 1965 "The Way You Do the Things You Do" - - Decca 1965 "He's Gotta Love Me" - - HMV 1965 "All of My Life" - - HMV 1966 "Baby Let Me Love You" - - HMV 1969 "Come September" - - NEMS 1974 "Rescue Me" - - Island 1975 "Where Do We Go From Here" - Rich Man's Woman A&M 1975 "He's a Rebel" - Rich Man's Woman A&M 1977 "Pearl's a Singer" 8 Two Days Away A&M 1977 "Saved" - Two Days Away A&M 1977 "Sunshine After the Rain" 10 Two Days Away A&M 1977 "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man" - Two Days Away A&M 1978 "Lilac Wine" 16 Pearls A&M 1978 "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" 43 Shooting Star A&M 1978 "Since You Went Away" - Shooting Star A&M 1978 "Stay with Me" (Netherlands only) - Shooting Star A&M 1979 "Don't Cry Out Loud" 12 Pearls A&M 1979 "The Runaway" 50 - A&M 1979 "He Could Have Been an Army" - Live and Learn A&M 1979 "Falling Star" - Live and Learn A&M 1980 "Why Don't You Say It" - - A&M 1980 "Paint Your Pretty Picture" - Pearls A&M 1980 "Dance Away" - Pearls A&M 1981 "Warm and Tender Love" - Pearls A&M 1981 "Fool (If You Think It's Over)"
(Chris Rea cover)17 Pearls A&M 1982 "Our Love" 43 Pearls II A&M 1982 "Nights in White Satin" 33 Pearls II A&M 1982 "Will You Write Me a Song" - Pearls II A&M 1983 "Gasoline Alley" 52 Pearls II A&M 1983 "I Just Can't Go On" - Pearls II A&M 1984 "Minutes" - Minutes A&M 1984 "Driftin'" - Minutes A&M 1984 "Once in a While" - Screen Gems A&M/EMI 1986 "No More the Fool" 5 No More the Fool Legend 1987 "Break the Chain" 55 No More the Fool Legend 1987 "We've Got Tonight" 69 No More the Fool Legend 1988 "Sail On" - Bookbinders Kid Legend 1989 "Shame" - Inspiration Telstar 1989 "You're the Inspiration" (Belgium only) - Inspiration Telstar/Disky 1990 "I'll Never Love This Way Again" - Inspiration Telstar 1990 "For the World" (withdrawn before release) - - European Artists 1991 "The Last Teardrop" - Pearls III (Close to the Edge) Freestyle 1991 "One of a Kind (Belgium only)" - Pearls III (Close to the Edge) Freestyle/Dureco 1999 "Too Much To Lose" 127 Unfinished Business (Unreleased) BMG 2005 "Out of the Rain" - Electric Lady Swing Cafe 2010 "Powerless" - Powerless Eventful Music Productions References
External links
- Official website of Elkie Brooks
- "Elkie Brooks, Cabot Hall, London", The Guardian, September 9, 2005, by Robin Denselow
Categories:- 1945 births
- English female singers
- English soul singers
- Living people
- People from Broughton, Greater Manchester
- People from Prestwich
- Music from Salford
- Musicians from Manchester
- British rhythm and blues boom musicians
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