Sources
Help build the largest human-edited directory on the web.
Submit a site - Become an editor
Wikipedia. Licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Are you an expert in this subject? Join the discussion and share your knowledge at Wikipedia.org.
Elkie Brooks
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Elkie Brooks | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| Background information | ||
| Birth name | Elaine Bookbinder | |
| Born | February 25, 1945 (age 62) Salford, Manchester, England |
|
| Genre(s) | Pop/Rock/Jazz/Blues | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer | |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals | |
| Years active | 1960 - present | |
| Associated acts |
Vinegar Joe, Robert Palmer, Humphrey Lyttelton | |
| Website | http://www.elkiebrooks.com/ | |
| Notable instrument(s) | ||
| Piano/Fender Rhodes | ||
Elkie Brooks (born Elaine Bookbinder, 25 February 1945, in Salford) is a British singer, formerly a vocalist with Vinegar Joe, and later a solo artist. Long regarded as one of the finest singers the UK has ever produced, Elkie Brooks has achieved a long and varied career entertaining audiences for the past 47 years.
Contents |
Brooks grew up in Broughton, Salford and attended North Manchester High School for Girls in Moston, Manchester.
A professional singer since she was fifteen, Elkie Brooks' debut, a cover of Etta James' "Something's Got A Hold On Me" was released on Decca in 1964. She spent most of the 1960s on Britain's jazz scene, then met husband Pete Gage and joined the short-lived fusioneers Dada before forming Vinegar Joe with Gage and Robert Palmer. After three albums, they split up in 1974, and Brooks and Palmer both went solo. After a spell as backing singer with the American southern boogie band Wet Willie, she returned to England. Her well-received but commercially unsuccessful Rich Man's Woman (1975) came before a run of sixteen UK hit albums in twenty-five years, starting with Two Days Away (1977) and the hits "Pearl's A Singer", "Sunshine After The Rain" and "Lilac Wine", She also had a very popular, though uncredited, hit in 1977 with the Cat Stevens duet "(Remember the Days of the) Old Schoolyard".
The albums Shooting Star (1978), Live And Learn (1979), Pearls (at the time, the largest selling album by a British female artist) (1981), Pearls II (1982), Minutes (1984), and Screen Gems (1984) were all creditable chart successes. In 1986 No More The Fool gave Elkie her biggest hit single to date while the parent album reached the top 5. Following chart success ensued with the albums The Very Best Of (1986), Bookbinders Kid (1988), Inspiration (1981), Round Midnight (1993) Nothin' But The Blues (1994), Amazing (1996) and The Very Best Of (1997).
Brooks has an impressive chart run earning her a recognition by the Guiness Book of Records as the most charted British female album artist of the last 30 years. The Pearls album stayed in the charts for an amazing 79 weeks and was still there when her follow-up, Pearls II, charted a year later.
In March 2003 she starred in the ITV music talent show Reborn in the USA, alongside musicians such as Peter Cox (Go West Singer), Tony Hadley and Leee John. Being a shy individual she kept a very low profile and many feel she was not able to perform to the standards she is clearly capable of. In the end the show did little for any of its participants, even eventual winner Tony Hadley.
Her Electric Lady album (2005) saw her return to her blues and rock roots featuring self penned tracks alongside great 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 Elkie Brooks & Friends: Pearls featuring an array of guest star musicians.
Elkie is currently working on her 20th Studio album 30 years after her solo debut in 1977.
Always a popular live attraction, Brooks has toured almost every year for the past 30 years. Her 1982 UK Concert tour was seen by over 140,000 people. She has performed at every major UK theatre including sell out runs at London's Palladium, Dominion Theatre, Royal Albert Hall, and Wembley Arena.
Elkie has continued to tour relentlessy across the UK averaging 60-70 dates per year, packing theatres and concert halls, with much of the same to come in 2007. Press reports and internet/newspaper reviews indicate that her live shows are nothing short of amazing, with nightly standing ovations and hundreds of glowing comments received by her official website.
(For More Information on these albums, please click on each title).
Studio Albums
| Year | Album | UK # | Weeks | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Rich Man's Woman | - | - | A&M |
| 1977 | Two Days Away | 16 | 20 | A&M |
| 1978 | Shooting Star | 20 | 13 | A&M |
| 1979 | Live and Learn | 34 | 6 | A&M |
| 1981 | Pearls | 2 | 79 | A&M |
| 1982 | Pearls II | 5 | 25 | A&M |
| 1984 | Minutes | 35 | 7 | A&M |
| 1984 | Screen Gems | 35 | 11 | A&M |
| 1986 | No More The Fool | 5 | 23 | Legend |
| 1988 | Bookbinder's Kid | 57 | 3 | Legend |
| 1989 | Inspiration | 58 | 3 | Telstar |
| 1991 | Pearls III (Close To The Edge) | - | - | Freestyle |
| 1993 | Round Midnight | 27 | 4 | Castle |
| 1994 | Nothin' But The Blues | 58 | 2 | Castle |
| 1995 | Circles | - | - | Permanent |
| 1996 | Amazing | 49 | 2 | Carlton Classics |
| 2003 | Shangri-La | - | - | Classic Pictures |
| 2003 | Trouble In Mind (With Humphrey Lyttelton) | - | - | Classic Pictures |
| 2005 | Electric Lady | - | - | Swing Cafe |
Charted Compilations
| Year | Album | UK # | Weeks | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | The Very Best of Elkie Brooks - Telstar | 10 | 18 | Telstar |
| 1997 | The Very Best of Elkie Brooks - Polygram | 23 (re-entry 1998) | 7 | Polygram |
Charted Singles
| Year | Album | UK # | Weeks | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Pearl's A Singer | 8 | 9 | Two Days Away | A&M |
| 1977 | Sunshine After The Rain | 10 | 9 | Two Days Away | A&M |
| 1978 | Lilac Wine | 16 | 7 | Pearls | A&M |
| 1978 | Only Love Can Break Your Heart | 43 | 5 | Shooting Star | A&M |
| 1979 | Don't Cry Out Loud | 12 | 11 | Pearls | A&M |
| 1979 | The Runaway | 50 | 5 | N/A | A&M |
| 1981 | Fool If You Think It's Over | 17 | 10 | Pearls | A&M |
| 1982 | Our Love | 43 | 5 | Pearls II | A&M |
| 1982 | Nights In White Satin | 33 | 5 | Pearls II | A&M |
| 1983 | Gasoline Alley | 52 | 5 | Pearls II | A&M |
| 1986 | No More The Fool | 5 | 16 | No More The Fool | Legend |
| 1987 | Break The Chain | 55 | 3 | No More The Fool | Legend |
| 1987 | We've Got Tonight | 69 | 1 | No More The Fool | Legend |
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 - Live at Shepherds Bush | Recall |
| 2007 | Live With Friends | EMP |
Other Compilations
| Year | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | The Very Best of Elkie Brooks - A&M | A&M |
| 1986 | The Early Years | C5 |
| 1987 | The Collection | Castle |
| 1991 | Priceless | Castle |
| 1993 | We've Got Tonight - Compilation | Castle |
| 1993 | Original Recordings | Castle |
| 1994 | Love Is Love | Castle |
| 1995 | The Best of Elkie Brooks | Spectrum |
| 1995 | We've Got Tonight - Spectrum | Spectrum |
| 1997 | Master Series | A&M |
| 1998 | Gold and Blues | Castle |
| 1999 | Songs Of Love | Castle |
| 2000 | Millenium Edition | A&M |
| 2000 | Anthology (Hold The Dream) | Castle |
| 2000 | Greatest Hits | Brilliant |
| 2001 | Pearl's Singer | Planet Song |
| 2003 | No More The Fool - Compilation | Delta |
| 2006 | Pearl's A Singer - The Very Best Of | Universal |
Other Singles
| Year | Song | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Something's Got A Hold On Me | N/A | Decca |
| 1964 | Nothing Left To Do But Cry | N/A | Decca |
| 1965 | The Way You Do The Things You Do | N/A | Decca |
| 1965 | He's Gotta Love Me | N/A | HMV |
| 1965 | All Of My Life | N/A | HMV |
| 1966 | Baby Let Me Love You | N/A | HMV |
| 1969 | Come September | N/A | NEMS |
| 1974 | Rescue Me | N/A | Island |
| 1975 | Where Do We Go From Here | Rich Mans Woman | A&M |
| 1975 | He's A Rebel | Rich Mans Woman | A&M |
| 1977 | Saved | Two Days Away | A&M |
| 1977 | Do Right Woman, Do Right Man | Two Days Away | A&M |
| 1978 | Since You Went Away | Shooting Star | A&M |
| 1978 | Stay with Me (Netherlands Only) | Shooting Star | 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 | N/A | A&M |
| 1980 | Paint Your Pretty Picture | Pearls | A&M |
| 1980 | Dance Away | Pearls | A&M |
| 1981 | Warm and Tender Love | Pearls | A&M |
| 1982 | Will You Write Me A Song | 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 |
| 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) | N/A | 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 |
| 1996 | Too Much To Lose | N/A | BMG |
| 2005 | Out Of The Rain | Electric Lady | Swing Cafe |
Her older brother, Tony Mansfield (Bookbinder) was the drummer for 1960's group Billy J. Kramer and The Dakotas.
During the 1970's Elkie was a popular face in Melody Maker, NME and Sound Magazine and noted for her wild rock antics.
Elkie's first husband was Vinegar Joe bandmate Pete Gage.
Her second husband Trevor Jordan is a world renowned sound engineer and has worked alongside many major acts including Diana Ross, Andy Williams, Alice Cooper, The Who and Wings.
Her 1984 album Screen Gems, was the first album to be released soley on CD in the UK. It is now a collectors item and regularly sells on the internet auction site ebay for prices in excess of £250.
Elkie is a keen student of the martial art of Aikido and practices on a regular basis.
Her 1981 single Warm and Tender Love was used as the promotional song for the product Lenor and accompained the various tv adverts.
In 1986 she sang the theme tune We Love You for BBC TV series A Very Peculiar Practice
In 1995 Elkie performed the track Lean on Me as the title track to the Maureen Lipman comedy Agony Again.
Elkie was a regular special guest on The Two Ronnies TV show where she performed many of her hit songs over the course of the series.
In 1987 Elkie had Two Top 10 albums in the same week as a Top 5 Single in the UK charts. An impressive achievement even by todays standards.
Elkie has spent a total of 4 years on the album charts (212 weeks so far).
Celebrity fans of Elkie are known to include Mick Hucknall, Bonnie Tyler, Michael Parkinson, Leo Sayer, Terry Wogan, Jonathan Ross, Sam Brown and Kate Bush.
Elkie recorded a version of the Laura Branigan hit Gloria for her 1986 Greatest Hits album as A&M records believed it would be the perfect song to help Elkie crack America. Coincidentally, Steve York who worked alongside Elkie in Dada, Vinegar Joe and the early part of her solo career, went on to tour extensively with Laura Branigan in the mid 1980's.
In 1972, Elkie played The Acid Queen in a symphonic production of The Who's rock opera Tommy at the Ranibow Theatre in London.
Elkie's musical favourites include, Etta James, Dakota Staton, Nina Simone, Timi Yuro, Ella Fitzgerald, Free vocalist Paul Rodgers and her hero Billie Holiday.
Elkie is given a thankyou in the credits for Joan Armatrading's 1975 album Back To The Night where she was believed to have cooked for the Joan and the Band in the studio.
In 1973 Elkie sang uncredited lead vocals on Love A Little Bit Longer, the b-side to the single 'Dr Love by manufactured band The Electric Dolls.
After attending an audition at the Palace Theatre in Manchester in the early 1960's, Elkie was spotted and signed by impresario Don Arden, the formidable father of Sharon Osbourne.
Elkie was offered the role of Evita for Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1976 concept album. She refused the part which eventually became associated with Julie Covington.
A firm friend of British Jazz hero Humphrey Lyttelton, Elkie recorded an album, 'Trouble In Mind with him in 2003 and occasionaly they perform the odd concert together.
Over the years Elkie has worked with countless musicians and songwriters.
Current Line Up
Guitar - Geoff Whitehorn - (Procol Harum, Paul Rodgers, Crawler) Keyboards - Andrew Murray - (Russ Ballard) Drums - Michael Richardson - (10cc, Andrew Gold, The Bee Gees) Bass - Brian Badhams - (Ruby Turner, Sheila Ferguson, Steve Gibbons) Saxaphone - Steve Jones - (The Velvet Hearts, John James Newman) Backing Vocals - Lee Noble - (Liane Carroll)
Previous Members
Jean Roussel, Steve York, Zal Cleminson, Trevor Morais, Pete Gage, Tim Mills, Brandon Fownes, Al Hodge, John Giblin, Johnny Dyke, Andy Newmark, Jerry Knight, Isaac Guillory, Duncan Mackay, Rosa Avila, Mike Cahen, Bernie Marsden, Paul Stacey, Gary Hutchins, Paul Dunne, Brendan Taylor, Ian Parker, Phil Mulford, Duncan Kinnell, Matthew Letley.
"Elkie Brooks is still one of the great British voices." [1]
- Denselow, Robin. "Arts reviews: Elkie Brooks", The Guardian, 9 Sep 2005.