Elkie Brooks (born Elaine Bookbinder; 25 February 1946) is an English
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
,
blues
Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...
and
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
singer. She was a vocalist with the bands Dada and
Vinegar Joe, and later became a solo artist. She gained her biggest success in the late 1970s and 1980s, releasing 13 UK Top 75 singles, and reached the top ten with "
Pearl's a Singer
"Pearl's a Singer" is a song made famous by the British singer Elkie Brooks, as taken from her 1977 album ''Two Days Away'' which was produced by the song's co-writers Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. The original version of "Pearl's a Singer" ha ...
", "
Sunshine After the Rain
"Sunshine After the Rain" is a song originally written and recorded by Ellie Greenwich in 1968, titled as "The Sunshine After the Rain" and released on her album ''Composes, Produces and Sings''. It was covered by Elkie Brooks in 1977 and Berri i ...
" and the title track of the album ''
No More the Fool
''No More the Fool'' is a 1986 album by Elkie Brooks. It includes the title track single which became the biggest hit of Brooks' career. Both the album and single peaked at No. 5 on the UK charts in early 1987.
Overview
Having been released fro ...
'' (1986). She has been nominated twice for the
Brit Awards
The BRIT Awards (often simply called the BRITs) are the British Phonographic Industry's annual popular music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain", or "Britannia" (in the early days the awards were sponsored ...
.
Brooks is a Gold Badge Award of Merit winner from the
British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors
The Ivors Academy (formerly the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors – BASCA) is one of the largest professional associations for music writers in Europe. The academy exists to support, protect, and campaign for the interests ...
(BASCA) (now
The Ivors Academy
The Ivors Academy (formerly the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors – BASCA) is one of the largest professional associations for music writers in Europe. The academy exists to support, protect, and campaign for the interests ...
)
and is generally referred to as the "British Queen of Blues".
Life and career
Early career and Vinegar Joe
Brooks was born Elaine Bookbinder in
Salford
Salford () is a city and the largest settlement in the City of Salford metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. In 2011, Salford had a population of 103,886. It is also the second and only other city in the metropolitan county afte ...
, to a
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
family.
Her father's grandparents emigrated to Britain from Poland at the start of the 20th century to escape the
pogroms
A pogrom () is a violent riot incited with the aim of massacring or expelling an ethnic or religious group, particularly Jews. The term entered the English language from Russian to describe 19th- and 20th-century attacks on Jews in the Russian ...
. Her older brothers are Raymond Bookbinder (born 1938) and Anthony Bookbinder (born 28 May 1943), who went by the stage name of Tony Mansfield, and was drummer for
Billy J. Kramer
William Howard Ashton (born 19 August 1943), known professionally as Billy J. Kramer, is an English pop singer. With The Dakotas, Kramer was managed by Brian Epstein during the 1960s and scored hits with several Lennon–McCartney compositions ...
with
the Dakotas
The Dakotas is a collective term for the U.S. states of North Dakota and South Dakota. It has been used historically to describe the Dakota Territory, and is still used for the collective heritage, culture, geography, fauna, sociology, econom ...
on their run of 1960s hit records.
Whilst still a child, Brooks began singing at barmitzvahs and weddings; according to Brooks, her unofficial debut was a gig at a club called the "Laronde" on
Cheetham Hill Road
Cheetham Hill Road is a road in north Manchester, England, running from Corporation Street in Manchester city centre to Prestwich. In Crumpsall, its name changes to Bury Old Road.
Route
Cheetham Hill Road and Bury Old Road are part of the desig ...
, Manchester, when she was 13 years old. Aged 15, she won a talent contest in Manchester, leading to her taking part in a pop
package tour
A package tour, package vacation, or package holiday comprises transport and accommodation advertised and sold together by a vendor known as a tour operator. Other services may be provided such as a rental car, activities or outings during the ho ...
which was promoted by
Don Arden
Don Arden (born Harry Levy; 4 January 1926 – 21 July 2007) was an English music manager, agent, and businessman. He managed the careers of rock acts such as Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Air Supply, Small Faces, The Move, Black Sabbath ...
(whose daughter,
Sharon Osbourne
Sharon Rachel Osbourne (née Levy, later Arden; born 9 October 1952) is a British-American television personality, music manager and author. She is married to heavy metal singer-songwriter Ozzy Osbourne and came to prominence while appearing ...
, would later be known as a music manager).
Her first record, a cover of
Etta James
Jamesetta Hawkins (January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012), known professionally as Etta James, was an American singer who performed in various genres, including gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, rock and roll, and soul. Starting her career in 1954, sh ...
's "
Something's Got a Hold on Me
"Something's Got a Hold on Me" is a song by American singer Etta James. The song was written by James, Leroy Kirkland and Pearl Woods, while production was handled by Leonard and Phil Chess. It was released in 1962 as the third single from her ...
", was released on
Decca Decca may refer to:
Music
* Decca Records or Decca Music Group, a record label
* Decca Gold, a classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group
* Decca Broadway, a musical theater record label
* Decca Studios, a recording facility in W ...
in 1964. Brooks spent most of the 1960s on Britain's
cabaret
Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or d ...
scene, a period of her life that she did not particularly enjoy. In the mid 1960s, she supported
the Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
in their Christmas show in London, then, as an established act, helped the
Small Faces
Small Faces were an English rock band from London, founded in 1965. The group originally consisted of Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane, Kenney Jones and Jimmy Winston, with Ian McLagan replacing Winston as the band's keyboardist in 1966. The band w ...
in their early career by introducing them at several venues. She went on to tour the United States with several bands, including
The Animals
The Animals (also billed as Eric Burdon and the Animals) are an English rock band, formed in Newcastle upon Tyne in the early 1960s. The band moved to London upon finding fame in 1964. The Animals were known for their gritty, bluesy sound and ...
. She also toured the then
communist Poland
The Polish People's Republic ( pl, Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa, PRL) was a country in Central Europe that existed from 1947 to 1989 as the predecessor of the modern Republic of Poland. With a population of approximately 37.9 million nea ...
with
Jon Lord
John Douglas Lord (9 June 194116 July 2012) was an English orchestral and rock composer, pianist, and Hammond organ player known for his pioneering work in fusing rock with classical or baroque forms, especially with the British rock band Deep ...
's
The Artwoods
The Artwoods (also sometimes known by Decca Records as the Art Woods) were an English rock band who formed in 1963 and were professionally active between 1964 and 1967. They were a popular live attraction, rivalling groups such as the Animals, a ...
.
In the 1960s, Brooks had begun singing jazz with
Humphrey Lyttelton
Humphrey Richard Adeane Lyttelton (23 May 1921 – 25 April 2008), also known as Humph, was an English jazz musician and broadcaster from the Lyttelton family.
Having taught himself the trumpet at school, Lyttelton became a professional ...
's band, but subsequently changed direction musically.
After she met
Pete Gage, whom she would marry, she joined the short-lived
blues rock
Blues rock is a fusion music genre that combines elements of blues and rock music. It is mostly an electric ensemble-style music with instrumentation similar to electric blues and rock (electric guitar, electric bass guitar, and drums, sometimes w ...
fusioneers Dada, before forming
Vinegar Joe with Gage and
Robert Palmer. Brooks gained the reputation as the wild woman of
rock 'n' roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm an ...
, due to her wild stage performances. After three albums, they split up in 1974, and Brooks and Palmer pursued separate solo careers. After a time as backing singer with the American southern boogie band
Wet Willie
Wet Willie is an American band from Mobile, Alabama. Their best-known song, " Keep On Smilin'", reached No. 10 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart in August 1974. Several other of the group's songs also appeared on the singles charts in the ...
, she returned to England.
Solo career and chart success
![Portret Elkie Brooks zangeres Amsterdam, 1977 - 39](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/Portret_Elkie_Brooks_zangeres_Amsterdam%2C_1977_-_39.jpg)
Brooks first solo album, released on
A & M Records, was ''
Rich Man's Woman
''Rich Man's Woman'' is the first album by Elkie Brooks.
Background
Brooks' first solo album was released in 1975 with publicity including a promotional week at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in London. The picture sleeve featuring a semi-naked Brook ...
'' (1975). It was released to critical acclaim, but Brooks was criticised because of the album's cover shot of a naked Brooks with a feather boa, which was considered outrageous for the time.
This came before a run of 16 albums in 20 years, starting with ''
Two Days Away
''Two Days Away'' is an album by Elkie Brooks, released in 1977.
Background
Brooks' breakthrough second album, released in 1977, propelled her into solo stardom in the UK and Europe. Including the top ten hits "Pearl's a Singer" and "Sunshine Af ...
'' (1977), produced by the songwriting duo
Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
Lyricist Jerome Leiber (April 25, 1933 – August 22, 2011) and composer Michael Stoller (born March 13, 1933) were American songwriting and record producing partners. They found success as the writers of such crossover hit songs as " Hound Dog" ( ...
, who had previously worked with
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
; Brooks also wrote tracks with Leiber and Stoller. The hits "
Pearl's a Singer
"Pearl's a Singer" is a song made famous by the British singer Elkie Brooks, as taken from her 1977 album ''Two Days Away'' which was produced by the song's co-writers Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. The original version of "Pearl's a Singer" ha ...
" (reaching No. 8 in the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
) and "
Sunshine After the Rain
"Sunshine After the Rain" is a song originally written and recorded by Ellie Greenwich in 1968, titled as "The Sunshine After the Rain" and released on her album ''Composes, Produces and Sings''. It was covered by Elkie Brooks in 1977 and Berri i ...
" (which reached No. 10) came from this album.
1977 also saw Brooks duet with
Cat Stevens
Yusuf Islam (born Steven Demetre Georgiou; ), commonly known by his stage names Cat Stevens, Yusuf, and Yusuf / Cat Stevens, is a British singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. His musical style consists of folk, pop, rock, and, later in ...
on the song "
Remember the Days of the Old Schoolyard" which reached No.33 on the
''Billboard'' charts and No.44 in UK. The albums ''
Shooting Star'' (1978) and ''
Live and Learn'' (1979) also saw success, along with the singles "
Lilac Wine
"Lilac Wine" is a song written by James Shelton (lyrics and music) in 1950. It was introduced by Hope Foye in the short-lived theater musical revue, ''Dance Me a Song''. The song has since been recorded by many artists.
Lyrics
The lyrics form a ...
" and "Don't Cry Out Loud".
Her polished, powerful cover of
Gallagher and Lyle
Gallagher and Lyle were a Scottish people, Scottish musical duo, comprising singer-songwriters Benny Gallagher and Graham Lyle. Their style consisted mainly in pop, soft rock, soft and folk rock oriented songs.
Their first recognition came in ...
's "The Runaway" saw the Scottish singer-songwriters appear with Brooks on ''
Top of the Pops
''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British Record chart, music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show ...
'' to provide backing vocals.
In 1980, Brooks performed at the
Knebworth Festival
The Knebworth Festival is a recurring open-air rock and pop concert held on the grounds of the Knebworth House in Knebworth, England. The festival first occurred in July 1974 when The Allman Brothers Band, The Doobie Brothers and other artists ...
with
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American Rock music, rock band that formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian Wilson, Brian, Dennis Wilson, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and frie ...
,
Santana
Santana may refer to:
Transportation
* Volkswagen Santana, an automobile
* Santana Cycles, manufacturer of tandem bicycles
* Santana Motors, a former Spanish automobile manufacturer
Boats
* Santana 20, an American sailboat design by W. D. Sch ...
and
Mike Oldfield
Mike may refer to:
Animals
* Mike (cat), cat and guardian of the British Museum
* Mike the Headless Chicken, chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off
* Mike (chimpanzee), a chimpanzee featured in several books and documen ...
. The ''
Pearls
A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle (mollusc), mantle) of a living animal shell, shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pea ...
'' album, released in 1981, was the biggest commercial success of her career, charting for 79 weeks and reaching No. 2 in the
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
. The album was still in the charts a year later, when ''Pearls ll (1982)'' reached No. 5, spending 26 weeks on the charts. The
Gus Dudgeon
Angus Boyd "Gus" Dudgeon (30 September 1942 – 21 July 2002) was an English record producer, who oversaw many of Elton John's most acclaimed recordings, including his commercial breakthrough, "Your Song". Their collaboration led to seven US No ...
-produced "
Fool If You Think It's Over (1981)", written by
Chris Rea
Christopher Anton Rea ( ; born 4 March 1951) is an English rock and blues
Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, fie ...
, was a major hit single for Brooks. Other chart singles followed, with "Our Love", "
Nights in White Satin
"Nights in White Satin" is a song by the Moody Blues, written and composed by Justin Hayward. It was first featured as the segment "The Night" on the album ''Days of Future Passed''. When first released as a single in 1967, it reached number 19 ...
" and "Gasoline Alley", all produced by Dudgeon. The 1984 albums ''
Minutes
Minutes, also known as minutes of meeting (abbreviation MoM), protocols or, informally, notes, are the instant written record of a meeting or hearing. They typically describe the events of the meeting and may include a list of attendees, a state ...
'' and ''
Screen Gems
Screen Gems is an American brand name used by Sony Pictures' Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group, a subsidiary of Japanese multinational conglomerate, Sony Group Corporation. It has served several different purposes for its parent ...
'' were both chart hits in the same year.
In 1986, Brooks sang the title theme song for the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...
television series ''
A Very Peculiar Practice
''A Very Peculiar Practice'' is a surreal black-comedy drama set in the health centre of a British university, produced by the BBC, which ran for two series in 1986 and 1988. The two series were followed by a 90-minute made-for-television film, ...
''. Written by
Dave Greenslade
David John Greenslade (born 18 January 1943) is an English composer and keyboard player. He has played with Colosseum from the beginning in 1968 until the farewell concert in 2015 and also from 1973 in his own band, Greenslade, and others inclu ...
, it was never released commercially.
In early 1987, the song "No More the Fool" reached the top five for Brooks, and became her biggest hit single to date, with
the parent album also reaching the top five. This led to her achieving another career peak, with two albums in the top ten and a single in the top ten in the same week. More chart success ensued with the albums ''
The Very Best of Elkie Brooks'' (1986), ''
Bookbinder's Kid
''Bookbinder's Kid'' is a 1988 album by Elkie Brooks, the follow-up to her top five album '' No More the Fool''.
Overview
After the success of the '' No More the Fool'' album, Brooks' new record company was keen to release a follow-up and trac ...
'' (1988), ''
Inspiration
Inspiration, inspire, or inspired often refers to:
* Artistic inspiration, sudden creativity in artistic production
* Biblical inspiration, the doctrine in Judeo-Christian theology concerned with the divine origin of the Bible
* Creative inspirat ...
'' (1989), ''
Round Midnight'' (1993), ''
Nothin' but the Blues'' (1994), ''
Amazing'' (1996) and ''
The Very Best of Elkie Brooks'' (1997).
Later work
In March 2003, Brooks participated in the
ITV
ITV or iTV may refer to:
ITV
*Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of:
** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
music talent show ''
Reborn in the USA
''Reborn in the USA'' is a British reality television show broadcast on ITV, in which ten British pop acts were transported to the US, where they were supposedly not known in the hope of revitalising their music career.
Each week, the American a ...
'', alongside musicians such as
Peter Cox,
Tony Hadley
Anthony Patrick Hadley (born 2 June 1960) is an English pop singer. He rose to fame in the 1980s as the lead singer of the new wave band Spandau Ballet and launched a solo career following the group's split in 1990. Hadley returned to the ban ...
and
Leee John
Leslie McGregor "Leee" John (born 23 June 1957) is a British musician, singer, and actor of St Lucian descent. He was born in Hackney, London, and educated in New York City, later studying drama at the Anna Scher Theatre School. He is perhaps b ...
. The same year, the album ''
Trouble in Mind'' was released, which saw her collaborate with Humphrey Lyttelton, whom she had worked with earlier in her career, and his Band. The album included "
Bad Penny Blues
"Bad Penny Blues" is a fast instrumental blues written by Humphrey Lyttelton and recorded with his band in London on 20 April 1956.
Popular success
It was originally released as Parlophone ER 4184 and became a hit record in Britain at the time ...
" with added lyrics. The ''
Electric Lady'' album (2005), produced by her son Jermaine Jordan, saw a return to her blues and rock roots, featuring self-penned tracks alongside re-workings of numbers by
the Doors
The Doors were an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most controversial and influential ro ...
,
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
,
Paul Rodgers
Paul Rodgers (born 17 December 1949) is a British singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He was the lead vocalist of numerous bands, including Free, Bad Company, The Firm, and The Law. He has also performed as a solo artist, and co ...
and
Tony Joe White
Tony Joe White (July 23, 1943 – October 24, 2018), nicknamed the Swamp Fox, was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist, best known for his 1969 hit "Polk Salad Annie" and for "Rainy Night in Georgia", which he wrote but which was first ma ...
. The following year saw the release of her first official DVD, ''Elkie Brooks & Friends: Pearls'', featuring an array of guest musicians.
Brooks's twentieth studio album, ''
Powerless'', also produced by Jordan, was released in 2010, featuring songs such as
Prince
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...
's "
Purple Rain" and
Dylan's "
Make You Feel My Love
"Make You Feel My Love", also known as "To Make You Feel My Love" is a song written by Bob Dylan for his album '' Time Out of Mind'', released in September 1997. It was first released commercially in August 1997 by Billy Joel for his compilation ...
". She continues to perform live throughout the UK and Ireland. In 2012, Brooks released her autobiography ''Finding My Voice'', published by
The Robson Press
Biteback Publishing is a British publisher based in London concentrating mainly on political titles. It was incorporated, as a private limited company with share capital, in 2009. It was jointly owned by its managing director Iain Dale and by M ...
. In it, she detailed her life and career, focusing on her love of performing live and the downsides of the recording business, which she says has often left her financially no better off.
In July 2017, after Brooks signed to
Virgin EMI
Virgin EMI Records was a British record label owned by the Universal Music Group that was formed in 2013. In June 2020, the label was rebranded as EMI Records, and operates Virgin Records as an imprint of the new EMI Records.
History
Virgin ...
, the album ''Pearls - The Very Best Of'', was released. It charted at No. 14, and included two new singles: "Love Ain't Something that You Can Get for Free" and the
Bryan Adams
Bryan Guy Adams (born 5 November 1959) is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, composer, and photographer. He has been cited as one of the best-selling music artists of all time, and is estimated to have sold between 75 million and mor ...
-penned "Forgive and Forget". Later in the year, a remix of the 1979 album track "The Rising Cost of Love" was also released as a single. All three singles made it onto the Radio 2 'A' playlist, with "Forgive and Forget" being the network's "Record of the Week". Brooks promoted the album with several appearances on
Radio 2 programmes, including the ''
Aled Jones
Aled Jones, (born 29 December 1970) is a Welsh singer and radio and television presenter. As a teenage chorister, he reached widespread fame during the mid-1980s. Since then he has worked in television with the BBC and ITV, and radio (for Cla ...
Show'', and ''
The One Show
''The One Show'' is a British television magazine and chat show programme. Broadcast live on BBC One weeknights at 7:00 pm, it features topical stories and studio guests. It is currently co-hosted by Alex Jones, Jermaine Jenas, and Ronan K ...
'' on
BBC One
BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, p ...
. On 19 September that year, Brooks appeared at the
London Palladium
The London Palladium () is a Grade II* West End theatre located on Argyll Street, London, in the famous area of Soho. The theatre holds 2,286 seats. Of the roster of stars who have played there, many have televised performances. Between 1955 an ...
to mark 40 years since her first sell-out week at the venue in 1977. The show also celebrated her 40 years of success since the release of the single "Pearl's a Singer".
The same year, Brooks recorded the closing theme song for the 2017 film ''
Finding Your Feet
''Finding Your Feet'' is a 2017 British romantic comedy film directed by Richard Loncraine and written by Nick Moorcroft and Meg Leonard. The film stars Imelda Staunton, Timothy Spall, Celia Imrie, Joanna Lumley and David Hayman, and was release ...
'', which starred
Imelda Staunton
Imelda Mary Philomena Bernadette Staunton (born 9 January 1956) is an English actress and singer. After training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Staunton began her career in repertory theatre in 1976 and appeared in various theatre produ ...
,
Timothy Spall
Timothy Leonard Spall (born 27 February 1957) is an English actor and presenter. He became a household name in the UK after appearing as Barry Spencer Taylor in the 1983 ITV comedy-drama series ''Auf Wiedersehen, Pet''.
Spall performed in '' S ...
,
Celia Imrie
Celia Diana Savile Imrie (born 15 July 1952) is an English actress and author. She was described in 2003 as one of the most successful British actresses of recent decades. She is best known for her film roles, including the '' Bridget Jones'' f ...
and
Joanna Lumley
Dame Joanna Lamond Lumley (born 1 May 1946) is an English actress, presenter, former model, author, television producer, and activist. She has won two BAFTA TV Awards for her role as Patsy Stone in the BBC sitcom ''Absolutely Fabulous'' (1992 ...
. The track, "Running to the Future", was released as a download-only single, and included on the soundtrack album. Brooks' self-penned song "Just An Excuse" has been remixed several times, most notably appearing on the
Bonobo
The bonobo (; ''Pan paniscus''), also historically called the pygmy chimpanzee and less often the dwarf chimpanzee or gracile chimpanzee, is an endangered great ape and one of the two species making up the genus '' Pan,'' the other being the comm ...
album ''
Migration
Migration, migratory, or migrate may refer to: Human migration
* Human migration, physical movement by humans from one region to another
** International migration, when peoples cross state boundaries and stay in the host state for some minimum le ...
'' in 2017. She has performed live since 1960; her 2021 tour, put back from 2020, has been billed as her 60th Year Anniversary Tour.
Personal life
In the early to mid-1970s, Brooks was married to guitarist
Pete Gage. On 1 March 1978, she married her sound engineer, Trevor Jordan, who had worked with Diana Ross, Rolling Stones, Pavarotti, Sarah Vaughan and many others. They live in
Devon
Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...
and have two sons, Jermaine (born 22 December 1979) and Joseph (born 31 December 1986).
Between 1981 and 2002, they lived in a mansion in a secluded area of North Devon. However, in 1998, after her accountant informed her that he had not been paying her taxes, Brooks found herself in severe debt and was reduced to living in a
mobile home
A mobile home (also known as a house trailer, park home, trailer, or trailer home) is a prefabricated structure, built in a factory on a permanently attached chassis before being transported to site (either by being towed or on a trailer). Us ...
. After four years of increasing interest bills and loans, Brooks managed to sell her home (after being threatened with repossession) and cleared all of her debts.
[''Finding My Voice'', Elkie Brooks autobiography. The Robson Press, 2012] In 2000, Brooks' management and tour promotion was taken over by her son, Jermaine, and his wife, Joanna.
Discography
* ''
Rich Man's Woman
''Rich Man's Woman'' is the first album by Elkie Brooks.
Background
Brooks' first solo album was released in 1975 with publicity including a promotional week at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in London. The picture sleeve featuring a semi-naked Brook ...
'' (1975)
* ''
Two Days Away
''Two Days Away'' is an album by Elkie Brooks, released in 1977.
Background
Brooks' breakthrough second album, released in 1977, propelled her into solo stardom in the UK and Europe. Including the top ten hits "Pearl's a Singer" and "Sunshine Af ...
'' (1977)
* ''
Shooting Star'' (1978)
* ''
Live and Learn'' (1979)
* ''
Pearls
A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle (mollusc), mantle) of a living animal shell, shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pea ...
'' (1981)
* ''
Pearls II
''Pearls II'' is an album by English singer Elkie Brooks, released in 1982.
Background
The sequel to Brooks' popular ''Pearls (Elkie Brooks Album), Pearls'' album, A&M decided to play it safe by keeping Gus Dudgeon as producer. Another set of ...
'' (1982)
* ''
Minutes
Minutes, also known as minutes of meeting (abbreviation MoM), protocols or, informally, notes, are the instant written record of a meeting or hearing. They typically describe the events of the meeting and may include a list of attendees, a state ...
'' (1984)
* ''
Screen Gems
Screen Gems is an American brand name used by Sony Pictures' Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group, a subsidiary of Japanese multinational conglomerate, Sony Group Corporation. It has served several different purposes for its parent ...
'' (1984)
* ''
No More the Fool
''No More the Fool'' is a 1986 album by Elkie Brooks. It includes the title track single which became the biggest hit of Brooks' career. Both the album and single peaked at No. 5 on the UK charts in early 1987.
Overview
Having been released fro ...
'' (1986)
* ''
Bookbinder's Kid
''Bookbinder's Kid'' is a 1988 album by Elkie Brooks, the follow-up to her top five album '' No More the Fool''.
Overview
After the success of the '' No More the Fool'' album, Brooks' new record company was keen to release a follow-up and trac ...
'' (1988)
* ''
Inspiration
Inspiration, inspire, or inspired often refers to:
* Artistic inspiration, sudden creativity in artistic production
* Biblical inspiration, the doctrine in Judeo-Christian theology concerned with the divine origin of the Bible
* Creative inspirat ...
'' (1989)
* ''
Pearls III'' (1991)
* ''
Round Midnight'' (1993)
* ''
Nothin' but the Blues'' (1994)
* ''
Circles
A circle is a shape consisting of all points in a plane that are at a given distance from a given point, the centre. Equivalently, it is the curve traced out by a point that moves in a plane so that its distance from a given point is const ...
'' (1995)
* ''
Amazing'' (1996)
* ''
Shangri-La
Shangri-La is a fictional place in Asia's Kunlun Mountains (昆仑山), Uses the spelling 'Kuen-Lun'. described in the 1933 novel ''Lost Horizon'' by English author James Hilton. Hilton portrays Shangri-La as a mystical, harmonious valley, ge ...
'' (2003)
* ''
Trouble in Mind''
[with Humphrey Lyttelton
Humphrey Richard Adeane Lyttelton (23 May 1921 – 25 April 2008), also known as Humph, was an English jazz musician and broadcaster from the Lyttelton family.
Having taught himself the trumpet at school, Lyttelton became a professional ...
] (2003)
* ''
Electric Lady'' (2005)
* ''
Powerless'' (2009)
Awards
The Ivors Academy
The Ivors Academy (formerly the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors – BASCA) is one of the largest professional associations for music writers in Europe. The academy exists to support, protect, and campaign for the interests ...
Formerly British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors BASCA.
Songfestival van Knokke / European Song Cup
(Music contest in the Belgium, 1959-1973).
Capital Radio Music Awards 1979
Melody Maker
''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. It was founded in 1926, largely as a magazine for dance band musicians, by Leicester-born ...
British Music Magazine.
Disc Music Poll Awards 1974
Disc was a British music magazine between 1958 and 1975, when it merged with Record Mirror.
Ny Musik Svensk Musiktidning
(Music magazine that circulated in
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
,
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
,
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark
...
and
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
).
The British Rock & Pop Awards
Organised jointly by the
Daily Mirror
The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily tabloid. Founded in 1903, it is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was simply ''The Mirror''. It had an average daily print ...
, (
Associated Television
Associated Television was the original name of the British broadcaster ATV, part of the Independent Television (ITV) network. It provided a service to London at weekends from 1955 to 1968, to the Midlands on weekdays from 1956 to 1968, and ...
1976/77),
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...
and BBC TV's
Nationwide (TV programme)
}
''Nationwide'' was a BBC current affairs television programme which ran from 9 September 1969 until 5 August 1983. Originally broadcast on BBC 1 from Tuesday to Thursday, and then each weekday from 1972, it followed the early evening news, and ...
1978/84.
Guinness Book of British Hit Albums
Record Mirror
''Record Mirror'' was a British weekly music newspaper between 1954 and 1991 for pop fans and record collectors. Launched two years after the ''NME'', it never attained the circulation of its rival. The first UK album chart was published in ''Re ...
Year End Charts
Music Week
''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future.
History
Founded in 1959 as '' Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music W ...
Awards -
Chart Performance Survey
British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with th ...
certifications:
References
External links
Official website of Elkie Brooks
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brooks, Elkie
1946 births
English women singers
English soul singers
Living people
People from Salford
People from Prestwich
Music in Salford
Musicians from Manchester
British rhythm and blues boom musicians
Island Records artists
Jewish British musicians
English Jews
English people of Polish-Jewish descent
English blues singers
English jazz singers
A&M Records artists