| Cover | ElkPAS.JPG |
|---|---|
| Artist | Elkie Brooks |
| Album | Two Days Away |
| B-side | You Did Something for Me |
| Released | 25 February 1977 |
| Recorded | 1976 |
| Genre | Blues rock, soft rock |
| Length | 3:39 |
| Label | A&M |
| Writer | Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, Ralph Dino, John Sembello |
| Producer | Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller |
| Chronology | Elkie Brooks |
| Prev year | 1976 |
| Next year | 1977 |
"Pearl's a Singer" is a song by English 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" had been introduced by the duo Dino and Sembello – also the song's co-writers – on their 1974 self-titled album which Leiber and Stoller had produced.[1]
The song is a ballad, telling the story of a failed singer who still dreams of the success she might have had.
History
Brooks would recall that at a rehearsal session for her Two Days Away album "Jerry Leiber [said]: 'I want to play you this song, I don't think you're going to like it, it's too countryish for you but I'll play it for you anyway.'...I said: 'Go on, I've got an open mind, I like a lot of country [music].' I listened to 'Pearl's a Singer' and told [Leiber & Stoller] I liked it but that they needed to [modify it with] a middle section. To which Jerry said: 'No problem'. And with that he disappeared and came back half an hour later with the [modified] version of 'Pearl's a Singer'" which Brooks recorded.[2] Brooks - "To be honest [in the mid-1970s] I just wanted to enjoy myself in music and I never thought 'Pearl...' was going to be a big hit but [after] it was released on my birthday in 1977 the record company really pushed it, [it] got played on all the radio stations and became very successful. No one was more surprised than me."[3]
Chart performance
"Pearl's a Singer" afforded Elkie Brooks her debut chart single – thirteen years after she'd recorded her first track – reaching No. 8 on the UK Singles Chart in spring 1977. It remained her highest placing in that chart until "No More the Fool" reached No. 5, in early 1987.
Personnel
- Elkie Brooks – vocals
- Isaac Guillory – guitars
- Jean Roussel – keyboards, arranger
- Trevor Morais – drums
- Steve York – bass
Additional personnel
- Mike Stoller – keyboards
- Eric Weissberg – guitars
- George Devens – percussion
- Muscle Shoals Horns
- Harrison Calloway (arranger)
- Charlie Rose
- Harvey Thompson
- Ronnie Eades
- Meco Monardo (arranger), Tony Posk, Guy Lumia, Elliot Rosoff, Rick Sortonne, Carol Webb, Joe Goodman, Julien Barber, Jesse Levy – strings
- Carl Hall, Peggy Blue, Marry Ellen Johnson – backing vocals
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (1977) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[4] | 65 |
| Europarade Top 30[5][6] | 17 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[7] | 9 |
| Portugal Music Week International Chart[8] | 8 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1977) | Position |
|---|---|
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[9] | 91 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[10] | 95 |
References
- ^ "Pearl's A Singer (original) – Dino & Sembello 1974". 24 March 1977. Archived 15 December 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 7 August 2012. – via YouTube.
- ^ Brooks, Elkie (2012). Finding My Voice: my autobiography. London: Robson Press. ISBN 978-1-8495-4299-9.
- ^ Roberts, Jo (17 December 2014). "'British Queen of Blues' Elkie Brooks is coming to the Britannia Theatre, Chatham". Kentonline.co.uk. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
- ^ "Australian Charts Book". Australian Charts. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
- ^ "European Top 30". Euro Charts. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
- ^ "HITDOSSIER JAREN 70". Euro Parade 1977. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
- ^ "IRMA". Irish Charts. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
- ^ "International Charts". Portugal Charts. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
- ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1977". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
- ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1977". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 28 January 2022.