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Elkie Brooks
Pop / Blues / Jazz

Elkie Brooks



Devon, Southwest
United Kingdom

Profile Views:  75782




Last Login:  10/7/2009
View My: Pics | Playlists

   Contacting Elkie Brooks

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   Elkie Brooks: General Info
Member Since3/14/2007
Band Websitewww.elkiebrooks.net
Band Members

Melvin Duffy
Guitar

Andrew Murray
Piano

Mike Richardson
Drums

Brian Badhams
Bass

Steve Jones
Saxophone

Lee Noble
Backing Vocals/Keys

Influences Ella Fitzgerald
Nina Simone
Billie Holiday
Etta James




















Record LabelEventful Productions
Type of LabelIndie


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   Upcoming Shows ( view all )
Oct 15 2009 8:00P
The Elgiva Chesham
Oct 17 2009 7:30P
Parr Hall Warrington
Oct 23 2009 8:00P
The Regent Centre Christchurch
Oct 31 2009 7:30P
The Gatehouse Theatre Stafford
Nov 7 2009 7:30P
Town Hall Birmingham
Nov 14 2009 8:00P
The Capitol Horsham
Dec 4 2009 8:00P
Concert Hall Perth
Jan 21 2010 8:00P
Grand Theatre Swansea
Jan 23 2010 8:00P
Majestic Theatre Retford
Feb 6 2010 8:00P
The Sage Gateshead
Feb 11 2010 8:00P
Theatre Royal Norwich
Feb 13 2010 8:00P
Royal Spa Centre Leamington Spa
Feb 19 2010 8:00P
Palace Theatre Redditch
Feb 21 2010 8:00P
Theatre Royal Windsor
Feb 27 2010 8:00P
Cliffs Pavilion Southend

Elkie Brooks's Latest Blog Entry  [Subscribe to this Blog]

Vote for Elkie !!!  (view more)

Cancelled Shows  (view more)

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2009 Tour Dates  (view more)

Merry Christmas  (view more)

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   About Elkie Brooks





Click here to visit Elkie's new official website!



iLike Elkie Brooks

Born Elaine Bookbinder in Salford, Manchester, Elkie Brooks has become one of the most successful and respected singing talents in the UK. Her career has spanned nearly five decades, produced 19 studio albums, and earned her numerous awards and accolades.

As a 15 year old with a passion for the blues, jazz and great artists like Ella Fitzgerald, Elkie left her childhood home to pursue dreams of becoming a singer. Early professional engagements included appearances with the Eric Delaney Band and British Jazz hero Humphrey Lyttelton, a relationship that still thrives today.

On signing to the famous Decca label, Elkie released her first single Something’s Got A Hold On Me in 1964. Several more single releases followed but Elkie’s association with Decca soon ended and Elkie spent the next few years appearing on package tours with various artists including The Animals and The Beatles.

In 1970, her career took on a whole new direction after meeting guitarist Pete Gage and together they formed rock fusion band, Dada. The group worked well but changes were brought about with the arrival of another future star by the name of Robert Palmer and Dada transformed into Vinegar Joe. Robert was to prove the perfect foil for Elkie - their raunchy, rocky and outright sexual live performances became legendary and secured them a record deal with the Island label. However, chart success eluded them and the band eventually dissolved in 1974.

Disillusioned, Elkie took off to the States to decide her future. In 1975 she returned to the UK and signed a deal with A&M Records which saw the release of her first solo album, Rich Man’s Woman. The album had some critical success but this failed to translate into record sales.

For her second long player, A&M recruited legendary songwriters and producers Leiber and Stoller to create the classic 1977 album Two Days Away. Finally, on her 32nd Birthday, after many years of glowing acclaim but limited chart success, the single Pearl’s A Singer was released providing Elkie with her first Top 10 hit. The song became an instant anthem, proving so memorable that even today it remains Elkie's most popular and enduring hit.

Further success followed with the hit singles Sunshine After The Rain, Lilac Wine, the evergreen classic Don’t Cry Out Loud and the hit albums Shooting Star (1978) and Live and Learn (1979). During this period Elkie undertook major tours selling out each venue she visited including the Royal Albert Hall and a week-long engagement at the London Palladium.

In 1981, the release of the Pearls album propelled Elkie into the realms of superstardom. This collection of past hits and new recordings shot to number 2 and stayed in the album charts for an incredible 79 weeks. At the time of release it became the biggest selling album by a British female singer in the history of the UK charts, selling over 1.2 million copies.

Pearls II, released a year later was met with enormous success, reaching the top 5 and producing the hit singles Our Love, Gasoline Alley and a stunning reworking of Nights In White Satin.

The hit albums Minutes and Screen Gems, her last for A&M and released only months apart from each other in 1984, could not have been more diverse. Minutes, a contemporary rock album, featured many tracks written by Elkie and appealed to her earlier Vinegar Joe crowd. Screen Gems, conversely, was a beautifully arranged album of Hollywood film songs performed with a full symphony orchestra. This album, the first to be released solely on CD in the UK before later appearing on LP and cassette, has proved so rare in the CD format that today copies can sell for prices in excess of £250.

Elkie signed with new label Legend Records in 1986, in the process achieving her biggest hit single to date with No More the Fool. Such was Elkie’s chart appeal at this time, that in one week she had the number 5 single and two UK albums within the top 10. She also undertook a mammoth tour including nights at Manchester’s G-MEX Centre, the NEC in Birmingham and London’s Wembley Arena.

Further hit albums followed with Bookbinder’s Kid (1988), Inspiration (1989), Round Midnight (1993), Nothing But The Blues (1994), Amazing (1996) and The Very Best Of Elkie Brooks (1997) earning Elkie recognition by the Guinness Book of Records as the most charted female album seller of the last 25 years.

The new millennium saw Elkie release the albums Shangri-La (2002), a contemporary experimental body of work, and the pure jazz of Trouble In Mind (2002) with her old friend Humphrey Lyttelton. She also took part in ITV’s Reborn In the USA gaining her an army of new fans. The critically acclaimed album Electric Lady appeared in 2005. To celebrate it’s release and her 60th birthday, Elkie completed a sold-out week at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz club and began a monster 60 date tour which proved so popular that Elkie has continued to perform a similar amount of shows each year since.

The public have been flocking to watch Elkie perform for many years, but those who have seen her over the last few have witnessed some of the most incredible performances of her career. The nightly standing ovations and delighted crowd reactions are testament to a woman who, like a good wine, has improved with age. Her passionate performances and her warmth with the audience have made her an unforgettable live experience and have gained her a reputation, both with fans and within the music industry, as perhaps the finest British female singer of her generation.




   Elkie Brooks's Friend Space (Top 24)
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Elkie Brooks's Friends Comments
Displaying 25 of 1403 comments  ( View All | Add Comment )
Colin Heppell

Colin Heppell



Oct 31 2009 3:24 PM

rin

rin



Oct 30 2009 12:48 AM


Check out my page
http://www.doulike.us/photos/1050137.html?b=4&w=46




Let me know if you like me YES or NO
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Lee Bailey

Lee Bailey



Oct 28 2009 11:30 PM

take it easy Elkie
 

Back2Back

Back2Back



Oct 26 2009 9:09 AM

RECORDED..THE OLD SOUL TRACK IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME...IT WOULD BE COOL IF YOU COLD HAVE A LISTEN X
Rob Staniford

Robert Staniford



Oct 24 2009 7:39 PM

I hope your weekend is all that you want it to be.


Rob
Queen Elvis

Queen Elvis



Oct 20 2009 6:31 PM

Hi Elkie,

Its been a while and we thought it was about time we updated you on what we've
been up to. Our debut EP Little World is now available at our gigs and will
soon be available from our myspace and facebook pages, you will also be able to
download it from itunes, but we don't have a release date for this as yet.

To celebrate the fact that we have now reached 25,000 plays on myspace, we are
giving you a free MP3 of Rockabye Baby. All you have to do is send your email
address to queen.elvis@yahoo.ie and we will send it to you.

We have spent the last year rehearsing with a full band and are now ready to
bring it on the road. You can get a look at us when we appear on Balcony TV
this week with the full line up. We are currently taking bookings for
gigs/concerts/festivals and can be contacted on the email above, or through our
myspace and facebook pages.

Thankyou for your continued support in what has been a great year for us!

Best Wishes

Caroline and Colin
Gari Martin

Gari Martin



Oct 19 2009 9:41 PM

Elkie has  a great new profile pic! looking forward to the sage in Feb 2010! cant wait for her new album!!!

Gaz
Robert Sharon

Robert Sharon



Oct 18 2009 11:11 PM

Have a great week
Best wishes
Robert Sharon
singer songwriter
Adelaide Hall ... the real first lady of Jazz

Adelaide Hall



Oct 16 2009 5:45 PM


 

Alternative Holidays

Alternative Holidays



Oct 16 2009 5:15 PM

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Oct 15 2009 2:26 AM

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Peter Coia

Peter Coia



Oct 14 2009 11:50 PM

Hi Elkie,
I always drop in here for a wee listen, your songs bring back so many happy memories to me.
Thank you so much for sharing your songs and your fantastic voice with us all here on MySpace.
Love and great respect,
Peter xx
Tatyana Sherman

Tatyana Sherman
Online Now!


Oct 14 2009 6:20 AM

Have a great week!

Good luck to all and creative inspiration!


Life-Music-Love
Emma K Spence

Emma K Spence



Oct 9 2009 4:19 PM

BLESSINGS AND GREETINGS, THANKS FOR THE FRIENDSHIP! MY NEW SONGS ARE NOW UP ON MYSPACE PAGE!
Irene

Irene
Online Now!


Oct 9 2009 6:20 AM

Thank you for the friendship here on MySpace! You have been a life-long icon for me as vocalist. So good to know that you're still around to give joy to us with your very unique voice and excellent choice of songs. I still have on vinyl 2 Vinegar Joe albums, though I don't have a turntable anymore! But still know many of the songs. Those were days for sure..you with Robert Palmer (miss him, good soul) a great pair. All the best, Elkie!!
Jenny

Jenny



Oct 7 2009 11:14 PM

Jenny

Jenny



Oct 7 2009 12:19 PM

Graham Davies, SRN5

Graham Davies,   SRN5



Oct 7 2009 10:43 AM

Hi Elkie,

Love the new photo.

Graham
Rob Staniford

Robert Staniford



Oct 4 2009 10:44 PM

Wishing you all good things for the week ahead.

Rob
Follow Me Twitter- http://twitter.com/PaulCabbin

Follow Me  Twitter- http://twitter.com/PaulCabbin



Sep 28 2009 1:56 AM

No doubt! I dont know if you've heard but im having a Blowout Sale! All BEATS $50.00 for Exclusive Rights! (Original Price $249.99). You buy it, you own it! This weekend ONLY! Hit me back if interested....

check out my site if Soundclick.com/paulcabbin and you can see this is a SERIOUS DEAL!!!

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Sep 26 2009 4:33 AM

Cheers Elkie!!!!!!!
Wishing you a great weekend & all the best from Paul in da Promised Land (No, not LA:)!
pete

peter evans



Sep 25 2009 5:16 AM

Check out my profile And Let me know Do you like me YES or NO http://doulike.co.uk/photos/3133672.html?b=4&w=46
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River Sticks



Sep 23 2009 8:37 PM

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Sep 23 2009 9:27 AM

Hi, Elkie
Nice music!
Thanks so much for adding "The Lovely Bones" movie on MySpace.
View the official film trailer on our page.
Sending all good wishes to you

Your friend The Lovely Bones movie
Steve Wright

Steve Wright



Sep 22 2009 5:28 PM

Hi Elkie,
Thanks for the friendship and the great music, you are truly blessed. Steve x
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