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Pearl's a Singer

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"Pearl's a Singer"
Single by Elkie Brooks
from the album Two Days Away
B-side"You Did Something for Me"
Released25 February 1977
Recorded1976
GenreBlues rock, soft rock
Length3:39
LabelA&M
Songwriter(s)Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, Ralph Dino, John Sembello
Producer(s)Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller
Elkie Brooks singles chronology
"He's a Rebel"
(1976) 		"Pearl's a Singer"
(1977) 		"Saved"
(1977)

"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" 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

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

References

  1. ^ "Pearl's A Singer (original) – Dino & Sembello 1974". 24 March 1977. Archived from the original on 15 December 2021. Retrieved 7 August 2012 – via YouTube.
  2. ^ Brooks, Elkie (2012). Finding My Voice: my autobiography. London: Robson Press. ISBN 978-1-8495-4299-9.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ "Australian Charts Book". Australian Charts. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  5. ^ "Elkie Brooks – Pearl's a Singer" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  6. ^ "Elkie Brooks – Pearl's a Singer" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  7. ^ "European Top 30". Euro Charts. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  8. ^ "HITDOSSIER JAREN 70". Euro Parade 1977. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  9. ^ "IRMA". Irish Charts. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  10. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 29, 1977" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  11. ^ "Elkie Brooks – Pearl's a Singer" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  12. ^ "Elkie Brooks – Pearl's a Singer". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  13. ^ "Elkie Brooks: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  14. ^ "International Charts" (PDF). Portugal Charts. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  15. ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1977". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  16. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1977". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 28 January 2022.


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