Pearl's a Singer

"Pearl's a Singer"
Single by Elkie Brooks
from the 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
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 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
• 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 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[5] 23 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[6] 44 Europarade Top 30[7][8] 17 Ireland (IRMA)[9] 9 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[10] 12 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[11] 11 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[12] 11 UK Singles (OCC)[13] 8 Portugal Music Week International Charts[14] 8

Year-end charts Chart (1977) Position Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[15] 91 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[16] 95

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.