captiol theatre - aberdeen
november 1977
It might have been freezing outside but the temperature inside was blood hot when the incredible Elkie Brooks took Aberdeen’s Capitol by storm. Communication was the word as the white-robed Elkie mesmerised a full house.
Backed by an eight man group and three backing vocalists, Elkie didn’t so much wow her audience as seduce them. The little lady provided an a la carte menu of jazz, blues and rock and roll that had the audience shouting for second helpings.
As well as being a very lady a fact pointed out verbally by more than one male member of the audience – Elkie is a performer reminiscent of Peggy Lee at her best.
Her Love Potion Number 9 didn’t quite bring the house down, but had the wallpaper was decidedly curling at the edges. But when she belted into Pearl’s A Singer, it summed up the lady herself – one helluva entertainer.
-bill harris
royal albert hall - london
december 1977
Five years ago, the Melody Maker front page featured a giant picture of Elkie Brooks, accompanied by a headline shrieking, “Face of 73”. Ok so it was hopelessly premature, but look here, this is no time for false personal modesty, either. Last year, Elkie Brooks was my personal tip for success in 1977 and as the year went by, it became abundantly clear that she would make it. Her Two Days Away album was superb and she played hugely successful maxi and mini concert tours of Britain.
Last Tuesday, Elkie played her second date of 1977 at London’s Royal Albert Hall; a notable achievement because on both occasions the “Sold Out” notices have gone up long before the concert. The years with Dada and Vinegar Joe and gigging with Georgia bands like Wet Willie are long gone, but her closeness to the shows played with Humphrey Lyttelton band are more evident, as Elkie hones in on the area of music she loves, projecting her own very individual style.
What is incredibly rewarding about her music today is that, although she has clearly absorbed the vocal resonance of the giants Billie Holiday and Dinah Washington and drawn the best of phrasing from Aretha and Nina Simone, Elkie has not failed in the most crucial test – implanting her special rocky raunch into the finest traditions of Jazz and Blues. Thus her emotive reading of Lilac Wine was truly a killer for she showed clearly that while the runaway rock n roll of Mojo Hannah and Rich Man’s Woman show off her singing power and terrific control, a hot ballad can be read with infinite care and she can have a spine-tingling effect with the right song. Lilac Wine is her next single and its success ought to be as stunning as her classy dramatic interpretation.
Indeed the enormous variety of her performance was the hallmark of an artist who has matured brilliantly. From Sunshine After The Rain to the inevitable Pearls A singer from the quirky, bluesy Slippin and Slidin to the Tamla Motown influenced Be Positive, the lady ran the gamut of styles – and not once was she exposed as betraying her true metier.
Jazz flavours came with a careful Here’s That Rainy Day and Second Fiddle not, surprisingly, the Bessie Smith classic, but a cleverly written song about a man-woman relationship which Elkie sang with understanding and meaning. Her voice went from smoky for I’m In The Mood For Love and when she belted into the gospel Saved, a backdrop was uncovered to reveal a big Lewisham church choir of boys who gave the song a fantastic surge.
Elkie had achieved something special, converting the difficult Albert Hall atmosphere into something approaching a night club. She established a very warm rapport with a few people in the audience, which is unusual in this cold venue.
- anon
royal albert hall - london
december 1977
This was a surging finish to a pivotal year for the lady from Manchester whom many regard as Britain’s leading Soul, rock and jazz female performer. Pearl’s A Singer was a smash and now Elkie Brooks is beyond coterie but not beyond the dozen slogging, growing years that made her an “overnight success”.
Elkie, the name itself trumpets a persona just as Aretha does, was a wonder to watch as well as hear. The constant motion, the arm ballet, the sense of a whole body infused with rhythm, pulse and beat. These were compulsively fascinating. Her voice seems capable of endless flight, swoons, subtleties and shouts. I especially loved it when she got down to the sand paper blues intonation.
Supported by nine musicians and three singers, and finally assisted by a numberless choir of kids, Elkie really knows how to shape the programme. Highlights for her were Mojo Hannah a swamp rock excursion; Rich Man’s Woman and a funky vlues driven along by drummer Trevor Morais and Elkie’s eternal gyrations. Slippin and Sliding got the whole crew together swinging in sly conversations between voices and instruments. It all remained loose and earthy as it should in a music based on the blues. Elkie and her troupe are remarkably facile yet obviously involved performers. The year ahead can only broaden their renown.
- robert shelton
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