Pearl's a Singer

1977 Elkie Brooks song

"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 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

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

^ "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.
^ 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. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
^ "Elkie Brooks – Pearl's a Singer" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
^ "Elkie Brooks – Pearl's a Singer" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
^ "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.
^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 29, 1977" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
^ "Elkie Brooks – Pearl's a Singer" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
^ "Elkie Brooks – Pearl's a Singer". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
^ "Elkie Brooks: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
^ "International Charts" (PDF). 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.