"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.

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. 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."

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, arranger 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) PeakpositionAustralia (Kent Music Report)65Europarade Top 3017Ireland (IRMA)9Portugal Music Week International Chart8

Year-end charts Chart (1977) PositionNetherlands (Dutch Top 40)91Netherlands (Single Top 100)95

References