Elkie Brooks talks about her career and X Factor

Dec 1 2009 by Andrew Welsh, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

ORIGINAL rock goddess Elkie Brooks reckons the stars who say The X-Factor deserves to be X-rated have got a point.

The veteran performer comes down firmly on the side of Sting and other big names who’ve had a dig at the formulaic TV talent show in recent days.

Brooks believes fast-tracked stars like Leon Jackson and Alexandra Burke are missing out on an important learning curve.

“There’s always been those sorts of shows around,” she tells Music Scene ahead of her gig at Perth Concert Hall on Friday.

“Even when I was a young girl there was Hughie Green and Opportunity Knocks. The X-Factor is just a glammed-up version of that.

“Nothing’s changed. Some of them would be better sticking to karaoke every Saturday night.

“Occasionally someone comes through, but they haven’t done their apprenticeship like people like myself, which is very important.”

Hailing from Salford, Brooks left home in 1960 aged 15 to pursue her dreams of becoming a singer and released her debut single four years later after signing to the Decca label.

She appeared on package tours with legends like The Animals and The Beatles, until she formed the rock fusion group Dada with guitarist Peter Gage in 1970, later changing their name to Vinegar Joe after being joined by the young Robert Palmer.

When the band dissolved in 1974 Elkie went solo, but it was a further three years before she enjoyed major success - by then aged 32 - with her single Pearl’s A Singer.

No wonder then that she has concerns about Britain’s Got Talent protegee Susan Boyle’s potential longevity in the fickle music biz.

“Music is a tough industry and she is an amateur in a professional world,” Brooks (64) explains.

“We’ll see where she is in a couple of years. It takes a lot of determination.”

Elkie, whose 20th album Powerless is due for release in the new year, has carefully passed on her knowledge to her two musician sons, Jay (29) and Joey (22).

“My sons have been on the road with me and know what it’s like,” she insists.

“They’ve done it behind the scenes, loading the gear and putting up drum kits. They are no strangers to what it takes to put on a show.”

The star hated her stint on ‘reality’ show Reborn in the USA six years ago, but admits it helped her find new, younger fans.

But she says there’s no chance of her ever signing up for I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here.

“I find celebrities all rather vain,” Elkie claims.

“I consider myself an artist and musician first and foremost, that’s what I do.

“We get pushed into being celebrities on television. It’s not really something I am comfortable with.”

Even as she approaches her 65th birthday, Brooks shows no sign of letting up on the live front.

She’ll round off a hectic year of gigs with two Scottish dates this week, with her 50th anniversary tour due to cover 23 UK venues between January and early June.

Those attending her Perth show can look forward to many career highlights from the singer and her six-piece band.

“I won’t disappoint the hardened Elkie-holic fans,” she declares.

“I’ll be playing Pearl and some of the other hits and songs off the new album, including my new single Powerless.

“I completed my new album a few months ago. All the packaging takes time but we are in the last throes of putting that together.

“I have done some writing with my son and he’s done some great production. It should be out in February or March.”

Surveying the new crop of female vocalists enjoying chart success, Brooks says she has been impressed by London songstress Paloma Faith.

“I am in love with her,” she declares.

“I think she is brilliant. She’s not the greatest singer in the world but I love the songs and her ideas.

“It’s always nice to hear new people coming out who don’t totally depend on looks.

“It helps to be vaguely attractive, but you need to be able to combine that with a bit of good raw talent.”

And there are a few other acts who Elkie rates equally highly.

“KT Tunstall is a fine musician and I love her songs,” she says.

“Beverley Knight is another one and there’s also the jazz piano singer Leanne Carole.

“My son Joey sings and plays and he switches me on to lots of new things that are happening.”

Reflecting on her lengthy career, Elkie unhesitatingly picks out the decade about to end as her favourite.

“I have enjoyed music more than ever in my career,” she insists, with conviction.

“This can be a really hard business and I’ve had to do tours with various musicians in my band who have been rather awful people and had to put up with them.

“Over the last 10 years I have done the albums I have wanted to do. I am very happy musically.

“It has been a wonderful time for me and (emphasis) it’s getting better.

“I’ve had the hits but behind the scenes I wasn’t always as happy as people thought I was, or making the kind of music I wanted.

“But I wouldn’t want to change anything because it all makes you the person that you are. Things were meant to be.”