In The 1970s Elkie Brooks

Elaine Bookbinder was born in the UK in 1945 and spent most of the 1960s doing the cabaret circuit. She also worked with the Beatles, Small Faces and Animals. In 1971 she joined the group Vinegar Joe which included the vocals of Robert Palmer. Her husband Pete Gage was also a member.

When the group disbanded she went solo with A&M Records. Her album Two Days Away produced by Elvis writers Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, which gave her several single UK chart hits.

Pearl's A Singer tells the story of a singer who did not make the big time. This was followed by Sunshine After the Rain from the same album and both charting in 1977. In 1978 the hits continued with Lilac Wine a song from the 1950s written by  James Sheldon.

Her last top twenty single hit of the 1970s was Dont Cry Out Loud  written in 1976 by Carole Bayer Sager and Peter Allen.