Elkie Brooks downed “a couple of pints of Guinness and half of a bottle of brandy” before playing a show with The Beatles.
The British blues and jazz legend was among a host of stars to perform at The Fab Four’s ‘Another Beatles Christmas Show’ on December 31, 1964, at London’s Hammersmith Odeon (now the Apollo), alongside the likes of The Yardbirds and beat band Freddie and the Dreamers, with the evening compered by late, disgraced comedian Jimmy Savile.
Speaking to Vernon Kay as she marked her 80th birthday (25.02.25) with a special performance as part of Radio 2’s Piano Room series – accompanied by the BBC Concert Orchestra – at the BBC Maida Vale studios, she was asked by the host if she had a “good time” at the star-studded festive gig.
To which, Brooks candidly replied: “Well not really because I was in the dressing room right at the top of the Hammersmith Odeon and I was mad on Guinness at that time, so I’d have like a couple of pints of Guinness and half a bottle of brandy, and I’d go on…”
The ‘Pearl’s a Singer’ hitmaker insisted gig-goers were only interested in The Beatles.
She recalled: “I mean it was quite difficult because nobody was really interested in anybody other than The Beatles really, you know? They were just interested in getting their ice creams and going to the loo and all that so no, nobody really took a blind bit of notice of anyone else. I think the Yardbirds were on that show as well, Eric Clapton was on the guitar.”
She said of Clapton: “Well, he never took any blinking notice of me anyway!”
Brooks still loves a tipple, revealing her love for red wine and whiskey, as well as Guinness.
Asked if she still enjoys a pint of stout, she said: “Yeah, quite often, but I prefer red wine. And I love a drop of whiskey, I like good whiskey you know. Give me some Glenmorangie or Glen-Bollingie as I say up there!”
However, she doesn’t consume as much alcohol as she did in the day.
She said: “Well, it’s like anything… You can do lots of things in your 20s, but once you get into your 40s and 50s and 60s and 70s and [coughs] 80s… not a good idea, dear! I mean a little glass of wine here and there, little whiskey, but not too much, you know.”
Brooks reflected on starting out playing the cabaret circuit, but admitted she wasn’t fond of those days, and nearly called it quits, until she was dissuaded by jazz star Humphrey Lyttelton to join his band.
Asked if “every day has been filled with great memories”, she said: “Umm, some. But not all… Oh not all, you know. I can remember when I was up doing the cabaret circuit, I didn’t particularly like that very much.”
She further explained: “No, no, well I was doing songs that I wasn’t very keen on at the time. I was told that that’s what you should do, but everybody was more interested in their scampi and chips rather than listening to little Elkie. So, I was thinking of maybe giving it all up, but then of course I met Humphrey Lyttelton, and I sang with his band for quite some time, and he persuaded me to stay on in the business.”
BBC Radio 2’s Piano Room month – Elkie Brooks’ performance is available now on BBC Sounds and on BBC iPlayer from 6pm.