Many won’t even know that Elkie Brooks did an amazing cover version of Chris Rea’s “Fool (If You Think It’s Over) from 1978.
In 1982, Elkie Brooks scored a Top 20 hit in both the UK and South Africa with her version of Chris Rea’s “Fool If You Think It’s Over.” Produced by Gus Dudgeon at The Mill, it was part of her Pearls album, which had been released the previous year. The track, one of eight recorded with Dudgeon in 1980, was a favorite of Brooks, who cited Rea as one of her inspirations.
The single, released in December 1981, rode the success of Pearls, which was already in the UK Top Ten. After Brooks’ performances on Top of the Pops, “Fool” peaked at number 17 on the UK chart in February 1982 and became her highest-charting single in Ireland, reaching number six. Brooks recalled a backstage encounter with Rea, who approached her incognito for an autograph after one of her TOTP appearances.
DiscoGram’s update is true to the soul of the original, keeping the main focus on Brooks’ amazing vocal performance, with a very subtle and balanced mix with new percussion/drums/bass, keeping the magnificent strings of the original intact, all sidechained to give it that sparkle of the present, without spoiling the nostalgia.
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