Screen Gems (album)

Screen Gems
Screen Gems
Studio album by Elkie Brooks
Released	October 1984 (UK)
Recorded	1984
Genre	Traditional pop
Label	A&M/EMI
Producer	Tony Clark
Elkie Brooks chronology

Screen Gems is a 1984 album by Elkie Brooks comprising Brooks' interpretations of songs from the movies from the 1920s and 1930s. The album's title references all of the selections being introduced, or prominently featured, in mid-20th century movie releases. It is notable partly for being the first CD album pressed in the UK, by Nimbus at its factory in Hertfordshire in 1984.^[1]

Background

Screen Gems was released on October 1, 1984, with vinyl and cassette versions of the album following a month later. Brooks' label A&M Records assigned marketing of the album to EMI, which had recently established a "television exploitation" department. A national televised advertising campaign began at the end of October 1984, coinciding with the vinyl and cassetterelease. Although expected to be Brook's biggest seller to date, the album failed to chart until December 1984 and was not one of Brooks' most successful albums with a No. 35 peak in the UK Albums Chart - matching that of Brook's precedent album release Minutes - during an 11-week chart run.^[2] With Screen Gems Brooks' association with A&M, who had released all of her seven albums, ended. The original CD version of Screen Gems is now a collectors' item due to its rarity, selling on eBay for prices in excess of £45.^[3]