Elkie Brooks in their early career by introducing them at several venues. She went on to tour the United States with several bands, including the Animals. She also toured the then communist Poland with Jon Lord's Artwoods. After she met Pete Gage, whom she would marry, she joined the short-lived blues rock fusioneers Dada before forming Vinegar Joe with Gage and Robert Palmer. Brooks gained the reputation as the wild woman of rock 'n' roll due to her wild stage performances. After three albums, they split up in 1974, and Brooks and Palmer pursued separate solo careers. After a time as backing
Joseph Stilwell claimed Guilin was a lost cause. In his diary, Stillwell wrote: "What they ought to do is to shoot the G-mo [Chiang] and Ho [General He Yingqin] and the rest of the gang". Stillwell ordered the American troops to pull out of Guilin, and was able to persuade Chiang to reluctantly accept the loss of Guilin. The clash over Guilin was only a prelude to another clash, where Chiang demanded the return of the Y Force from Burma to defend Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province, which was also threatened by the Japanese advance. After meeting Chiang, Stilwell wrote in