Mike Brooks

Born Edmund Brooks in 1953 in Westmoreland, Jamaica, West Indies, the singer first stepped into the studio in 1972 as a member of the little-known group the Tots. Their opening single, ‘Earth Is The Fullness’, drew scant notice, after which the musicians scattered in pursuit of individual paths. Among them, Brooks—recording under the name Mike Brooks—achieved the strongest profile. In 1977 he partnered with producer Alvin ‘GG’ Ranglin on ‘Guiding Star’, a release that sparked a run of popular sides among Jamaican listeners both on the island and overseas. Through the remainder of the 1970s and into the 1980s he maintained a steady, if sporadic, output of quality material, among them the Prince Far I collaboration ‘Who Have Eyes To See’ and the solo offerings ‘Come Sister Love’, ‘Grooving’, ‘Open The Door’, and the festive ‘What A Gathering’, the last built on Leroy Smart’s ‘Ballistic Affair’ rhythm. That modest acclaim prompted a move to the UK, where he appeared as a featured vocalist with the British Reggae Artists Famine Appeal on the charity single ‘Let’s Make Africa Green Again’. While based there he also cut the lovers-rock track ‘Beyond The Hills’ with the Instigators. In 1990 he linked with producer Glen Brown for an ill-conceived venture alongside Norwegian arrangers Otto and Frank Hestness; the digital tracks they supplied were overdubbed in London, yielding a confused and unsatisfactory result. Brooks restored his standing with the 1995 album Hardcore Lover, thanks in large part to well-received duets with Delroy Wilson and Pat Kelly.