Brooks | |
|---|---|
| Origin | London, England |
| Genres | Pop |
| Years active | 1976–1980 |
| Labels | Polydor |
| Past members | Mike Nolan Chris Hamill Peter Pereira Ricky Gallahad John Humphreys Ben Ellison |
Brooks was a London-based vocal pop group active in the late 1970s. Despite much hype and a number of single releases, the band failed to achieve any chart success. Two of the members however went on to achieve fame independently of each other:Mike Nolan, ofBucks Fizz, and Chris Hamill, a.k.a.Limahl, ofKajagoogoo.
The group was put together in 1976 by manager Freya Miller and husband Peter Pereira. Miller had previously worked withThe New Seekers, and Pereira had been a member of pop bandCo-Co. They recruited singers Mike Nolan, Chris Hamill, and Ricky Gallahad through ads inThe Melody Maker andThe Stage, to complete the line-up with Pereira.[1]
In 1978 Hamill was replaced by John Humphreys. Shortly after, the group signed a contract withPolydor Records.[2] Tony Eyers, who had worked with the group5000 Volts, was hired as producer. The first single, released in 1979, was "The Sound of Your Love", with Pereira singing the lead. Nolan's voice was featured in the second single, "Cry (Till My Eyes Run Dry)". Both singles were arranged bySteve Gray. Despite television appearances onITV'sThe Saturday Morning Show,The Dick Emery Show, and theBBC'sLena Zavaroni and Music, neither of the group's first singles made an entry into the pop charts.[3]
Roger Greenaway took over as producer for the group in late 1979. Greenaway had written a string of hits withRoger Cook, including "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress" and "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing". Brooks' next single was "What a Great Night For Making Love", a Greenaway/Barry Mason composition. TheBBC expressed reservations over the title and lyrics, so the single was re-recorded as "What a Great Night forFalling in Love". Once again, Nolan sang the lead. By 1980, singer Gallahad had been replaced by Ben Ellison.
The group released two more singles written and produced by Greenaway; "Don't You Know a Lady (When You See One)?", featuring Nolan, and "We Are United", with Humphreys taking the lead. The single "Don't You Know a Lady" was also released by formerSweet lead singer,Brian Connolly.[4] In the end, neither artist made much progress with it in the charts.
During this time, the group continued to promote themselves with television appearances and radio interviews. The members appeared individually on the covers ofOh Boy! magazine. In 1980, the group travelled toYugoslavia as the UK entry in theLjubljana '80 song festival, which was telecast over most of Europe. Despite these efforts, none of the group's later singles fared any better than their previous offerings, when it came to breaking into the charts.
After considerable investment, and two years without a hit, Polydor declined to take up the options on their contract. Miller's interest in Brooks waned after she split with Pereira, and began managingShakin' Stevens. The members had little in common musically or personally, and without their contractual obligations holding them together, they split.
Mike Nolan went on to success withBucks Fizz, winning theEurovision Song Contest in 1981, with "Making Your Mind Up".[5] Chris Hamill, transformed intoLimahl, had a worldwide hit with "Too Shy", withKajagoogoo in 1983, as well as with his solo record "The NeverEnding Story", the theme song to the film of the same name.[6] Ben Ellison returned to his acting career, appearing on stage and television, and in film. His best-known work is his lead role in the 1989 filmLooking for Langston. John Humphreys performed at folk clubs and on radio with "Home and Colonial" before returning to his native Canada in 1981.
Singles: (all released onPolydor Records)[7]