Pattie Brooks | en

Pattie Brooks is an American singer most frequently associated with the disco era. She was born in Fort Riley, Kansas to a military family. Her first break came in 1968 when she auditioned for the chorus on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour". In the next decade she became a sought-after backing singer, appearing on the Bobby Darin Show and touring with, among others Helen Reddy. She sang backing on Donna Summer's "I Remember Yesterday" album.
In the mid-1970s Brooks came to the attention of disco producer Simon Soussain and her solo recording career was born. Her first of four albums on the Casablanca label was 1977's Love Shook (the album was credited as Pattie Brooks & The Simon Orchestra), and the whole album peaked at #2 on the US Dance Club Play Chart. Pattie remained with Soussain and in 1978 recorded her biggest club hit, "After Dark". This was selected to be part of the soundtrack to the film Thank God It's Friday and as the soundtrack topped the club play charts, Pattie's contribution was up there with friend and stablemate Donna Summer's "Last Dance" as the most celebrated tracks. "After Dark" was the mainstay of Pattie's second album (now with sole billing) Our Ms Brooks. In 1979 Pattie moved away from Soussain as her third album Party Girl was produced by Bunny Sigler of Instant Funk and Salsoul fame. The result was a far more varied album that encompassed funk, pop and a big ballad as well as pure disco. While the album spawned no huge singles it did include "Got To Go Disco", the title song from a notorious Broadway flop musical. In 1979 Pattie branched out from disco by singing "Close Enough For Love", the title song to the Vanessa Redgrave movie Agatha. By 1980 the disco backlash had taken effect in the USA, and Pattie's fourth and last Casablanca offering Pattie Brooks was very much a pop-soul affair, produced this time by Michael Smith. No hits were forthcoming and Pattie left Casablanca.

She returned in 1982 on the Mirage label with a fifth album In My World, produced by Sandy Linzer. The album reflected the popular styles of the time, and produced a moderate club hit in the dance-rock tinged "Doctor Ruth" and a minor R&B hit in the ballad "Every Time I Turn Around". This turned out to be Pattie's last album, although she remained active in terms of one-off singles. In 1983 she was signed by Backstreet Records, releasing the minor club hit "Get It On And Have A Party" and featured prominently on the soundtrack to the film Doctor Detroit, including two duets with its star Dan Aykroyd. In the mid-1980s Pattie released singles on the Easy Street label, including a contribution to the 1985 Emilio Estevez movie That Was Then... This Is Now. In 1988 she surfaced on another label, Waterwheel with the maxi-single "Function At The Junction". At this point Pattie returned to backup singing and advertising jingles.

In 2006 the Nu Improved label remixed Pattie's greatest hit "After Dark" and issued a CD single with up to the minute remixes, the single was well received and spent several weeks on the US Hot Dance Club Play chart. In 2011, Brooks followed up this hit with the single "It's All About the Music". She continues to record and tour. Her daughter Yvette Marine is a member of the Mary Jane Girls.
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