Richard Brooks

Side A - I’ll Do Anything To Make You Happy

Side B - With All My Heart

Posted in: Release Listings

Release Date: June 23rd 2014

Richard A. Brookes was born and raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee. While attending The Howard High School he formed a vocal group known as the Pleasures this was a short lived affair with Richard later joining his brother Arthur’s group ‘The Four Roosters And A Chick’ (later becoming just ‘The Roosters’).

Both Richard and Arthur came to the same conclusion that they stood a greater chance of success if they moved north so with fellow Chattnoogan Sam Gooden they migrated north relocating to Chicago. Upon their arrival in the Windy City they enrolled at the Washburn High School where they first met Jerry Butler and Curtis Mayfield. In 1957 with the addition of Butler and Mayfield they recorded the Richard Brooks penned “For Your Precious Love” under the group name of “Jerry Butler And The Impressions” for the local Abner label. Due to the popularity of FYPL and the help of their manager Eddie Thomas (of Thomas Records fame) they signed up to the nationally distributed Vee-Jay label. Following Jerry Butler’s departure and further moderate releases Vee-Jay decided to drop them in 1961, only for ABC Paramount to sign them up. Securing a R&B hit with “Gypsy Woman”, but following their sixth ABC release ‘Sad, Sad Girl And A Boy’ in 1963 The Brooks Brothers suddenly left The Impressions.

After briefly forming their own Impressions, Richard and Arthur then moved to Detroit where amongst other production projects they recorded the northern soul classic ‘Looking For A Woman’ as the ‘Brooks Brothers’, Tay (501). Tay being a subsidiary of the Detroit Sound label where Richard also composed The Sequins ‘Try My Love’ (503) a subsequent Detroit Sound release. Into the 70’s Richard pitched up at Nasco Records in Nashville as the lead singer of the group Bits And Pieces. For whom he wrote four excellent tracks, ‘Did I Scare You/Smoke Stream’ (Nasco 031) and ‘Sinner (Have You Been There)/Keep On Running Away’ (Nasco 033).

In 2009 Richard in collaboration with blues man Oliver Johnson, (Albert King’s former band leader) formed their own production company. One of their most recent projects is Richards own CD project ‘I Am Back’ which has never really got past the promotional stage.

Fate then intervened courtesy of Dave Thorley and Malayka Erpen. Malayka whose job involves making regular trips to Chattanooga struck up a friendship with a local taxi driver. Malakya’s enquires regarding any local soul artists he might know led to a meeting with the aforementioned Richard Brooks, with whom she discussed his performing career over a game of cards. As they parted company Richard pushed a CD into her hands which eventually arrived at Soul Junction HQ. It is from this CD that the Impressionesque ‘I’ll do Anything To Make You Happy’ and ‘With All My Heart’ have been taken for this excellent 45 release.