Mike Brooks

Mike Brooks has been in the Reggae music business for over 25 years. He established the Teams label with long time friend Patrick “Jah Lloyd” Francis in 1969. However, the label was not activated until the release of “Soldier Round The Corner” in 1970. His debut single was produced by the legendary Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry entitled: “The Earth is The Fullness”, released on the Harvest label in 1972. While it was not exactly a million seller, it did establish him as a major talent in Jamaica. However, it was a Jo Jo Hoo Kim’s Channel One Studio at Maxfield Avenue, birth place of the Rockers genre of Reggae in Trench Town where Mike Brooks really made his mark as a producer laying rhythm tracks with the studio’s famous session band the Revolutionaries between 1974 and 1977. Among the tracks produced during this time was The Might Diamond’s classic ‘Shame and Pride’ by released on the Teams label co-produced with Pat ‘Jah Lloyd’ Francis.
Mike Brooks can best be described as an enigma in Reggae Music; some might even regard him as being eccentric. The man has produced so much good music over the years yet he remains on the most accessible artists/producers in the business always on the look out for new talent totally ignoring his own prolific ability as a vocalist. Mike is in fact gifted with one of the falsetto voices in the business that is by anyone’s standards. Reminiscent of the great Curtis Mayfield, were Mike and American R & B singer he would now surely have secured the king of accolade and financial rewards his talent truly deserves.
Mike Brook’s production skills took him to Duke Reid’s Treasure Isles studio where he produced ‘Night and Day’ with another of Jamaican popular music’s most phenomenal and accomplished vocalists the inimitable Mr. Pat Kelly. The flip side of ‘Night and Day’ was ‘Jamming So’ voiced by 1970ss DJ music artist, the effervescent Trinity. He has also worked at Joe Gibb’s studio. Mike Brooks’ production credits including the likes of Blacka Morwell whom he produced, ‘Wonderful World’ Earl ‘Chinna’ Smith and the Soul Syndicates’ and the Soul Syndicates “Cool Runnings’ (released in Japan by Aquarius Records), Hortense Ellis “Born for a purpose’ Gladstone ‘Gladdy’ Anderson ‘Holy Mount Zion’ Bim Sherman Down’, Bobby Melody ‘Hunger and Strife’ and Ting Ling’s ‘Reggae In The Sun’.
Believing that his talent needed more of an international profile Mike moved to London during the early 1990s. In London, Mike soon got busy checking out the studios around the city and making links, networking with artists including other Jamaican expatriates as well as many of the UK’s outstanding Reggae acts. Mike mastered several tracks that he produced in Jamaica including Sugar Minott’s ‘Human Gun’, Ninja Ford’s ‘Shout It Out” and Rick Ranking’s ‘Boggle’ all of which were released on Jet Star Phonograph’s Charm label. Mike Brooks is responsible for the discovery of young artist who is currently one of the U.K.’s hottest acts, Wayne Marshall. Although now widely respected as an R & B singer, Wayne Marshall started out as a Reggae artist. It was Mike Brooks who gave Wayne Marshall his first best selling hit record ‘Winter Love’ and follow up ‘Over You’. Mike has also recorded R & B tracks with Wayne. Mr. Brooks is an indomitable and versatile artist and producer who is not restricted to working with one genre of music. For his latest project he has teamed up with Rock guitarist extraordinaire Kevin Armstrong. Kevin’s work with pop music legend David Bowie and production credits with Britain’s #1 Pop/R & B female act ‘External’ is well chronicled. The Brooks – Armstrong collaboration has produced some fine and exciting results including some innovative work with Italian Rap music MCs DJ Crack and Latin Lover.
Mike also has brilliant new Roots Reggae in the can for which he is currently seeking a licensing deal. The album which he co-produced with Reggae veteran B.B. Seaton is one of the most consistent recording outings ever with virtually every track being a winner. The record will be a must of all connoisseurs of Roots music.