Pattie Brooks ‎- Love Shook (1977) & Our Ms. Brooks (1978) [2009, Remastered Reissue]

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. Around this time she came to the attention of disco producer Simon Soussan 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 Chart. Pattie remained with Soussan 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 Soussan 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 Tu 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 "Love" Smith.