Gwendolyn Dianne Brooks (January 3, 1939 – April 29, 2005), was an American soul, r&b and jazz singer. With the Three Playmates, Brooks recorded several songs in 1957. She moved to Toronto shortly thereafter. Her part in Canadian soul music history began when the group Diane Brooks, Eric Mercury and the Soul Searchers was formed. As a solo singer, she recorded two albums and several singles of her own. Her biggest solo hit was "Walkin' on My Mind" in 1969. She was also a prolific session singer. As a vocalist, she provided backing vocals on albums by a multitude of artists that include Anne Murray, Gino Vannelli and Richie Havens. She was also a song-writer.
Background Brooks was born in New Jersey and grew up there singing gospel music.Canukistan Music - Dianne Brooks, Walkin' on My Mind / Need to Belong - 7", by Michael PanontinWriting on Music, JULY 6, 2020 - Gone But Not Forgotten: ‘Picture Me Gone FIONA MCQUARRIE Things started for her at three years of age when she was singing in her New Jersey church. Taking note of Dianne's talent, her mother eventually sent her to New York City to study voice. Brooks was a teenager when she joined the group, The Three Playmates who recorded for the Savoy label. In 1960, she moved to Toronto. During the 1960s, she was a member of two popular Canadian r&b / soul groups. She also appeared regularly on Canadian radio and television. Along the way, she caught the attention of Jerry Schoenbaum who founded the Verve Records label. She was offered a deal and recorded two singles for the label. One of the songs she recorded, "Picture Me Gone" was recorded by Madeline Bell who was also from New Jersey and like Brooks grew up singing gospel. Like Bell, she would have a similar career, adding her backing vocals to recordings by a multitude of artists.Discogs - Madeline Bell, Discography, Credits, VocalsDiscogs - Dianne Brooks, Discography, Credits, Vocals During the 1970s, she had a lot of work as an in-demand backing vocalist.FUNKMYSOUL.GR - Dianne Brooks – 1976 – Back Stairs Of My Life
Commenting on Brooks, Emmylou Harris once said “I know I'm a valid singer, but when I hear Dianne I feel like handing in my contract.”. Ray Charles also referred to her as the greatest voice he'd heard since Dinah Washington. Jack Batten of The Toronto Star once referred to her as the best soul singer in the country.RPM Weekly, Volume 12 No. 5, September 20th, 1969 - Page 12 - Revolver ad, Page 13 - DIANNE BROOKS' NEW SINGLE In reference to Brooks, Anne Murray said that she had never met someone so innovative vocally.All of Me by Anne Murray, Michael Posner · 2009 - Page 140
Early career 1950s With the Three Playmates In the late 1950s, she was involved in the following recordings, "Giddy-Up-a-Ding-Dong" / "It Must Be Love", (released on Savoy 45-1523 in 1957),citizenfreak.com (© Museum of Canadian Music) - Brooks, Dianne - Some Other Kind of Soul Information/Write-up "Give Your Love to Me" / "(Do-oo, Do-oo) I Dreamed", (released on Savoy 45-1528 in 1957) with backing by musicians, George Barrow, Jerome Richardson, Budd Johnson, Sam Price, Kenny Burrell, Joe Benjamin, Bobby Donaldson, Ernie Wilkins (arranger)Savoy Records discography Jazzdisco.org. Retrieved 23 June 2013. "Sugah Wooga" / "Lovey Dovey Pair", (released on Savoy 45-1528 in 1957) with backing by musicians, Buddy Lucas, Bobby Banks, Leonard Gaskin.
The Three Playmates was made up of sisters Lucille and Alma Beatty and Gwen Brooks (Dianne). They had a chart hit with one of the records they had released on the Savoy label. The song "Sugah Wooga" which she co-wrote with Ozzie Cadena managed to get to # 89 on the Billboard Pop Top 100.Doo-Wop - The Playmates (2) The Three PlaymatesTop Pop Records, 1955-1970: Facts about 9800 Recordings Listed in Billboard's "Hot 100" Charts, Joel Whitburn · 1972 - THREE PLAYMATESDiscogs - The Three Playmates – Sugah Wooga / Lovey Dovey Pair
1960s The Orbiteers In 1962, she was featured on a recording relating to the Orbiteer toy. The song was "The Orbiteer Twist" which was a commercial. It was also her own composition. The A side of the single was credited to Dianne Brooks with Billy O'Conner and His Orbiteersmen. The B side, "My Orbiteer Will Come Back", a Randy Leeds composition was credited to The Orbiteers with Billy O'Conner and His Orbiteersmen. It was allegedly the first time Robbie Robertson had played on a released recording.Billboard, May 5, 1962 - Page 20 BILLBOARD MUSIC WEEK, INTERNATIONAL NEWS REPORT, CANADA, Toy & Disk Tie Circles in Orbit By STAN FISHER Montreal StarDiscogs - Dianne Brooks, The Orbiteers (2), Billy O'Connor & His Orbiteersmen* – The Orbiteer Twist
The Silhouettes Brooks and saxophonist Steve Kennedy had been part of The Silhouettes who were an established group on the Toronto r&b scene. The Silhouettes had backed Eric Mercury on his single, "I Wondered Why" / "Softly", released on Clip 1122 in 1966. The group also backed and included Jack Hardin They played at venues such as Toronto's prominent music club, Friar's Tavern,Heritage Toronto - Friar's Tavern Commemorative Plaque, 2017 and the Blue Note club which was also located in Toronto.A Stroke of Luck by William D. Smith 2008, - Page 279The Canadian Encyclopedia - Doug Riley
With the Soul Searchers Also in 1966, Brooks and Kennedy left the group to form The Soul Searchers with Eric Mercury, guitarist Terry Logan, organist William "Smitty" Smith and drummer Eric "Mouse" Johnson. According to Smitty's book, A Stroke of Luck, Brooks and Kennedy were in a romantic relationship. Smith and Kennedy had an idea of putting together a group to play behind Brooks. Things began in April that year. Even though the group is referred to as the Soul Searchers, the real name was Diane Brooks, Eric Mercury and The Soul Searchers.A Stroke of Luck by William D. Smith 2008, - Pages 278 to 280 Diane Brooks The instrumental section of the group consisted of Eric "Mouse" Johnson on drums and vocals, Steve Kennedy on tenor, baritone sax and background vocals, Terry Logan on guitar and vocals and William "Smitty" Smith on Hammond B3 organ and vocals.FYI Music News, Sep 06, 2019 - Eric Mercury - Electric Black Man - A Conversation By Bill King They first played at the Memory Lane in Toronto.
Sometime that year, Brooks got an offer to record for herself. Due to the band supposedly not having the experience or considered to be up to the task, they didn't get to play on the recording. According to Michel Ruppli's book on the Verve discography, a recording session took place in New York on November 17 of that year. Four songs were recorded with Harvey Brooks (no relation to Diane) who was producing at the time. They were "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself", "In My Heart", "Sometimes I Wonder" and "Into Something Good". The following year on March 15, two more tracks, "Picture Me Gone" and "Say Something Nice To Me" were recorded. It's possible that some of these tracks did not see a release. "In My Heart" bw "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself" was released on Verve Folkways 5036 around November 1966 while "Picture Me Gone" bw "Sometimes I Wonder" was supposed to be released on Verve Forecast 5055 in 1967.Global Dog Productions - 45 Discography for Verve Folkways/Forecast RecordsThe Clef/Verve Labels: The MGM era, Michel Ruppli, Bob Porter · 1986 - Page 513 DIANNE BROOKS
In May and June 1967 the group appeared in New York at The Scene club with The Free Spirits and Tiny Tim. The Soul Searchers were on the same bill as The Doors on various nights, with the poster saying "APPEARING WITH THE DOORS NIGHTLY for a Completely Flipped Out Evening: DIANNE BROOKS / ERIC MERCURY and The SOUL SEARCHERS".Mildequator.com - - The Doors | Steve Paul's The Scene 1967, VariationsThe Doors | Steve Paul's The Scene 1967, Print ad #2
At some stage Brooks had left the band after falling in love with a hairdresser, leaving Mercury to be the front man.FYI News, Sep 06, 2019 - Eric Mercury - Electric Black Man - A Conversation by Bill King
Solo career Revolution Records period Revolution Records was run by Mort Ross and Doug Riley with Terry Brown as their recording engineer.Cash Box, March 8, 1969 - Page 66 Canada The intention of Revolution Records wasn't to start off as a record company as they did. They wanted to build a recording facility with equipment superior to what other Canadian studios at the time. But with the studio having been built and ready for business later in August 1969, they recorded some demos with Brooks in the meantime. They were originally intended to be just demos. The studio owners were very impressed with what they had heard, and considered them to be "So good they had to be released". This is how Revolver Records came into being when it did.Billboard, May 24, 1969 - Page C-34 Radio Legislation Should Better Recording Studios
By March 1969, she was already signed to Revolution. Also that month, her single "Walkin' on My Mind" had been released by Revolution's subsidiary, Revolver Records.Billboard, March 15, 1969 - Page 64 From The Music Capitals of the World, College Music Contest Opens Talent Hunt It was also being released in the United States on Ray Charles' Tangerine label.Cash Box, March 8, 1969 - Page 68 Canada Revolution's Mort Ross had travelled to New York to set up the distribution deal with Charles' label for the current record, which also involved any future releases from Brooks. A distribution deal was also set up for England with Morgan Records handling that task. For Canadian distribution, the Compo Company was chosen.Billboard, May 24, 1969 - Page C-34 Radio Legislation Should Better Recording Studios By April 21 the song had entered the RPM Weekly Canadian Content Chart at #10.RPM Weekly, Volume 11 No. 8, Week of April 21st. 1969 - Page 4 RPM Weekly Canadian Content Chart By May 2 it made it to #4 on the RPM chart. However it only got to #67 nationally.Canaukstan Music - Dianne Brooks, Walkin' on My Mind / Need to Belong - 7" by Michael Panontin
The group Motherlode was doing gigs on Friday and Saturday nights in London, Ontario. They did a demo session with Brooks as a backing vocalist. However it was decided that she wasn't needed. Also around that period, Motherlode came up with their When I Die album.Blitz, No 43 / July–August 1982 - Page 16 (middle column) THE KENNY MARCO STORY: GRANT SMITH AND THE POWER/MOTHERLODERPM Weekly, Volume 12 No. 15, November 29, 1969 - Page 5 ROSS GAINS CONTROL OF REVOLUTION
In late September 1969, her second single with Revolution, "Show Him (He's Not Alone)" which was written by Doug Riley was released on Revolver REVS 003. The single which was backed with "Show Me" was produced by Mort Ross.RPM Weekly, Volume 12 No. 5, September 20th, 1969 - Page 12 Revolver ad, Page 13, DIANNE BROOKS' NEW SINGLE She also had written a song "Memories of a Broken Promise" which Motherlode had recorded and released as the follow-up to their hit "When I Die". By the end of November the song was charting in both Canada and the US. The song would get to #99 on the CASH BOX Top 100 Singles chart.Tropicalglen.com - CASH BOX Top 100 Singles Week ending NOVEMBER 22, 1969 By November 22, the song was at #4 on the RPM Canadian Content Chart and at #55 on the Canadian National chart.RPM Weekly, 12 No. 14, November 22nd. 1969 - Pages 6-7 It would eventually be one the BMI Canada Certificate of Honour winners of 1969.Billboard, May 23, 1970 - Page 60 Announcing the 1969 winners of the second annual BMI CANADA LIMITED CERTIFICATES OF HONOUR
An article in the November 29 issue of RPM indicated that her album was soon due to make its appearance. Motherlode did some instrumental backing on her Some Other Kind of Soul album. William Smith and Steve Kennedy also wrote "The Boys Are On the Case".