A half-century on, La La Brooks still sings about boys and girls falling in love. At an age when other veterans of first-generation rock movements are thinking about retirement or oldies tours, Brooks has come up with a fresh, energetic collection that doesn’t deny her past, but also refuses to succumb to mere nostalgia. Brooks…
Interview with Southern California Public Radio Back in 1963, the song “Da Doo Ron Ron” was a huge hit. The track, produced by Phil Specter, was recorded by The Crystals, featuring our guest La La Brooks. Fifty years later, Brooks is back at it with a new solo album called “All Or Nothing.” Brooks got her start at…
It’s been 50 years since a teenage La La Brooks led the Crystals in their Phil Spector-produced hit “Da Doo Ron Ron,” but the veteran singer hasn’t lost her touch. On October 15th, Brooks will release her debut solo album, All or Nothing, on which she lays down originals and covers the Small Faces, the Ohio Untouchables and more. Here, Brooks…
The Crystals changed the sound of pop in the 1960s, but they say their mercurial genius producer took the money as well as the credit
The clear standout was Ms. Brooks, lean and incredibly limber at 64, who belted “And Then He Kissed Me,” “Da Doo Ron Ron” and a borrowed song, “River Deep, Mountain High,” with lavish, exultant drama (and a little Tina Turner rasp for “River Deep”).