The Sound of Philadelphia story is usually told through Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff's Philadelphia International soul label. Another chapter is added on Cooler Than Ice, which gathers every single from 1964 to 1967 on the Arctic label founded by WDAS program director Jimmy Bishop. Arctic's biggest hit was with teenage phenom Barbara Mason's Yes, I'm Ready in 1965. The label was a proving ground for a number of artists, including Daryl Hall (known as Daryl Hohl when he was with the Temptones, who have four charming faux-Motown tunes here). Gamble struts his stuff in style as a singer with his bands the Romeos and Floaters. Essential for Philly Soul completists. --The Philadelphia Inquirer, Nov. 29, 2012
The Arctic Records label helped Philly Soul find its footing. Their complete discography of 121 sides,spread over a six-disc box set, are raw, washed-out, occasionally sloppy - a young Kenny Gamble before he hopped on the love train, a young Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes before you knew them by now - essentially the sound of Philadelphia in the 10 years before TSOP. The 27 tracks from dynamic soulstirrer Barbara Mason are the biggest victory here, tracing a slow evolution from the vulnerable, sugarysad, girl-group era (Girls Have Feeling Too, the No. 5 hit Yes, I'm Ready) to the assured, brassy tip of the funky '70s. We'd be remiss not to point out the inimitable tenor of a young Daryl Hall (yes, that Daryl Hall) levitating over the only four released sides from his circa-1967 white-boy soul crew the Temptones, when dude was doing straight Temptations-jacking sans the big bam booms. --SPIN Magazine, December 2012
Major shout outs for this home-grown, six-disc megaset of long-lost music from the 1960s and '70s. Founded by former WDAS DJ and program director Jimmy Bishop, Arctic was a training site for many a local musician and producer who'd go on to really big things at Philadelphia International Records. It's got tracks from the lead singer of a group called Kenny Gamble and the Romeos. And there's some songs featuring a certain tenor singing lead with the pale-skinned though R&B stylized Temptone - Pottstown's very own Daryl Hall. The distinctive Barbara Mason was Arctic's star; often sonically dressed to the nines with lustrous string players (some plucked from the Philadelphia Orchestra) as she strove for a worthy follow-up to I'm Ready. You'll be equally taken with the stomping, Motown/Philly explosions of the Volcanos, sugar-pie cute Honey Bees and spiritual-meets-pop pioneering Lane Relations (produced by Bishop's wife, Louise Williams). Oh, and we were staggered by how much the vocal stylings of Cindy Gibson resembled what ''complete original'' Laura Nyro would put forth a few years later. Kudos to Bill Dahl for the deep-digging liner notes. --Jonathan Takiff, Philadelphia Daily News, December 10, 2012
trax CD 1:
01. Happiest Girl in the World - Barbara Mason & The Tiffanys 02. Love Me - Barbara Mason & The Tiffanys 03. Girls Have Feelings Too - Barbara Mason 04. Come to Me - Barbara Mason 05. Baby - The Volcanos 06. Make Your Move - The Volcanos 07. Step By Step - Cindy Gibson 08. Whisper You Love Me, Boy - Cindy Gibson 09. Yes, I'm Ready - Barbara Mason 10. Keep Him - Barbara Mason 11. Storm Warning - The Volcanos 12. Down By the Seashore - Kenny Gamble & the Floaters 13. Down By the Seashore (Instru) - Kenny Gamble & the Floaters 14. Sad, Sad Girl - Barbara Mason 15. Gloomy Day - Herb Johnson 16. Carfare Back - Herb Johnson 17. Everything On Earth - Lane Relations 18. Cleaning Up Here - Lane Relations 19. Help Wanted - The Volcanos 20. If You Dont (Love Me, Tell Me So) - Barbara Mason 21. You Got What It Takes - Barbara Mason
trax CD 2:
22. How Can I Win Your Love - Light Lunch & the Freeloaders 23. How Can I Win Your Love (Instru) - Light Lunch & the Freeloaders 24. Ain't It Baby - Kenny Gamble & the Romeos 25. Ain't It Baby (Instru) - Kenny Gamble & the Romeos 26. (It's Against) the Laws of Love - The Volcanos 27. (It's Against) the Laws of Love (Instru) - The Volcanos 28. Is It Me? - Barbara Mason 29. Don't Ever Want to Lose Your Love - Barbara Mason 30. Ya Ya - Mike & Ike 31. Sax On the Tracks (I'd Rather Be Lonely) - Mike & Ike 32. I'm Confessin' - Honey & the Bees 33. One Time Is Forever - Honey & the Bees 34. How I Got Over Part 1 - The Brockington Ensemble 35. How I Got Over Part 2 - The Brockington Ensemble 36. I Need Love - Barbara Mason 37. Bobby Is My Baby - Barbara Mason 38. Take Me for What I Am - Jack & Jill 39. There You Go Again - Jack & Jill 40. Turn On Your Love Light - Kenny Rossi 2:19 41. Don't Lose This Love - Kenny Rossi 2:29
trax CD 3:
42. Don't Stop Loving Me - Kenny Gamble 43. The Jokes On You - Kenny Gamble 44. If I Had a Hammer - Lane Relations 45. In the Dark - Lane Relations 46. A Lady's Man - The Volcanos 47. Poor Girl in Trouble - Barbara Mason 48. Hello Baby - Barbara Mason 49. Chains of Love - Kenny Gamble 50. (I'll Just) Keep On Smilin' - Kenny Gamble 51. You're Number 1 - The Volcanos 52. The Blood-Part I - Lane Relations 53. The Blood-Part II - Lane Relations 54. Girl I Love You - The Temptones 55. Good-Bye - The Temptones 56. Anything You Want - Kenny Hamber 57. Ain't Gonna Cry (Over One Girl) - Kenny Hamber 58. Move This Thing-Part 1 - Mary Deloach 59. Move This Thing-Part 2 - Mary Deloach 60. I Feel the Spirit Moving - The Brockington Ensemble 61. He's There - The Brockington Ensemble
trax CD 4:
62. You Can Depend On Me - Barbara Mason 63. Game of Love - Barbara Mason 64. Go Away - Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes 65. What Can a Man Do - Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes 66. Say These Words of Love - The Temptones 67. Something Good - The Temptones 68. Oh, How It Hurts - Barbara Mason 69. Ain't Got Nobody - Barbara Mason 70. Do What You Wanna' Do - Dee Dee Barnes 71 - Dee Dee Barnes - I'm Yours and You're Mine 72. Looking for a Love - Kenny Hamber 73 - Kenny Hamber - These Arms of Mine 74. I Don't Want to Lose You - Barbara Mason 75. Dedicated to the One I Love - Barbara Mason 76. (You Better) Go Now - Honey & the Bees 77. Why Do You Hurt the One Who Loves You - Honey & the Bees 78. (I Can Feel Your Love) Slipping Away - Barbara Mason 79. Half a Love - Barbara Mason 80. Soul Groove Part 1 - Teddy & the Fingerpoppers 81. Soul Groove Part 2 - Teddy & the Fingerpoppers
trax CD 5:
82. Don't Make the Good Girls Go Bad - Della Humphrey 83. Your Love Is All I Need - Della Humphrey 84. My Oh My - Billy Floyd 85. Time, Made You Change Your Mind - Billy Floyd 86. I'm No Good for You - Barbara Mason 87. Don't Ever Go Away - Barbara Mason 88. I Really Love You - The Ambassadors 89. I Can't Believe You Love Me - The Ambassadors 90. Take It Easy (With My Heart) - Barbara Mason 91. You Never Loved Me (At All) - Barbara Mason 92. Love Addict - Honey & the Bees 93. I'll Be There - Honey & the Bees 94. Ain't Got the Love (of One Girl On My Mind) - The Ambassadors 95. Music (Makes You Wanna Dance) - The Ambassadors 96. Shake That Thing - Winfield Parker 97. Brand New Start - Winfield Parker 98. Together Forever - Honey & the Bees 99. Dynamite Exploded - Honey & the Bees 100. I Dig You Baby - The Ambassadors 101. Storm Warning - The Ambassadors
trax CD 6:
102. You Better Stop It - Barbara Mason 103. Happy Girl - Barbara Mason 104. (Girls Have Feelings) Just Like the Boys Do - Ella Humphrey 105. Over the Tracks - Ella Humphrey 106. Can't Take My Eyes Off of You - The Ambassadors 107. A.W.O.L. (Away Without Love) - The Ambassadors 108. (If You Could See Through) the Eyes of a Black Man - Jimmy Bishop 109. Mr. Charlie - Jimmy Bishop 110. Sunday Kind of Love - Honey & the Bees 111. Baby, Do That Thing - Honey & the Bees 112. Will You Love Me Tomorrow - Della Humphrey 113. Let's Wait Until Dark - Della Humphrey 114. Ain't No Big Thing (but It's Growing) - The Royal Five 115. Peace of Mind (It's Just a Matter of Time) - The Royal Five 116. (Put a Dime On) D-9 - The Rotations 117. (Put a Nickel On) D-9 - The Rotations 118. Find My Baby-Part I - The Three Strangers 119. Find My Baby-Part II - The Three Strangers 120. A Changed Man - The Rotations 121. Heartaches - The Rotations
trax CD 7:
122. He's Got to Love Me - Barbara Mason 123. Catch Him, Love - Barbara Mason 124. No Doubt About It - Barbara Mason & The Tiffanys 125. Lover Boy - Barbara Mason & The Tiffanys 126. I'm At My Best When I'm Down - The Combo Kings 127. The Rock - The Combo Kings 128. It Takes Two - Kenny Gamble 129. Fat Daddy - Kenny Gamble & Paul Johnson 130. Doctor Love - The Ambassadors 131. I Only Have Eyes For You - The Ambassadors 132. I Love You Just the Same - Winfield Parker 133. Fallin' Star - Winfield Parker
...Thanks to The Northern Madman for the share! served by Gyro1966...