Excerpts from Cooler Than Ice: Arctic Records And The Rise Of Philly Soul.
Barbara Mason was born on August 9, 1947 and grew up in the City of Brotherly Love, where she got an early start on her musical career. In her own words: “This guy named Weldon McDougal was in the group [the Larks], and they were looking for some kids, really, just to do some shows, not to record yet. So he had me to do a show. I must have been about 17, 16, somewhere in there, at a club called the B&R Club in Philadelphia.
“One of my favorite songs was ‘Moon River’ by Jerry Butler, although I liked it by Andy Williams too. But I really liked Jerry Butler’s version. I liked both versions, but Jerry’s was the one that I liked. So I sang Jerry Butler’s version, but in my style. And the crowd gave me a standing ovation. At that point, Weldon said, ‘You know, you’ve got to leave your little group, and you’ve got to come solo.’ And I told him I couldn’t do it, because I thought we were going to be big, like the Supremes. And he said, ‘No, you’ll never be as big as The Supremes. But I can do a lot with you.’ So we began to record in 1964.”
Unlike the majority of her distaff peers, Barbara Mason was a songwriter from the start. “I had been just writing little poems and stuff, and putting little music to it and doing local shows in my neighborhood,” she says. “I never dreamed that I was going to be recording professionally. When I met Weldon, I had already written a song, which he recorded.” Dynodynamic sent her self-penned debut “Trouble Child” to the L.A.-based Crusader label, the Tiffanys receiving second billing on the label for their vocal backing.
“I think I was writing for all the other kids that were probably doing whatever I shouldn’t have been doing,” says Barbara Mason, all of 16 when “Trouble Child” hit the racks in 1964. “But I’ve always felt real blessed that I can write, because they say the real stars of the industry are the writers. So I figured, ‘Well, if I’m going to be a star, I might as well be a writer.’ I never knew how far it was going to take me. But Weldon did tell me that it would take me far.”
“I was 17 and having little boyfriends and stuff, and getting your heart broken, or whatever we thought was love,” says Barbara. “And I just wanted to let all of them know that girls have feelings too. I think the lyrics mostly spoke for themselves.” Those lyrics connected with her intended audience: “Girls Have Feelings Too” was Mason’s first hit, sailing to #31 on Billboard’s R&B chart. She and Arctic were both on their way.
