Philadelphia Daily News and philly.com just published a great feature story on John Ellison. Read it here: Our Kind Of Wonderful
In an exclusive interview, Jonathan Takiff looks at John's entire career up to and including his recent South Jersey show and the upcoming Soul Singer record, and also talks about the Philly connection to the global mega-hit "Some Kinda Wonderful." Read it here: Our Kind Of Wonderful
JOHN ELLISON TO MAKE TV DEBUT ON SHOP-HQ CHANNEL TUESDAY JANUARY 13TH @ NOON & 6PM (EST).
Jamie mainstay, the legendary John Ellison will be making his home shopping TV debut this coming Tuesday, January 13th on the new SHOP HQ cable shopping channel. John will be promoting his fabulous 'Some Kind Of Wonderful' spices and foods AND his recent Jamie double-CD, 'UP FROM FUNK'! Check your local cable guide for channel listing.
WHYY-TV, Philly's PBS affiliate presents a special segment on ARCTIC RECORDS as part of their Friday Arts show. See it here: Jamie on TV
The lead-off segment of the show, which aired first on January 2nd, 2015 and is repeating throughout the month, features an interview with label president Frank Lipsius and a special in-studio look at the recording se ssions for the upcoming 'Soul Singer' album featuring John Ellison, Kenny Hamber, Winfield Parker and William "Smoke" Howard, and being produced by the legendary Tom Moulton. Special commentary by the one and only Jerry Blavat tying it all together. Watch the entire show here: http://whyy.org/cms/fridayarts/january-2015-arctic-records-drexel-culinary-arts-and-science-martha-and-the-lost/
Jamie Records is thrilled to announce John Ellison's induction into the West Virginia Music Hall Of Fame. John has been named one of the six honorees in the Hall's sixth induction class. The induction ceremony will take place October 24, 2015 at the Culture Center Theater, and will be broadcast live on WV PBS.
Grand Funk Railroad guitarist Mark Farner will present the award and be part of the backing band when Ellison performs. In 1975, Grand Funk Railroad scored a No. 3 hit with “Some Kind of Wonderful,” which was was written by Ellison and originally recorded by his band the Soul Brothers Six in 1967. In 2012 the song was recognized as one of the five most covered pop/rock songs of all time.
John Ellison's improbable rise from an impoverished family in a small coal mining town in West Virginia, through numerous hardships and the racist environment of the 1950's and '60s, to worldwide acclaim as a respected songwriter and performing artist, only serve to make his star shine even brighter and his life story all the more compelling.
"I'm truly thrilled to receive this honor," Ellison commented on his induction to the Hall. "If you don't lose sight of your vision, you will eventually reach your destination. Be a dreamer. Everything on this earth started with a dream."
"The inductees for 2015 continue the Hall of Fame’s mission to recognize outstanding artists who were born or raised in the Mountain State,” said WV Music Hall of Fame Director Michael Lipton at a press conference announcing this year's honorees. “Our sixth class honors six unique West Virginia artists who have made lasting contributions to American music."
“In addition to the impact these musicians have made nationally, there is also a special connection to West Virginia. I think everyone - both in-and out-of-state - is consistently amazed at the diversity of the musicians who have come from our home state,” Lipton added. “And it’s always exciting to discover artists who have made their marks in unique ways. Of course, that kind of singular and homegrown creativity is something we have come to expect and admire from West Virginians.”
The three living inductees*, Ellison, steel guitarist Russ Hicks, and jazz pianist Bob Thompson, will be present to accept their awards and will perform during their induction segment. Other presenters, performers and acceptors T.B.A.
*(Deceased inductees are fiddler Ed Haley, country music pioneer Buddy Starcher and piano legend Harry Van Walls.)
See Craig Wayne Boyd perform John Ellison's song "(She's) Some Kind of Wonderful" on The Voice here
"Cooler Than Ice" landed the top spot in senior editor David Fricke's year-end round up of 2013's best 'Under The Radar Reissues' in Rolling Stone!
Fricke writes: "Founded in Philadelphia in 1964 by R&B DJ Jimmy Bishop , Arctic Records was my hometown Motown: a soul-singles factory of propulsive vocal-group pathos ( the Volcanos ' "Storm Warning"), knockout balladry ( Barbara Mason 's national hit "Yes I'm Ready") and dynamic prophecy, including early sides by Philadelphia International producer-writer Kenny Gamble and a teenage Daryl Hall , then in aspiring white boys the Temptones . This set is Arctic's mid-Sixties lifetime in full, 120 tracks across six CDs – and six vinyl 45s for authentic dance parties."
Read the full article here: rollingstone.com/frickes-picks
Order 'Cooler Than Ice' here for only $110 (worldwide shipping included) : jamguy.com/coolerthanice/
Fleamarketfunk.com does a superb job of placing Arctic Records and "Cooler Than Ice" in the context of Philly soul, noting the box set as "the definitive collection of the label that started the Soul movement in the City of Brotherly Love." Click here to check out the full review . Order Arctic box set here.
Excerpts from the review:
If you are a fan of Soul, specifically Philly Soul, then this box set will set your world on fire. Hell, even if you aren’t a fan, it’s going to keep you busy for quite some time until you become a fan....Founded in 1964 by WDAS-AM’s Jimmy Bishop, Arctic Records was the jump start that gave Philadelphia its S-O-U-L. With 60 A and B sides from every single the Arctic label ever put out as well as releases on the subsidiary label Frantic, this retrospective covers the label from the very beginning right until the end. A young Kenny Gamble, Harold Melvin, and Daryl Hohl aka Daryl Hall make appearances in groups on this box set alongside label stalwart Barbara Mason, plus Honey and the Bees, Dee Dee Barnes, The Volcanos and more. Some of these singles have not seen the light of day for 50 years.
Check out the New York Times' prominent 2013 holiday-roundup review of Cooler Than Ice in the box-set round up here. Buy it here for $110 including shipping worldwide.
Jon Pareles wrote in the New York Times:
‘COOLER THAN ICE: ARCTIC RECORDS AND THE RISE OF PHILLY SOUL’ The talent pool for the independent Philadelphia soul label Arctic Records in the 1960s included Kenny Gamble, Daryl Hall, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, and Barbara Mason, whose 1965 “Yes, I’m Ready” was the label’s big pop hit. Arctic didn’t have many of those, but a majority of the singles it released — presented in numerical order in this boxed set, most with both A and B sides — have craftsmanship and spirit. Arctic’s producers and songwriters were very clearly looking toward Motown or, far less often, to Stax.
But their knockoffs were spiffy — not just the perpetually devoted Ms. Mason, but more obscure figures like Dee Dee Barnes, Kenny Hamber and a high-octane gospel singer, Mary De Loach . And in songs from Mr. Gamble and Honey & the Bees, there are harbingers of the close-harmony Philly soul of the 1970s. (Jamie/Guyden, six CDs, six 45-r.p.m. singles, $149.98.)
Check out our newly updated catalog of artists from 1963, including Bobby Peterson , Dale & Grace , Maxine Davis , The Waveriders , and Dick Van Dyke !
Barbara Lynn returned for a triumphant Dig Deeper concert in Brooklyn , Saturday October 12 at Littlefield at 622 Degraw Street.