Spin: The 10 Best Reissues of November/December: Bikini Kill, Ghetto Brothers, an Unhealthy Amount of Johnny Cash 4. Various Artists
Cooler Than Ice: Arctic Records and the Rise of Philly Soul Jamie/Guyden 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 soul-stirrer Barbara Mason are the biggest victory here, tracing a slow evolution from the vulnerable, sugary-sad, 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. *** Founded by WDAS program director/deejay Jimmy Bishop in conjunction with Jamie/Guyden Records in 1964, Arctic Records was one of Philadelphia’s most important early soul labels, greatly influencing the subsequent rise of Philly soul. Barbara Mason’s classic “Yes, I’m Ready” was the label’s biggest seller in 1965; she quickly became Arctic’s flagship artist, making a slew of splendid followups as well. Kenny Gamble gained invaluable experience at Arctic, not just as a songwriter and producer but as a smooth-voiced singer. Arctic hosted the Volcanos and the Ambassadors, two of the City of Brotherly Love’s finest male vocal groups, and the sexy, sultry Honey & the Bees. Daryl Hall got his start at Arctic as lead tenor with blueeyed soulsters the Temptones; Della Humphrey’s debut Arctic single hit when she was barely in her teens. Add vocalists Kenny Hamber, Winfield Parker, and Herb Johnson; inspired one-offs by Cindy Gibson, Dee Dee Barnes, and Billy Floyd, and Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes in their pre-Teddy days, and what you end up with is an incredibly consistent Philly soul label, from its inaugural girl group issue by the Tiffanys to the stirring Royal Five 45 that closed out Arctic’s release schedule. Surely the soul boxed set of the year, The Arctic Records Story contains both sides of every single Arctic pressed up, including many that haven’t seen light of day in any format since their original release, spread across six CDs. Three singles on Arctic’s short-lived Frantic subsidiary by the Rotations and the Three Strangers are onboard as bonus tracks, bringing the box’s total selections to 120 songs. Dyedin- the-wool vinyl aficionados will delight in the half-dozen actual 45s included in this package, both sides of each one freshly unearthed from the Jamie/Guyden vaults. Comprehensive track-by-track liner notes include newly conducted interviews with Arctic’s stars, along with full release information and plenty of photos. Arctic Records helped define Philadelphia soul. This box is so cool that it’s ice! |
