Excerpted in part from Cooler Than Ice: Arctic Records and the Rise of Philly Soul (Jamie 3929-6 CDs, 6 45s, 48-page book)
Earl Young’s band before joining the Volcanos was The Whirlwinds, which had the release on Guyden, “Angel Love” b/w “The Mountain” (Guyden 2052) on April 4, 1962. Previously the Ordells, the group consisting of Jimmy Ellis, Earl Young, Val Walker, and Ralph Boston changed their name in 1961 and had their first release as the Whirlwinds with "Angel Love"/"The Mountain" on Guyden.
In 1963, they recorded "Heartbeat" b/w "After the Party" for Phillips Records. When Charles Hynes joined the group, they became the Exceptions, without any greater success. "Heartbeat" came out again in 1967 on Times Square Records with no greater success.
Earl Young moved on to become a key element of the session musicians that backed the Philly Sound at Philadelphia International Records and then as one of the Trammps, the group that gained international acclaim with a string of hits including “Disco Inferno.” He became a drummer when, as a Volcano, there was a drummer who didn’t show up, and Earl volunteered his services. Right after that came Barbara Mason’s “Yes, I’m Ready” session. Earl Young was among the crew that was pictured on the back cover of the Ambassadors’ Arctic album several years later.
“We knew each other so well, it was like a family,” says Young. “When I started out, I didn’t really know how to read music. But I had feeling, and I knew how to keep perfect time. They say it’s better to have perfect time and not know how to read than to know how to read and not have perfect time.”
