Review Text
One of the first singers to become identified with the smooth sweet sounds that became known as Philly soul, Barbara Mason's main focus was on songwriting when she entered the music biz in her teens. She started performing her own material and scored a huge hit in 1965 with "Yes I'm Ready" (number five pop, number two R&B), which established Barbara as a top-notch soul performer, and audiences grew to love her unique blend of smooth soul-pop. Barbara changed her focus considerably in the seventies, singing about sexual love and infidelity with a frankness that was uncommon among female soul singers of the day. Songs like "Shackin Up", "From His Woman to You", "Bed And Board" and "She's Got the Papers (But I Got the Man)" cemented her stature in the pop-soul pantheon. The late, great Curtis Mayfield became a friend and a fan of Barbara's singing, wanted to get involved with her career and eventually produced a version of his "Give Me Your Love" which scored Barbara a top ten hit in 1973. All in all, Barbara chalked up eleven pop and eighteen R&B hits between 1965 and 1984. The mid - eighties produced another controversial hit for Barbara with "Another Man" - a gender bending tale that was way ahead of it's time, which at first became a hit overseas and returned to the states with fresh legs. Presented here is Barbara's rare 1984 EP featuring "Another Man" plus 4 Mason originals including a special short version of "All of a Sudden Baby." All selections newly remastered.
