Artist:Barbara MasonSong:Yes, I'm Ready
Album:Rock & Roll: The First 50 Years: The Mid-60s
Barbara Mason has been around since the 60s. Yes, I'm Ready was her one top ten hit in 1965. She was born Aug. 9, 1947 in Philadelphia and was discovered as a teen by talent scout Weldon McDougal. He took her into the recording studio and she wrote and recorded Yes, I'm Ready for Arctic records, a small label owned by Philly DJ Jimmy Bishop. Barbara's inspiration for the song was Curtis Mayfield and Major Lance. The song reached #5 on the pop singles chart. Barbara had some other minor hits but being on a small label probably didn't help. In the early 70s, Barbara signed with Buddah Records and reivented herself as a soul singer similar to someone like Millie Jackson. She continued to write her own songs and also got to work with her idol Curtis Mayfield. Of course disco was king in the late 70s and Barbara Mason wasn't interested. She still has her own production company and released the CD Feeling Blue on her own label in 2007. Barbara Mason rerecorded Yes, I'm Ready in the 70s. This various artists comp has the original version along with plenty of other hits from that time period. It's on Varese Records. I guess Barbara Mason was Philly Soul before anyone knew what it was. Here's Barbara Mason performing I'm Ready on Shindig 1965.
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