She had her first hit single in 1965 with her self-penned Top 10 hit, "Yes, I'm Ready" (number five pop, number two R&B), a bubbly soul-pop hit that spotlighted her high, girlish vocals. One of the first examples of the sweet, lush sound that came to be called Philly soul, she had modest success throughout the rest of the decade on the small Arctic label, reaching the Billboard Hot 100 Top 40 again in 1965 with "Sad, Sad Girl", and "Oh How It Hurts" in 1967-68.
In the early and mid 1970s, Mason toughened her persona considerably, singing about sexual love and infidelity with a frankness that was uncommon for a female soul singer in songs like "Bed and Board," "From His Woman to You," and "Shackin' Up." But the production, as it was throughout soul in the '70s, was more funk-oriented, and at times Mason would interrupt her singing to deliver some straight-talkin' raps about romance. Curtis Mayfield produced her on a cover version of Mayfield's "Give Me Your Love," which restored her to the pop Top 40 and R&B Top Ten in 1973; "From His Woman to You" (the response to Shirley Brown's single "Woman to Woman") and "Shackin' Up" were also solid soul sellers in the mid '70s. After leaving Buddah Records in 1975, she only dented the charts periodically, with "I Am Your Woman, She Is Your Wife" (1978), "Another Man" (1983), and a couple of other singles. 'Another Man' , while only barely hitting the pop charts, made a considerable inpact on the dancefloor. Released on West End records and championed by Larry Levan at the Paradise Garage, the song had a fat bassline and uncommon lyrics about a man cheating on her with his gay boyfriend. The song to this day continues to be played in nightclubs and R&B stations worldwide.
audio link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7fg6aEtmXE
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