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The Ice Man Cometh (album)

{{other uses| The Iceman Cometh (disambiguation)}}

{{use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}

{{Infobox album

| name = The Ice Man Cometh

| type = Album

| artist = Jerry Butler

| cover = Jerry Butler - The Ice Man Cometh.jpg

| alt =

| released = November 1968

| recorded = September 1967 – September 1968

| venue =

| studio = Sigma Sound, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

| genre = Soul

| length = 30:32

| label = Mercury

| producer = Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff

| prev_title = The Soul Goes On

| prev_year = 1968

| next_title = Ice on Ice

| next_year = 1969

| misc = {{Singles

| name = The Ice Man Cometh

| type = Studio

| single1 = Never Give You Up

| single1date = April 1968

| single2 = Hey, Western Union Man

| single2date = August 1968

| single3 = Are You Happy

| single3date = November 1968

| single4 = Only the Strong Survive

| single4date = February 1969

}}

}}

The Ice Man Cometh is the eleventh album by American singer Jerry Butler, released in 1968.

Reception

{{Album ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}{{AllMusic|class=album|first=John|last=Bush|id=r562727|access-date=2018-01-26}}

| rev2= Mojo

| rev2Score= favorable{{cite web|last=Brown|first=Geoff|url=http://www.mojo4music.com/blog/2008/12/jerry_butler_1.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522110210/http://www.mojo4music.com/blog/2008/12/jerry_butler_1.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2011-05-22|title=Disc of the Day: Jerry Butler, The Ice Man Cometh (Mojo review)|publisher=Mojo Magazine|access-date=2018-01-26}}

}}

Reviewing for Mojo magazine, Geoff Brown describes The Ice Man Cometh as a "brilliant showcase for Butler’s often bittersweet voice", noting the production for the album by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff as being prototypical for "the Philadelphia International sound" that would be later prominent by the 1970s.

Writing for AllMusic, John Bush rated the album four and a half stars and also noted Gamble and Huff's production as "the first time R&B production techniques reached a level of maturity and elegance", describing Butler as "one of the smoothest vocalists in soul history".

Track listing

All tracks composed by Jerry Butler, Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff; except where indicated.

  1. "Hey, Western Union Man" - 2:41
  2. "Can't Forget About You, Baby" (Butler, Gamble) - 2:40
  3. "Only the Strong Survive" - 2:38
  4. "How Can I Get in Touch With You" - 2:28
  5. "Just Because I Really Love You" - 2:38
  6. "Lost" - 2:40
  7. "Never Give You Up" - 2:59
  8. "Are You Happy" (Gamble, Thom Bell, Butler) - 2:41
  9. "(Strange) I Still Love You" (Butler, Mikki Farrow, Harris) - 2:53
  10. "Go Away - Find Yourself" - 2:53
  11. "I Stop by Heaven" - 3:21

Production credits

  • Bobby Martin - Arranger
  • Thom Bell - Arranger
  • Roland Chambers - Arranger
  • Joe Tarsia - Engineer
  • Jay Thompson - photography

Charts

Billboard

class="wikitable"

! Year !! Chart !! Peak

1969R&B Albums2{{cite book|last=Whitburn|first=Joel|p=28|title=Joel Whitburn's Top R&B albums, 1965-1998|date=1999|ISBN=9780898201345|publisher=Record Research Inc.|location=Menomonee Falls, WI, U.S.}}
1969Pop Albums29{{cite book|last=Whitburn|first=Joel|p=120|title=Joel Whitburn's Top Pop albums, 1955-1996|date=1996|ISBN=9780898201178|publisher=Record Research Inc.|location=Menomonee Falls, WI, U.S.}}

References

{{reflist}}

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Category:1968 albums

Category:Jerry Butler albums

Category:Albums arranged by Thom Bell

Category:Albums produced by Kenneth Gamble

Category:Albums produced by Leon Huff

Category:Mercury Records albums

Category:Soul albums by American artists

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