Marvin Phillips

Marvin Phillips (born October 23, 1931) is an American doo-wop and rhythm & blues singer and saxophonist from Los Angeles. He is recognized for his doo-wop duo "Marvin & Johnny", with a different Johnny at varying times. The most frequent "Johnny" was Texas-native saxophonist Emory Perry.

He also goes by the nickname "Long Tall Marvin".

Marvin Phillips was born in Guthrie, Oklahoma, on October 23, 1931.

He began his musical career in 1949 as a saxophonist in the Richard Lewis Band in Los Angeles. One of the band members was the saxophonist Emory Perry with whom Phillips formed Marvin & Johnny a few years later.

After leaving Richard Lewis, Phillips formed his group Marvin Phillips And His Men From Mars and recorded "Wine Woogie" and "Old Man's Blues". In 1952, after releasing his first solo single on Specialty Records, he teamed up with singer Jesse Belvin and released "Dream Girl" as Jesse and Marvin. The track was an instant R&B hit and reached #2 on the U.S. Billboard R&B chart in 1953.

Belvin left Phillips to pursue a solo career and Phillips formed another duo named "Marvin & Johnny". He used a range of singers as "Johnny", although none of them was actually named Johnny. The first "Johnny" was Carl Green. Other singers to perform as "Johnny" at various times were: Johnny Starks, Emory Perry, James Barker, Don Julian, Ron Shy, Billy Richard, Bobby Sheen, Rufus Anderson, Roy Richard, and Willie Egan.

"Marvin & Johnny" was most successful with Emory Perry and Phillips even called Perry his "main Johnny." Their best-performing tracks were "Cherry Pie" and "Tick Tock" which they released in 1954. In 1975, comedian George Carlin performed "Cherry Pie" following a monologue on the Gladys Knight & The Pips variety show in 1975, backed by the Pips, and again on The Arsenio Hall Show on 30 November 1989.

After Phillips and Perry separated in the mid/late 1950s, Phillips released his fourth solo record under the name "Long Tall Marvin" Have Mercy Miss Percy (1956) on Modern Records. A final single was released in 1960 on the Swingin' Records label.

In 1993, Phillips revived Marvin & Johnny, teaming up with his nephew Sheridan "Rip" Spencer.

Solo

• 1952: Wine Boogie / Old Man's Blues, Specialty 445 (with Men From Mars)
• 1953: Salty Dog / Sweetheart Darling, Parrot 786
• 1954: Anne Marie / Honey Baby, Parrot 795
• 1955: Mamo Mamo / Ding Dong Baby, Specialty 554
• 1956: Yes I Do / Wonderful, Wonderful One, Modern 982
• 1956: Have Mercy Miss Percy / Tell Me Darling, Modern 993 (as Long Tall Marvin)
• 1960: The Big Dance / Patootie Pie, Swingin' 621

As Marvin & Johnny

• With Carl Green
  • "I'm Not A Fool" and "Baby Doll": October 1953
  • "Flip": August 1954
• With Johnny Starks
• With Emory Perry
  • "Jo Jo" and "How Long She Been Gone": March 1954
  • "Boy Loves Girl" and "School Of Love": June 1954
  • "Cherry Pie" and "Tick Tock": July 1954
  • "Day In, Day Out": August 1954
  • "Little Honey" and "Honey Girl": December 1954
  • "Sometimes I Wonder": January 1955
  • "Baby Won't You Marry Me": 1955
  • "Hey Chicken": August 1956
  • "Yak-Yak" and "Pretty Eyes": April 1957
  • "Cherry Pie": Mary 1958
  • "The Valley Of Love" and "It's Christmas Time": July 1958
• With James Barker
  • "Ko Ko Mo": January 1955
  • "I Love You Yes I Do": 1955
• With Don Julian
• With Ron Shy
• With Billy Richard
• With Bobby Sheen
  • "Second Helping Of Cherry Pie": July 1960
  • "Second Helping Of Cherry Pie": 1962
  • "Baby You're The One": 1965
• With Rufus Anderson
  • "Will You Love Me": September 1955
• With Roy Richard
  • "You're In My Heart" and "Smack Smack": January 1958
• With Willie Egan
  • "Baby, Baby, Baby" and "Bye Bye Baby": September 1957
  • "Pretty One": July 1960
  • "I'm Tired Of Being Alone", "Pretty One", "Baby Don't You Know", "I'm Tired Of Being Alone": 1962

• Richie Unterberger Marvin & Johnny Biography in AllMusic
• Marv Goldberg's R&B Notebook: The Valiants