Marvin & Johnny "Flipped Out" (Specialty 1952-1956)

Here are 25 early- to mid-'50s tracks cut for the Specialty label, some previously unissued, varying between loose up-tempo grooves and ballads. "Baby Doll" was the hit, but the pounding boogie of "Wine Woogie" and the sassy duetting on "Boy Loves Girl" are other highlights of a strong set of early-'50s R&B. (AllMusic Review by Richie Unterberger) The R&B duo of Marvin & Johnny had two of their singles make the national charts in 1953 and 1954, and to get both and their B-sides in a quality CD setting, collectors will need to purchase the only two such CDs covering their music currently in existence. Initially consisting of Marvin Phillips (born in Guthrie, Oklahoma on October 23, 1931) and Emory “Johnny” Perry (born in Sherman, Texas on March 1, 1928), their first came in December 1953 when the Phillips-penned Baby Doll went to # 9 b/w I’m Not A Fool as Specialty 479. You’ll find both sides in the 1995 Specialty CD “Flipped Out.” Compiled and produced by Billy Vera, and with liner notes by Richie Reicheg, the AAD sound reproduction is first rate.
With the hit and flipside you also get these non-nationally-charting singles, not all of which were “Marvin & Johnny”: Wine Woogie and Old Man’s Blues - Specialty 445 in early 1952 billed as Marvin Phillips & The Men From Mars; Dream Girl - Specialty 447 - 1952 billed as Jesse & Marvin - the Jesse being Jesse Belvin - a # 2 R&B in the Jan-March stretch of 1953 - the flipside, Daddy Loves Baby, is not included; As Long As You're Satisfied and Sun Is Shining - Hollywood 405 - Feb 1953 billed as Marvin & The Red Callender Sextet; Jo Jo and How Long She Been Gone? - Specialty 488 - Jan 1954 billed as Marvin & Johnny & The Mars Men; Boy Loves Girl and School Of Love - Specialty 498 - 1954 billed as Marvin & Johnny; Day In - Day Out and Flip - Specialty 530 - 1954 billed as Marvin & Johnny & The Mars Men; Mamo Mamo and Ding Dong Baby - Specialty 554 - 1955 billed as Marvin & Johnny & The Mars Men. Tracks 5, 10, 11, 13 and 16 are 1953 unreleased sides, track 18 is an unreleased side recorded in 1955, and 23 to 26 are unreleased from 1956 sessions. Track 20 is a Hunter Hancock (famous L.A. DJ) radio add featuring the duo.
Their second and last nationally-charting single as a duo came in Sept 1954 when the Joe Josea-penned Tick Tock also finished at # 9 R&B b/w the Jules Taub-Josea-penned Cherry Pie as Modern 933, both backed by the Marvin Phillips Orchestra. The B-side would become an April 1960 # 11 Billboard Pop Hot 100 and # 27 R&B for another duo - Skip (Clyde Battin) & Flip (Gary Paxton) at Brent Records. Both sides of the Marvin & Johnny hit are in the 2004 Ace CD “Cherry Pie” which also has their usual excellence in sound reproduction and extensive liner notes by Jim Dawson. In this one you also get these non-nationally-charting singles, again not all of them by “Marvin & Johnny”: Forever - Modern 818 - 1950 - billed as Richard Lewis & The Barons (Marvin Phillips at lead) - the flipside, Believe In Me, is not included; Kiss Me ( Baby) and Sugar - Modern 941 - 1954; Honey Girl and Little Honey - Modern 946 - 1954; Ko Ko Mo and Sometimes I Wonder - Modern 949 - 1955; Baby, Won't You Marry Me? And I Love You, Yes I Do - Modern 952 - 1955; Butterball and Sugar Mama - Modern 959 - 1955; Sweet Dreams snd Will You Love Me? - Modern 968 - 1955; Let Me Know and Ain’t That Right? - Modern 974 - 1955; Wonderful, Wonderful One and Yes I Do - Modern 982 - 1956 - both Marvin Phillips solos; Tell Me Darling and Have Mercy Miss Percy - Modern 993 - 1956 both solos billed as Long Tall Marvin. At track 6 is Dear One which came out in 1965 as Kent 436 but by now the role of Marvin had been taken over since 1963 by Marvin’s nephew Sheridan Spencer. The flipside, Baby You’re The One, is not included.
Track 27 is an unreleased take, tracks 9, 16 and 28 are from the 1963 Crown LP “Isley Brothers & Marvin & Johnny” (Crown 5352) while tracks 19 and 22 are from the 1963 Crown LP “Marvin & Johnny” (Crown 5381), by which time Spencer was performing as Marvin. Others who functioned as “Johnny” over the years include Carl Green, James Barker, Bobby Sheen, Don Julian, Ron Shy and Johnny Starks, although it’s hard to pin down exactly when.
For the record, in addition to I Wanna and Sweet Potato, the other tracks from the 1963 “Marvin & Johnny” Crown LP involving the new duet are: Cherry Pie; Ain't That Right?; Tell Me Darling; Sometimes I Wonder; Tick Tock; Mercy Miss Percy; Dear One; Will You Love Me? (George O'Leary, The Guardian)

trax:
11 Honey (Take 4) 12 How Long She Been Gone 13 If I Should Lose You 14 Boy Loves Girl 15 School Of Love 16 I Want Lovin' 17 Day In-Day Out 18 What's The Matter Aka Hey Baby 19 Flip 20 Hunter Hancock Radion Ad 21 Mamo Mamo 22 Ding Dong Baby 23 Tell Me Darling 24 Yak Yak Woman 25 Pretty One 26 Bye Bye My Baby
…served by Gyro1966...