"Sweet Georgia Brown" by Marv Johnson

[toptentwist]

I recently purchased a "two-fer" CD by Marv Johnson on the Collectibles label.

The disc is 27 songs.

The first twelve tracks are from the LP called "Marvelous Marv Johnson".

The next eleven tracks are from the LP called "More Marv Johnson" [[which actually had 12 songs - but one track was a repeat from the previous LP and is only on my compact disc once).

Both albums were originally released on the United Artists label but both involved Berry Gordy.

The last four songs on the CD appear to be an attempt to throw in four non-LP songs as a bonus.

I'm familiar with the first three - but the last one is somewhat mysterious.

I can't figure out if Marv Johnson released a record with "Sweet Georgia Brown" during the 1959-1961 time frame. I'm guessing he did - but all I can find on the internet are pointers to this Collectible CD [[which does have liner notes - but says nothing about original records).

Maybe the fact that a song was repeated on the 2nd album hints that maybe a different territory [[i.e. the UK) had a slightly different track listing [[with maybe "Sweet Georgia Brown" used in place of the repeated song).


It's an interesting arrangement. I'm wondering if it might have been the inspiration for Tony Sheridan's version... but that can only be true if it was released at the time. If its a previously unreleased vault recording, then my thinking would be misplaced...


For what's its worth, apparently the famous recording of "Sweet Georgia Brown" that most people know from the Harlem Globetrotters is an older recording by someone named MARVIN Johnson. Very similar name - very different person. The version on my collectibles CD is NOT the old Harlem Globetrotters recording [[which would be fun to own - since its very iconic).

[Hotspurman]

I've got the Collectables release too. The first three bonus tracks were released as singles in the UK between September 1960 and March 1961, but I can't find anywhere a UK release with Sweet Georgia Brown. Also interesting is that Whisper, the flip side to his first single Come To Me, also doesn't appear on this album - until the release of The Complete Motown Singles Volume 1, I can't find any other trace of the track.

[toptentwist]

I'm specifically wondering if Marv had any records that came out in Germany... the only references I can find for Marv on the internet are US, UK, and Australia records.

But given that Tony Sheridan recorded "Sweet Georgia Brown" in Germany, I'm wondering if it was a local favorite. I'd almost swear The Beatles were familiar with the track given the fact that they covered "September In The Rain"...

I did learn this week that Johnny Kidd & The Pirates did a cover version of Marv's "You Got What It Takes"

I love the Johnny Kidd and The Pirates version... it has a cool bluesy vibe to it that's not on the original...


And I suspect it probably gets the award for the earliest cover version of a Gordy composition [[unless maybe somebody covered "Reet Petite" in the 50s).


And for what it's worth, I noticed my PC auto-filled in the artist section for The Pirates [[aka Temptations) tracks on my Singles Volume 2 disc as being by "Johnny Kidd and The Pirates". Apparently, that's been a mistake that has been been made time and time again by various collectors [[even saw it mentioned somewhere that some people have paid big bucks only to realize it's not Johnny Kidd on the Melody label 45).

AAAArrrrrgghhhhhhh ! :-)

[keith_hughes]

As far as I know, the track has only been issued on that Collectables CD. I imagine they found it in the EMI Vaults, it is likely an out-take from his first LP, which featured other standards.

[Roger Polhill]

"Whisper" was included on Marv`s UA. ep UAE 10009 in June 1960.

[toptentwist]

As far as I know, the track has only been issued on that Collectables CD. I imagine they found it in the EMI Vaults, it is likely an out-take from his first LP, which featured other standards.

I saw thats how your web-site had it listed... but the world is a big place and I'm thinking its possible it showed up somewhere... maybe on a record that people confused with the "harlem globetrotters" version done by MARVIN Johnson [[the version with all of the whistling).


I know there are some tracks by the Isley Brothers from the same era [[late 50s, early 60s) that weren't on an LP or a single - but I believe were on an EP. I have them on a CD.


I wouldn't be so curious about this if I had a clue what record Tony Sheridan listened to before he made his version. Maybe Ray Charles ??

Looks like the genius did it in 1961 [[in time for Tony Sheridan to have heard it)

http://www.discogs.com/Ray-Charles-D.../master/345846