Guitarist, songwriter, producer, and label owner
Marvin Holmes from Oakland, CA, passed on 1 Jan 2022. The news was broken by friend Jesse James who notified Soul Junction's Dave Welding who posted the news on his facebook page.
He was considered to be one of the founding fathers of Oakland funk
and was active from the early 60s starting out with Marvin Holmes
& The Uptights. In the 70s Marvin released a couple of solo singles
and in 1973 founded Brown Door records and a new group Marvin Holmes
& Justice who released two albums and three singles on the label
between 1973-75, one of which ("You Better Keep Her") got heavy rotation on the Northern Soul scene (broken at
Cleethorpes Pier, I think, but may have been Blackpool Mecca). Note
that the album version is a different, some would say better, mix to the single version.
In 1968 Marvin Holmes & The Uptights opened for the
Temptations, Shorty Long and the Natural Four and in 1969 for The
Jimi Hendrix Experience and Chicago. They also played behind B.B.
King, The Whispers, David Ruffin, Lenny Williams, Etta James, Esther
Phillips, Martha & The Vandellas and Hugh Masakela. As Marvin
Holmes & The Funk Company, he toured Canada with Little Richard
in 1973 and in 1980 toured with Randy Crawford as her guitarist and
appeared on stage with The Crusaders, George Benson, Grover
Washington, Jr. and Teddy Pendergrass.
In the mid to late 80s he co-produced four albums for rapper Too
Short for 75 Girls Records.
Discography
Albums
Marvin Holmes & The Uptights
Marvin Holmes & Justice
1973 - Summer Of '73 [Brown Door #MH 6573]
Marvin Holmes
1983 - It's About Time [BDR #MH6592]
1988 - Outrageous! [75 girls #DH 1994]
Marvin Holmes & The Rush Experience
2013 - Marvin Holmes & The Rush Experience [SHOUT! Productions
#SHOUT-267]
NB I can only find a 2013 reissue of this and don't know exactly
if/when it was first released. Perhaps they were unissued
recordings?
Singles
Marvin Holmes & The Uptights
1967 -
Oomph
/
Double Dose Of Soul
[Spotlight #S-703]
NB also released on Revue
R 11026
Marvin Holmes (& The Funk Company)
1972? -
Find Yourself (Part 1)
/
Find Yourself (Part 2)
[Kimberly #45-104]
197? - Early Bird / Just Wait Til You Get Older [Salwa #ME-101]
Marvin Holmes & Justice
1974 -
Gimme Some Tonite Part I
/
Gimme Some Tonite Part II
[Brown Door #MH-6576]
Marvin Holmes
1986 -
Feel So Good (Extended Club Version)
/ Feel So Good (Instrumental) [MCA #MCA-23619]
You Better Keep Her (from Honor Thy Father 1975 Album Version)
You Better Keep Her
Love Don't Mind (from Summer of '73 1973)
Motherless Child (from Honor Thy Father 1975)
Honor Thy Father (from Honor Thy Father 1975)
Take The Time Out (from Honor Thy Father 1975)
4 comments:
In correction my father passed away on January 1 of this year,, he leaves behind his children my self Deonna holmes - Thompson aka msfinalcall on Facebook, another daughter Genae Holmes,and 2 sons marvin and George Holmes
Thank you soul strutter 🙏🙏🙏
I am heart broken to read this about Marvin. The last time I saw him was in Richmond, CA in 2018. I first met Marvin in the late 60's where his then band, Marvin Holmes and the Uptights played back up for a song that I performed. I was only 15 years old at the time. In 2018, I shared with Marvin several photos that he wanted to add in his project of that night. Although at this writing, its been over a year, I send my condolences to Marvin's entire family. Rest in Heaven, Marvin. You are missed.🎸🎸🎸🎶🎶
Thank you for the kind words of my father, Penny, I appreciate it.
Marvin Holmes Jr.
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