Marvin & Gentry
MARVIN & GENTRY
To listen to the music of Marvin & Gentry is to let something - maybe the spirit - move around, through and about you. The stories they tell through song, many times as ballads, talk of people, places and things, that are both strange and familiar, near and distant. No matter where you are right now, if you are open to the music of Marvin & Gentry, the spirit can take you to many new places.
Influenced by such great songwriters as Simon & Garfunkel, Lennon and McCartney, Crosby Stills Nash and certainly Young, the duo of Ken Marvin and Brian Gentry, both from Kentucky, have been writing together since the late 1970’s. While the vocal harmonies and performance style of the duo can be traced to these and other great songsmiths of the era, it is the Christian market where the two realized early commercial success.
Marvin & Gentry plied their songwriting craft with live performances in college auditoriums across the country in the ‘80’s where the duo found acceptance of the Marvin & Gentry melodious style and spirit-filled message to wider audiences.
It was the discovery by Dan Peek of the band, AMERICA, that would lead to a collaboration of the duo’s next four recordings and the formation of the Christian-rock band, PEACE. Peek, who had a string of hits with AMERICA, found in Marvin & Gentry a kindred spirit and recorded two of their songs on his solo record titled Crossover. The hit song "I Will Not Be Silent" went on to make Peek’s Greatest Hits.
Soon after, Marvin & Gentry released their first recording, Safe Harbour on Milk and Honey Records in 1987. With Safe Harbour, they were able to land their first hit in the Contemporary Christian charts with their song "Cowboy Stories." As one critic wrote in Bookstore Journal after the release, “Safe Harbour bears an uncanny resemblance to the musical styles popular 20 years ago, but such timeless music should appeal to listeners of all ages.” In 1989, Dan Peek, along with Marvin & Gentry, produced the duo’s second studio effort, Light of the World.
The collaboration continued for another six years as Peek, on his new label, 7 Mile Records, releases a trilogy of recordings by PEACE, the band formerly known as Marvin & Gentry: Stronger Than You Know (1994), Peace (1997) and the critically-acclaimed Under the Mercy (2000). The trio of recordings stand as great synergy of the talents of Peek, Marvin and Gentry and combines the fresh, refined lyrics of Marvin & Gentry but with recollections of the soft rock and pop sound of Peek’s AMERICA. The three recordings are an incredible contribution to the music of the ‘90’s, a decade where much of the music is considered less than positive.
Marvin & Gentry have gone back into the studio with two self-produced recordings: Violence of Love (2002) and Stepping Stone (2004). The title track of Violence of Love exposes the world to the assassination of San Salvadorian archbishop Oscar Romero, a defender of the poor and oppressed, in 1980. These recordings, not to be the last, represent a level of songwriting, harmony and musicianship that is different than previous recordings. It is purposely different than PEACE, and two wonderful works of where they are now and to some extent where they intend to be. But like all the recordings of Marvin & Gentry there is the message of redemption, refuge and salvation. These latest recordings are what happens when two great artists are freely led by the spirit.
-Steve Curtsinger, 1/2008
DISCOGRAPHY
1987 Safe Harbour
Milk & Honey Records
Marvin&Gentry/Produced by Marvin&Gentry/Keith Compton
Safe Harbour Publishing ascap 1987
1989 Light of the World
Milk & Honey Records
Marvin&Gentry with Dan Peek/Produced by Marvin&Gentry w.Dan Peek
Dan Peek Music and Safe Harbour Publishing ascap 1989
1994 Stronger Than You Know
Seven Mile Entertainment, Seven Mile Records
PEACE/Produced by Marvin&Gentry w. Dan Peek
Dan Peek Music 1994
1997 PEACE (self-titled)
Seven Mile Entertainment, Seven Mile Records
PEACE/Produced by Peek, Marvin&Gentry
Dan Peek Music 1997
2000 Under the Mercy
Seven Mile Entertainment, Seven Mile Records
PEACE/Produced by Peek, Marvin&Gentry
Dan Peek Music 2000
2002 Violence of Love
Homespun Records
Produced by Marvin&Gentry
maryalexmusic 2002
2004 Stepping Stone
Homespun Records
Produced by Marvin&Gentry
Engineered and Mixed by Ken Marvin
maryalexmusic 2004