Billy Guy : You Move Me

A quick midweek drop to share one of my recent acquisitions with you, listed as “Billy Guy & The Coasters”. I am sure The Coasters need no introduction with a list of band members longer than my arm… today’s offering is from Billy Guy (30/06/1936 to 05/11/2002).

Born Delmar Phillips on June 30, 1936 in Itasca, (Hill County), Texas. Billy moved to Hollywood at the tender age of ten;  started acting as a child and worked in Johnny Otis’ new club The Oasis in the mid 1950s. He became very popular in the south of California, and is believed to be a one time member the Emeralds, Billy also recorded with Emmanuel Perez as Bip & Bop (Guy was Bip). He was invited to join the Coasters by Carl Gardner, who lived across the street in Watts. Billy stayed with the Coasters up to 1973 on recordings and acted lead on most of the Coasters’ later recordings – starting with Searchin’ and later The Shadow Knows, Wake Me, Shake Me, Wild One, Wait A Minute, Little Egypt, and the notorious Let’s Go Get Stoned. Guy continued his solo career for Chalco, Sew City, Verve and other companies and did singles as Billy Guy & The Coasters in 1975

Billy, who lived near Las Vegas during his later years, lost his wife June several years earlier and lived with girlfriend Vanessa Van Klyde for 30 years until his death. He was the victim of bad business advice during later years. Billy Guy died in his home at sleep (from a suspected heart attack) in Las Vegas, Nevada on November 5, 2002.

His releases appear to be:

  • Ding Ding Dong/Du-Wada-Du  on Aladdin (#3287) in 1955 as Bip and Bop
  • As Quiet As It’s Kept/Here I Am on ABC Paramount (#10320) in 1962
  • It Don’t Take Much/She’s A Humdinger on ABC Paramount (#10397) in 1962
  • Whip It On Me, Baby/Women (aka The Prophet) on Double-L (#719) in 1963
  • Foxy Lady/?? on Chalco exact date unknown
  • I’m Sorry ‘Bout That/Lookin’ Like A Nut Nut on GuyJim (#GJ-587) believed to be 1967 as The New Way
  • Lookin’ Like A Nut Nut/Here ‘Tis on Sew City (#109) in 1967 as Billy Guy & The Odds ‘N’ Ends
  • If You Want To Get Ahead, Shake A Leg/I’m Sorry About That on Verve (#10485) in 1967
  • Let Me Go Getto/?? on All Platinum (#2320) in 1970
  • The Ugly/Hug One Another on All Platinum (#2323) in 1971
  • All I Need Is Love/Shake A Leg on Bell (#124) in 1971 as Happy (also released as Happy Cats)
  • Watergate (Put Some Funk On, Cause The Money’s Been Long Gone)/Hockey-Puck on Black Circle (#102) believed to be 1970′s as Billy Guy and The Coasters
  • You Move Me/Take It Easy Greasy on Sal-Wa (#1001) in 1975 as Billy Guy and The Coasters
  • Ain’t No Greens In Harlem/Jumbo Bwana on Polydor (#2040-273) in 1977 as Billy Guy and The Coasters

The track in bold above is the only one in my collection (so far) and that is a recent purchase (from the ‘bay); have a listen and see what you think.

You Move Me by Billy Guy and the Coasters Take it Easy Greazy by Billy Guy and the Coasters