Ric Marlow obit

Ric Marlow, ‘A Taste of Honey’ Songwriter, Dies at 91

His tune won him a Grammy in 1962 and was made even more famous by Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass. 

He was not on the list.

Ric Marlow, who co-wrote the 1960s pop song “A Taste of Honey” that earned him a Grammy Award and became a huge instrumental hit for Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass, has died. He was 91.

Marlow died Feb. 28 in Palm Springs, his stepson, Dalton Teczon, announced.

Marlow also worked as an actor, appearing on such shows as Bonanza, Death Valley Days, Sea Hunt, Hawaii 5-0 and Magnum, P.I.

Marlow and Bobby Scott co-wrote “A Taste of Honey” as the title song for a 1960 Broadway adaptation of Shelagh Delaney’s British play that also was made into a 1961 film directed by Tony Richardson.

Their song won the 1962 Grammy for best instrumental theme. Three years later, Alpert’s version collected four Grammys, including song of the year, and went as high as No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

“A Taste of Honey” with Marlow’s lyrics also was recorded by The Beatles, Lenny Welch, Barbra Streisand, Billy Dee Williams, Johnny Mathis, Tony Bennett and scores of others. He also had several acting roles, most notably on the television programs, Bonanza, Hawaii Five-O and Magnum, P.I.

Marlow was born to Bernice (née Berney) and Arthur Schafler in the Bronx, New York. He was raised in Long Island, New York.

Marlow had several accidents in his youth, resulting in broken noses, fractured ankles, torn ligaments, and a fractured skull from a diving accident. Following his school years, he joined the Army, but due to his fractured skull, the Army felt he was unsuitable for duty.

Owing to his love of music, especially singing, he spent a lot of time with his aunt, who worked as a secretary for the president of Chappell & Company, later known as Warner/Chappell Music. He got to meet up-and-coming artists and established celebrities of the time, including Tommy Dorsey, Harry James, Oscar Levant, Rudy Vallee and Red Nichols.

Marlow started his career singing in local cafes across the country. He also worked several odd jobs, from hauling cement to driving a cab. After becoming a featured vocalist at New York's Basin Street, he began singing in major clubs. When he finally landed an appointment with a casting director, he started down the road of acting. He joined the Screen Actors Guild in 1959. Due to his tough, chiseled features, he was usually cast as a bad guy gangster in television shows, including "This Man Dawson", "The Lawless Years", "Border Patrol", "Death Valley Days", "Bonanza" and many others. He became good friends with the stars of those shows.

A native of New York, Marlow was married in the 1950s to actress Leslie Parrish (L’il Abner, The Manchurian Candidate).

 

Filmography

 

Year     Title            Role            Notes

1958    Have Gun – Will Travel               Episode:"The Hanging of Roy Carter"

1960-1961            Sea Hunt     Robert Lewis Bates / Slade / Tomas Velagos / Conrad Barnes / Vincent Reka            5 episodes

1961    You Have to Run Fast      Jay Rocco 

1965    The Incredible Sex Revolution            Jan      

1965            Psychedelic Sexualis            Arthur Borden