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Beach Buzz May 2016

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Gone But Never Forgotten: We have lost some great ones over this past few weeks. Nationally of course, the passings of Prince, Billy Paul and Lonnie Mack are big, but locally, we are also hard hit by the loss of Terry Nash, Hack Bartley and Andy Smith.  All three were well respected individuals in the world of Beach music as well as wonderful people to know for sure. Terry was a marvelous keyboard player and was a member of many bands over the years, including Heart & Soul, CWB, Mark Roberts Band and Gary Lowder & Smokin' Hot. Hack started his musical career in the '60's, playing saxophone for several years with the Swingin' Medallions. He later formed his own musical production and recording company as well as his band, Hack Bartley & Shuffle. Andy was the owner of Green Dot Music, booking jobs and managing several bands as well as producing their music. He was also a long time member of the Carolina Beach Music Awards Board of Advisory. All of these gentlemen will be greatly missed in Beach music as well as their presence as strong family members!

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SOS New and Hot Singles:  The only new Beach music compilation to be released for this year's SOS Spring Safari was KHP's One And Only. The  title track is a heartfelt slow burner by Midnight Allie, which is already gaining some chart traction.  Two tunes that are hot as fire from the comp are Marsha Morgan's Is There A Lover In The House?  and the Summerdaze Band's I Got To Know, featuring the golden voice of Ms. Stacy Danner. Two absolute legends and international treasures are featured on the album - I am talking about Dancing Girl by Maurice Williams and Let's Go Way Back from Sonny Turner. Advance tracks True Love (Carolina Soul Band) and Shot Of Love (Wallstreet) have already had big chart run ups. Songs from Sir Jonathan Burton, Jim Quick, Phil Wilson, Band of Oz, Paul Craver, Samuel D. Sanders, Roger Smith and Roy Hamilton all have potential.

 

Hottest tracks that are new but not brand new? Something Like Olivia from Coastline's multi-talented vocalist/instrumentalist  Glen Tippett is absolutely smoking, Rhonda McDaniel's rendition of Love Guess Who has caught fire of late - the same can be said for Big Time's Carolina Fine. Sammy O'Banion's Don't Walk On By remains on the front burner as does Rick Strickland's New Beginning and Pat Christie's I Get The Sweetest Feeling. Two that are a little newer that are coming on strong are Too Much Sylvia's Melodies And Memories as well as the right Reverend Bubba D. Liverance and the Cornhole Prophets on Tender Moment.

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There were some folks in the entertainment business at North Myrtle Beach for SOS Spring Safari that you may or may not have realized and/or recognized. One of the attendees and ultimately a performer at this year's big event was Rocky Mount NC's Catrese West, who goes by her recording name of Miss Mini. Although she was new to SOS, she along with her band had gigged previously at Deckerz, giving an outstanding performance late last year.  Mini's latest song, Ole School Style, just happened to be sitting at #1 on our Southern Soul Top 45 for March and April, perfect timing for her to sing it at NMB! She did so at Deckerz, OD Pavilion, Spanish Galleon and later joined Jim Quick onstage at Fat Harolds. Miss Mini & Maritime will be performing for the Beach and Shag crowd at the Pittsboro Roadhouse on Friday, May 6th. Thanks to Gary King for putting this poster together.

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Having Big Fun at SOS: From L to R: Edward Dunbar,

         Lisa Grigg McAbee, Newton Collier, LGB, Paul T Forrest

 

Also in a traveling party to NMB for SOS was Linda Gray Barnwell, better known in Southern Soul circles as LGB, her husband Milton, Edward Dunbar, a former member of Bill Pinkney's Original Drifters and Newton Collier, a former horn player and member of the Sam & Dave Soul Revue. LGB has made quite a splash in the Soul music world over the last 5 plus years with two stellar albums to her credit. Although she now lives in Warner Robins, GA, she is originally from Allendale, SC, where her music mentors were Soul/Beach  legends Roy C and the late Benny Gordon, who was from nearby Estill, SC. Roy, by the way, was planning to be at SOS as well, but that was derailed by family obligations.

 

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               Former Sam & Dave Band Member Newt Collier

 

Edward Dunbar did an impromptu performance of Under the Boardwalk at the OD Arcade on Friday the 22nd, which was followed up by Newton Collier, whose friends call him Newt, doing a rendition of Hold On I'm Coming. Newt will be a headliner this coming May 12th thru the 14th at the 2016 Prater Music Festival in Ocilla, Georgia. LGB, who has had Southern Soul hits with Reality Slowly Walks Us Down, Jealous Woman Yes I Am, I'll Always Love You (But I Won't Always Be Your Fool), Country Woman and I Am Who I Am (Jody's Baby Girl), is working on more new music and expects to be back in North Myrtle Beach with a Beach/Shag hit in the very near future!

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LGB and Paul T Forrest Enjoying SOS

We had a DJ all the way from Brighton, UK attending his first SOS Spring Safari. Linda Marie Catterton was there as his tour guide to show him the ropes. Paul T Forrest has previously had Internet radio shows on the Wolfman Network and on PhatSoul Radio. He currently has a show, The Monday Shakedown, on Monday afternoons on the RememberThenRadio  Network. Paul plays a variety of music, and includes Beach tunes in his programming. Thoroughly pleased with his first SOS, Paul spent time primarily at Ducks, OD Arcade and down at 2001, where he was glad to meet in person former Chairmen of the Board member Danny Woods. Live shows attended included the Tams, Catalinas and Too Much Sylvia. Amazed at all the great music that is sold at Judy's House of Oldies, he found several CDs to take back to England. He was able to get together with LGB's traveling party (discussed above) and enjoy a great Friday afternoon of entertainment at the OD Arcade. Paul was invited to ride in the Saturday Parade but unfortunately had to catch the plane to begin his journey back home. He is already planning a return trip and we will welcome him back to North Myrtle Beach!!

 

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Gary King with the Original Carolina Girl, Ms. Terri Gore

 

DJ Gary King spent the entire time and then some at SOS Spring Safari this year. From Somerset, Kentucky,  Gary has a 24/7 Internet radio station Beach Shag Rhythm & Blues Radio as well as a show, Gary's Beach Shack, on the air twice weekly on the RememberThenRadio.com Network. We here at Beach Buzz asked Gary, as a relative newcomer within the last two years to the culture, his unbiased views of SOS Spring Safari. Here is what he had to say:

As a newcomer in the past two years to Carolina Beach Music, I was asked for a 2016 SOS Spring Safari review. It's so very hard to get it all in writing. There are so many things to do, and so many things to see. I myself try and catch a little of all of it. There are several clubs that have DJ's and bands all day. Deckerz Bar & Grill, Ducks Cafe, Ducks Beach Club, Fat Harold's Beach Club, Pirates Cove, OD Pavilion, and The Spanish Galleon all provide great entertainment on Main Street and Ocean Drive. There are bands every day somewhere from about noon till midnight. Shaggers at Fat Harolds, and OD Pavilion in the early afternoon till late at night. More bands on weekends than you can shake a stick at. There are bands outside at Deckerz when the weather is good and inside most other places. From the crowd drawing band of Jim Quick & Coastline to the great smoothies of The Entertainers, to the crooners like Jackie Gore and Big John Thompson, they are all there for the viewing during SOS. There are schedules available on line for all the clubs, and the bands as well. My advice is to plan early by reviewing the schedules of who you want to see the most and then enjoy the roller coaster of the SOS Safari's. I have yet to find anyone that was disappointed by attending events at SOS. My highlights this year were getting to see my friends Jackie Gore and his lovely wife Mary who are both great people. I also was able to sit down at a table outside Fat Harolds Beach Club and talk with Big John Thompson, including the fact the Little John has a baby on the way. He was kidding around and said, "If it's a boy, we're going to name him Little Little John". Then there was Wallstreet at Deckerz Bar & Grill. It was a beautiful day for an outside parking lot party and Odell Mickens and Wallstreet left no one dissatisfied. All in all it was a great SOS and I need a vacation from my vacation to rest. Make plans to attend SOS when you can take 7 to 10 days off and come enjoy some great entertainment. There are a few bands I missed because they were not playing there during SOS. I would like to see more bands like the Carolina Breakers and maybe East Coast Rhythm & Blues be invited down and booked to play during SOS. Regardless may I say just like Jackie Gore. "I Love Beach Music".
Gary King
Beach Shag Rhythm & Blues Radio
http://www.beachshagrhythmandblues.com

 

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 All the way from South Brunswick, New Jersey, Odell Mickens brought his Wallstreet Band to SOS Spring Safari for a Friday afternoon performance at Deckerz followed by a Saturday afternoon date at the Spanish Galleon.  They have had some great beach hits over the years, including Closing Time, Such A Beautiful Girl, He & She, Old School Music and the current Shot Of Love. Their first release on the beach, however,  was in 2005 with a tune called It's Finally Friday. We have a story about that one - I was in the radio production air chair on Sunday afternoons at WTRG Oldies 100.7 FM supporting my buddy with his CBMA award winning On The Beach with Big John show in early 2004. We received a promo cassette at the station of a few advance tunes, one of which was It's Finally Friday by Wallstreet. We didn't have a cassette player in the on air studio so I took it home, played the song, loved it, then converted it to CD so we could play it on the air. Thus, that is how I first became aware of the awesome music of Wallstreet.  The song ended up on the Soul Street III compilation and they have been giving us great music ever since!

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We published this last month but it is certainly worth repeating (particularly since yours truly will be the host emcee for the 2nd straight year!).   It is back for the third year in a row and it is bigger than ever! Bass Mountain Boogie takes place again this year at the Cane Creek Campground in Snow Creek, NC (just South of Graham in Alamance County) with a stellar lineup of music variety. Beach bands include: Holiday Band (host band), Jim Quick & Coastline, Shaggie Maggie, Steve Owens & Summertime, Castaways and Magnificents over the course of the 2 day event on May 6th and 7th. Also performing will be crowd favorites Mason Lovette Band, Megan Doss and Exit 173. There will also be some surprise guest appearances, great food, beverage and merchandise vendors and a whole lotta fun! Come join us for a great weekend of entertainment!!

 

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Hey, don't forget us! I know it is hard to remember and even harder on an early Sunday afternoon to get accustomed to listening to Internet radio (it works on the iPhone as well!) but we are proud of the positive feedback so far on this dynamic show! Two plus hours of what is guaranteed to be great music on  RememberThenRadio.com! Playing Beach, Blues, Soul R&B both new and old, give it a listen!

                               

 

 Artists, DJs, Club owners etc. send me your latest news for potential inclusion in Beach Buzz at nealfur@aol.com.