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Mike Little is a member of the Electric City Shag Club in Anderson,
South Carolina. He is also a member of the Association of Beach & Shag Club
DJ’s and the National Association of Rhythm & Blues Deejays. He hosted
for 3-1/2 years The Saturday Morning Beach Party on WANS, 1280 AM in Anderson, which was rated by Arbitron as the highest
rated AM show listened to and number three overall for that time slot. In 2004,
he was awarded the Rufus Oates Award by the National Association of Rhythm & Blues Dee Jays for his writing contributions. He now serves on the Board of Directors of the NARBDJ.
My Music Or Yours
by
Mike Little
Just
in time for the Fall Migration in Ocean Drive (North Myrtle Beach), South Carolina, KHP Music released the new compilation,
Dancing With My Baby. Already, several cuts from the album have
jumped into the charts. Pat Carpenter of The Pat Carpenter Band joined forces
with The Carolina Breakers to release Fell In Love Too Late. Rhonda McDaniel
is again on the charts with a song on the compilation, I Need You Now. It
is a recording of Tata Vega's relatively unknown hit and was written by the writing team of Brian and Eddie Holland. Terri Gore and Tim Cashion teamed
together to record Whenever I Call You Friend. The song was a hit for
Kenny Loggins and co-written by Loggins and Melissa Manchester. Grayson Hugh,
of Talk It Over and Goodbye Train notoriety, teams with Jim Quick
to record Sam & Dave's No More Pain. Look for this one to be a big
hit. He grew up surrounded by classical music, his father being a classical music
radio host in England. He and his wife Polly live in Connecticut, however before
marriage Grayson lived in the North Carolina coastal area. Wayne Free joins Kingdaddy
to release You're My Girl. Wayne spent many years with The Swingin' Medallions
before retiring from the group. He later joined The Embers, spending several
years with the group before leaving to embark on a solo career. The Tams also
joins the compilation with Dancing Mood. The Catalinas are
back with us a new novelty song, Three Beers For Breakfast. Sumter's
Dip Ferrell & The Trutones have been busy in the studio. In addition to being
a part of Patman & Robin's compilation, I Like It Like That, they also join Dancing With My Baby
with an original, Some Say Hey. It has been a while since we have heard
from Debbie Dobbins. She has recently released a new single, Take Me Away,
and it has become a part of the new compilation. Bill Bradford, of Bradford
& Bell fame, produced and released the song. Other artists on the album also
feature Mark Black, formerly with The Embers, Bryan Counts and a new band, Hot & Humid.
Britain's Roy Hamilton also joins in on the compilation. The title track
to the album is by Miss Rebekah Garcia. If you would like to see a video of her
performance of the song with some dancing, you can find it on the Internet. You
can surely do some good dancing with your baby with KHP's new release, Dancing With My Baby.
It
was in Austria in 1977 when guitarist Eric Trauner and pianist Joachim Palden got together and formed The Mojo Blues Band. The founders of the band had been playing in clubs in Vienna prior to that. Then, Joachim won a boogie woogie contest, the first prize being a recording contract. It was only then that the two decided to form a band, which they named The Mojo Blues Band. Being the only blues band in Vienna, they were often booked as the backing band for blues artists touring
in Austria. Some of the artists they played with and backed were Charlie Musselwhite,
J.B. Hutto, Champion Jack Dupree, Katie Webster, Hal Singer, Jan Harrington and Eddie Clearwater. They also played with Anzel Zwingenberger which led to recording several albums. In 1980 they teamed with Dana Gillespie, changing their style more to Rhythm & Blues. In the 1990's their hit, Alligator Walk, led them to team with Marion Carter of Ripete Records and
record Southern Blues Cruise with Jimmy McCracklin. They also made several
appearances over the years at Fun Monday during the Society of Stranders' Spring Safari.
The Mojo Blues Band has now released their double album, Walk The Bridge.
Have you heard it? Several songs from the Styx Records release have caught
on with some deejays. Take Alimony, Alimony, for instance. Don't confuse this one with the Womack & Womack classic. This
is pure Mojo. Another uptempo song that reminds me somewhat of Alligator Walk
is She's A Hot Mamacita. There are two versions of this song, but
it is the version on Disk One that the dancers will appeal to. Another song that
really caught my attention is Mojo's take on the Jimmy McCracklin classic, I’ll See It Through. Another song you may want to check closely is My Heart
Goes Didddely Bum. It's got a catchy tune to it. Other numbers that may interest you are Wild Wild Women, The Blues Is All I Wanna Sing, Movin' Out Of
Town and Whale Of A Time. There are several guest musicians on the
album, including sax man Paul Chuey. His instrumental on the album, Paul's
Shuffle, is a great shag number to use as an intro or interlude. Mojo Blues
Band's Walk the Bridge will surely do some walking for you.
Do
you remember The Winstons? Sure you do.
You play the group's hit song, Color Him Father, around Father's Day.
The Winstons, based out of Washington, DC, still performs and records today under the guidance of Jumpin' Joe Phillips. Have you heard about their new mini-album, WindowShopping? Have you heard the song by The Winstons, Window Shopping?
Check it out! The title track is maybe the best the group has put out
since Color Him Father. The difference, of course, is that the 1969 hit
is a slow song, and Window Shopping is an uptempo shag song. Another one
of the 6-song release that is almost as good as Window Shopping is Come On And Get My Love, not to be confused
with Redbone's Come And Get Your Love. You may not find The Winstons'
WindowShopping in the stores, but you can easily find it on the Internet.
At
the spring SOS or shortly thereafter, KHP Music released the new compilation, Party On The Ocean. The title track of the release is the Carolina remix of Party On The Ocean by The Dana Robbins Band,
featuring Wet Willie's Jimmy Hall on the lead vocals. The song is beginning to
get a lot of playtime and is bubbling under. In BeachMusic45.com's Top 45, Party
On The Ocean has six, yes, six songs on the chart. One of the
featured songs is the Top Ten hit from Ken Knox and Company, Ready, Willin' And Able.
Ken is formerly with The Chairmen of the Board and wrote this song. Also
moving up the charts is The Carolina Breakers' latest, Show You The Way To Go. The
song was written by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff and was a hit for The Jacksons in the mid-seventies with Michael Jackson on
the lead. The album carries Steve Edmunds' hit, I'm Happy That Love Has Found You, originally recorded by Jimmy Hall. The Fantastic Shakers come on strong with their hit, Can't Stop Loving You. Doug Winstead, now with the Shakers, handles the lead vocals for the number. The Blackwater Rhythm & Blues Band has also charted with Elvin Bishop's Fooled
Around And Fell In Love. The Marsha Morgan Band is back with us with her
group's hit, Don't Snap Your Fingers. The album will also carries a new
number from Hip Pocket called C'mon Get Your Man. The song features Jim
Quick as lead vocalist. Also, Phil Wilson is a part of the new record with his
rendition of Sunday Morning Woman. The release is highlighted by The Boulevard
Boys' Kiss Me On The Mouth and Classic Soul's High Blood Pressure. The
Johnny Barker Band also takes part in the compilation, as does gtownsound featuring James Bates. Party On The Ocean was destined to be a hit, and it surely is, even running well into the Fall Migration.
Coastline
Band's bass player and vocalist Albert Rogers has released his first solo album, the self-titled Albert Rogers. His first hit from the album, Take It From The Top, is still going strong on
the charts. Ain't That A Lot Of Love is also getting some play time and
could be the next hit from the album. However, don't overlook Sugar Sugar. Albert does a great job on this John Fogerty jewel. Also, She Caught The Kay caught my ear. He Drinks
Tequila featuring Christine Martinez is a fun song to listen to and is just one of those good party songs. Albert has a great band backing him, including Coastline's Casey Meyer on acoustic guitar. The album is filled with guest musicians including Coastline's Gary Tippett on saxophone of one of the
songs and Andy King on background vocals and trumpet on several songs. Although
Albert Rogers is Albert's first solo album, he has been part of a number of compilations, including the KHP Records
album, Thinking About You. Albert took part in the album singing Satisfy
My Soul, which became a big hit for him.
Right on the heels of Party On The Ocean,
KHP Music released Shagging The Night Away. Like the Party album,
it too has its share of charted songs. Headling the thirteen sons on the album
is Grayson Hugh's smash hit, Goodbye Train. This hot number rapidly moved
into the Top 10 of many charts, soon to be at the top. Grayson is the first generation
of his family born in the United States. Another hit on Shagging
The Night Away is The Band of Oz' Extra Careful. It also is rapidly
moving toward the top of the charts. The song was originally recorded by Billy
Cole, an Australian who now lives in the States. Two other hits from the album
are Sunday Morning Woman by Phil Wilson and Wasting The Time Away by The SolisBravo Band. Carlos Solis Bravo heads up the band. In 1961, he and his family forced to from their home in Havana, Cuba
to Florida. Andre Lee's Back In The Day Cafe continues to remain in the
Top Ten. Another of his songs now appears on Shagging The Night Away and
keeps bubbling under, this one being I've Found What I’ve Been Looking For.
Born in Chicago and moving to Mississippi with his family at an early age, he returned to Jackson, Mississippi
about ten years ago. For nearly fifty years, singer, guitarist and band leader
Paul Gabriel has been slugging it out on the Connecticut blues scene. He finally
gained international recognition when he was nominated for a Blues Foundation Blues Music Award, formerly known as the W.C.
Hamby Awards. He joins in on the album with another that is nearing chartland,
Spoda Be. Other artists on the thirteen song release include Rhonda McDaniel,
Angel Rissoff, Heather Heywood and The Breeze Band. You can really shag the night away with this release.
for SOS.
Gary Lowder has had quite a bit of
attention in just a few short years in the Beach Music market. Gary, after battling
eighteen years of snow storms in Minneapolis, Minnesota, he moved back to the Carolina in 2005 to Ocean Isle, North Carolina. After several years of recording and performing as a solo artist, he joined The Carolina
Breakers. He now heads his own band, Gary Lowder & Smokin' Hot. Already the group has a hit song, Hold On, which led to a new CD, Playin' With Fire. The second single release from the album is Sexy Soul, which should do right
well throughout the Carolinas. The band also takes Ray Charles' Unchain My
Heart to a new level to bring the shaggers out to the dance floor. The group
also does well with the remake of Darrell Banks' classic, Open The Door To Your Heart.
Gary & the boys break out on Rufus Thomas' song, Walkin' The Dog, converting into a good line dance
song. Gary Lowder & Smokin' Hot is a seven piece band of smokin' hot rhythm
& blues. Including in the group are Terry Nash on the keys of Cagle &
Nash Fame and JK Loftin on lead guitar. In addition to his fame beginning with
Heart & Soul, and later The Craig Woolard Band and Mark Roberts & Breeze, JK is owner and chief engineer of Cape Fear
Studio in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Holy priceless collection, Patman!” says
Robin. I'm sure that's what Robin told her husband Pat Patterson at Patman &
Robin Records when the final collection of music was determined for the new compilation, I Like It Like That. Leading off the fifteen songs on the album is the charted Bouncin' Back To You
by Jimbo Durham of Shag Attack. Also on the charts is Shame On You by
Lesa Hudson. The melody on this hot song reminds me of KT Oslen's song, Live
Close By, Visit Often. Another song on the album that is really hot and is
moving upward on the charts is Always Running Back To You by The Shag Doctorz.
Another one that seems to be getting a lot of attention in the upstate of South Carolina is Ring by Dip Ferrell
& The Trutones featuring Shana Blake on the lead vocals. The song should
be seen shortly moving West and Southeast toward the coastal waters of the Carolinas. Another
song that we may see entering the charts is Never Grow Old by Vance Kennedy And Barksdale Station. Listen to the words my friends. Sound familiar? North Myrtle Beach's Calabash Flash Ludwick comes on strong with his latest, Bluesman Flash. It also has potential for the charts. Dip Ferrell &
his Trutones appears again on the album with their shag take on Chris Kenner's 1961 hit, I Like It Like That, which,
of course, is the title track of the album. Craig Woolard gives his take
on Rue Davis' I'm In Love With The Girl Next Door and The Swingin' Medallions join in with Ben E. King's mega hit Spanish
Harlem. Rick Strickland is back with us for the release with his original,
Tear It Up. The song Right Here At Home by The Deacons of Swing
is dedicated to the memory of Eddie Wayne Bailey. He took part in Patman &
Robin music's compilation, Havin' A Large Time, singing You Don't Know Me.
He looked forward to doing more recording but passed away before he had the chance.
Eddie was an extremely talented drummer and played at one time with The Swingin' Medallions. Right Here At Home was the next song he wanted to record.
Thee Deacons of Swing include Ashley Stokes, Jake Bartley and Richard Crocker.
I Like It Like That also includes music from Kingdaddy and The Coastal Cohorts, made up with Jim Wann, Bland
Simpson and Don Dixon. As Pat and Robin said, “we hope you 'Like It Like
That'”.
After several years of leaving the music industry, Vance Kennedy has come back strong, releasing
his new album by Vance Kennedy and Barksdale Station called Old Frieends, New Songs.
One of the songs has found its way to be a part of Patman & Robin Music's new compilation, I Like It Like That. The song is titles Never Grow Old. Listen
to the lyrics on this one. If you are like me, you will swear that Vance somehow
looked up some information on you and wrote about it. The hottest song on the
album is Silk On Glass. It has really caught on in the upstate of South Carolina
and should do equally well across both Carolinas and beyond. Another song you
will want to pay close attention to is Smoothie Shoes. Yes, like the title, it
is smooth. Vance Kennedy hails from Barskdale, South Carolina, thus the name
Barksdale Station. The town is near Gray Court, which is not too far from Laurens.
The
Carolina Beach Music Awards has released their second compilation from which the proceeds will go to the Carolina Beach Music
Awards' Scholarship Foundation. The CBMA Scholarship was established to provide
financial assistance to students attending a college or university who have an immediate family member who is an Industry
member of the Carolina Beach Music Awards. The compilation is named CBMA Scholarship
Foundation and contains 18 songs of some of the best Beach Music recently recorded.
Headling the albums are songs from The Holiday Band, I'm Man Enough, KCO (Ken Knox & Company), You,
Rick Strickland, Something Smooth, and Big John Thompson and Roger Smith, Boulevard Boys. Other highlights include Shadow Shaggin' by Tommy Black & Blooz, Turn Me Over by
Jim Quick & The Coastline Band, Grand Strand Girl by Tim Cashion, That Boy Can Shag by The Castaways Featuring
Phil Wilson, Cherry Grove by The Big Time Party Band and Friends by The Breeze Band. You will also find The Monkey Song by The Sugarbees and If You Can't Shag by the Reverend
Bubba D. Liverence. Other artists participating on the compilation are Calabash
Flash, Lesa Hudson and Gtownsound. For more information on the album, go to cammy.org
on the Internet.
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