Beach music
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Beach | |
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Other names | Carolina beach |
Stylistic origins | Pop-soul, R&B |
Cultural origins | 1950s, the Carolinas and Georgia, United States |
Beach music, also known as Carolina beach music, and to a lesser extent, beach pop, is a regional genre of music in the United States which developed from
Though primarily confined to a small regional fan base, specifically to "Grand Strand" communities such as Myrtle Beach, Carolina Beach, and the Golden Isles of Georgia, in its early days what is now known as Carolina beach music was instrumental in bringing about wider acceptance of R&B music among the white population nationwide. Thus it was a contributory factor in both the birth of rock and roll and the later development of soul music as a subgenre of R&B.
While the older styles of R&B have faded from popularity nationally, the Carolina shag has gained wide popularity in dance circles around the US. This has not generally led to increased appreciation for the music of the beach bands, however. Many of these new shag dance aficionados prefer the "R&B oldies" and/or shagging to currently popular tunes that happen to have the required beat. As more networking is being done on the Internet among shag deejays and beach music fans nationwide, however, there is a growing acceptance of the regional bands by the "new shaggers".[1]
History
Origins: 1950s
Historical accounts of beach music as it relates to the development of this dance are often conflicting, but most agree that the
In the period from roughly the end of
A major contributing influence upon this musical affinity beginning in the late 1940s was radio station
Among the most popular and influential R&B artists who produced "beach records" in the 1950s and 1960s were
Transition and renewal: mid-1960s to early 1970s
Another wave of artists, known today as the "beach bands" came into prominence in the mid-1960s to early 1970s, heavily influenced by the sound of Motown and the other prominent R&B labels of the day such as Atlantic Records, Stax, etc. These included the nationally-charting groups The Swingin' Medallions, The O'Kaysions, The Tassels, and Bill Deal and the Rhondels.[1] This wave of primarily white R&B artists was part of a strong but nationally short-lived musical trend known as blue-eyed soul.
Revival: 1980s
In the 1980s, beach music enjoyed a major revival in the Carolinas, thanks largely to the formation of a loose-knit organization known as The Society of Stranders (SOS). Originally intended as a relatively small social gathering of shag enthusiasts, "beach diggers" and former lifeguards meeting yearly in the Ocean Drive section of North Myrtle Beach, S.O.S. quickly grew to become a major Spring event. The Tams[8] and Chairmen came back to Beach Music scene.[9]
At around the same time, a fanzine called It Will Stand (from the song of that name by The Showmen) began to delve into the history of beach music. Concurrent with the new enthusiasm for the shag, and an increased emphasis on the roots of the music came a period of revival for many of the beach bands that had come to prominence in the 1960s. In addition to these groups, younger artists began to emerge, either as members of established groups, or with groups of their own. Dedicated beach music charts began to appear, tracking the musical tastes of shaggers and other aficionados of the genre. The number of regional radio stations playing beach music began to increase substantially.[1]
In 1981, Virginia entrepreneur John Aragona sponsored "The First Annual Beach Music Awards" show at the Convention Center in Myrtle Beach. Video MC of this event was Linda Blair. In the late 1980s interest in Beach Music was revived and expanded. On November 19, 1988, live from Reynolds Coliseum, on the campus of North Carolina State University, "The Third Annual Beach Music Awards" was videotaped by Creative Center, a Los Angeles-based TV production company. The Awards show featured 20 of Beach music's stars and groups, ten Los Angeles based dancers, 20 professional shag dancers, and a twenty-piece back-up band, performing 50 of beach music hits.
The 3rd Annual Beach Music Awards TV Special was produced by Ron Dunn and Susan B. Donovan. Ron Dunn, DGA, served as director and writer, along with Susan B. Donovan (choreographer), and the show's executive producer, John X. Aragona. One of the key factors was a new song by
These shows set the stage for the CAMMY Awards show, first held at Salisbury, North Carolina in 1995. The shows soon moved to Charlotte and then to North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where they are still an annual event under their new name, The Carolina Beach Music Awards (CBMA). The CAMMY (CBMA) show has turned into a five-day-long showcase and party for the fans and the bands, with shows all along the strip in NMB. It culminates in a show at the Alabama Theatre. Chuck Jackson and William Bell were the national stars featured in 2009, backed by the Craig Woolard Band and the Band of Oz respectively.
The best of beach music from the early decades, from both national and regional artists, is known today as "classic beach". However, there is more to beach music than just the oldies. New recordings in this style are being produced regularly as part of the regional music industry in the Southeastern United States. While the terms "beach music" and "Carolina beach music" are still used, the increasing popularity of the shag (and to distance the genre from California-based music often associated with beaches such as yacht rock and surf music) has led to it sometimes being identified as "shag music". Many websites have lately begun to refer to this music as "beach & shag".
In a related trend, since the year 2000, there has been a steady increase in the popularity of Southern Soul, led by such R&B labels as
Pop and rock artists have also contributed to beach music in recent years. Among the most notable are
In addition to these country and pop connections for the music, the pure R&B aspects of it have led to a kind of cultural cross-fertilization of beach and shag music with the northern soul scene in the UK and elsewhere. This has been due in large part to communication between DJs of the respective genres on the Internet. "'Fessa John Hook's Endless Summer Network" has a weekly program featuring noted northern soul deejay Kev Roberts that is streamed online, and there are plans for its programming to also be carried on satellite radio in Europe.
Carolina beach music was featured on the soundtrack of Shag, a 1989 film starring Bridget Fonda and Phoebe Cates, filmed in part at the Myrtle Beach Pavilion and other Grand Strand locations. Though not a wholly accurate portrayal, with the actresses' uneven attempts at Upstate Carolina accents especially notable, many viewers consider it an agreeable and entertaining "coming of age" movie, with a good soundtrack and some excellent shagging. Not widely popular in its initial release, Shag has become something of a cult film. No doubt it has helped to foster and maintain some interest beyond the Carolinas for beach and shag music.
The novel Beach Music by South Carolina author Pat Conroy takes its title from this regional genre of music. The novel's protagonist, Jack McCall, seeks to get his daughter, Leah, more in touch with her Southern roots. He does this by introducing her to the shag and to classic beach music. He describes The Drifters' song, "Save the Last Dance for Me" in this way: "This is your Mama's and my favorite song. We fell in love dancing to it." His brother, Dupree McCall, also tells Leah that "Carolina beach music is the holiest sound on earth."
Radio airplay
Full-time Beach Music
Show station details | |||
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Station | Frequency | Branding | Location |
WQFB-LP | 97.3 FM | Surf 97.3 | Flagler Beach, Florida |
WNCT | 1070 AM | Beach, Boogie, & Blues Radio | Greenville, North Carolina |
WIKS-HD2 (W266AV) | 101.1 FM | Beach, Boogie, & Blues Radio (Simulcast of WNCT) |
Jacksonville, North Carolina |
WSME (W246CJ) | 1120 AM 97.1 FM |
Freedom 97.1 | Jacksonville, North Carolina |
WKTE | 1090 AM | The Wave | King, North Carolina |
WDZD-LP | 99.1 FM | The Fun One - Classic Hits & Beach | Monroe, North Carolina |
WIKS-HD2 (W239BC) | 101.9 FM (HD2) 95.7 FM |
Beach, Boogie, & Blues Radio (Simulcast of WNCT) |
New Bern, North Carolina |
WLWL | 770 AM | 770 The Big Wave | Rockingham, North Carolina |
WIKS-HD2 (W290CB) | 101.9 FM (HD2) 105.9 FM |
Beach, Boogie, & Blues Radio (Simulcast of WNCT) |
Winterville, North Carolina |
WPCC (W252BH) | 1410 AM 96.5 FM |
Large Time Network | Clinton, South Carolina |
WRTH-LP | 101.5 FM | Oldies 101.5 | Greenville, South Carolina |
WVCO | 94.9 FM | 94.9 The Surf | Loris/North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina |
WFBS-LP | 107.9 FM | Sunny 107.9 | Salem, South Carolina |
- Carolina Shag Radio (Channel 701) Archived 2019-03-08 at the Wayback Machine, a channel on Sirius XM satellite radio
- Riptide Radio (webcaster).
- Beach Shag Rhythm & Blues Radio, (webcaster).
- SOS Radio, (webcaster)
Airs Beach Music part-time, or as part of a specialty show
- Melbourne, Victoria, Australia[12]
- WIOZ-FM/102.5 FM: Southern Pines, North Carolina
- WIZS/1450 AM: Henderson, North Carolina (simulcasts on FM translator W261DK/100.1 MHz)
- WKXB/99.9 FM: Wilmington, North Carolina
- WLON/1050 AM: Lincolnton, North Carolina (simulcasts on translator W298CK/107.5 MHz)
- WMTG-LP/88.1 FM: Mount Gilead, North Carolina
- WOHS/1390 AM: Shelby, North Carolina (simulcasts on FM translator W268CU/101.5 MHz)
- WOYS/106.5 FM: Carrabelle, Florida
- WRLY-LP/93.5 FM: Raleigh, North Carolina
- WNCT-FM/107.9 FM: Greenville, North Carolina
- WNNC/1230 AM; Newton-Conover, North Carolina
- WRBK/90.3 FM: Richburg, South Carolina
- WSGE/91.7 FM: Dallas, North Carolina
- WSWO-LP/97.3 FM: Huber Heights/Dayton, Ohio
- WYBO/92.9 FM: Waynesboro, Georgia
- WTRG/97.9 FM: Gaston, North Carolina
- WZMJ/93.1 FM: Lexington, South Carolina
See also
- Northern Soul
- City pop
References
- ^ a b c "Beach Music History". Beachshag.com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-19. Retrieved 2011-12-30.
- ^ "Shagger Magazine (1995) extract". Hoyhoy.com. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
- ^ Beacham, Frank. "Beach Music | The South Carolina Encyclopedia". University of South Carolina Press. Archived from the original on June 13, 2011. Retrieved January 31, 2014.
- ^ Beach music All music. Retrieved 09 January 2022
- ^ "Beach music icon General Johnson dies". Retrieved 24 July 2020.
- ^ The Showmen Retrieved 09 January 2022
- ^ "Beach Music History". Beachshag.com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-19. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
- ^ The Tams AllMusic. Retrieved 07 January 2022
- ^ Beach music bands AllMusic. Retrieved 09 January 2022
- ^ Keepnews, Peter (October 15, 2010). "General Johnson, Singer and Writer of Hit R&B Songs, Dies at 69". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 25, 2014. Retrieved October 23, 2010.
- ^ "Online radio box North Carolina". Retrieved 25 July 2020.
- ^ "Shaggin' The Night Away | PBS 106.7FM". Pbsfm.org.au. 27 July 2018. Retrieved 2019-03-07.