4th
Annual Charleston Beach Music & Shag Festival
Charleston, SC, August 27-30, 2009
By Pamela Horner
On the last four days of
August, 2009, the Beach Music & Shag Preservation Society of South Carolina
presented their 4th Annual Charleston Beach Music & Shag
Festival. With our busy schedule, Charlie and I could only make it to one
day of the Festival. Fortunately for us, it was the day they celebrated the
50th Anniversary of one of America’s finest soul and beach music
vocal groups, the Tams. That day was also dedicated to the memory of Joe
Pope, one of the founding members of the Tams. In fact, the mayor of
Charleston even sent over a proclamation officially making August 30th
“Tams Day” in the city.
Arriving at Charleston’s
Citadel Alumni House on Sunday afternoon, we were greeted with a shag dance
workshop for those who wanted to learn (or sharpen their skills on) the
official dance of the Carolinas. Charlie and I haven’t quite mastered the
shag yet but we still had fun swing dancing throughout the day. The shag is
a slower, structured variation of the jitterbug. It originated in the late
1940’s by teenagers dancing to R&B music in Carolina beach clubs. These
days it seems that people shag to almost any tune that has 115 to 135 beats
per minute.
The Citadel
Alumni House
Festival
Wristband
Dancing the
Shag
Festival
Producer, Harriett Grady-Thomas and part of her staff
The first group on stage
was the Catalinas. This group started in Charlotte, N.C., in 1957.
Initially they were singing beach flavored doo wop, but by 1975 their
“Summertime’s Calling Me” had established them as beach music stars. Over
the years, there have been more than 60 performers in Catalinas. There are
currently seven men in the group and like most beach music groups they play
instruments and sing. The oldest member of the group, Gary Barkes, has been
with the group since 1968. The lead singer, Dale McCaskill, told us he’d
only been with the group three years. The Catalinas sing an extensive
repertoire of beach music tunes including “Ms. Grace” (The Tymes), “My Girl”
(Temptations), and their beach music standard “Summertime’s Calling Me.”
The group concluded their set with a song from their latest CD, “Love Be
With You”.
The Catalinas' first
record (1960)
In the early days, the Catalinas were heavily doo wop influenced.
(From the Classic Urban Harmony Archives)
The Catalinas' second
record (1961)
A remake of the Gladiolas' "Hey Little Girl"
(From the Classic Urban Harmony Archives)
The Catalinas performing
at the 2009 Charleston Beach Music Festival
The Catalinas
The Catalinas' 1975 Beach
Music classic, "Summertimes' Calling Me"
(From the Classic Urban Harmony Archives)
Catalinas' current lead
singer, Dale
McCaskill
with Charlie
The second group, The
East Coast Party Band (ECPB), didn’t have to travel far, as they’re from
Charleston. The group officially started in 1991 but most of the members
have performed in other groups prior to joining ECPB. The group was large
enough to accommodate a full horn and rhythm section, having nine members on
stage. ECPB performs a wide variety of material covering everything from
songs by Spinners to Sam Cooke and Rod Steward. Some of the songs I loved
were “This Old Heart Of Mine” (Isley Brothers), “Old People” (Archie Bell),
and Sam Cooke’s “What A Wonderful World” (and what a wonderful sax break in
this song). I enjoyed the harmony in “The Way You Do The Things You Do”
(Temptations) and “Shining Star” (Manhattans). Some of the beach music
classics the group did were “Hold Back The Night” (Trammps) and the national
anthem of beach music, “I Love Beach Music” (Embers).
The East Coast Party Band
East Coast
Party Band
East Coast
Party Band
East Coast
Party Band Cup Insulator
(A new addition to the Classic Urban Harmony Archives)
Since we only could attend the final day of the Festival, we
regretfully missed two of our favorite acts, the Fabulous Shades and Angel
Rissoff. We were happy to see our friend Dana Jones, who along with
other members of the Fabulous Shades were in the audience on Sunday.
Charlie, Pam
and Dana Jones from the Fabulous Shades
The third act at
Sunday’s Beach Music and Shag Festival was the Swingin’ Medallions. They
have a long history that is outlined in their website [reached from our
Links page]. The
Swingin’ Medallions started in 1963 in Greenwood, South Carolina. The group
broke nationally in 1966 with their song “Double Shot (Of My Baby’s Love)”.
The song was originally pressed on the group’s own 4 Sale label and
was then picked up for national distribution by the Smash label. It
sold a million copies. Over the years the personnel has changed but the
group now contains two sons of original member John McElrath. We were
fortunate to meet another original member, Joe Morris, who rejoined the
Swingin’ Medallions for this special occasion. The group took the stage
wearing Swingin’ Medallion t-shirts and Madras pants. What a powerful,
energetic group this is, consisting of musician/vocalists. We noted three
saxophones, one trumpet, one guitar, drums, and keyboard. They demonstrated
great choreography, dancing while playing instruments and singing. We’ve
seen other groups where the saxophonist plays while lying on his back. The
Swingin’ Medallions’ Shawn McElrath not only did that but continued playing
while other group members hung him upside down by his knees. We understand
he holds the Guinness Book of Worlds Records for most notes played on a sax
while upside down.
"Double Shot"
on the Smash label (1966).
We've never had a copy on the original 4 Sale label.
Swingin'
Medallions at the 2009 Charleston Beach Music Festival
Swingin'
Medallions' Shawn McElrath
Some of the songs that
the Swingin’ Medallions performed were the beach music standards “Hey Baby”
and “Under The Boardwalk”. They also did rock and soul classics like “Honky
Tonk Women,” “Shotgun,” and “Celebration.” One of the highlights of their
performance was when Joe Morris joined them on stage to do their signature
song “Double Shot (Of My Baby’s Love).” We were greatly impressed with our
first time seeing the Swingin” Medallions and hope to see them again.
Swingin' Medallions
singing "Double Shot" with Joe Morris (third from the left)
Original Swingin'
Medallion, Joe Morris (center)
Charlie, Swingin'
Medallion's Joe Morris, Pam
![[New!]](images/smallnew.gif)
Current Swingin'
Medallions
(Photo courtesy of the Swingin' Medallions)
Popular North Myrtle
Beach (SC) radio station "94.9, The SURF" was one of the Festival sponsors
Before the grand finale,
Festival producer Harriett Grady-Thomas presented plaques to all the members
of the Tams and their extended musical family to proclaim the group’s 50th
anniversary. Active member Charles Pope and his brother, the late Joseph
Pope, founded the group in Atlanta, GA, in 1959. Charles’ son, Little Redd
joined the Tams in the 1970’s when he was seven years old and has been with
them ever since. Rounding out the group today are Robert Arnold, Reginald
Preston and the newest Tam, Greg Gallashaw. A proclamation from the Mayor
of Charleston was read, declaring August 30th “Tams Day”. Next,
the stage was cleared leaving only the Tams' band, The Fourteen Karat Soul
Band. The Band played “Mustang Sally.” This stellar band has been with the
Tams for many years.
The Tam's first record,
"Untie Me" (1962)
(From the Classic Urban Harmony Archives)
The Tam's biggest hit,
"What Kind Of Fool" (1963)
(From the Classic Urban Harmony Archives)
The Tams at the North
Myrtle Beach (SC) Holiday Inn, August 1981
Note pre-teenage Little Redd (third from left)
(Photo by Charlie Horner. From Classic Urban Harmony Archives)
Little Redd (center)
performing with the Tams in August, 1981
(Photo by Charlie Horner. From Classic Urban Harmony Archives)
Tams' Charles Pope and
son, Little Redd, receiving plaques from Harriett Grady-Thomas
Reading of the Mayor's
"Tams Day" Proclamation
The 14 Karat Soul Band
The high energy Tams ran on stage to thunderous applause. The Tams were
impeccably dressed in white pants and vests with silver shirts and ties and
their white signature tamoshanter berets. We were expecting a fabulous show
and were not disappointed. Little Redd captured the crowd immediately with
his rendition of “You’re Love Is Lifting Me Higher.” Redd, the “fastest
feet in the South,” was instantly off the stage and down the aisle into the
crowd. The Tams followed this with their biggest hit, “What Kind of Fool
(Do You Think I Am)”. Group founder Charles Pope led the next song, “Hey
Girl Don’t Bother Me” with the rest of the group feverishly dancing up a
storm while harmonizing background. Many Tams’ favorites followed
including, “Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy,” “I’ve Been Hurt,” and “Too Much
Foolin’ Around.”
Charles Pope & the Tams
performing at the 2009 Charleston Beach Music Festival
The Tams
Tams' Little Redd
The Tams
Tams' Little Redd
In an emotional moment,
Little Redd embraced his father, Charles Pope, and said, “He made me what I
am today.” Charles took the mike and led on “Silly Little Girl (Come Back
to Me)”. Many other Tams songs followed. As we’ve come to expect, Little
Redd interacted frequently with the audience, making us all feel like we
were part of the show. It’s difficult to think of a harder working, more
exciting act that has not lost any momentum in fifty years. In traditional
Tams’ fashion they ended the Festival with the Doobie Brothers’ “Long Train
Running,” with four of the Tams dancing their way through the audience while
Charles Pope finished the song on stage.
Tams'
original member and founder, Charles Pope
Tams' Little
Redd interacting with the audience
The Tams
Festival
Producer Harriett Grady-Thomas and Tams' Little Redd
Charles Pope
leading the Tams
This was our fourth time
seeing the Tams perform in the past six years. If you ever get the
opportunity to see The Charles Pope Tams, don’t hesitate. They are worth
the trip from New Jersey.
Tams' Charles Pope
For more info on the Tams, Swingin' Medallions, East Coast Party Band,
Catalinas, Fabulous Shades, Angel Rissoff and the
Beach Music
& Shag Preservation Society of South Carolina visit their websites through
our Links Page.
For info on Beach Music in general, visit the site of our friend Willie C's
Beach Music Cafe from our
Links Page. To see our review and photos of last year's
Festival click
2008 (3rd Annual) Charleston Beach Music and Shag
Festival.
All photos property of Charlie & Pamela
Horner
Copyright © Classic Urban Harmony LLC, 2009. All
Rights Reserved.
