The following is a short description of the types of classes offered and required attire.
The 5 Royales
This group is entirely from Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
They are widely recognized as being ahead of their
time - not only did John & Eugene Tanner's wailing
lead vocals help invent soul music, but Lowman Pauling's
guitar playing is cited by everybody including Clapton
as being the best. It is a shame these guys are more
recognized today given their lasting mark on the national
r&b music scene. When I hear John Tanner's voice leading
the group on "Think," "Thirty Second Lover," "I Like
It Like That," and countless others it always makes
me want to dance. |
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| Recommended CD = The
Very Best of the 5 Royales |
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One of the greatest early rhythm & blues vocal groups
of all time that featured both Clyde McPhatter and Jackie
Wilson as lead singers. Songs like "60 Minute Man", "Have
Mercy Baby," "The Deacon Moves In," "You're Sending Me," and
countless others make the Dominoes a shag music staple.
Of course, both lead singers went on to crank out more
shag music in other forms whether as lead singer of the
Drifters or solo artists. |
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| Recommended CD = Very
Best of Billy Ward & The Dominoes Featuring Clyde
McPhatter & Jackie Wilson |
The Drifters
The Drifters were a rhythm & blues / soul power house
group from the 1950s thru the 60's. Their best material
for shag dancing comes from their early years featuring
Clyde McPhatter & Bill Pinkney. Songs like "Three Thirty
Three," "I Gotta Get Myself A Woman," and "Drip Drop" are
shag classics. Various key members of the Drifters are
from the Carolinas including: Clyde McPhatter (Durham,
NC), Bill Pinkney (Sumter, SC), Ben E. King (Henderson,
NC), etc. |
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| Recommended CD = The
Drifters featuring Clyde McPhatter/ Rockin' & Driftin' |
Ruth Brown
Born in Portsmouth Virginia, Ruth is still performing
and now resides in Las Vegas. Legendary rhythm & blues
record label Atlantic was often referred to as "the house
that Ruth built" because the string of national hits
she produced put fledgling Atlantic in business. Her
hits for Atlantic included timeless shag classics such
as "Mama He Treats Your Daughter Mean," "Somebody Touched
Me," "5-10-15," and "Love Contest." Ruth Brown a.k.a., "Miss
Rhythm" will always be a dance floor favorite.; |
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| Recommended CD = Ruth
Brown/Miss Rhythm |
The Lamplighters
This west coast group featured the lead vocals of Thurston
Harris (who later recorded "Little Bitty Pretty One").
Thurston (not unlike the Midnighters) played up his ability
to sound like John Tanner and was obviously heavily influenced
by the Five Royales. If you've been to a few shag parties,
then you have likely heard "I Used To Cry Mercy Mercy" by
this group. They did several other great danceable songs
that get much less play such as "No Other One," "Move
Me Baby," and "Hug A Little." |
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| Recommended CD = Bi
Bop Wino |
The Midnighters
Originally called the "Royals" (said to have changed
their name to the Midnighters due to a lawsuit by the
Five "Royales"), this group fronted by Hank Ballard was
a r&b dynamo churning out "Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's
Go," "Rock Granny Roll," "Hoochie Coochie, Coo," and
a ton of other great King Records hits. The lower dance
floor of Ducks is never complete until you hear a Midnighters
tune. |
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| Recommended CD = The
Very Best of Hank Ballard & The Midnighters |
Nappy Brown
Napoleon Brown was born and still resides in Charlotte.
He was signed by Savoy Records to compete with Big Joe
Turner and Wynonie Harris as a rhythm & blues shouter.
I must say that if you have the opportunity, I HIGHLY
recommend going to see him in concert as he is one of
the last of the great r&b shouters still performing -
and what a show he puts on! My favorite (underplayed)
Nappy songs to dance to include "Well, Well, Baby La" and "Two-Faced
Woman." |
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| Recommended CD = Don't
Be Angry |
Big Joe Turner
Born in Kansas City, MO, Big Joe is widely hailed as
the greatest r&b shouter of all time (and rightly so).
Atlantic records founder Ahmet Ertegun knew of Joe's
blues talents and immediately stole him for his new label.
Joe produced classic sides for Atlantic that keep fast
steppers moving their feet like "Shake Rattle & Roll," "Flip
Flop & Fly," and "Hide & Seek," and "Rock Awhile." |
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| Recommended CD = Joe
Turner |
Otis Williams & The Charms
Otis Williams formed the Charms in 1953 at age 16 in
Cincinnati, Ohio. Their biggest national hits include "Ivory
Tower," but to shaggers this is the group that fills
the floor with songs like "Two Hearts," "Ling Ting Tong," and "That's
Your Mistake." They recorded on the King label along
with many of the artists we recommend such as the Midnighters,
5 Royales, etc. Otis is still actively singing & touring
today - in fact, he even showed up for the 1st Annual
North Carolina Beach Music Day in Raleigh (click link
at top of page to see his photo in our online picture
album. |
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| Recommended CD = Very
Best of Otis Williams & His Charms Vol. 1 |
Buddy & Ella Johnson
Brother & Sister combo from Darlington, South Carolina.
Buddy Johnson led a large jump blues band that enjoyed
tremendous national success during the 1940s and '50s.
His band spotlighted a series of talented singers, including
balladeers Arthur Prysock, Nolan Lewis, and Floyd Ryland,
but it was Ella's understated delivery (beautifully spotlighted
on the sumptuous ballad "Since I Fell for You") that
made the aggregation so successful and so popular among
shag dancers. My favorite dance tunes by this duo include "I
Don't Want Nobody," and "It's Obdacious." |
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| Recommended CD = Rockin'
N' Rollin |
The Clovers
From Washington DC, this quartet also recorded for Atlantic
Records (as you can see Atlantic President Ahmet Ertegun
knew good Rhythm & Blues when he heard it!). The Clovers
had a smoother, more mainstream barbershop style than
the gospel edged sounds of Ruth Brown or the Drifters;
yet they laid down some awesome shag dance wax - "One
Mint Julip," "All About You," "Little Mama," "If You
Love Me," and "Nip Sip" to name just a few. |
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| Recommended CD = The
Clovers/Dance Party |
The Chairmen of the Board
From Norfolk, Virginia, lead singer General Norman Johnson
has had quite a career. Starting as lead for a group
called the Showmen, he penned two classics "It Will Stand," and "39-21-40
Shape." He then left the Showmen and joined with Ken
Knox and Danny Woods to form the Chairmen who are live
in Charlotte and still perform year-round all over the
Carolinas. Their songs "Carolina Girls," "Gone Fishing," "Patches," and
countless others make them a Carolina Beach Music favorite. |
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| Recommended CD = Beach
Music Anthology |
The Tams
The Mighty Tams hail from Atlanta, GA. The unusual raspy
vocals of lead singer Joe Pope gave ABC hits such as "Be
Young Be Foolish Be Happy," "What Kind of Fool," and "Untie
Me." It is rumored that Aretha Franklin was even in
love with Joe's "whiskey voice." One of my favorite
Tams songs was a remake of a Ronnie Milsap tune that
Joe recorded before he passed away called "It Happens
Everytime" - what a smoothie! The Tams remain one of
beach music's best paty bands with "Little Red" on lead
vocals these days. |
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| Recommended CD = Dancing
Mood |
Clifford Curry
Originally from Knoxville, Tennessee, Clifford lived
in Charlotte for many years and now resides in Nashville.
He formed a rhythm & blues group back in the 50's called
The Five Pennies and recorded a few great 45s. Going
solo he scored his biggest soul hits back in the 60's
with "She Shot A Hole In My Soul," and "We're Gonna Hate
Ourselves In The Morning." One of the nicest guys you
will ever meet and my close friend, Clifford is still
performing all over the Southeast today. |
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| Recommended CD = She
Shot A Hole In My Soul |
Billy Scott & The Prophets
Billy is the original lead singer of the Georgia Prophets
which scored a few soul hits such as "Fever," "California," and "Don't
You Think It's Time." Billy still performs his classics,
but today is perhaps better known for his sexy crooning
of smoothies such as "My Kind of Girl." Billy and his
band tour the Carolinas more than anyone I know, so check
out our shag calendar page and I'm sure they are coming
to a town near you. |
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| Recommended CD = Looking
Back At The Hits 1968- 2000 |
Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs
Maurice is from Charlotte, NC and still calls it home
despite his huge national recording success. He holds
the record for shortest number one record for the song "Stay." This
song experienced quite a renaissance in the 80's due
to the hit movie "Dirty Dancing." Many people don't
know that Maurice's career stretches back to a group
called the Gladiolas where he penned one of Rock N' Roll's
standards - "Little Darlin". |
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Recommended CD = Best
of Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs featuring 'Stay"
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