To:
"robert register"
Subject:
Re: You Right. I Wrong.
Date:
Tue, 20 Jul 2004 11:43:14 -0400
Robert,
Quote from
"The Heeey Baby Days of Beach Music": "You can't always
believe what you read or find on the Internet, but if it's in 'The Heeey
Baby Days of Beach Music'it's probably true." Thanks to many of your
fellow Alabamans, the story of the era of R&B and the "party" in the South
in the 60's is being told factually and with a little color.
Contributors to the book whose bands were prominent in Alabama and who have
written narratives for the book or have provided substantial quotes include
John Wyker, John Townsend, (Rubber Band) Cliff Ellis (Villagers) Tommy
Mann (K-Otics) Marvin Taylor (K-Otics) Bobby Dupree ( Rockin'
Gilbraltars) Jimmy Dean (James Gang) Wilbur Walton (James Gang) Rodney Justo (
Candymen) plus
Buddy Buie, Bill J. Moody,
Tiger Jack Garrett, and Dave
Roddy and others. We have been given great material for use as well by
the Tyn Tymes, The Bleus, The Inn, and others. The input from Alabama
for
"The Heeey Baby Days of Beach Music" has been tremendous. We always
considered when it came to Beach Music, there were two coasts: The East
Coast and the Gulf Coast. One of the book's largest chapters is titled
"The Party at P.C." The section of the book that deals with the bands
is generally found in the chapter with other bands from the same state
but we include the
Swingin' Medallions with the bands from Alabama
because of their close identification with the state in their break out
years. A noted Beach Music historian,Chris Beachley, from Charlotte,
N.C.is quoted in the book:
"The Medallions did not come around here that
often in the mid 60's." We responded in the book:
"The Swingin' Medallions
were under house arrest in the state of Alabama in the mid 60's and
were not allowed to leave the state under the party was over."
Regarding the great showman,
Charlie Webber, he was the consummate cutup
with a flair for entertaining. He and guitarist,
Jimbo Doares, worked
in tandem to create hilarity. His work on
"Along Came Jones" was worth
the price of admission.
Charlie by virtue of being on the
Double Shot is
considered an
Original Swingin' Medallion but did not actually join the
group until
1965. The band was founded by
John McElrath and Joe Morris
and the first SIX members were
John, Joe, Carroll Bledsoe, Steve
Caldwell, Brent Fortson, and Cubby Culbertson.
Cubby was the first to leave
the Original Six and was replaced by
Perrin Gleaton at guitar. The
Medallions then expanded to
EIGHT with the addition of two more horn players
bringing the number of
horns in the Eight man group to
FIVE. Those
added horn players were
Fred Pugh (Sax) and
Rick Godwin(Trumpet)In
1965,
Gleaton, Pugh, and Godwin left and were replaced by
Charlie Webber, Jimbo
Doares, and Jimmy Perkins. It was these
EIGHT (
McElarth, Morris,
Bledsoe, Fortson, Caldwell, Perkins, Doares,& Webber)who recorded
Double Shot and are considered the original band. In
1967, Fortson and Caldwell
left and joined with a group from Raleigh, N.C. called
The Tassles.
These talented performers consisting on
Carlie Barbour (Guitar), Jim
Baumgartner (Bass) Mark Wrenn (Sax)Irvin Hicks (Drums) Wally Woods
(Keyboards) and Ken Helser (Trumpet and lead Vocalist)along with Fortson and
Caldwell were the Original Pieces of Eight.
It was very simple math:
Two Medallions plus Six Tassles equal the
Pieces of Eight. Meanwhile; the remaining Six Original Swingin' Medallions
got two more great saxophonists, Hack Bartley and Johnny Cox, and kept
right on
SYWITUP
(Screaming, Yelling, and Whooping it Up). The rest of the story is in
the book.
So, Roberto, that's the skinny...and I am sticking to my story unless
someone comes up with a better one.
Regards,
Greg Haynes
author of "The Heeey Baby Days of Beach Music"
> From: robert register <
robertoreg2003@yahoo.com>
> Date: 2004/07/20 Tue AM 09:45:48 EDT
> To:
rarereads@bellsouth.net
> Subject: You Right. I Wrong.
>
> Greg:
> I ran into Charlie's obit while I was looking for Steve Caldwell.
That's how I mixed up on the founding member of Pieces of Eight but
doesn't the obit say that Charlie was a founding member of Pieces of
Eight?
> With your help, I'll straighten evahthang out dis evening.
> 'preciate it.
> robert