Carolina beach music is an up-tempo, swing-type music that pulls from a wide array of other genres to establish itself. Where and how it progressed was greatly influenced by the sociocultural context within which it developed, especially from the 60’s to the 80’s. Although it is generally contained to the beaches on the coast of the Carolinas, some hits became popular enough to make the national billboards. The Carolina Shag’s development parallels that of Carolina beach music and is very indicative of the type of music it really is. Because of the relative isolation of this music, the group who it helps to identify is easily studied. The similarities between beach music and these other genres create an ambiguity in distinguishing them from each other. The desire to create this distinction is perhaps why it took its more specific name of “Carolina” beach music and also may be why the Carolina Shag is unique from other swing dances of the same time. Either way, the Carolina shag as a cultural phenomenon was caused by the popularization of Carolina beach music.
Carolina beach music is essentially a mix between traditional swing dancing and the jitterbug (Zepke). It is similar to a lot of swing music in that it is relatively up-tempo and uses a shuffle note rhythmic structure (Wikipedia). This type uses what is called a swing note, which is where the first note in a rhythm is played twice as long as the second note, but the division itself is inexact. This technique is what makes the music “swing” or in other words it’s what gives listeners the desire to dance. In a cultural context, it is the property of the music as played that causes its listeners to dance. Beach music borrows from many other genres of music, such as R&B, soul, jazz, and doo-wop; all of these share this shuffle note technique (Swung Note).
The sociocultural context that 60’s beach music is set in is not one that many people are fond of. During this time the Jim Crow laws were still in effect across the United States. These were laws that punished people who consorted in nearly any fashion with someone of another race. Some examples include one in Arizona that read, “The marriage of a person of Caucasian blood with a Negro, Mongolian, Malay, or Hindu shall be null and void.” Another one from Florida stated that, “The schools for white children and the schools for negro children shall be conducted separately” (Examples). Obviously these laws prohibited almost all interracial mingling and furthered a cultural divide that was already there. This divide, among other things, was reflected in a large divide in music. White teenagers and college kids never had a real chance to hear black music, such as R&B, in its natural setting.
One place where white children were able to come to hear black music was in the nightclubs around Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. These kids were generally suburban white teenagers and college kids who wanted to have a good time. Jukeboxes were filled with R&B the sounds that are so closely related to beach music. The unique nature of the nightclubs in this area is another reason why the movement was so isolated to the region (Wikipedia). Even as the Jim Crow laws began to be repealed in the mid 60’s and integration slowly developed, this area remained one of the few places where whites enjoyed the sounds of R&B and a little later, soul music.
Carolina beach music in the sixties was paralleled by the development of the Carolina Shag. This dance is the type of swing dance that is as unique to the region as the music itself. It has been described as “… a warm night with a cold beer and a hot date” (Carolina) This description fits the fun and free-swinging nature of the dance. The Carolina Shag has a little bit slower tempo to it than most other swing music does and this parallels the introduction of R&B to whites because R&B is slower than the “race music” of other types of swing. This Carolina shag is as free and fun as the teenagers who danced it. These kids wholeheartedly embraced the dance and how they could identify with it. As the movement became more popular, some artists began to stand out and become favorites of the shaggers.
An example of a popular musician from Carolina beach music in the 60’s is Clifford Curry. He started his career very early on as he grew up in his hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee. Clifford is known as the “King of Beach Music.” He came out with hits like “Intoxicated” and “She Shot a Hole in My Soul” which became perhaps his most famous song after its release in 1967. These songs have a moderate tempo and utilize the swing notes that have already been described. Although Clifford did much to popularize beach music, it fell by the wayside almost entirely in the 1970’s except to a small group of people known as the Society of Stranders (Wikipedia).
The 80’s decade represents the revival of beach music from its downfall in the previous decade. The Society of Stranders had kept the music alive and actually began propagate it again. The movement disseminated out of the genre’s original birthplace, North Myrtle Beach (Wikipedia). Characteristic of this period is the popularization of the beach band. These bands has began to play in nightclubs in the late 60’s and into the 70’s and as the 80’s rolled around those clubs became more popular than ever. Some of the more famous ones include “The Beach Club” and “The Pavilion,” both of which are located in Myrtle Beach. The sounds of these bands were again, influenced by R&B and to a lesser extent, Motown (Wikipedia).
As beach music began to regain its popularity, social media took note. Magazines began to be put out for shag enthusiasts like Carolina Class in 1987 and Dancing on the Edge in 1989. A one hour documentary, Shaggin’ on the Strand, was released in 1985 (Beach Music History). These publications served as manifestations of beach music in pop culture and ultimately provided it another medium for people to identify with. They allowed the movement of beach music to become significantly more influential than it ever had been in the past. The movement became so popular that the Annual Beach Music Awards began in 1985 and the Beach Music Hall of Fame was founded in 1995 (Clifford Curry was among the first inducted). This turnaround represents the point where the Carolina shag movement and culture solidified itself as gained staying power in the area. The influence has continued to grow to this day as popular artists such as Jimmy Buffet and Rod Stewart have catered to the market.
Listeners identify with beach music by its very free nature and lyrics. These mirror the experience of being at the beach as a kid. The older audience probably can reminisce of their childhood days spent there, maybe even growing up in the area. The music is very much representative of a lifestyle more so than just an idea. Its listeners identify with a more wholesome type of fun than the young people that tend to visit the area nowadays. The most interesting aspect of the music is how, in a time when cross-cultural influences were few and far between, it impacted the white community despite how it was shaped in large part by black music. This fact could also play a role in the free feeling of beach music, as its listeners could detach themselves from the sociopolitical crises of the times and just appreciate the joyful and soulful sounds. The genre has spilled over into popular country music of today, in artists like Kenny Chesney and Blake Shelton.
Popular songs that reflect the nature I have been describing are “Carolina Girls” by General Johnson and the Chairmen and “My Girl” by the Temptations. “Carolina Girls” is a song about the southern belles that enjoyed the Carolina shag. It describes them as “the best in the world” and as “sweet southern pearls.” These traits portray the desire that young men had for them and they highlight the young romantic nature of the culture. There is a sax solo in the middle of the song that is reflexive of its jazz influence. “My Girl” is a song with a very similar lyrical message. An example of this is the verse, “I don't need no money, Fortune or fame. I've got all the riches, baby, One man can claim.” This is describing how he needs nothing in the world except for the girl he loves. This also highlights the free nature of beach music by saying how material possessions are not important. The tempo of this song is very moderate and lends itself to a little bit of a slower shag than say, “Carolina Girls” does.
Overall, the popularization of Carolina beach music and the subsequent movement of the Carolina shag culture has been a very isolated and unique one. The techniques within the music itself and the steps of the dance are quite similar to many other genres and dances, but with a little southern flair that gives it its own special flavor. The cross-cultural influences that existed in a time where race was such a big issue makes it even more compelling to listen to and to appreciate. The Tams summed it up best with the title of their most popular record, “Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy.” That is what Carolina beach music is all about.
Works Cited
"Beach Music." Wikipedia. Web. 12 Mar. 2010.
"Beach Music History." Beach Music Shag Dance Dancing History / Best in Beach Music Charts Downloads / Roadhouse Blues and Boogie / Endless Summer Network. Web. 12 Mar. 2010.
"Carolina Shag History." Swing, Salsa, Ballroom Dance Ithaca NY. Web. 12 Mar. 2010.
"Examples of Jim Crow Laws." Autoredirect to Main Site. Web. 12 Mar. 2010.
"Swung Note." Absolute Astronomy. Web. 12 Mar. 2010.
Zepke, Terrance. Coastal South Carolina. Sarasota, Florida: Pinapple, 2006. Print.
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