25th Anniversary of the Volume 25 Issue 3 August, 2019 Spring Safari Parade 2019 Page 2 ABSCDJ Update Inside This Issue Page The Presidential Corner 3 Old School Shag— 5 The Du Droppers New Corporate Members 8 DJ Throwdown 9 ShagTraxx 10 BeachMusic45 14 Mini Meetings 15 Member Playlist 17 Classifieds 22 General Membership Meeting 9:30AM Saturday 9/21 Ryans—NMB The ABSCDJ Newsletter is the official publication of The Association of Beach & Shag Club D.J.’s. It is normally pub- lished five times a year in accordance with the following schedule: Late-February, prior to the DJ Throw- down Early April, Prior to Spring SOS Mid-July Early September, prior to Fall SOS Late-November, Early December ABSCDJ Update Page 3 Happy HOT summer! It’s the time of year for working in the yard, tending to gardens, taking trips, going on vacations and doing many other things. I hope you have been able to spend some fun time with family and friends. The summer has also been a busy time for your Officers and Board Members. We’ve been working on upgrades to the web site and its layout (check it out), cleaning up our membership roster, updating our Corporate Member policies, managing mini-meetings and much more. I’d like to extend a personal “Thank you” to the rest of the Board, our committee members and others who have been helping push us ahead behind the scenes. At the summer meeting of the Association of Carolina Shag Clubs I made a presentation about the Association of Beach and Shag Club DJ’s and the role we play in the shag world. I also talked about the ways individuals, groups and businesses can support our organization and our efforts. After the meeting, fifty-two shag clubs signed up to become Corporate Members. I would like to thank them and welcome them. I expect more shag clubs will be joining, soon. Working together with the ACSC, SOS, lounges and other pieces of the “shag world” can make all of us stronger and more capable of perpetuating the music and the dance that we all love. I also shared some generic information about our new and improved DJ Throwdown 2020 at that meeting. We received a huge round of applause from the shag club representatives when they heard what we intend to do! It is invigorating to see all of the posi- tive responses we are getting from others when they hear about our plans. The excitement is building and it is contagious! Speaking of Throwdown 2020, we are working on more detailed plans and are already promoting our March 5-8 event. I would like to see each and every DJ in our Association participate in the promotion of Throwdown and other pre-event efforts this year. Can your Association count on you? Dennis Brumble has Reverse Raffle Tickets for the event. Top prize this year will be $8000. There will also be twenty $100 prizes. So, a lot of people are going to win cash! Your immediate support of this effort will be very much appreciated. Please contact Den- nis ([email protected] or 803-312-2895) as soon as possible and let’s see how quickly we can sell all of them. It would be great to be finished long before the party starts. Peggy and I traveled to Junior SOS mid-July. Having been involved with the Junior Shag Association (JSA) since before it was officially created, I’m pleased to see how it has grown and prospered over the decades. Our organization and our DJ’s are to be commended. The financial support our Association has provided and the personal efforts some or our members have given have been crucial to the success of the JSA and Junior SOS. While at the beach we had lunch and some great discussions with Dwayne and Robin Porter, the new owners of Ducks. They have committed to perpetuating the history of the lounge and making things better. This includes some upgrades to the interior and exte- rior of the building, putting in new A/C units, etc. On behalf of the ABSCDJ’s, I’d like welcome them to the shag community. Finally, if you have any suggestions to improve our organization or any of our efforts, I always welcome them. And remember, your Association needs YOU! Volunteer today and help “make the DJ Association great again”. J I’ll close with these lyrics from “American Pie”: A long, long time ago, I can still remember how that music used to make me smile. And I knew if I had my chance, that I could make those people dance, And maybe they'd be happy for a while. Mike Page 4 ABSCDJ Update REMEMBER YOUR MEMBERSHIP CARD You will need your card to “scan in” to the meeting. This activity logs your attendance to meet the BY-LAW require- ment of attendance. Replacement cards can be or- dered for $5 by clicking this link “replacement card” or visiting the members area of NAME the webpage abscdj.com . # ABSCDJ Update Page 5 Old School Shag History Submitted by Dennis Brumble The Du Droppers The Du Droppers were an American doo-wop group Around August of 1952, the Du Droppers recorded a cou- formed in Harlem, New York, in 1952. Members of the ple of sides for Red Robin ("Can't Do Sixty No More" and band were experienced gospel singers in ensembles dated "Chain Me Baby") that were released in September. The to the 1940s. The Du Droppers could do it all: from a former song was, of course, a belated answer to the Domi- bluesy pop sound, through Rhythm & Blues, all the way to noes' "Sixty Minute Man" (and was a completely different Rock 'n' Roll. They were a more mature group than most song than the one the Dominoes would release in February when they formed in early 1952. The original members of 1955). "Chain Me Baby" is a great bluesy sound that were: J.C. Ginyard (lead), Willie Ray (tenor and baritone), really shows you what the Du Droppers were capable of. Harvey Ray (baritone and tenor), and Eddie Harshaw Although it failed to chart, "Can't Do Sixty No More" was (bass). Willie Ray was the youngest at about 30; Ginyard, well received in Canadian markets, where the group first the oldest, was 42. Eddie Harshaw, from Cincinnati, had began touring. Soon after, Harshaw departed the Du Drop- been part of a group called the 5 Tones, made up of soldiers pers, and was replaced by Bob Kornegay, formerly stationed at Camp Lee, Virginia in 1942. of Julian Dash's orchestra. Feeling the label They won a base talent contest and got to did not adequately distribute their records, sing with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra at the group left Red Robin Records to sign the Capitol Theater in Washington, DC on with RCA Records. August 18 (they did "Shout, Brother, Shout"). On February 17, 1953, the Du Droppers recorded four songs for RCA: "I Wanna Caleb Nathaniel Ginyard, Junior was born Know," "Laughing Blues," "Baby Don't on January 15, 1910 in St. Matthews, Leave Me In This Mood," and "Get South Carolina. Since he was Caleb Na- Lost." RCA Victor gave the Du Droppers thaniel, Junior, people took to calling him a recording session with producer Joe "Junior Caleb," and that's where the "J.C." Thomas. Ginyard had some words he came from. He formed the Royal Harmony heard from some little young girls that used Singers (Decca) in 1936, a group that met- to stand around his door stoop. One of amorphosed into the Jubalaires in 1941 (recording for Dec- them said one night "I want to know what you do when you ca and King). In 1948, he joined the Dixieaires (who rec- go 'round there." So Ginyard wrote that down and carried it orded for King, Continental, Sunrise, Prestige, and Sittin' In in his pocket for a long time before he did anything with it. With). The Ray Brothers had been with the Southwest Jubi- When he told producer Joe Thomas about it, he said "Go lee Singers, and Eddie Harshaw was a friend of Ginyard. home and write it." Around that time, Ginyard had met a The Du Droppers would get together in the basement of great musician, who used to play with Ella Fitzgerald, Ginyard's apartment house at 149th Street and 7th Avenue named Raymond “Tuney” Tunia, who had been the Ink in Harlem. There was a piano there and the new group Spots arranger/pianist in the mid-40s. Ginyard went to practiced until they felt they were ready to start a profes- Tuney's house with this song, the melody and all. So Tuney sional career. With the 15 years of experience that Ginyard took the melody down and he said "Well, it's all right, but brought to the group, they quickly attracted some attention. it's just about 1/4 of a bar short." Ginyard said, "Well, I Charlie Newsome became their road manager and arranged could straighten that out..." but Tuney said, "No, don't both- for most of their auditions. Paul Kapp, manager of the Del- er. I'll write the music and the musicians will play it, and ta Rhythm Boys, took over their management. (Kapp's they will skip that 1/4 of a bar, and it may be a gimmick." brother, Dave, was later to found the successful Kapp La- During the recording session at RCA they were trying to bel.