Discussion:
DJ list for Nat'l Shag Dance Contest - almost proof positive that Grossberg is wrong about "slower" numbers not being shagged to
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o***@gmail.com
2011-01-25 01:09:45 UTC
Permalink
Bruce Grossberg claims people don't shag to "slower" numbers like Al
Green's "Let's Stay Together" (he is so wrong, SOOOH wrong...but some
people around here sound like they're ready at the drop of a dime to
give up their credulity to him on ALL matters of musical wisdom faster
than its already yesterday...I want to make 2 points: (1) while on
thicker ice in terms of his knowledge of good soul & R&B
records...once you get (or rather, he) gets away from that, he's on
thinner ice) and (2) Shag can be and is actually often danced to songs
much slower than he would allow (such as he did here a couple of days
ago:
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cNewsgroups: rec.music.rock-pop-r+b.1950s
From: The Bloomfield Bloviator <***@aol.com>
Date: Sun, 23 Jan 2011 14:03:48 -0800 (PST)
Local: Sun, Jan 23 2011 5:03 pm
Subject: Re: Now This Is Shagging !!!
Dennis was inferring they did Carolina Shag on Dick Clark's old
American Bandstand (especially in its early and initial period in
Philadelphia) which was, of course, NEVER the case, and that was my
point of disagreement with him. You can do Carolina Shag, a more
versatile dance, to slower rhythm & blues numbers like Al Green's
"Let's Stay Together", which you could never use AB jitterbug to dance
to effectively or properly, for example.
<snip for brevity/point focus>

Nobody would shag to "Let's Stay Together" it's way too slow.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[end quote - that last sentence was Bruce's]

Well, Bruce, there's something called the Shag Nationals (officially
28th National Shag Dance Championships) - a major dance contest being
held down in Myrtle Beach, virtually ground zero for Shag, down
Carolina way, and a list of 25 shag DJ's submitted their top 25 shag
songs, which are to be used by dancers, to demonstrate their dance
acumen and adroitness and skill with Shag, and take a good look at
this list from the web-site; not everything is standard uptempo.
While there is nothing slow like a classic true slow song like "When A
Man Loves A Woman", there are many "mid-tempo" songs between a true
slow close grinder like that and the full-out uptempo of say Baby Work
Out (which is on the list):

http://www.shagnationals.com/dancer-info

Music Preservation List:

1. ANNIE HAD A BABY Hank Ballard
& The Midnighters

2. AT
LAST
Tony Martin

3. BABY WORKOUT Jackie
Wilson

4. BEAUTIFUL WEEKEND Googie Rene

5. BEG AND STEAL
Strangers

6. BEGIN THE BEGUINE Johnny
Mathis

7. BLUE MOON Nat
King Cole

8. BOAT DOCK Ray
Sharpe

9. BOOGIE WOOGIE KING Jimmy Liggins

10. BRING THE MONEY HOME The Orioles

11. BROKEN HEART The
Fiestas

12. BUMP ON A LOG LuLa
Reed

13. CAN YOU STAND IT Johnnie
Johnson

14. CANADIAN SUNSET Mills
Brothers

15. CHICKEN SHACK BOOGIE Amos Milburn

16. CHONNIE-ON CHON James
Brown

17. CLUB SAVOY
Rockin’ Louie and The Mamma Jammers

18. COME BACK MY LOVE The Wrenns

19. COME GET TO THIS Marvin
Gaye

20. COME GO WITH ME The
Federals

21. COULD IT BE YOU The
Four Tops

22. CRAZY, CRAZY, CRAZY The 5
Royales

23. CRY TO ME
Solomon Burke

24. CRUISIN’ FOR LOVE J. Geils
Band

25. DONUT AND A DREAM Mills Brothers

26. DON’T CRY ON MY SHOULDER Sam Cooke

27. DON’T YOU LIE TO ME B. B. King

28.
DREAM
Five Keys

29. DRINKIN’ WINE (Spodee Odee) Larry Dale

30. DRIP DROP
Drifters

31. DRIVE DADDY DRIVE Little
Sylvia

32. DRIVE IT HOME
Clovers

33. EXACTLY LIKE YOU Aretha
Franklin

34. FANNIE MAE
Junior Walker

35. FLAMINGO
Earl Bostic

36. FEEL SO GOOD
Shirley and Lee

37. FINE BROWN FRAME Lou Rawls and
Diane Reeves

38. FOOLS RUSH IN Etta
James

39. GOING BACK TO LOUISIANA Delbert McClinton

40. GREEN EYES The
Ravens

41. GIVE ME YOU
Billy Ward & The Dominoes

42. GOOD ROCKIN’ Jr.
Walker

43. HARD HEARTED WOMAN Eddie Burns

44. HAVE MERCY BABY Dominoes

45. HEARTBREAK (I’TS HURTIN’ ME) Little Willie John

46. HEAVY LOVE
David Ruffin

47. HEY BARTENDER Floyd
Dixon

48. HEY
GIRL Lucky
Carmichael

49. HEY SENORITA The
Penguins

50. HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE Huey Piano Smith
& The Clowns

51. HOLE IN THE WALL Floyd
Dixon

52. HONKY TONK
Bill Doggett

53. HONKY TONKY The
Drifters

54. HOW DO YOU STOP James
Brown

55. I
BETCHA O.C.
Smith

56. I BROUGHT IT ALL ON MYSELF Little Richard

57. I
CRY
The Cadets

58. I FEEL THAT OLD FEELING COMING ON James Brown

59. I GAVE MY LOVE A CHERRY Jimmy Williams

60. I HEAR A RHAPSODY Earl
Bostic

61. I JUST WANT TO LOVE YOU Ivory Joe
Hunter

62. I KNOW IT’S HARD BUT IT’S FAIR The 5 Royales

63. I USED TO CRY MERCY MERCY Lamplighters

64. I WANT A LOVE I CAN SEE Temptations

65. I WANNA KNOW
Lloyd Sims

66. I’D BE SATISFIED
Dominoes

67. IF I COULD HOLD YOU Melvin
Moore

68. I’M GLAD I FELL IN LOVE WITH YOU O C Smith

69. I’M TORE UP
Billy Gayles

70. IN THE MORNING TIME Clovers

71. IT WON’T BE THIS WAY (ALWAYS) The King Pins

72. IT’S A DOGGONE CRYING SHAME Ivory Joe Hunter

73. IT’S BETTER TO HAVE (AND DON’T NEED) Don Covay

74. JOHNNY B GOODE Elton
John

75. JUST A GIGOLO Louis
Prima and Keely Smith

76. JUST ONE LOOK Doris
Troy

77. JUST TO SAY HELLO Jesse
Belvin

78. LADY SOUL
The Temptations

79. LAY IT ON THE LINE The
Dominoes

80. LET ME GO HOME WHISKEY Leroy Little

81. LET’S HAVE A PARTY Amos
Milburn

82. LITTLE QUEENIE Chuck
Berry

83. LONELY TEARDROPS Jackie Wilson

84. LOOK WHAT YOU DO TO ME Snooky Pryor

85. LOVE OF MY LIFE The
Quails

86. LOVEABLE LILLIE Lillian
Leach and The Mellows

87. LOVER AND FRIEND Minnie
Ripperton

88. MAKE IT BE ME The
Flares

89. MAMA, TALK TO YOUR DAUGHTER Ray Sharpe

90. MAY
I
Maurice Williams and The Zodiacs

91. MORNING, NOON AND NIGHT Joe Turner

92. MOVE ME BABY Jimmy
Witherspoon

93. MY
GIRL The
Temptations

94. NIGHT AND DAY Earl
Bostic

95. NIP
SIP The
Clovers

96. NO SWEET LOVIN The
Drifters

97. OH WHAT A THRILL Rockpile

98. ON THE STREET WHERE YOU LIVE The Drifters

99. ONE DROP OF LOVE Ray
Charles


100. ONE MINT JULEP The
Clovers


101. ONE SCOTCH, ONE BOURBON, ONE BEER Amos Milburn


102. OUTSIDE OF PARADISE Ray O Vacs


103. OVER THE RAINBOW The Checkers

104. PLEASE DON’T GO Floyd
Dixon


105. POISON IVY
Willie Mabon


106. RED DRESS
Supercharge


107. RIVER STAY AWAY FROM MY DOOR Charlie Rich


108. ROCK AND ROLL WEDDING Hank Ballard and The
Midnighters


109. ROCK GRANNY ROLL Hank Ballard
and The Midnighters


110. ROCKIN’ ALL THE TIME Roy Brown


111. ROOSTER BLUES Delbert
McClinton


112. RUB A LITTLE BOOGIE Champion Jack
Dupree


113. SADIE MY LADY The
Drifters


114. SATELLITE BABY
Roosevelt Sykes

115. SAVOY BOOGIE Jimmy
McCracklin

116. SEPTEMBER IN THE RAIN Brenda Lee

117. SEPTEMBER IN THE RAIN Dinah Washington

118. 720 IN THE BOOKS Earl
Bostic

119. SEXY WAYS Hank
Ballard and The Midnighters

120. SHAKE, RATTLE AND ROLL Joe Turner

121. SHAKIN’ THE SHACK Fantastic
Shakers

122. SH-BOOM
Chords

123. SHE FELT TOO GOOD Jimmy
McCracklin

124. SHUT YOUR MOUTH B. B. King

125. SICK AND TIRED LuLa
Reed

126. SIX TO EIGHT
Sticks McGhee

127. SIXTY MINUTE MAN Billy Ward
and The Dominoes

128. SLOW BOAT TO CHINA Ronnie Dove

129. SMOKEY PLACES The Corsairs

130. SOMEBODY TOUCHED ME Ruth Brown

131. SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW The Fantastics

132. STAGGER LEE Lloyd
Price

133. STAND BY ME Ben E.
King

134.
STAY
Maurice Williams and The Zodiacs

135. STREET WALKING WOMAN T-Bone Walker

136. STRING OF PEARLS Glenn Miller

137. SUMMERTIME Earl
Bostic

138. SWEET SUE Big
Joe Turner

139. TA
TA
Clyde McPhatter

140. TAKIN’ CARE OF BUSINESS Freddy King

141. TANQUERAY
Johnnie Johnson

142. TEARS KEEP TUMBLING DOWN Ruth Brown

143. THANK YOU JOHN Willie Tee

144. THE DEACON MOVES IN Little Esther &
The Dominoes

145. THE WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT The Jarmels

146. THERE GOES MY BABY The Drifters

147. THERE’S NO TOMORROW The Clovers

148.
THINK
The 5 Royales

149. 39 – 21 – 40 SHAPE The
Showmen

150. TIME MAKES YOU CHANGE Dells


151. TONIGHT AND FOREVER The Whirlers

152. TOO LATE
Five Keys

153. TOO MUCH LOVIN’ The 5
Royales

154. TORE
UP
Harmonica Fats

155. TRUE FINE MAMA Little
Richard

156. TUNE
UP Jr.
Walker

157. TWO HEARTS Otis
Williams and The Charms

158. WEE BABY BLUES Joe Turner

159. WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES Esther Phillips

160. WHAT ABOUT YOUR DAUGHTER J. B. Lenoir

161. WHEN LOVE IS NEW Arthur
Prysock

162. WHITE CLIFFS OF DOVER The Checkers

163. WHY DON’T CHA STOP IT Buddy and Ella
Johnson

164. WITCHCRAFT Jesse
Belvin

165. WOE IS ME
The Cadillacs

166. WOULD I MIND
Steve Gibson and The Redcaps

167. YOU NEVER HAD IT SO GOOD The Checkers

168. YOUR CASH AIN’T NOTHIN’ BUT TRASH The Clovers

169. YOUR DADDY’S DOGGIN’ AROUND Todd Rhodes

170. YOU’RE IN LOVE Five
Vets

171. YOU’RE SO EASY TO LOVE Tommy James

172. YOU’RE THE BOSS Jimmy
Ricks & Lavern Baker

173. ZING WENT THE STRINGS The Coasters


Couples entering contest apparently have some lee-way (within above
list to dance to what they want to....here is the criteria for
selecting above records spelled out -cut and pasted):

"20. A list of classic shag recordings is available to all Pro, Non-
Pro, Seniors and Juniors to select from for their Thursday night
requirements record. The list was selected by many Disc- Jockeys in
order of preference #1 – #25 and the top 173 comprise the list. The
list is on this website. Dancers may fax or e-mail their Thursday
night letter of preference ASAP (prior to sending in their
application). NO record will be danced to more than two times on that
night. The first faxed or e-mailed times and dates will be the couples
to use the record. This is to avoid hearing the same record more than
twice." [end quote of shagnationals web-page]

Some of those records are as slow, or slower, than Green's "Let's Stay
Together", which has long been in Shag canon hall of fame.

Moral of the story: Double-check Bruce on all his allegations he
states as "facts". Memo to all:
He is NOT an unimpeachable source.
o***@gmail.com
2011-01-25 01:23:14 UTC
Permalink
Here's another lengthy Shag DJ playlist featuring Let's Stay Together
by Green:

http://www.djzone.net/pg/0006/sp00063.shtml

Trollberg is just plain wrong. Memo to Bruce: Be sure your brain is
in gear before you unclutch your mouth.
Dean F.
2011-01-25 01:29:04 UTC
Permalink
Memo to Bruce:  Be sure your brain is
in gear before you unclutch your mouth.
Pot / kettle = black!
The Bloomfield Bloviator
2011-01-25 02:03:05 UTC
Permalink
Post by o***@gmail.com
Here's another lengthy Shag DJ playlist featuring Let's Stay Together
http://www.djzone.net/pg/0006/sp00063.shtml
Trollberg is just plain wrong.   Memo to Bruce:  Be sure your brain is
in gear before you unclutch your mouth.
Have you ever once seen people shagging to these songs in the
carolinas....in person?

I've been there about a dozen times and have been to numerous shag
clubs. Nobody was shagging to ballads. They were slow dancing to
ballads some in between the shagging, but they were NEVER shagging to
ballads.
Sharx35
2011-01-25 02:40:25 UTC
Permalink
Post by o***@gmail.com
Here's another lengthy Shag DJ playlist featuring Let's Stay Together
http://www.djzone.net/pg/0006/sp00063.shtml
Trollberg is just plain wrong. Memo to Bruce: Be sure your brain is
in gear before you unclutch your mouth.
Huh! Yeah, THAT'll happen before the next Millennium. NOT!!

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