Inside The Music with Craig Fleming November 2021
Hello Everyone!
Well as the calendar turns to November, the excitement is building for The Carolina Beach Music Awards Weekend in North Myrtle Beach! The fun starts on Thursday, November 11th with The Ocean Drive CBMA Pre Parties and culminates with the 2021 Carolina Beach Music Awards on Sunday, November 14th at The Alabama Theatre. If you are a fan of LIVE Beach Music this is the weekend for you! There will be live bands in all of the clubs up and down Main Street Ocean Drive! Bands scheduled to appear include The Sand Band with Special Guest Jimmy Hall (Jimmy Hall!), The Castaways, The Konnection Band, Donny and Susan Trexler with Special Guest, Too Much Sylvia, The Main Event Band, Rick Strickland and Lesa Hudson, The Carolina Coast Band with Rhonda McDaniel and Rickey Godfrey, The Pink Slips, The Catalinas, and The Tonez.
The weekend concludes with The Hayes Jewelers After Party which includes The Embers featuring Craig Woolard with DJ Eric Bowman at The Spanish Galleon, and The Band of Oz with our own Pat Patterson in the DJ booth at Harold's On The Ocean. If you are able to make it for the weekend, please stop by and say hello to Pat and I. I promise it will be a LARGE TIME at HOTO's that evening and we would love to see you there!
For complete information on this great weekend including the entire weekend lineup as well as all of the award nominees, visit http://www.cammy.org Hope to see you there!
With that being said, let's take a look at some of the new releases that have hit the Beach Music airwaves this past month, and some upcoming releases that are scheduled for release soon. Let's go Inside The Music shall we!
Burnin' It Up For Your Love - Sylvia Johns Ritchie
Fresh off her #1 smash hit "Gonna Stop My Lookin'", Sylvia Johns Ritchie is back at it with her latest release "Burnin' It Up For Your Love". The song and video were released on Eric Bowman's New Beach Music Countdown a few weeks back and it is currently #25 on that chart. The video was directed by multi-award winning director Tony Murnahan and was filmed at Bourbon Cowboy/3001 Nightlife in Myrtle Beach. The video includes some great dancers as well as many familiar faces in the Beach Music world: Deb Browning, Russell Henry, Dan Summitt, Wayne Troutman, J.K. Loftin, Doyle Wood, and Pam Snider. You can check out the video on You Tube and the song is available for download on I Tunes. The song is a Sylvia original and it features her tearing up those 88's!! With J.K. Loftin on guitar, Sylvia wearing out the piano, and a killer sax mixed in, this promises to be another hit for Sylvia! I expect this song to continue to move up the charts in the months ahead. Download it today! You will be glad you did!
Lady Cadillac - The Heaterz
The Heaterz have been on quite a roll lately giving us hits such as "Dusk Til Dawn", "Bloody Mary", and "Things You Make Me Do". Well they are back with another one entitled "Lady Cadillac". The song was released on Eric Bowman's New Beach Music Countdown a couple of weeks ago and is currently #28 on that chart. This is an original tune written by "Bloody Mary" writer Greg Mitchell and was produced by Doyle Wood for Daxwood Productions. This song follows in the same vein as most of the other Heaterz releases: a bluesy shuffle beat with killer guitar riffs and a screamin' harmonica to go along with it! This is a fun tune that should definitely be added to your collection. It is available for download on I Tunes.
Hey Baby - John G. Franklin
Hall of Famer John G. Franklin dropped his latest release a few weeks back and it is already moving up the charts; currently at #19 on Eric Bowman's New Beach Music countdown. Originally written by Derek St. Holmes and recorded by Ted Nugent, John G has worked some magic on this classic.
Start with a 16-second intro with the drums laying down a swinging groove, add a walking bass line, stir in some silky guitar, and then BAM! Here comes John G riding in on a big horn section. This 3:39, laid back dance tune (at 115 bpm) has a bluesy, swampy groove that will make you want to work it out on the dance floor. Imagine Stevie Ray Vaughn with a Big Band horn section.
"Hey Baby" is arranged, produced, and performed by John G. Franklin (CBMA Hall of Famer and writer of "Friends" and "I Can't Live Without Your Love," among others). It also features Mickey Floyd on guitar and Chris Jennings (from the Fantastic Shakers and Band of Oz) doing some amazing drum programming. Andy Swindell (of Embers fame) is featured on Rhodes and also mixed and mastered the song. (Courtesy of official Green Dot Records one sheet)
"Hey Baby" is available on Spotify and also at http://www.johngfranklinmusic.com Download this fun tune today!
Where Do Things Go From Here - Toni Naples
This smokin' slow song was featured on Eric Bowman's New Beach Music Countdown on October 30th and received rave reviews. Featuring Toni's sultry vocals and a smokin' saxophone, this song hits all of the buttons for a good, bluesy, slow groove. I can imagine this song being played in an old school, smoke filled, blues club and the floor being filled! I know most DJ's are always looking for another good slow song to add to their repertoire; well folks this is one to add! Download "Where Do Things Go From Here" from I Tunes today and use it at your next gig. I bet you it will be a sure fire floor filler!
I thought this month I would briefly mention a few national releases that have caught my ear in recent weeks:
Cold Heart - Elton John and Dua Lipa
Currently #8 on John Hook's Beach Music Top 40, this song combines a great dance beat with shades of Elton Johns "Rocket Man". Should definitely be an add to your collection as it should work well on the dance floor. Available for download on I Tunes.
Skate - Bruno Mars, Anderson, Paak, and Silk Sonic
Currently #19 on John Hooks Beach Music Top 40, this is another funky, upbeat tune in the line of recent Bruno Mars hits. Should be a definite add to your collection. Available for download on I Tunes.
You Don't Love Me - Jamie and The Numbers
I will confess I don't know much about this group, but this song just reeks of Old School Beach Music, Northern Soul, etc. Originally recorded by The Epitome of Sound with Eugene Thomas on lead vocal, Jamie and The Numbers give this Northern Soul classic new life. If you like old school soul music, then this is a definite must for your music collection! Thanks to Pat Gwinn for bringing this song to my attention on his November Top 30 chart. The song is available for download on I Tunes but it does have a sound clip at the end that may have to be edited out for radio use. Still worth adding to your collection!
Good Strong Woman - Darius Rucker and Keb Mo
What happens when you combine blues man Keb Mo with country music mega star Darius Rucker? Beach Music magic that's what! From his upcoming January 2022 release "Good To Be....", "Good Strong Woman" is going to put a full frontal assault on the Beach Music charts in the coming months! Darius Rucker gave us the Summertime hit "Beers and Sunshine", and Keb Mo has been a mainstay on the Beach Music charts for years! I first heard this song played by Ray Scott during his Deckerz Wild and Crazy Deck Party and I immediately downloaded it and added it to my collection! With a little country twist, and a great back beat for the dancers, this is a must add for your collection! Do what I did and download it today! Available on I Tunes.
Some releases that are scheduled over the next couple of months:
Well the wait is finally over! We finally have an "official release date" for I Tunes and Amazon, November 4th, for the amazing new compilation from Forevermore Music: "Soul Steppin' Vol. 2". This release contains 12 brand new modern soulful songs; 7 that have made Fessa Hook's Beach Music Top 40, and 5 that have made Eric Bowman's New Beach Music Countdown chart, The release also includes Little John Thompson's monster release "No Matter" which just completed it's 9th week at #1 on The Riptide Radio Top 20. Folks I have been talking about this release for months and it is finally going to be available. This is one of the best compilations to hit our market in years; an amazing array of talented artists coupled with tip of the spear production from Chris Biehler and the folks at Forevermore Music! Do yourself a favor and add this compilation to your Beach Music collection on November 4th! I promise you will be glad you did!
Randy Clay Band - 3 Wishes
The Randy Clay Band is set to release their new original song "3 Wishes" on Friday, November 5th. The band is offering a teaser of the new song on their Facebook page and it sounds like they have another hit on their hands! This song has a great dance beat that should be friendly for the shag crowd and outstanding instrumentation from this talented group. The Randy Clay Band has given us lots of original material over the years including "Real Good Time" which is still charting on Riptide Radio. This sounds like this may be their best yet! Great job guys! Randy says the song will be available everywhere so check all of your favorite download sites!
Deb Browning - Here Comes Christmas
Deb Browning is releasing her first Christmas CD, "Here Comes Christmas" , with a CD Release Party at Fat Harold's Beach Club in North Myrtle Beach on Thursday, December 2nd. Deb will be joined by special guests Russell Henry, Marlisa Kay Small, Charlie Womble, and Jackie McGee. The event will be emceed by Award Winning DJ's Eric Bowman and Ray Scott. This promises to be a FUN event for everyone that can attend; however, if you can't make it to the event, Deb's CD will be available for download at DebBrowningMusic,com on December 3rd!
As a follow up to "Here Comes Amazon" from last year, Deb has written another original Christmas tune that will be included on the new CD. The music video for "All Over The World" will debut on Saturday, December 4th, on The New Beach Music Countdown with Eric Bowman on The Wave, WDZD 99.1 FM in Monroe, N.C. You can tune in on Facebook, or on The Fun One WDZD 99.1 app at 10:00 A.M. to join Eric and Deb for all the Countdown Fun and the debut of the new song! The video will also be available at DebBrowningMusic.com and on Deb's Facebook page.
Deb Browning has become one of my favorite people in the industry! We wish her nothing but the best with her new CD! Download it when it becomes available. I'm sure it will be another fantastic release from this talented artist!
Well folks that's it for another month! I hope to see you all at The Carolina Beach Music Awards! Stop by and say hello on Sunday night, November 14th, when I will be hanging out with my good friend Pat Patterson for the Hayes Jewelers After Party with The Band Of Oz at HOTO"s.
See ya at the Beach!
Craig