Wednesday, May. 13, 2009

Palmetto Rocks: Our Trip to Number 1

 

 

Hootie and Tucker are just two legendary bands known by a single name – there are others, of course, Tull, Skynyrd, Priest, etc., but fans of American music from around the world know Hootie and Tucker and both bands call South Carolina home.

Tucker (a.k.a The Marshall Tucker Band), with original lead vocalist Doug Gray, will bring its brand of Southern rock/jazz and countrified blues to the House of Blues on Saturday on the band’s annual pilgrimage to the area for the spring bike rally.

Add to Tucker and Hootie iconic names from the past, such as James Brown (“I Feel Good”), Chubby Checker (“The Twist”), as well as modern troubadours including Edwin McCain (“I’ll Be”), and Duncan Sheik (“Barely Breathing”), and you may begin to realize that all these names represent South Carolina’s rock ‘n’ roll contribution to the world. Add in local and regional bands that shone briefly in the national spotlight, including the South Carolina Upstate’s Cravin’ Melon (“Sweet Tea”), Myrtle Beach’s The Drag, Echo 7, The Classic Struggle, and The Independents, and suddenly the Palmetto State’s contribution to the national and international music scene seems even broader. These artists, and many more un-sung rockers, together represent millions of records sold, millions of concert tickets purchased, millions of dollars in financial impact, and they all added to the significant global appreciation of our little corner of the Southeast.

So, with an arsenal of important South Carolina artists and their recordings gathered, we’ve embarked on a mission to determine the undeterminable; a Top Ten list, which includes our no. 1, best and most influential rock ‘n’ roll record (loosely defined) released by one of our own. How did we do it? We’ve talked to some pretty knowledgeable music people and asked their opinions, considered our own opinions, and while we want your opinions too, first let’s hear what these musical authorities had to say about Palmetto State’s finest.

MARK BRYAN, guitarist for Hootie and the Blowfish, solo artist and founding member of the trio The Occasional Milkshake.

His Top Picks: Jump, Little Children’s “Magazine,” and The Marshall Tucker Band’s “Tenth"

While some of my geographically challenged friends still think Myrtle Beach is in North Carolina, they all know that Hootie & The Blowfish is from South Carolina. The band’s remarkable and meteoric rise from college band to the band that shook grunge to its core, when it released one of the best-selling debut pop/rock records in history, is well known in music circles. Hootie’s “Cracked Rear View” has made our list, if not the modest Bryan’s list, because of its extraordinary impact and the votes of some 26 million worldwide record buyers, 16 million in the U.S. alone.

While much too humble to vote for his own recordings, Bryan has drafted some fine players and their releases to his list. Though he sung the praises of Brown’s catalog, and influence on the music scene, it was the album “Magazine,” released in 1998 by North/South Carolina band Jump, Little Children, which hit the top of his list. The band originally formed in Winston-Salem, N.C. in 1991 before relocating to Charleston in 1993. Pre-dating Coldplay and Keane by 10 years, the band’s ethereal, haunting single “Cathedrals” received national airplay and helped build an audience for this very original alternative band. Sadly, the group broke up in 2005.

Bryan also alluded to his respect for soul/funk singer Brown, whose name came up regularly in our experts’ picks. “I had forgotten that James Brown was a South Carolina artist,” added Bryan. “Wow, that pretty much takes the cake right there, you can’t do much better than that.”

Bryan also gave high marks to Hootie band mate-turned-country-music-star,Darius Rucker, and his 2008 country/rock crossover release “Learn to Live,” as well as Edwin McCain’s first three albums, and Cravin’ Melon’s “Red Clay Harvest.” “I would mention Marshall Tucker, too,” said Bryan. “I lived in Maryland at the time (the song) “Cattle Drive” came out and I really loved it.” “Cattle Drive” appeared on The Marshall Tucker Band’s album “Tenth” and also on “The Marshall Tucker Band: Live on Long Island 4-18-80.”

DOUG GRAY, lead vocalist and founding member of The Marshall Tucker Band.

His Pick: Joe Bennett/The Sparkletones’ “Black Slacks”

The principal players in the original Marshall Tucker Band lineup are from the Spartanburg region and though there is no one named Marshall Tucker in the band, he is a real person. The band chose its name in 1972 after finding a key fob in its Spartanburg rehearsal space imprinted with the name of a blind piano tuner from town, Marshal Tucker, who is now in his 80s and living in Columbia.

Of the original six members, only Doug Gray, the band’s primary lead vocalist, remains in the group. Toy Caldwell (1947 – 1993), who wrote most of the band’s material, was the lead guitarist and lead vocalist on the iconic tune, “Can’t You See,” though Gray sang virtually everything else. Tragedy struck the Caldwell family, when, in 1980, bassist and founding member brother Tommy Caldwell died in an auto accident. Toy Caldwell left the Marshall Tucker Band in 1984 and toured and recorded with The Toy Caldwell Band between 1985 and 1992. He died from complications resulting from heart disease. George McCorkle, who once lived in Conway, was rhythm guitarist and writer of “Fire on the Mountain.” He died of cancer in 2007.

“It’s the fans that keep the spirit [of Marshall Tucker] alive,” said Gray, who owns a second home in Garden City Beach and tours regularly, performing in the Myrtle Beach area almost annually. “I love Myrtle Beach. I bought a place there when I was 21-years- old and I’ve been back and forth ever since.” When asked about the most influential South Carolina band, Gray didn’t hesitate. “There’s so many bands from South Carolina but there’s one that came out of Spartanburg that I love called The Sparkletones. It was Joe Bennett and The Sparkletones. Man, they had their own TV show and a song called “Black Slacks.” They played it on ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’ back in the 1950s. As far as I’m concerned that was probably the strongest song anybody from South Carolina ever had.”

“Black Slacks” hit the Billboard Top 100 chart in 1957, peaking at no. 17, but stayed on for four consecutive months. In the earliest days of rock ‘n’ roll, which we now call rockabilly, some acts from South Carolina and other southern states added a decidedly country twang to their electric guitars and vocals, but it was rock ‘n’ roll none the less. Considered a classic of the 1950s “Black Slacks” is featured in the films “Crazy Mama,” “The Rescuers Down Under,” and Johnny Depp’s “Cry Baby.”

JAYNIE TRUDELL, local singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist.

Her Pick: The Marshall Tucker Band’s “Searchin’ for a Rainbow.”

Trudell’s name is well known on the Grand Strand having performed here for the better part of two decades. She cites Tucker’s “Searchin’ for a Rainbow” as her top pick, and though originally an upstate New Yorker, this Northern girl, like music fans the world over, developed a love for Southern rock.

“Searchin’ for a Rainbow,” includes a re-release of “Can’t You See,” Tucker’s best known song, which was first released on its self-titled debut in 1973. “Searchin’ for a Rainbow” also included the hit “Fire on the Mountain,” as well as the title track.

“I missed my high school prom just to sing back-up vocals on “Fire on the Mountain,” with a band at a local music festival,” said Trudell. “I also played and sang with George McCorkle at his “Songwriters in the Round” at Coastal Carolina University - twice – a dream come true.”

McCorkle lived the better part of a decade in the 80s and 90s in Conway, running a stained-glass art shop. He eventually moved to Nashville, Tenn. to continue songwriting in the land of songwriters. He was Tucker’s rhythm guitarist, back-up singer and wrote many of the band’s tunes including the hit “Fire on the Mountain.”

Trudell also opened for a newer incarnation of Tucker at its first House of Blues appearance in the late 1990s.” The band’s influence during the 1970s hey-day of Southern rock helped the genre grow around the world. Even more than its contemporaries, Tucker fused multiple styles; country, pop, blues, jazz, rock and gospel in its recordings and live performances. The band is credited for helping elect Jimmy Carter to the presidency in 1976 by holding numerous rallies around the country in support of the candidate. Tucker’s discography spans more than three decades, and includes some 33 titles, including six gold records and three platinum. Though many of the 33 releases are retrospectives and greatest hits, Gray and the new Marshall Tucker Band released an album of new Tucker songs in 2007, “The Next Adventure.”

H. DAVID HENSON, local sound engineer, producer, and educator.

His Pick: James Brown’s “Live at the Apollo”

These days Henson, of Myrtle Beach, can be most readily found spinning the knobs in Margaritaville restaurant’s audio booth at Broadway at the Beach. His resume includes studio work with Stevie Wonder, including engineering credits on Wonder’s masterwork “Songs in the Key Of Life,” as well as Jim Croce’s “I’ve Got A Name.” Henson is credited as senior engineer on Poco’s 1978 hit “Legend,” which included the classic soft country rock single “Crazy Love.” Later Henson engineered a slew of R&B beach music releases for Chairmen of the Board, and many others. He taught audio engineering at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn. before relocating to Myrtle Beach. Henson’s local studio work includes production and engineering credits for The Necessary Band and Ten Toes Up, where he worked as guest producer/engineer at Sea Note Recording in Myrtle Beach.

“I wore out a vinyl copy of James Brown’s ‘Live at the Apollo,’” said Henson. “My parents had a big piece of furniture in their living room that housed, and nicely hid, a big Sears record player/stereo rig. I drove them nuts playing it over and over. It was one of the first two albums I ever owned. My older sister had Elvis and Ricky Nelson 45s, but they were no match for James Brown, who forever imprinted big horn band and old school R&B in my little teenage music head.”

James Brown (1933 – 2006) is “the Godfather of soul” long before the term “rock ‘n’ roll” even existed. He put the rock in R&B and almost single-handedly created funk music. Born in Barnwell, (70 miles west of Charleston) Brown’s childhood was tainted by depression-era extreme poverty. He was eventually moved to Augusta, Ga. to live with an aunt, a madam, who ran a brothel. Brown was a professional athlete for a few short years (a boxer and minor league baseball player), but he’d already discovered people liked his singing. He would spend the next 50 years as a tireless performer. When not touring, which was rare, Brown lived the last several decades of his life on a riverfront estate in Beech Island in Aiken County, across the Savannah River from Augusta. He died at 73 just a few months after performing in front of 80,000 fans at the Oxegen music festival in Ireland.

Brown’s unusual early-life experiences no doubt helped shaped the sensual singer, who ultimately influenced everyone from The Rolling Stones, to Michael Jackson, to M.C. Hammer. He’s credited as being one of the first artists to speak rhythmically, rather than sing, though he did both, and is thus seen as a forerunner of rap music. Casual fans and critics all know “I Feel Good,” and the Grammy winning “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag.” Though it was Brown’s 1963 release “Live at The Apollo,” that put him on the map, it was the 1970 single “Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine” that moved Brown from a Southern R&B artist to a world-wide funk-rock phenomenon. That single appeared on the album “Sex Machine,” earning both it and “Live at the Apollo” slots in our Top 10. Brown had several run-ins with the law, landing him in jail on more than a few occasions, but it hardly slowed him down - it would take pneumonia to do that. On the night he died in an Atlanta hospital of congestive heart failure brought on by complications from pneumonia, “the hardest working man in show business,” as he was known, uttered his last words: “I’m going away tonight.”

Brown’s highly public memorial services included dignitaries from around the nation, multiple costume changes, and a public display of the singer in a gold casket placed in a glass-encased horse-drawn carriage. The procession wound through the streets of New York to The Apollo Theater. His surviving family members, of whom there is a slew from multiple marriages, are still contesting his will, but plan to eventually open his Beech Island estate as a shrine, similar to Elvis’ Graceland in Memphis.

MICHAEL WOOD, lead singer for local acts Something About Vampires and Sluts (S.A.V.A.S.) and The Wet Teens, label head for Kosher Kittens Records, Surge contributing writer, and manager of The Basement in downtown Myrtle Beach.

His Pick: The Independents’ “Back From the Grave”

Wood’s musical itch is satisfied as front man for S.A.V.A.S., and The Wet Teens. He is unafraid to share his eclectic tastes, and while mild-mannered off stage, he lets a flamboyant persona take over when fronting these two local bands. His indie label, Kosher Kitten Records, has released several important projects from Myrtle Beach bands including: The Wet Teens’ “Let it Pee,” The SharkLegs’ “Iron Born,” Planet Cock “Anthology,” and the soon-to-be-released CD from Atalaya, “The Escape.”

When Joey Ramone (of The Ramones) is your manager and producer, you will be noticed. That was the case with Myrtle Beach/Florence band The Independents and its 2000 release, "Back from the Grave." Rumored to have turned down multiple major-label deals to retain more creative independence (pun intended), not to mention larger percentages, The Independents at first chose large indie labels Rockduster Records and Elevator Music but ultimately would release “Back From The Grave,” the second Ramone-produced project, independently. “This record helped put South Carolina punk on the map,” said Wood, who once toured with the band as a merchandise manager. “They put out a lot of records, but for anyone just getting introduced to them, this album is a good starting point.”

The Independents are full-on farcical horror punk with a stage show and energy that earned them tours with The Misfits, The Ramones, and opening slots for Blink-182, Cheap Trick, Blondie, and a recent gig at Spencer’z South in Murrells Inlet opening for The Supersuckers. The band’s bio is a hilarious literary gem, which shows its sense of humor and tongue-in-cheek approach to its gruesome yet grooving music. Check it out at www.theindependents.net.

TIM CLARK, local performer, songwriter and band leader.

His Picks: Edwin McCain’s “Honor Among Thieves,” “Misguided Roses,” “Scream and Whisper,” and “Messenger”

Veteran singer and front man, Clark, of The Tim Clark Band, knows the Carolinas and its music scene as well as any. His decades-long career in a variety of bands from the region has also given him perspective on some of the best bands and albums released by South Carolina acts.

“From his first recording to his last, definitely Edwin McCain,” said Clark. “I love his style, honesty, and the way he tells a story in his songs. I think his voice has matured nicely over the years and he’s given us some great songs that stand the test of time. I hope for us (and him), the best is yet to come.”

Edwin McCain, 39, is part of the clique of South Carolina acts born in the late 1980s and early 1990s that included Hootie & the Blowfish, The Blue Dogs, Cravin’ Melon and Jump, Little Children. These artists were friends and friendly competitors, who often toured together, shared record labels, shared musicians with each other in the studio and on the road, and sold lots of albums. McCain’s biggest hits “I’ll Be,” from the 1997 album “Misguided Roses” and the Dianne Warren penned ballad “I Could Not Ask For More,” from the 1999 album “Messenger,” showcased McCain’s incredible vocal range and knack for both writing and singing pop ballads. His four Lava/Atlantic releases between 1995 and 2001 all charted on the Billboard Top 200, with “Messenger” reaching no. 59, and for that reason and McCain’s enduring popularity, we add “Messenger” to our top ten.

CHANCE WALLS, performer, songwriter and lead vocalist for The Drag, One Louder, and The Lord Is My Shotgun

His Picks: Sunbrain’s “Perfection Lies,” and “Something About Vampires and Sluts “I’m Not Afraid of Sex”

Walls is the naturally talented singer and songwriter who fronted the hometown group, The Drag, which recently performed at a sold-out reunion show at Droopy’s in Myrtle Beach. Now living in Atlanta, Walls still performs, manages a restaurant and is a family man. In the mid-1990s Walls and band mates were touring and living the rock ‘n’ roll dream with the release of The Drag’s 1996 Island Record’s project, “Satellites Beaming Back at You.” We reached him for comment on South Carolina’s best rock ‘n’ roll record and here’s what he had to say. “The band I love the most would be The Drag. My favorite band would be Sunbrain. I’ve also always been a fan of Something About Vampires and Sluts. I love the name and the sound is very dark and cool. Michael [Wood] is a good front man.”

Sunbrain was a rising star from the Clemson college scene starting in 1990. Its debut album “Perfection Lies,” was released in 1993 on Grass Records, an indie label based in New York. Three more albums were released before the band broke up in 1996. “There was great intensity about this band,” said Walls. “Long before the term emo was out there – these guys were the real deal. My hands-down pick is “Perfection Lies.”

But Walls also has a soft spot for goth/electronic-tinged Myrtle Beach act S.A.V.A.S. Add the crystal clear production and versatile guitars from producer/engineer/guitarist Brian McKenzie and the all-out glam-punk of Wood’s vocals and it’s not hard to understand why S.A.V.A.S. has become a beloved Myrtle Beach underground indie band whose roots sneak out into the national music scene. In S.A.V.A.S., David Bowie meets The Ramones and The Sex Pistols in a dark alley and engages in a Glam/Goth/Emo/Progressive orgy of music that sometimes assails and sometimes hypnotizes the listener. It’s difficult to pick from the three S.A.V.A.S. studio releases – because each is unique and can be appreciated as a stand-alone - but we’ve chosen the band’s debut “I’m Not Afraid of Sex,” as our Top 10 pick. Though the more recent “We Break Our Own Hearts,” and “Pretend Endings,” portray an evolved version of the band, its debut remains an important South Carolina release that has grown fans via clips played on MTV and through dozens of music Web sites.

Besides producing and engineering many local acts at his Myrtle Beach studio, The Music Factory, McKenzie’s own myriad producer projects and experimental recordings stand up against any in the genre. He’s carved out a niche with high-quality, creative recordings, and so deserves a special nod of recognition for his influence on the South Carolinian-originated musical landscape.

KENT KIMES, editor of Weekly Surge.

His Picks: Hootie & The Blowfish’s “Fairweather Johnson,” Echo 7’s “One Step Away,” James Brown’s “The Payback,” and Grace Cathedral Park’s, “In the Evenings of Regret.”

Kimes has covered music as a journalist for some 15 years. He has chosen a few fairly stalwart picks representing a cross section of music from the Palmetto State over the past 36 years including the 1973 critically acclaimed double-album “The Payback” from funkmaster Brown. He’s also chosen hometown rockers Echo 7’s “One Step Away” helmed by noted producer Pete Matthews, the progressive rock epic instrumental project from short-lived local act Grace Cathedral Park, “In the Evenings of Regret,” (he says “like a cross between Pink Floyd’s soundtrack work and R.E.M’s “New Adventures in Hi-Fi’’ without lyrics).

Kimes has also picked Hootie’s 1996 sophomore release, “Fairweather Johnson,” featuring the single “Old Man & Me.” Kimes prefers “Fairweather Johnson’’ to “Cracked Rearview’’ because the songs aren’t worn out – and “Old Man & Me’’ is his personal favorite, and the track originally appeared on the band’s independent EP, ``Kootchypop.’’ He also points to “Fairweather Johnson’’ tracks “Tucker Town’’ (the band’s finest ballad) and the hummable “Silly Little Pop Song.’’

While the record would go on to sell three million units, and that’s a lot of records by anyone’s standards, its sales fell well short of Hootie’s debut, “Cracked Rear View,” which went 26 times platinum world-wide, with nearly 27 million units sold. By comparison, U.S. sales of “Cracked Rear View” are greater than Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon,” Pearl Jam’s “Ten,” and almost twice that of The Beatles’ “Abbey Road.” Now do you get it? Hootie is/was HUGE.

JEFF ROBERTS, local music historian, owner Sounds Better record store, and co-founder/director of South by Southeast Music Feast.

His Pick: James Brown’s “Live At The Apollo”

I first met the enigmatic Roberts in 1998 at the old Sounds Familiar Record Store in Myrtle Beach. The larger-than-life gentle giant with the booming voice is by far the most knowledgeable individual regarding music history I’ve ever met. His recall, insight and endless music trivia, especially pre-1990s, is astounding. He’s the guy you want for Team Trivia.

“If I were picking for myself,” said Roberts, “I’d pick The Marshall Tucker Band’s first release [“The Marshall Tucker Band”].” Roberts, an admitted Tucker fan, remembered seeing the forerunner to Tucker, Toy Caldwell’s The Toy Factory, at the old Pavilion, in the late 1960s and very early 1970s. “But since we’re picking for everybody else, and in terms of overall impact, it almost has to be James Brown’s “Live at the Apollo.”

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Before we crown our no. 1, it’s important to mention those who did not make the list. Some of these bands are no more, and others, while not quite yet international superstars, have the potential to move beyond the Grand Strand. We’d like you to consider recordings from a few of these acts, some of them local, which feature unique artistic renderings portraying life in South Carolina: The Blue Dogs, Band of Horses, Crossfade, Bazooka Joe, Hand Grenade, Ten Toes Up, The SharkLegs, The Necessary Band, Stretch Arm Strong, The Classic Struggle, Silenced, Skwearl, and Confliction, to name a few, all have fine recordings of original material. Walls (of The Drag) also mentioned he loved Jody Lewis, currently with Silenced, and one of Lewis’ first bands Wish Me Monsters. The on-again-off-again St. Jack, released an impressive album last year, as did The Wet Teens, Atalya and The Independents, along with Painted Man and many, many others.

OUR TOP TEN

Based on the wise counsel of many music moguls, we’ve chosen, in no particular order, the following rock ‘n’ roll projects as important releases from South Carolina-based acts.

“Messenger” – Edwin McCain

“Live at the Apollo” – James Brown

“Sex Machine” – James Brown

“The Marshall Tucker Band” – The Marshall Tucker Band

“Magazine” – Jump, Little Children

“Satellites Beaming Back At You” – The Drag

“Cracked Rear View” – Hootie & The Blowfish

“Fairweather Johnson” – Hootie & The Blowfish

“I’m Not Afraid of Sex” – S.A.V.A.S.

“Perfection Lies” – Sunbrain

AND THE WINNER IS…

James Brown “Live at the Apollo” (1963)

Over and over, fans, critics, and journalists all point to this seminal album by the Godfather of Soul, Mr. Dynamite, the hardest working man in show business, the late James Brown. Much has already been written about the man who marched to his own funky drumbeat and grew a legion of fans that transcended race. The fact that his South Carolina estate is being prepped as a new Graceland-styled shrine is proof that he deserves the nod for our “best of S.C.” recording honor. His album, “Live at the Apollo” features “Think,” “Night Train,” and many other songs that showcase the unique sound of bandleader, singer, songwriter Brown and his stellar group of tuxedo-ed musicians and sequined singers. The live album captures the spectacle that was a James Brown show, and we South Carolinians can be proud to call him our no. 1. For 46 years, “Live at the Apollo” has proven itself with staying power. We’ll have to wait and see what the next 46 years may bring, but I suspect Brown may still top the list.

Click here for previous cover stories

 

 

Twitter

Facebook

Weekly Surge News Letter