Fall S.O.S. Is All About Fun
This year's Fun Monday block party will feature R&B group Wallstreet, Craig Woolard Band with special guest Danny Wood, and soul singer William Bell. Shown, Craig and William at the 2009 CBMA Awards at the Alabama Theatre in North Myrtle Beach, S.C. (Photo Jim Allen)
When the subject of conversation is a ten-day adult party that takes over a town in the south, you know you’re talking about S.O.S. in the Ocean Drive section of North Myrtle Beach, S.C. The 2011 S.O.S. Fall Migration starts Thursday, Sept. 16 and runs full board through Sunday, Sept. 25.
Most of the fun will be taking place at the famous S.O.S. lounges – Fat Harold’s, Duck’s, O.D. Arcade, and the clubs at the O.D. Beach Resort and Golf Resort (Spanish Galleon, O.D. Beach Club and the upstairs O.D. Café). But make sure you also check out Deckerz, right off Main St.; Boom Boom’s Raw Bar on 13th Ave. North; HOTO’s on the beach in Cherry Grove, 2001 Nightclub on Lake Arrowhead Rd.; and Captain Poo’s at Anchor Marina. Party hearty, folks.
There’ll be shag exhibitions and workshops, live entertainment, deejays spinning your favorite tunes, dancing, dancing and more dancing! In fact, over at Fat Harold’s, they’ll be holding their first Last Shagger Standing contest from 12 noon to 12 midnight on Tuesday, Sept. 20, and the payoff is a thousand bucks, so start practicing those maneuvers.
On the first Sunday and only Monday of Fall Migration, thousands fill the streets for two of the biggest block parties you’ll ever experience. For Fun Sunday, as it’s come to be called, head to the parking lot across from the O.D. Arcade (100 S. Ocean Blvd.). Mark Roberts Band and Legends of Beach, two of the hottest bands around will play from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
The Mark Roberts group defines the term “dance band.” They play everything from beach and boogie to blues rock to party music. Musically and stylistically, they’re a cut above.
Legends of Beach, featuring the inimitable Jackie Gore on lead vocals, is pure beach music. If you haven’t seen them lately, Pat Carpenter has joined the mix on guitar and vocals. Add to that Nantucket saxman Eddie Blair, Ben Shaw on trumpet and Original Carolina Girl Terri Gore on vocals. And let’s not forget band stalwarts Johnny Barker (keys), Tony Davis (drums) and Gerald Davis (bass). Hot ticket … and it’s free!
Fun Monday brings us another amazing day. Main Street will be blocked off and the band stage will be at the “horseshoe” at the ocean. The bands start at noon and play until about 5:30 p.m.
Wallstreet will be here, all the way from Joisey. This five-man R&B group doesn’t get to this neck of the beach all that often, don’t miss this opportunity to hear a topnotch group. Founder Odell Mickens splits his time between playing the B3 with Wallstreet and bass guitar for the Trammps, known best in the Carolinas for their “Hold Back the Night.”
New Jersey R&B group Wallstreet.
Wallstreet singles include “The Little Things,” “Closing Time,” “Finally Friday” and their latest “Old School Music” on Shantys Records. Odell tells me they’ve got a brand new drummer, Jerome “J.T.” Tyus from the late Keisha Brown’s band. Don’t miss this show.
Sharing the Fun Monday bill with Wallstreet will be CWB – the Craig Woolard Band with special guest Danny Woods, formerly with Chairmen of the Board.That’s going to be some kind of vocal energy on that stage, a whole lotta soul goin’ on. For anyone living under a rock, Craig Woolard is a superb vocalist. Before starting his own band, he spent many years with beloved beach music group, the Embers. Beach, boogie and blues … he does it all. But my favorite is Craig’s rendition of “Georgia.” Goose bumps, every time.
Last but not least for Fun Monday is soul singer William Bell. This guy is considered one of the architects of the 1960s Stax-Volt sound. His debut single was “You Don’t Miss Your Water” (1961), and he’s still associated with the tune. Another William Bell classic is “Private Number,” (1968) a duet with Judy Clay. “Trying to Love Two” hit the Top 40 and No.1 on the R&B charts. Otis Redding fans will recall “A Tribute To a King.”
Many folks don’t realize that William is noted for his songwriting as well. He shares songwriting credits on Chuck Jackson’s hit, “Any Other Way,” which Bell recorded first, by the way. He also penned his hit “I Forgot To Be Your Lover” (1968), which would become a Top 10 pop hit for Billy Idol in 1986, and co-wrote (with Booker T. Jones) the 1967 Albert King blues classic “Born Under a Bad Sign.” I promise you, the William Bell show will be super.
To say Fun Monday is fun is an understatement. It’s a blast. If you’re in the neighborhood, head over the Main Street and enjoy yo self!
Events at the S.O.S. lounges mentioned above require an S.O.S. card for admission. For $35 per person, you’ll find yourself part of a unique lifestyle, one that simply doesn’t exist anywhere else. Entry to the other clubs will either be free or close to it. For more information and schedules, visit the S.O.S. website or the clubs’ individual websites.
If you’ve got other events, club dates or S.O.S. news, feel free to add your comment here!!!
Little Isidore Takes It to the Street In Ocean Drive
Little Isadore aka David Forman
I love a street party and we’re about to have the granddaddy of them all, a double shot of fun right here in the Ocean Drive section of North Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Fun Sunday and Fun Monday are set for Sept. 19 – 20, and folks around here are gearing up for the kind of laughin’ and singin’ and music swingin’ that would give Martha Reeves goosebumps. This street party extraordinaire is part of the ten-day non-stop party better known as Fall Migration. Main Street in O.D. will once again be overtaken by shaggers and beach music buffs from all over the south- east … and then some. Bring your lawn chairs, your sunscreen and your booty to Ocean Drive and get ready to boogie. You gonna dance!
Fun Sunday
The Sunday schedule features two of the most innovative musicians in the area: Charleston’s Rick Strickland and Jim Quick from Wilmington, N.C.
Rick Strickland is probably best known for his mega-hit, “Something Smooth,” from the CD of the same name that earned him a Carolina Beach Music Academy (CBMA) award in 2007. “So Do I,” the ballad from his 2008 CD, Island Soul, is still requested at least once during every gig. His current CD, Seven, was released earlier this year and is continues to spit out singles.
Rick, who worked with Todd Rundgren earlier in his career, is a sought-after producer – in addition to writing, singing and performing with his own Rick Strickland Band.
He tells me he’s got two projects in the hopper right now: an album for band member Lesa Hudson and another for Miami artist, Billy Lee. Singles from both CDs are on Sisbro Records’ compilation Carolina Shag 2: “You Make the Good Times Better” and “Living For the Love of You.” The seven-piece Rick Strickland Band rocks with the best. You won’t want to miss it.
Jim Quick & Coastline are also slated for Sunday’s fun.
After opening for Montgomery Gentry last December, filling the house for Delbert McClinton at the Myrtle Beach House of Blues this past Spring and enticing Nashville producer Gary Nicholson to produce a solo effort for Jim Quick, these boys are riding a mighty big wave that shows no signs of stopping.
Quick’s new 14-track CD, titled Down South, is due out in time for Fall Migration, so I imagine the Fun Sunday show will feature some of the disc’s new tunes. Coastline is already performing the title track, and it’s a rockin’ tribute to southern life that drips with those funky bits of the swamp that we’ve come to love.
Fun Sunday is gonna rock, ya’ll. Don’t miss it!
Fun Monday
There are four acts scheduled for day two of the fun: DieDra, the Magnificents, Hip Pocket and Little Isidore & the Inquisitors with our old friend, Angel Rissoff, front and center.
I was lucky enough to see DieDra at the Spanish Galleon during Spring S.O.S. and I’m
here to tell you, this is another high-energy show. This mama rocks from the minute she hits the stage. DieDra’s five piece band is led by husband Keithen Ruff, a powerhouse on the gui- tar. Her single, “Hip-Swingin’ Blues” from the KHP compilation Let’s Dance Again … Can’t Get Enough is currently at No. 15 on the Beach Music 45 chart and her “Ready To Dance the Night Away” from KHP’s Coast To Coast: Let’s Dance the Night Away is at No. 19. Her current CD is Livin the Bluz (Ruff Pro Records).
The Magnificents will take the stage next. Originally formed back in the sixties, this incarnation came together in early 2006, and earned them- selves the 2007 CBMA award for New Artist of the Year. This classic soul group has four strong lead vocalists in Clinton Horton, Kim Todd, Jimmy Matherly and drummer Joey Barnes. The group’s single, “Never Know What’s On a Woman’s Mind” is simmerin’ on Beach Music 45.
Hip Pocket, the CBMA New Artist of the Year for 2009, is one of the best dance bands around. Their variety is their strength, so you can expect to hear soul music that will take you back to the sixties, some sizzlin’ hot country, party rock and everything in between. Their website says, “It’s like New Year’s Eve every night with the Hip Pocket Band! And they’re right!
Headlining Fun Monday this year is Little Isidore & the Inquisitors with blue-eyed soul meister Angel Rissoff featured in the show. Wowie zowie!
There’s so much to say about Little Isidore, I don’t know where to start. David Forman, as he is also known, has been in the biz since the early 70s. He’s currently working on his Off Off Broadway show called “Dollface.”
Forman began his career with Bell Records and signed with Arista Records in 1975, releasing his debut album David Forman in 1976 to inter- national acclaim. The Japanese import of this album still sells on the Internet today for about $95. His ballad from that recording, “If It Takes All Night,” has been covered by The Neville Brothers on their Fiyo On the Bayou CD and again by the Temptations’ Eddie Kendricks on his Vintage ‘78 recording.
In 1977, Forman released a second album, Bacon in the Sun/Moonlight Mayonnaise co- roduced with Jack Nitzsche. After Nitzsche introduced him to lyricist Gerry Goffin (Goffin- King), they worked together until Goffin relocated to Los Angeles.
During the 80s, our hero worked in advertising as a jin- gle writer and singer. He col- laborated with some of the best agencies in the country produc- ing work for McDonalds, Ford, Northwest Airlines, Skippy Peanut Butter and other nation- al brands.
He founded Little Isidore & the Inquisitors in the early 90s with Neil Posner (better known as bass guitarist Johnny Gale) as a classic rock group special- izing in and devoted to what he calls “the forgotten idiom of group harmony rock & roll.” (Inspiration for the name came via Damon Runyon, “Guys & Dolls,” and David’s two Uncle Isidores.)
Little Isidore & the Inquisitors have been on the beach charts since 1994 with their debut No One Gets Hurt. A follow-up album Inquisition of Love included the hit singles “All Night Long,” “You’re So Fine” and “Harlem Hit Parade.”
Speaking of which, Angel Rissoff aka Little Leopold, the original lead singer of “Harlem Hit Parade,” is joining the group for this show, as will femme fatale Kitten Kaboodle. The 12-piece ensemble is going to bring Main Street to its feet – and that’s exactly what David Forman wants.
“I expect dancing!” he told me. “I want to see people dancing in the street. Really!”
For some great insight into the man who is David Forman and Little Isidore, go to his MySpace page (MySpace.com/LittleIsidore) and read all about his me-o-myo- cardial infarction, his early experience in a documentary about Phillip Petit’s high wire stunt between the Wold Trade Center towers in 1974, his paper doll cutouts and his love of 50s rock & roll. Pony tail or no, Little Isidore is like crazy, man.
NOTE: Lyrics borrowed from “Dancing in the Street,” written by William “Mickey” Stevenson and Marvin Gaye : laughin’ and singin’ and music swingin’.
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