Top Ten Beach Music Songs for April 22, 2023: 'Tequila On Ice'

I love my Beach Music and listen a lot to 94.9 FM, WVCO, the Surf out of North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. the Center of the Beach Music Universe.  I'm listening to it right now.

These are the Top Ten Beach Music songs right now according to their listeners.  If you're looking for some really cool throwback kind of music, give it a listen.

1.  GOT IT RIGHT (THE FIRST TIME)--  Rick Strickland & Lesa Hudson

2.  OUGHT TO BE IN A SONG--  Pink Slips Band

3.  YOU'RE THE ONE FOR ME--  Rick Strickland

4.  GOT TO BE YOU--  Band of Oz

5.  THAT YOU HEAR IN A SONG--  Too Much Sylvia

6.  BREATHLESS--  Lesa Hudson

7.  HEY GIRL--  Scott Fine

8.  TEQUILA ON ICE-- Wayne Free

9.  I LOVE DOIN' NOTHING--  Starbuck

10.  TOP DOWN--  Nadia Lena  Shutkufski

GreatStuff--  RoadBeach

Beach Music Top Five Songs for February 13, 2021

These were the Top Five Beach Music on the WVCO Surf, 94.9 FM.

1.  BUZZIN' & SWINGIN'--  Jim Quick & Coastline

2.  BLOWING ME UP--  Jim Quick & Coastline

3.  COOLING OUT--  Band of Oz

4.  DRIFTERS MEDLEY--c  Entertainers

5.  SOMETHING SAID LOVE--  Cat 5

Just the thing to get your mind off all this blooming cold and snow.

Hey, Canadians, keep Your Weather There.  Don't Send It to Us.  --RoadDog

Get Your Music Here

Right now, I am listening to the WLS Top 40 songs from May 11, 1970, on You Tube.  Once a month I do the whole Top 40.  The other weeks I just do a Top Ten and Debuts. This really takes me back fifty years.

However, here are some other really good places to hear music.  Some of it probably not what you're used to listening to, but good nonetheless.

All of these are available over the internet:

**  JUKIN' OLDIES--  A group of deejays on the internet but not in the same studio.  They really play a lot of different songs, many of which are Beach, Boogie and Blues.

**  WXRT (Chicago)  Blues and Soul Channel.  Go to the site  Click on Music at the top and scroll down to Chicago's Blues and Soul and click on it.

**  WVCO, 94.9 FM, out of North Myrtle Beach, S.C.  Beach Music.  On Wednesday's, DJ Jim Morgan takes you out to the beach and plays some of the best Beach Music ever.  (And this isn't West Coast/Beach Boys Beach Music either.)

Give To me the Music.  --RoadDog

LAUGHTER HELPS WITH THE "V":  "If you're upset about regular folk hoarding toilet paper, wait till you hear about how a tiny percentage of rich people have managed to hoard most of the world's wealth.

The Surf (WVCO, 94.9 FM) Goes Back to 1972

Many mornings I listen to this radio station out of North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, as it plays Beach Music and oldies.

Jim Morgan now handles the morning show and is a worthy successor to Stevie B (Stephen Blackburn) and the legendary Beach Guy himself, Billy Smith (The Old BS-er).

Every weekday, Jim Morgan takes us back to a year in Beach history.  Friday the 13th he took us to 1972 and played these three songs:

BRANDY--  Looking Glass
EVERYBODY PLAYS THE FOOL--  Main Ingredient
NICE TO BE WITH YOU--  Gallery
IF YOU DON'T WATCH OUT I'LL FALL BACK IN LOVE WITH YOU AGAIN--  Stylistics

He also takes us back to the year with other information.

The Top Four TV shows:

4.  Maude
3.  Hawaii-Five-0
2.  Sanford & Son
1.  All in the Family

Pong was released this year.

You Remember Pong, Don't You?  --RoadPong

JSS: Winter Arrives Early-- Halloween Decorations-- Even Cold in Myrtle Beach-- How About That Wall MR. PRESIDENT?

JSS--  Just Some Stuff.

1.  WINTER ARRIVES EARLY--   It definitely has arrived early.  We had 5 inches of snow on Halloween and another 5 inches  yesterday.  And today, temps never much got past 20 degrees all day.

2.  HALLOWEEN DECORATIONS-- Unfortunately, I had taken down the Halloween outside decorations but not brought them inside.  Now they are covered with snow.  I'll have to wait for a warm up.  I sure hope it gets a bit warmer.

3.  EVEN COLD IN MYRTLE BEACH--  I usually listen to WVCO, 94.9 the Surf in North Myrtle Beach most mornings and they are talking of temperatures below freezing and wind chill tomorrow of around 20 degrees.  So, I don't feel so bad.

4.  HOW ABOUT THAT WALL, MR. PRESIDENT?--  I know our president would like to build a wall along our border with Mexico.  But I have a better idea for a wall.  Let's build it where an even bigger problem exists, and that would be along our northern border.

Now, don't get me wrong, I like Canadians, BUT I sure don't like THEIR WEATHER!!!  I think they should keep their weather on their own side of the wall and quit sending it to us.

Come On, Mr. President.  Build That Wall.  --RoadWall

*******************

DID YOU KNOW:  The symbol on the "pound" key (#) is called an octothorpe.

Don't octothorpe me.

JSS: BBBBrrrrr!!!!-- Cold Or Hurricanes and Floods?--- Groundhog Day Festival

JSS--  Just Some Stuff.

1.    BBBBBRRRRR!!!  Yep, mighty cold here in Spring Grove, Illinois, of late.  Never got over -10 degrees on Wednesday and Thursday at 9 a.m., it was -23 degrees.  But, today, predicted high of 22 degrees.   Then Saturday our first day over freezing in weeks at 41 degrees and possibly 50 degrees by Monday.

When it hits 41 degrees on Saturday, folks will regard that as almost shorts and tee shirt weather.  We didn't go out at all Wednesday, but I'm imagining that even the dumb high school and college boys weren't out in their winter tee shirts and shorts.

2.  COLD OR HURRICANES & FLOODS--  Listening to the Surf in North Myrtle Beach, SC, on Thursday and  it was 27 degrees going to the mid 40s.  DJ Jim Morgan was talking about how much better it was living there than in Chicago.  But I just have to think of their hurricanes and floods.

Even when they don't get hit by these, they have to worry about pretty much any tropical storm out in the Atlantic.  If I have a choice between hurricanes and cold, I'll go with the cold.

3.  GROUNDHOG DAY FESTIVAL--  In Woodstock, Illinois, where the famous movie "Groundhog Day" was filmed.  It started Thursday and goes to this Sunday.  For the events, go to my RoadDog's RoadLog blog.  And, this year, Steve Tobolowski, who played Ned the insurance salesman will be there.

And, Lake Geneva, Illinois, has their annual winter festival with snow sculpturing and all sorts of other stiff this weekend.

--RoadDog

OK, So It's Cold

Temp this morning on front porch was -16 and just recently at 1:30 p.m. was -6.  All hunkered down inside though and unless we lose electricity, should be alright.  Liz showed me a picture of Michigan Avenue in Chicago this morning with but one car to be seen.  Folks hunkering down.

But, of course it is cold, but our weather folk are making way too big of a thing of it.  Just part of today's do everything to the extreme age we're in.  Weather event equals more viewers equals more advertising money.  Or something like it.

And, our good folks at Big Oil are showing their empathy  Sunday gas in Fox Lake, Illinois, was $1.96 ($1.95.9) and yesterday it was $2.30.  Someone going to make a buck?

Listened to WVCO, the Surf, out of North Myrtle Beach, S.C., this morning, as I do most mornings, and they were at 30 degrees and all they could do was talk about Chicago's cold.

Well, Cold Over Hurricanes Any Old Day For Me.  --RoadCold

IN 50 YEARS OF LIVING YOU LEARN:  You should not confuse your career with your life.

Happy 20th Birthday WVCO, the Surf: The Voice of Beach Music

August 19, 1998, this FM radio station switched format to a Beach Music/Oldies one.  It is located in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and at the epicenter of the Beach Music world.  That is the music that fans shag to, which is also the state dance, kind of a slow bop.

This is also a station I listen to most mornings while going through e-mails or typing away at these blogs.  I also listen to Chicago's WXRT, 93.1 FM.

Right now, at 8:27 a.m. EDST Jim Morgan is playing and they are doing all kinds of birthday activities.

When we first started going to Myrtle Beach in the 1980s, we listened to WNMB which had Billy Smith in the morning and played Beach Music.  Billy Smith was a real experience, or the Old BS'er as he called himself.

Anyway, Happy Birthday, The Surf.  --RoadDog

YOU'RE BECOMING A GEEK WHEN:  You have a poster on your wall of the Linux penguin.

JSS: Billy Graham-- Warm Myrtle Beach-- Cold Here

JSS--  Just Some Stuff

1.  BILLY GRAHAM--  I was listening to the Surf, WVCO 94.9 FM out of North Myrtle Beach this morning.  The song "Son of a Preacher Man" by Dusty Springfield was playing.  At the end of it, the deejay said that he had just gotten the news of Billy Graham's death.  Quite a coincidence.

2.  WARM MYRTLE BEACH--  I am a bit jealous of Myrtle Beach, S.C., though.  Temperatures there today are in the upper 70s, and even lower 80s in some places.  Must be a Southern thing.

3.  COLD HERE--  Well, as warm as Myrtle Beach is today, we are cold here in Northern Illinois.  Yesterday we had 55 degrees, but it rained all day.  We are so thankful it wasn't 21 degrees as it is today as we'd sure have had a real lot of snow.

Just Some Stuff.  --RoadStuff

JSIS: Andie MacDowell-- Sox and Cubs Blow-Outs-- DaBears-- SOS Spring Safari

JSIS--  Just Some Interesting Stuff

1.  ANDIE MacDOWELL--  Oh, no.  That object of Bill Murray's affection in "Groundhog Day" is going to have a nude scene in her upcoming movie "Love After Love."  At age 59.  What happened to Rita?

2.  SOX AND CUBS BLOW-OUTS--  Yesterday, both the Cubs and Sox blew out their opponents.  The Cubs won 14-3 over Pittsburgh and the Sox beat Kansas City 12-1.  That means, of course, that both Cubs and Sox will lose today by one run as they "Used" up all their runs yesterday.

3.  DaBEARS--  It will be interesting to see if out beloved Bears will make a "Good" choice" in Thursday's NFL Draft in Chicago.  We need a quarterback.  Looking at the Bears' last three big choices, it doesn't look good.  These three "wonder qbs"  (because we wonder why they picked them) were Jay Cutler, Rex Grossman and Cade McNown.

4.  SOS SPRING SAFARI--  Listening to the Surf, 94.9 FM, right now and they are talking about the SOS Spring Safari that kicked off last weekend and goes to Sunday in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  This is considered the epicenter of Beach Music, one of my favorite kinds of music.  One of these days, we hope to go there.  Not to dance but just to listen to all that great music.

DaBears Need a Break.  --RoadDog

It's a Music Weekend Around Here and in North Myrtle Beach

Bob Stroud will feature 1972 today, Horny Songs (this could be interesting) on Monday, 1985 on Tuesday and 1974 on Wednesday on his Ten at Ten show at 10 AM amd 10 PM on WDRV, 97.1 in Chicago.

Tomorrow morning, WXRT's Wendy Rice spotlights 1984 on her Saturday Morning Flashback from 8 to noon. Both stations stream if you're out of the Chicago area. (Both stations on CST)

And, let's not forget Bob Stroud's Rock and Roll Roots show Sunday morning 7 to 10 AM and Little Steven's Underground Garage Sunday night on WXRT from 9 to 11 PM.

And, down in North Myrtle Beach, SC, it is the Fall Migration of SOS for you Beach Music fans. SOS stands for Shagging on the Strand. Shagging is the state dance of South Carolina and the way Beach Music fans dance. The Strand is short for Grand Strand, that long stretch of beach along the coast in that area.

Hundreds of Beach Music fans swarm to North Myrtle Beach during this time when all the music venues feature Beach bands and deejays. One of these days I'll have to go there.

Both major Beach Music surveys, The Surf 94.9 FM and Fessa John Hook have "Hey Eugene" by Sea Cruz at #1. The Surf has #2 "The Driver" by King Tyrone & the Graveyard Ramblers and John Hook's #2 is "He's My Baby" by Heather Haywood.

Great Music. --RoadDog

November 3rd Surf Top Vote-Getters in Beach Music

Went to the website yesterday, while listening to Uncle Billy Smith on the Surf broadcasting out of North Myrtle Beach, SC, (while I sat here in Spring Grove, Illinois--Ain't the internet grand?). I checked out the top ten vote-getters which they use to determine the top Beach Music songs for the week. Listeners do the voting, then they take the results and use it to compile the top thirty songs.

I'd have to say that some of the groups have their fans doing lots of voting after seeing the top ten.

Here they are:

1. Outta Control-- Doug Winstead
2. A Little Meat on the Side-- Sea Cruz
3. Let it Roll-- Sea Cruz
4. You've Got Me Working Day & Night-- Carousel
5. Walk Away from Love-- Sea Cruz
6. Baby There's Something-- Magnificents
7. Wherever I Lay My Hat-- Magnificents
8. Sweet Charle Babe-- Rachel Tripp
9. Emperor of My Baby's Heart-- Paul Craver
10.A Little Bit of Money-- Coastline Band

Love That Beach Music!! --RoadDog

Enjoying the House

A couple days ago, I got to sit out in the gazebo for several hours. Today, I had a bonfire on the Grand Strand, the lower patio which is named after one of our favorite places to visit, Myrtle and North Myrtle Beach. Of course, this is the epicenter of one of my favorite types of music, Beach Music, and I'm not talking about the Beach Boys or Jan and Dean. I'm talking about East Coast Carolina Beach Music.

I've finally gotten the yard to just about where I want it. Now, I intend to enjoy it, especially since I'm not boating anymore.

We also have a great bar downstairs in the basement that we call Margaritaville with all sorts of nautical and Jimmy Buffett stuff as well as a TV in the upper corner, wet bar, and mini fridge. Why go anywhere else? We call the whole homestead Key North because we definitely aren't west but way north.

Then, of course, there's the oversized deck to enjoy.

Wasting Away Again at Key North. --RoadDog

Beach Music News: A Death of Willie Tee and S.O.S.

1. Death of Wilson Turbinton, better known as Willie Tee. Died at age 63. He was living in Baton Rouge where he had lived since being displaced by Hurricane Katrina. One obituary cited him as the "catalyst and innovator in New Orleans music."

He was also popular in Beach Music with songs like "Thank You John," "Teasing You," and "Walking Up a One Way Street."

2. Listening to 94.7 the Surf right now. They are out of North Myrtle Beach, SC, but stream worldwide. Right now, the fall SOS (Shagging on the Strand) is going on. Beach Music lovers, bands, and deejays from all over descend on North Myrtle Beach for a week of good-timin', shaggin', and partyin'.

They also have one in the spring. I sure hope to make it there one of these days.

Love that Beach Music. --RoadDog

Row, Row, Row Us Away- Rain Continues

Like they say, when it rains, it pours. And around here, we've certainly gotten a lot of the wet stuff the last several weeks. It seems like every other day it rains. Since I deejayed the wedding Saturday, which, unfortunately, was outside (fortunately under pavilions, but even then, it tended to put a damper on things), it has rained essentially straight through. If it wasn't raining, it was threatening to do so.

Fox Chicago said this morning that we can expect it to Saturday.

Boating in the rain isn't much fun, so that is out. Plus, the Fox River has been completely closed both above and below the dam. The Chain of Lakes itself is open to boating on a no-wake basis. This means that you are not to make any ripples as you go through the water.

All this rain hasn't stopped the cursed Japanese beetles though. Plus, the slugs are thriving on my hostas. This is ideal slug weather.

The grass is VERY green and thick, and I can almost hear it growing. I just cut it last Thursday when we finally got some dry weather. It was so high and thick, I had to cut it on the highest setting. It is going to be a real bear if I have to wait until Saturday to cut it.

Two good things, though: I haven't had to water any plants, and, the septic field lines are finally green again. Two years ago, we had an extended drought for the whole summer. I let my yard go and it had a very crunchy texture come September. When we finally got rain, it greened up right away. All, that is, except for the septic field lines which stayed dead. I worked on them all last summer and this, and you could still see the outlines. But, NOT any more.

I did learn that it we have another drought, to keep the area around the septic field watered.

I'm listening to The Surf, 94.9 FM, out of Myrtle Beach, SC, right now, and no rain is forecast. Talked with Mom Monday. She says they could use some of our rain as it has been very dry. The Fox Lake Waterway station in Fox Lake reports that we've had 7.67 inches so far this month, but I think we've had more in Spring Grove. Rockford, about 50 miles west reports 10.47 inches.

Brings Me Back to an old Favorite Song, "Rainmaker", by the Cryan' Shames. --RoadDog

Out Boatin' Today

I've already been out boating on the Chain of Lakes this morning. Floated and read the paper, then went over to Electric Harbor on the east end of Fox Lake. They have built a huge gazebo with a great view of the lake and plenty of good breezes.

Tuesdays they have a charbroiled cheeseburger and fries for a BUCK!!! Now, that's a hard deal to beat. Talked with a guy there who has been deejaying since the late sixties and is still going strong. He was at a wedding in Palatine Saturday, then in downstate Danville, Illinois, (the home of Dick and Jerry Van Dyke) on Sunday. He has programmed over 12,000 songs for Electric Harbor covering a wide variety of styles. He even has some East Coast BEACH music.

Speaking of Beach Music, I'm listening to the Surf, 93.9 FM out of North Myrtle Beach right now. They're playing "Beach Music and Barbecue" right now at 5:11 PM. Boy, I sure would like to be down in NC listening to Beach music and eating that great pulled pork- vinegar-based bbq, cole slaw, hushpuppies, and tea.

He knows Dick Biondi as well. He said that last Memorial Day, WLS AM had a retro weekend and had all the old deejays back from the 60s and 70s. This was one of the major stations for kids to listen to while growing up in Chicagoland back then. I sure would have liked to have heard that.

Tough Life, But Somebody's Gotta Do It!! --RoadDog

Internet Radio, Webcasts Threatened with Extinction!!!!

I'm sitting right here at the old 'put, bloggin' and listenin' to 'Fessa John Hook doing the Beach Music Top 40 Countdown on his Endless Summer Network. Sadly, come this time next month, I may not have that opportunity. Same goes with the Surf and Billy Smith down in North Myrtle Beach, SC. It all goes dark July 15th if the Copyright Royalty Board has its way and skyrockets the price of playing music over the net to the point that they will all go off the air. And I'm not just talking about Beach Music, I'm talking about ALL radio over the internet.

This would be a shame. And not just for the listeners, but also for many performers and groups who depend on this as a way to get their music out. The big radio station conglomerates have set playlists prepared by research companies. You just can't crack through to them.

Plus, people like me, who like a niche genre, like Beach Music, or zydeco, or Cajun, or reggae, depend on these stations as a way to get our "fix". You're not going to hear it on the big stations.

In case you're wondering, the stations and webcasters do pay royalties to the artists, just not what they'll have to pay under the new arrangement, if it goes through.

However, internet radio is not going down without a fight. They are asking us to contact our US senators and representatives and ask them to cosponsor the Radio Equality Act, S 1363 in the Senate, and HR 2060 in the House of Representatives.

You can go to www.netradio.org to get all the information you need, including the telephone numbers of you senators and representattive, and what to say.

Don't Let Them Take Away Our Music. --RoadDog

My Top Ten Beach Songs

I just finished voting for my picks for the top 40 Beach Songs on The Surf, 94.9 FM out of North Myrtle Beach, SC. I'm sitting here in Illinois, listening to Billy Smith do his Morning Show live. That's really something. Listeners to the station are invited to cast their votes from a list of 60-70 songs.

My Top Ten Picks this week:

1. Highway #9- Tharold Huffman
2. Beach Music and Bar-Be-Que- Clifford Curry
3. Billy's Club Savoy- Out of Towners
4. Creek Don't Rise- Gary Bass
5. Eat Mo Grits- Coppertones
6. Drink Up- Big Time Party Band
7. Heartbreaker- Butch Hargett Project
8. Shag Beach Party- Clifford Curry
9. If There's a Tear- Craig Woolard Band
10. Carolina Beach Motion- Summerdaze

Keep on Beachin' Down that Two Lane Highway. --RoadBeach

The Old BS'er and Beach Music

A&E did not have "24" on today at 7 AM our time, Central, so I went on the internet. I'm sitting right here at the old 'put, typing away with my two little fingers, and listening to Billy Smith coming at me live on the Surf from Myrtle Beach, SC. I love it when he plays the phone pranks; can't help but chuckle.

He also played a great one I haven't heard in a long time with his 50s pick, "Over the Mountain" by Johnny and Joe.

Aw, it's 8:50 and he's going off the air with his usual "I'm Going, But I'll Be Back" song. I'll just have to listen to Ted Bell now.

The Surf is "The Sound of the Beach" on the Grand strand and the World.

I voted on the Beach Music Top Forty Survey already. Ray Scott plays this countdown every Saturday from 9AM to noon. Top songs for this week are #1 :I Don't Want No Man" by Sea Cruz, and #2 "Emperor of My Baby's Heart" by Paul Craver.

A little bit about Billy Smith:

Billy was born in Marion, SC. As a child, his mother would take the five kids to Myrtle Beach on Sundays after church where he would go to the Pavillion (torn down this last fall) and boardwalk where the sounds emanating from the jukeboxes in the various bars enthralled them with their rhythm & blues records.

He began a regular at the local Marion record store and spent every dime he could get his hands on for R & B and Doo Wop songs, both of which are considered the forerunners of today's Beach Music. More to Come

My dad sure knew someone who also would spend all his money on records, which he largely considered as a waste of money. I wonder who that could be? Any guesses?

I also knew of one certain brother who pretty-well messed up his brother's Beatles collection while that brother was away at college. Now, who could that be? These records were left at home for safety. Didn't quite work out.

Doing the "Street Corner Serenade" by the Embers. --RoadDog