So, we went to a party
A birthday party
Where The Tams played!
Now, if you’re of a certain age (read as 35 to 95) and are from a certain part of the world (read as the Southeast) and know how to shag (read as the dance not the British definition), then you know The Tams
Be young! Be foolish! but be happy!
Be young! Be foolish! but be happy!
Don’t let the rain get you down, it’s a waste of time
A waste of time
Have your fun, live your life in the bright sunshine
The bright sunshine
Well, it’s the same ole story all over the world
Girl meets boy; bot meets girl
So, be young, be foolish, but be happy!
(J. Cobb, JR Cobb, Ray Whitley, 1967)
If you fall into that demographic above, then you just started singing and may be doing a step ball step step ball step shift weight movement thinking about adding a pretzel as you read those lyrics
If you fall into that demographic, then you have danced to this song at least once or twice
The current singer is 54 and the son of the original singer, so he was not signing at The Pavilion on Pawleys are at old school OD in Myrtle or at any of the over beach music venues up and down the Carolina Coast. All of that was before his time and my time.
Interestingly, at the same party a dear pal who is from Atlanta, and, yes, he is really from Atlanta, confessed that he hates beach music and things shagging stinks
OUCH
But, this is the same City that 500,000 dead Confederate soldiers died to prevent as one of my favorite college professors half jokingly used to say
I, however, love beach music and love The Tams
My parents reared me on it
In fact, on the way home from the party, I called my parents to discuss
They were so nostalgically happy for us that we got to see The Tams
The fact they weren’t there left me…. hurt…hurt…hurt…yes I [was] hurt like I’ve never been hurt before….
Sorry, that was, too, easy
And, you just sang along with that one, too
During Be Young! Be Foolish! Be Happy! the dance floor was packed, jammed, overloaded
What Kind of Fool (Do You Think I Am) also produced the same crowd on the boards
Taking a minute to use the facilities, I experienced what may be one of my favorite auditory moments
James Lipton always asked “What sound or noise do you love?” when he did those pompous interviews on Inside the Actor’s Studio
“A baby’s laugh”
“Horse hooves on cobblestones”
“My children saying “Daddy” when I walk in the door”
“Frying bacon”
Well, nope, not me
I love the sound of a good damn band carried across a party venue and heard muffled in the sounds of a restroom. Alone.
I’ll repeat
I think one of the greatest things to hear is a muted performance from afar knowing the party is still rocking and rolling and I’m at the moment neither rocking or rolling
I’m sure some therapist could analyze that one all day
But, I had to get back as soon as possible
Because, after all, it was The Tams
And, as my sticker said, I came to get down
G. Hamlin O’Kelley is an RCS contributor and a fine gentleman. We’re lucky to have his work grace our pages.
Love it. Shag music really is our own here in the Carolinas.
Shag music takes me back to family beach vacations and dreaded (at the time) middle school cotillion dance lessons.
Fast forward to college, and what a feeling it was to be dancing to the likes of the Liquid Pleasure and Doug Clark & the Hot Nuts just like my parents did 25 years prior. I wonder if those guys are still around?
I took my family to my college homecoming a couple weeks ago. Walking down to fraternity circle with a nice bourbon buzz, a crisp fall breeze against my blazer, and the sound of familiar motown tunes coming from multiple fraternity houses- wow, I wish I could bottle that.
Yes! Thanks for this! As someone in that demographic, I’ve danced to The Tams and other great acts a lot! I’ve sung with The Tams—on stage!—more than a few times! And yes, I sang along with your words. Thanks for the memories!
My dad started listening to Beach Music and shagging down at OD and Cherry Grove back in the early 60’s and raised me on this music, but unfortunately never taught me how to do anything more than the base steps shagging. Thanks for bringing up some great memories!
Very enjoyable post. Beach music has that rare quality, like Buffet, of always being happy music, leaving one feeling better than before. I recall in college in the South when the Catalinas came to play on campus, “Summertime’s Callin’ Me” was like an anthem.
Great post! Thanks for sharing.