Fred Ebb

Fred Ebb (April 8, 1928 – September 11, 2004) was an American musical theatre lyricist who had many successful collaborations with composer John Kander. The Kander and Ebb team frequently wrote for such performers as Liza Minnelli and Chita Rivera.

Background

Ebb was born in Manhattan, to Anna Evelyn (née Gritz) and Harry Ebb. He had two sisters, Norma and Estelle. He worked during the early 1950s bronzing baby shoes, as a trucker's assistant, and was also employed in a department store credit office and at a hosiery company. He graduated from New York University with a bachelor's degree in English Literature, and also earned his master's degree in English from Columbia University.

One of his early collaborators was Phil Springer, and a song they wrote together ("I Never Loved Him Anyhow") was recorded by Carmen McRae in 1956. Another song Ebb wrote with Springer was "Heartbroken" (1953), which was recorded by Judy Garland, the mother of his future protégée, Liza Minnelli. Other Springer-Ebb tunes include "Moonlight Gambler" and "Nevertheless I Never Lost the Blues". "Don't Forget", which he wrote with Norman Leyden, was recorded by singer Eddy Arnold in 1954.

Carolina shag

The 'Carolina Shag' is a partner dance done primarily to Beach Music (100-130+ beats per minute). Today, the Shag is a recognized dance in national and international dance competitions held across the United States.

Technique

The basic step in Carolina Shag is a six-count, eight-step pattern danced in a slot. The rhythm is similar to six-count Swing in that it is triple step, triple step, rock step or counted as "one-and-two, three-and-four, five-six". There are eight shag dance steps. The "one-and-two" and "three-and-four" steps should take about as much time to complete as the "five-six."

Carolina Shag often bears only the faintest resemblance to other dances that share the "shag" designation.

History

The term "Carolina Shag" is thought to have originated along the strands between Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Wilmington, North Carolina, during the 1940s. According to Bo Bryan, a Carolina Shag historian and resident of Beaufort County, the term was coined at Carolina Beach, North Carolina. The Carolina Shag is a descendant of Carolina Jitterbug, and its predecessor, Little Apple (whose origins can supposedly be traced to Columbia, South Carolina in 1937).

The Shag

The Shag - originally known as The Shags, and later simply as Shag - were an American garage and psychedelic rock band in the 1960s, best known for their 1967 single "Stop and Listen". They were one of numerous bands at the time using the name "The Shags".

Background

The Shags were formed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1964 by Paul "Green" Greenwald (drums, flute, congas, vocals), John Sahli (guitar, harmonica, vocals), Mike Lamers (guitar, congas, autoharp, percussion, vocals), and Don Luther (bass guitar, percussion, vocals). At first, they played folk and blues music, soon influenced by bands such as The Rolling Stones to develop a harder rock sound. They started playing at parties, schools and small bars, before gaining a manager, Paul Pattengale, and residencies first at DaQuisto's and later at O'Brad's club in Milwaukee. They also toured in the southeastern Wisconsin area. In 1965, they recorded a single, "Dance Woman" / "Cause I Love You", for the local Raynard label.

Sahli left the band in 1965 for a career in commercial design, and was replaced by Ray McCall (guitar, keyboard, vocals). The band increasingly performed their own material, and developed a reputation for outlandish costumes and special effects. In 1967, they were signed by Capitol Records and recorded "Stop and Listen" / "Melissa". "Stop and Listen" was written and sung by McCall and featured his fuzz guitar. It has been cited as one of the first anti-drug rock songs to be recorded. The record was credited to The Shag (without the final "s"), to avoid confusion with another group of the same name.