Little John Thompson has released a video for his new song, "No Matter (Cause Life Has Never Been Better)" that was released previously with Forevermore Music. According to the President of Forevermore (Christopher Biehler), John produced the video and what a great job he did! We've included it for you below and be sure to call your favorite DJs and stations and request the song and to view more music offerings, visit the Forevermore website.

On June 3, 2021 we told you about an upcoming release from Lesa Hudson titled: "Sunny Days". On June 18, 2021 they hosted a preview party at Duplin Winery early in the afternoon. At 7:00PM they presented the world premiere on the Rick Strickland Facebook page. We were tuned in during the premiere and we have to say we thoroughly enjoyed the new song and so far it looks like it's receiving a great response from those in N. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for SOS Spring Safari. We've included the premiere video below along with a couple of others. Congratulations Lesa!

On March 15, 2021 The Catalinas released their new single: "Just a Little Misunderstanding" featuring Barry Duke. It was originally released in 1966 by the Contours and composed by Stevie Wonder.  Your favorite DJ's and stations have the song so be sure to call and request it. As always, the Catalinas have done a phenomenal job on this release and you can stop by their Facebook page and drop them a note once you've heard it. We look forward to seeing all of the members of the band on the road this summer!

Catalina's Website
Catalina's Facebook

This will be Christina Black's first release since her husband Tommy Black passed away on July 17, 2019. You will have a couple of different options to hear the new single this weekend. Your first chance will be Friday, April 30, 2021 at 1:30PM on 94.9FM The Surf as Christina joins DJ Mike Worley at HOTO's in N. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. If you're in the N. Myrtle Beach area and you aren't able to catch Mike's show, you can stop by Castaway Beach Bar and Grill on S. Ocean Blvd. at 4:00PM. 

Saturday you can watch the YouTube Premiere (video below) at 10:30AM right here on Flip Flop Live. You will also have another chance at 3:00PM to catch Christina at the Marina Bar on Bridgeview Court in N. Myrtle Beach. The song was written by Charlie Sattenfield and produced by Tim Sidden and we're certainly looking forward to hearing it. Be sure to stop by Christina's Facebook page and like/follow for all updates!
 

You will able to play this video at 10:30AM, Saturday, May 1, 2021

The Tonez announced they will be debuting their new song Saturday, April 24, 2021 on WDZD 99.1 "The Fun One" during the New Wave Countdown with Eric Bowman from 10:00AM until 1:00PM. You can stream the show by visiting their website.

We're looking forward to hearing the new song and we've included the band's original post below so be sure to visit their Facebook page and click that "follow" button to keep up with everything happening in the world of the Tonez!

There's a new feature on BeachMusic45 that features Craig Fleming. His first article titled "Inside the Music" was released on April 5, 2021 and it focused on all of the music released thus far in 2021. Craig said he "will be providing various content which will probably vary from month to month. My main focus will be providing information on new music being released into the market, but I don't want to lock myself into a particular category of information. I simply want to provide content that is relevant and promotes this music we all love! This first edition of Inside The Music is dedicated to the memory of three of my greatest supporters of this website: Neal "Soul Dog" Furr, Paul Craver, and Bobby Simmons. I know these dear friends of mine are grooving together in Beach Music heaven! I would love to be a part of that party!"

This is great news and we're looking foward to reading the articles and if you'd like to read his first edition, you can view on their website. Congratulations to Craig and what a great job Pat and Robin have done with the recent upgrades on the website.

Did you catch DJ Andy Lucy's interview during Cammy weekend with Karen Clayton from the Castaways? If you did, we're sure you caught the comment she made about a new upcoming full album from the band. According to Karen they originally planned to release it by the end of 2020 but with everything happening the world with COVID, illnesses and more they decided they will wait until Spring 2021 with talks about releasing it in time for Spring SOS. If you'd like to listen to the entire interview we've included that for you below and as soon as we know anything more on the new music, we'll be sure to update you.

2021 is already looking good! Chairmen of the Board announced on their Facebook page that we can expect new music coming in the new year. In their post (shown below) it stated "New Music from Chairmen Of The Board “Baby You’re the Melody” Written and Produced by UKs Melody Maker Nigel Lowis!!!". We can't wait to hear the new material and we included a copy of their post below.

On Tuesday, November 17, 2020 Wayne Free released a brand new single. The song titled "Our Paradise" debuted on Townsend Link's show, Beach Bound and Down on the Beach, Shag, Rhythm and Blues Radio Network. The song will soon be available on your favorite streaming services and be sure to call your favorite DJ's and stations and request it. We've included links below where you can read about and listen to Wayne's music.

Wayne's website
Wayne's Facebook
The Embers Band

On Friday, November 13, 2020 the Main Event Band released their brand new single "Hello Stranger" featuring vocalist: Sharon Woodruff. They debuted the song on Britt Hardy’s Party for A Lifetime show on 105.9 FM. Made famous by Barbara Lewis, the song was originally released in 1963 and we must say that Sharon does an outstanding job on this classic. Be sure to call your favorite DJ's and radio stations and visit the band's Facebook page and website and add them to your favorites. We wish continued success for Main Event and we can't wait to see you on the road soon!
 

In a Facebook post today, Jim Quick and Coastline announced the date for their first single release from their new studio album, "Revival". The first single to be relased is titled: "Blowin' Me Up" and you can hear it for the very first time on Tuesday, September 15, 2020. Jim along with Coastline guitarist; Casey Meyer will join DJ Mike Worley on the air at 1:00PM on 94.9FM The Surf. We like what we hear from the teaser video below and we can't wait to hear the entire album.

August 22, 2020

Have you heard the brand new single from Chadwick Station? A British band that relocated to Nashville and they describe their sound as: " Brit pop, R&B, rock, a little country." We were approached several weeks ago for our thoughts on the song and how we thought it would do in the Beach Music community. It certainly has a 70's flair to it and of course we love to hear any song with brass! For any Beach Music DJ, if you don't have a copy of the song let us know and we can get that to you. Recorded in Nashville and mastered at Abbey Road Studios in London and we've already heard it on several stations/shows in North Carolina. The song is also available on Spotify and Apple Music.

In the press release on their website they talk about their new single, "Cryin' (Ain't Gonna Win Her Back). Pure retro R&B. Like The Sound of Philadelphia, or Stax out of Memphis back in the day. The folks in the Carolinas call it beach music. Contagious bass. Rhythmic drums. Dirty horns. Makes you want to dance. It's like you jumped in a hot tub time machine." You can hear the song during our live remote on Flip Flop Live Radio this afternoon (Saturday, August 22, 2020) from 4-7PM by streaming the show from our website or the Live365 app. You can also watch the music video below.

On May 18, 2020 it was announced that Sammy O'Banion was releasing a new song titled "Ring-a-Ling" and it will be featured on the 25th Anniversary release of "Walk That Walk" (video below). Great song Sammy and if you haven't heard it, be sure to request it with your favorite DJ's and Stations. We're excited for Sammy on the release and for Chris Biehler from Forevermore Records.

May 18, 2020

The Pink Slips Band announced the release of their new single: "Time and Place" which is an orginal and written by their keyboardist, David Howard Faircloth. They will debut the song Thursday, May 21, 2020 at 12:40PM on the Edge Radio Show with  DJ Mike Worley on 94.9FM The Surf when frontman, Townsend Link will join Mike on the air. The song was produced by KHP Music and it will be included on an upcoming compilation.

You can stream the show here!

On May 15, 2020 the Catalinas released their latest original "Stranded" which was written by Dwight Nichols and Johnny Barker and the release features Dwight on lead vocals. Never a doubt for anything the band releases, it's true Beach Music and we think it's a great song. Be sure to call your favorite DJ's and stations to request the new song. Great job!

Listen to the New Release Here!

Chase Given has released his new single titled "Let's Dance" which comes to us with a 70's type soft rock or "Yacht Rock" originally known as the West Coast sound or adult-oriented rock which is becoming more and more popular. Growing up in Eastern North Carolina in which he started performing at a very early age. On his website he notes that he has performed with numerous bands including the Holiday Band and has been associated with the Band of Oz, the Embers and the Drifters among many others. Throughout his career he's had the opportunity to share the stage with national acts including: Nsync, Rascal Flatts, SheDaisy, Darius Rucker, John Mayer Gavin Degraw, Train and others.

Chase now resides in Salt Lake City, UT, and is performing regularly throughout UT, Idaho, Nevada, & California. You will find links to his website and social media below. We'd like to congratulate Chase on the release and the great job on the cut. We certainly appreciate you sending us a copy of the track! Be sure to call your favorite DJ's and stations and request his new song!

Stream "Let's Dance" below:

LINKS:
Website
Facebook
YouTube
Tour Schedule

Wayne Kessinger has released a new single "The Older I Get" and we're told that it was written and recorded in memory of Ammon Tharp. Wayne has played with many bands over the last thirty years including; Bill Deal & The Rhondels, Mainstream, Elite, Fat Ammons Band, Bill Deal, Ammon Tharp & The Shieks Of Shag, Ferguson, Boomerang, Catalinas, Coolin’ Out and Ammon and the Allstars. Check out the new song below!

Photo property of Wayne Kessinger

On May 11, 2020 Andy Swindell posted a link on his Facebook page for his new song "When My Baby Talks" and it sounds great and he did a great job on it. His post reads: "When My Baby Talks" is a song I just finished. I came up with the hook while playing drums and just started adding stuff until it was finished. It's all me. The silly videos allow me to post to Facebook, since you can't post mp3s. What I lack in knowledge I try to make up for with enthusiasm! I hope it lightens your day! Please feel free to share!!!!"

Check out the video below and be sure to visit his website!

JB and the Get Down Brown's new single, "Gonna Get Down" to hear the full recorded track tune in to Flip Flop Live Radio Saturday, May 16, 2020 from 7-11PM and we'll have the guys from the band on the air and we'll play the new song. 

On April 22, 2020 we told you about the new single from the Randy Clay Band, "That that hat". Well the dance for the new single has been released and we have it for you below. " Dance choreographed by Bubba Carl Williams and Joy Williams featuring the Top Hat Dancers". Watch the video and comment below and let us know what you think about the song and new dance.

Distributed to our mailing list on Saturday, April 25, 2020.
Join our mailing list today to receive the updates first!

Beach Music Loses Another Legend
DJ Steve Hardy
This past year has been filled with so much news surrounding legendary Beach Music contributor and DJ, Steve Hardy. From the announcement of his retirement, to the release of the “Party for a Lifetime” CD, his final farewell during his “Thanks for Listening Christmas Party” and now to the sad news of his passing. The Hardy family members have been through a lot but the love shown throughout various areas of the industry for Steve and the family surely is a blessing. We will continue to keep them in our prayers as they move forward with the arrangements and final preparations.

COVID-19
We hope you and your family are staying safe during the recent health issues facing our country and the rest of the world. We know everyone is ready to get back to the clubs and events and we’re praying for the bands, artists and venues who are feeling the biggest effect of the shutdown. We’re so thankful for the connections we still have with everyone because of technology and we’re at least able to see each other online.

CBMA NEWS
2020 Hall of Fame Inductees
Did you catch the 2020 Carolina Beach Music Hall of Fame Inductee show on 94.9FM The Surf with Mike Worley and Peter Carpenter? Congratulations to all of the inductees and we can’t wait to see you in November in N. Myrtle Beach.

Inductees

• Wilson Howard.
• Pat Christie
• Steve Davis
• Eddie Cogle
• Johnny B Barkley
• Fred Foxx
• Neal "Soul Dog" Furr
• Bob Collins and the Fabulous 5
• Loafers Beach Club in Raleigh, NC
• WNCT 107.9FM in Greenville, NC
• Jim Quick

Reminder to Renew your CBMA membership
Let’s make a big push for new and renewing CBMA members. No matter your role in the industry whether you’re a fan, music lover, band, DJ, artist, venue or shag club, invite your family and friends to join. Single memberships start at only $25.00 for the year and couples start at $40.00. We have all of the information for you on our website: www.flipfloplive.com/cbma In order for our industry to grow and to increase votes for your favorites during the awards show it takes members to make it count. Every vote counts!

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER
July 15, 2020 – Deadline to join the CBMA and be eligible to nominate
September 15, 2020 – Deadline to join the CBMA and be eligible to vote
November 12-15, 2020 CBMA Weekend and Award Show
 

BAND / ARTIST NEWS

Blackwater Band / Too Much Sylvia
The Boys are Back in Town
Back in March, Green dot records released “The Boys are Back in Town featuring Blackwater and Too Much Sylvia. Expect a forthcoming compilation CD, including “THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN” and other
new music from Carolina artists very soon!

Hip Pocket
Band Member Lineup Changes
Through a Facebook post on March 14, 2020, the band announced that Jaron Bradley “Breeze” was no longer with the band. No other information was offered at that time and we haven’t been notified of any further updates to their lineup. We wish the band and Breeze nothing but the best going forward.

Bands/Artists Perform Live Online
Several bands and artists are using the internet and social media to continue to entertain their fans. We’ve shared several videos on our website from these sessions and we will continue to add them as we receive the submissions. This is the dedication and creativity that we love in our industry. So many refuse to take a break and they keep the music playing and we’re loving it and so are many others.

Swingin’ into a New Website
The Swingin’ Medallions announced April 17, 2020 that they’ve launched their brand new website and they also provided updates to their upcoming shows. We have the video posted on our website news feed if you have a few minutes and would like to watch.

Rick, Lesa and Mike Debut New Music
On April 20^th, Rick Strickland, Lesa Hudson and Mike Taylor announced the release of a new song “A Little More Love”. It was released on April 19^th during a worldwide Facebook Live event where Rick and Lesa were joined via webcam by Mike as they discussed the details and allowed viewers the chance to preview the new track. We have more details and the video posted on our website news feed.

Randy Clay Band Release New Song
The Randy Clay Band’s new song “Tip the Hat” debuted today, (Saturday) on Eric Bowman’s show on WDZD 99.1FM The Wave. On their announcement they state; “Get ready line dancers! This is one you’ll love”. We have the full store along with links to Eric’s live stream and the band’s website. Be sure to tune in Saturday to hear the new release.
 

INDUSTRY NEWS

Beach Music and Covid-19
Let’s all support the industry during this period…  
On March 17, 2020, we posted on our website an article on what we felt everyone could do to help the industry continue to thrive during the pandemic. You can read the full article on our website newsfeed but some of the ideas were to call your favorite DJs and while we’re at home support their shows. We suggested how you can interact with the bands and artists online helping boost their exposure as well as buying merchandise to help support them financially. We also included shag club, venue and industry ideas. If you have a few minutes, you can the entire article that goes more in-depth.

Good News Anyone?
Firefighter helps a Virginia Beach Music celebrity
Have you ever visited the Virginia Beach oceanfront during one of their Beach Music events? If so, chances are you’ve seen or met Travis Thereault! You will usually find him announcing the bands, helping with equipment or hanging out backstage. Travis is a local celebrity and friends to all of the Beach Music bands. A local firefighter heard that Travis’ bike was stolen and he jumped into action. You can watch the heartwarming news segment on our website. We were so happy to finally hear good news for once in the past few weeks.

FFL Launches Online Station
Flip Flop Live Radio
On Thursday March 19, 2020, Andy Lucy and Jonathan “JJ” Sharpe announced the newest addition to the FFL platform, Flip Flop Live Radio. We’ve been planning to launch an online station for some time but we ushered in the idea several months early with the launch of a new website and radio show. Currently Andy Lucy is hosting a weekly show every Saturday from 7:00-11:00PM called the “Saturday Night House Party” which is an all request show playing a wide array of genres. For more information you can visit: www.FlipFlopLiveRadio.com  Last weekend we also debuted the “Flip Flop Live Radio Show” on WEVA 860AM in Emporia, Virginia. A twenty-four hour format is planned with several featured shows in the works. Thank you to everyone for your support and join us on Saturday evening where you can text your requests and join our live chat!

Johnny Draper Blasts into Saturday Nights
Host of the weekly show “Friday Beach Blast”, Johnny Draper launches a new show on Saturday on 107.7 FM The Lake based out of South Hill, Virginia. His Friday night show can also be heard on 107.7 along with WTRG 97.9FM, EARL 98.3FM based out of Weldon, North Carolina. Johnny plays a great mix of music including a weekly tribute to Charlie Byrd who was host of “The Charlie Byrd Beach Blast”. Congratulations Johnny!
 

Highway 17 with Ben Morris
Beach Shag Rhythm and Blues Radio
On April 20, 2020, Beach Shag Rhythm and Blues Radio announced the addition to their current lineup as they announced “Highway 17 with Ben Morris. Loving music from an early age, Ben talks about when he was around seven years old, “I was taken back by the sounds of those old Brunswick labeled records and I was hooked on the R&B music sounds.” Also he recalls “my Mom singing to Far Away Places, Washed Ashore and other songs that eventually woke me up to Beach Music.
 

SHAG NEWS

Society of Stranders Make Tough Call
SOS Spring Safari Canceled
The ACSC/SOS Board members made a tough decision to cancel SOS Spring Safari due to the coronavirus. Nobody likes to cancel or reschedule events and surely an event like SOS that impacts so many, it makes the decisions even harder. In their release it stated: “it is our responsibility for your safety and well-being, as we are an older group and it seems to affect our group the most. Your understanding of the situation will help us get through this.” They are talking about planning for an expanded Fall Migration in which we hope the Covid-19 situation will not be of any concern.

Online Shag Lessons
Sam and Lisa West
In an attempt to bring some normalcy to the shag community, Sam and Lisa West offered online shag lessons and we think that’s a great idea! After their first lesson the response was so positive they’ve decided to continue the classes on Sundays and Thursdays and includes; Music and Warm-up, Beginner Class, Music and Break followed by an Intermediate Class. They also started a “Virtual SOS” on YouTube for $75.00 for a single and $100.00 for a couple/household. Visit their website or Facebook page for details and you can find those links on our website news feed.

HAPPENING AT FLIP FLOP LIVE
Flip Flop Live Tests New Feature
We’re getting closer to the launch of a brand new feature for Flip Flop Live. We’ve been working on this feature for several months and we’re now in the final testing stages before our official launch. We hope to release more details in the next couple of weeks on the official announcement.

Lake Life / Salt Life…..does it matter? Give us water and Beach Music!
Lake Life Live and Flip Flop Live are teaming up for something special and we plan on bringing you this announcement this weekend or at least by early next week. Stay tuned!
 

WE NEED YOUR SUBMISSIONS
Bands, DJ’s, Shag Clubs, Venues, Radio
We have lists organizing the various aspects of the industry by category. Now is the perfect time to make sure your organization is listed on our website and make sure we have the correct details and links. If your band, club, venue, station or organization is hosting a beach/shag event, send us the details to: events@flipfloplive.com  The industry is made up of so many aspects within the Beach Music community and we want your information included and all details to be listed correctly. You can also join the members in the “Flip Flop Live Shaggers” group on Facebook. Share your information, events, photos and anything else you’d like once we get back to normal.

THANK YOU!
Thank you to Skelton Speed Shop in Brodnax, Virginia, Hite’s Clothing in Clarksville, Virginia, Brian Parks with Virginia Farm Bureau of Boydton, Virginia, Butch Halpin and the Carolina Sounds Beach Show, John Hall from Johnny’s Jukebox, Scott Walker from the Thursday Night Beach Therapy and Townsend Link from the Beach Bound and Down Radio Show. They’re all sponsors of Flip Flop Live and we can’t thank them enough for enabling us to take our platforms even further.

Also to the following: Sunset Sounds Concert Series, Lake Life Live Concert Series, ECSC Fall Breeze, Cabin Fever Throwdown, Hope Abounds East Coast Shag Classic, Julian B. Fowler and the We Be Jammin’ Concert Series for allowing us to partner with you on the promotion of your events.

Submit your news!
We work hard finding the latest and most up to date information pertaining to the Beach Music industry. If you have anything that you feel our visitors would find interesting or if you have an upcoming announcement etc, we want to know about it. If you have something you’d like to include, you can contact us on our website or send an email to: webmaster@flipfloplive.com
 
We have one goal at Flip Flop Live and that’s to be your one stop destination for EVERYTHING Beach Music. Our platform is not focused on one artist, band, venue, station, shag club or DJ, we're here to promote Beach Music in its entirety. We've built our website around the "community" and the only way we will be able to grow is with your input, suggestions, and submissions. Thank you for the emails we currently receive and we look forward to growing with all of you.

Do you know someone that would like to receive our emails? Forward this to them and
they can also sign up at: www.flipfloplive.com


Andy and Jonathan “JJ”
Your Flip Flop Live Team!
 

In a Facebook post on Sunday, May 3, 2020 Steve Owens posted a live video showcasing the beauty of the American flag flying proudly at the end of his driveway. During his video he mentioned a new song to be released this coming week so be on the lookout and we can't wait hear it. We've included the video for you!