The Swingin' Medallions are an American

beach music Beach music, also known as Carolina beach music, and to a lesser extent, beach pop, is a regional genre of music in the United States which developed from rock/ R&B and pop music of the 1950s and 1960s. Beach music is most closely associate ...

group A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together. Groups of people * Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity * Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic iden ...

from Greenwood,

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

, best known for their 1966 hit single " Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love)", which reached #17 in the

Billboard charts The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ' ...

History

Early years

The band was formed as The Medallions in 1962 by John McElrath and fellow college students at Lander College (today Lander University). The original lineup consisted of McElrath, Joe Morris, Larry and Jimmy Roark (both cousins of McElrath), Bobby Crowder, Dwight Styron, and John Hancock. According to Morris, this group of friends "used to sit out in John’s front yard and listen to

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated within African American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predomina ...

music, coming from the back door of a local, little club there in Ninety Six. ..That formed the type music we did." Soon, the band regularly rehearsed at Smokey Joe's Cafe in Ninety Six and added Carroll Bledsoe and Gary "Cubby" Culbertson on trumpet and guitar, respectively. Culbertson introduced "Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love)" to the band, but being in the Army Reserve as Vietnam was escalating, he decided to leave the band and was replaced by Perrin Gleaton. By mid-1964, the Medallions' eight-piece lineup had solidified around McElrath on keyboards, Morris on drums, Gleaton on guitar, Bledsoe and Rick Godwin on

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz musical ensemble, ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest Register (music), register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitche ...

, and Steve Caldwell, Brent Fortson (then still in

high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...

), and Freddie Pugh on

saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to p ...

Popular residencies

Originally formed as a way to earn extra money by playing at clubs and

fraternity A fraternity (; whence, "wikt:brotherhood, brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club (organization), club or fraternal order traditionally of men but also women associated together for various religious or secular ...

parties, the band's energetic, brass-heavy live act soon developed a strong following in the

Southeast The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, Radius, radially arrayed compass directions (or Azimuth#In navigation, azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A ''compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, ...

. In the summer of 1964, Earl Caldwell, the father of saxophonist Steve Caldwell, offered the group a residency at The Old Hickory, his

nightclub A nightclub or dance club is a club that is open at night, usually for drinking, dancing and other entertainment. Nightclubs often have a Bar (establishment), bar and discotheque (usually simply known as disco) with a dance floor, laser lighti ...

Panama City, Florida Panama City is a city in and the county seat of Bay County, Florida, United States. Located along U.S. Route 98 in Florida, U.S. Highway 98 (US 98), it is the largest city between Tallahassee, Florida, Tallahassee and Pensacola, Florida, Pe ...

, where they would play six nights per week. To advertize themselves, the band created posters and gave away free tickets to beachgoers. Reflecting on the band's blossoming popularity, Bledsoe stated: "The crowds in Panama City got so large that we had to start having a matinee show on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. People would pack the place, standing on tables to get a better view of the band. Many days they completely blocked out the sun." During this residency, the band met Dave "Rockin'" Roddy, a popular radio DJ on WSGN, who secured the group a weekly residency nicknamed "Medallion Mondays"; after finishing their Sunday night set at 2 a.m., the group would drive six hours to Birmingham to play at the Oporto Armory. In 1965, the Medallions added "Swingin'" to their moniker to differentiate themselves from a Chicago band of the same name. That summer, the band continued their residencies in Panama City and Birmingham, however Jimbo Doares and Charlie Webber had replaced Gleaton and Pugh, respectively. By 1966, Jimmy Perkins had replaced Godwin on trumpet. Soon, Bill Lowery, a producer based in

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

, became interested in recording the young group, ultimately signing the group to a recording and management contract.

National success

Their first single, "I Wanna Be Your Guy", was inadvertently released under the name, "Swinging Medallions" instead of "Swingin' Medallions". Released on

Dot Records Dot Records was an American record label founded by Randy Wood (record producer), Randy Wood and Gene Nobles that was active between 1950 and 1978. The original headquarters of Dot Records were in Gallatin, Tennessee. In its early years, Dot sp ...

, it did not

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. " Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love)", written by Don Smith and Cyril Vetter and originally recorded by

Dick Holler Richard Louis Holler (born October 16, 1934)Biography
LMHOF website; accessed February 19, 2018.

and the Holidays, was a staple in the band's live setlist, yet they initially had difficulty transferring the "party atmosphere" of the live setting to a studio recording. As bandleader McElrath described the situation, "They kept trying to have us record it with different arrangements and in different ways with horns and so forth that didn’t fit the song." McElrath wrote the track's distinctive

Farfisa Farfisa () is a manufacturer of electronics based in Osimo, Italy, founded in 1946. The company manufactured a series of compact electronic organs in the 1960s and 1970s, including the Compact, FAST, Professional and VIP ranges, and later, a se ...

organ riff. Eventually, the band was growing unsatisfied with Lowery's production and went to Arthur Smith Studios in

Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 United ...

to continue recording. To imitate the raucous energy of their live shows, the band brought in a "big crowd" of random people from off the street to "make background noise." The single's B-Side, an instrumental entitled "Here It Comes Again," was written by bandmembers John McElrath and Joe Morris. According to drummer Joe Morris, the two tracks took an hour and a half to satisfactorily record. 500 copies of this new, "rowdier" arrangement were printed on the For Sale label (created by the band themselves), then sold at shows and distributed to radio stations. Allegedly,

James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, musician, and record producer. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th-century music, he is referred to by Honorific nick ...

recommended the band to his then-record label

Smash Records Smash Records was an American record label founded in 1961 as a subsidiary of Mercury Records. History Mercury Record Corporation president Irving Green announced the formation of the company’s new pop subsidiary label, Smash Records, in Ma ...

, which promptly purchased the single after Lowery agreed. Though quickly becoming a hit in the

, Smash Records required the band to re-record the vocals with censored lyrics before distributing the single nationally. Lines that referenced sex and alcohol consumption, such as "She loved me so long, and she loved me so hard" and "The worst

hangover A hangover is the experience of various unpleasant physiological and psychological effects usually following the consumption of alcohol (beverage), alcohol, such as wine, beer, and liquor. Hangovers can last for several hours or for more than ...

that I ever had" became "She kissed me so long, and she kissed me so hard" and "The worst morning after that I ever had." WIST radio jock Tom Gauger was called in to re-mix for release on Smash. The single reached No. 17 in the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in 1966, staying on the charts for 23 consecutive weeks and selling over a million copies. Riding on this success, their debut album ''Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love)'' was propelled to No. 88 on the ''Billboard'' 200. With this newfound popularity, the band embarked on a tour managed by Leonard Stogel that saw them visit 34 states in three months' time. On July 15, 1966, the band performed on

Dick Clark Richard Wagstaff Clark (November 30, 1929April 18, 2012) was an American television and radio personality and television producer who hosted ''American Bandstand'' from 1956 to 1989. He also hosted five incarnations of the Pyramid (game show), ...

's '' Where The Action Is''. While in California, the band performed at Tina Sinatra's sixteenth birthday party and were later gifted two new amplifiers by her father. After touring the West Coast, the group performed in Atlanta (opening for

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, a city in the United States * Richmond, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town ...

(opening for Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels and

The Dave Clark Five The Dave Clark Five, also known as the DC5, were an English rock and roll band formed in 1958 in Tottenham, London. Drummer Dave Clark was the group's leader, producer and co-songwriter. In January 1964, they had their first UK top-ten single, ...

), New York City, and finally

New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...

. Afterwards, the band headlined various concerts in the Southeast, being supported by

Napoleon XIV Jerrold Laurence Samuels (May 3, 1938 – March 10, 2023) was an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and talent agent. Under the pseudonym Napoleon XIV, he achieved one-hit wonder status with the #3 hit novelty song "They're Coming to ...

and Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs.

Later activities

The follow-up single "She Drives Me Out of My Mind", written by future Raider Freddy Weller and with a sound highly-derivative of their previous hit, stalled at No. 71, making it the group's last-ever charting single. Nevertheless, the band continued to be popular in the live circuit. In late 1966, Brent Fortson and Steve Caldwell left the band and, with six members of North Carolina band the Tassles, formed Pieces of Eight with the help of Caldwell's father. Johnny Cox and James "Hack" Bartley replaced the two at saxophones. In 1967, Pieces of Eight released their debut single (a cover of "Lonely Drifter", a minor hit for

The O'Jays The O'Jays are an American Rhythm and blues, R&B group from Canton, Ohio, formed in summer 1958 and originally consisting of Eddie Levert, Walter Lee Williams, William Powell, Bobby Massey, and Bill Isles. The O'Jays made their first chart appea ...

in 1963) under the billing of "Pieces of Eight - The Original Swingin' Medallions". This action, according to band member Carroll Bledsoe, prompted the Swingin' Medallions to sue Earl Caldwell, who, as Bledsoe claims, "felt that since he had booked us two summers in Panama City, he owned the name and all of the rights"; the band was victorious in the case. The Swingin' Medallions were featured in the 1968 film ''Mondo Daytona. The band (with a shifting cast) continued to do reunion shows into the 2000s. On September 16, 2009, the band joined

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American Rock music, rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", Springsteen has released 21 studio albums spanning six decades; most of his albums feature th ...

& the

E Street Band The E Street Band is an American rock band that has been the primary backing band for rock musician Bruce Springsteen since 1972. In 2014, the E Street Band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. For the bulk of Springsteen's recordin ...

during their concert at the

Bi-Lo Center Bon Secours Wellness Arena (formerly the BI-LO Center; The Well) is a multi-purpose arena in Greenville, South Carolina, United States. The arena serves as the home of the Greenville Swamp Rabbits of the ECHL. History The arena opened as the ...

Greenville, South Carolina Greenville ( ; ) is a city in Greenville County, South Carolina, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 70,720 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of municipalities in South Carolina, sixth-most pop ...

for a performance of "Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love)". One alumnus of the group, drummer Michael Huey (who replaced founding member Joe Morris), went on to become the staff drummer for the Bill Lowery Studios in Atlanta playing on hit records for the Winstons, Sami Jo,

Johnny Nash John Lester Nash Jr. (August 19, 1940October 6, 2020) was an American singer and songwriter, best known in the United States for his 1972 hit " I Can See Clearly Now". Primarily a reggae and pop singer, he was one of the first non-Jamaican art ...

Joe South Joe South (born Joseph Alfred Souter; February 28, 1940 – September 5, 2012) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Best known for his songwriting, South won the Grammy Award for Grammy Award for Song of the Year, ...

, Frankie Miller,

Allen Toussaint Allen Richard Toussaint (; January 14, 1938 – November 10, 2015) was an American musician, songwriter, arranger, and record producer. He was an influential figure in New Orleans rhythm and blues from the 1950s to the end of the century, descr ...

, and others. Huey moved to Los Angeles in 1976 and played on numerous hit records and tours with

Walter Egan Walter Egan (born July 12, 1948) is an American rock musician, best known for his 1978 gold status hit single " Magnet and Steel" from his second album release, ''Not Shy'', produced by Egan, Lindsey Buckingham and Richard Dashut. The song reach ...

(" Magnet and Steel"),

Juice Newton Juice Newton (born Judith Kay Newton; February 18, 1952) is an American pop and country singer, songwriter, and musician. Newton has received five Grammy Award nominations in the Pop and Country Best Female Vocalist categorieswinning once in 198 ...

Glenn Frey Glenn Lewis Frey (; November 6, 1948 – January 18, 2016) was an American musician. He was a founding member of the rock band Eagles, for whom he was the co-lead singer and frontman, roles he came to share with fellow member Don Henley, with ...

Joe Walsh Joseph Fidler Walsh (born Joseph Woodward Fidler; November 20, 1947) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Best known as a member of the rock band Eagles (band), Eagles, his five-decade career includes solo work and stints in other ...

Etta James Jamesetta Hawkins (January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012), known professionally as Etta James, was an American singer and songwriter. Starting her career in 1954, James frequently performed in Nashville's R&B clubs, collectively known as the Ch ...

Lindsey Buckingham Lindsey Adams Buckingham (born October 3, 1949) is an American musician, record producer, and the lead guitarist and co-lead vocalist of the Rock music, rock band Fleetwood Mac from 1975 to 1987 and 1997 to 2018. In addition to his tenure with ...

Michael Martin Murphey Michael Martin Murphey (born March 14, 1945) is an American singer-songwriter. He was one of the founding artists of progressive country. A multiple Grammy nominee, Murphey has six gold albums, including ''Cowboy Songs (Michael Martin Murphey alb ...

, Johnny Lee, and the ''

Miami Vice ''Miami Vice'' is an American crime drama television series created by Anthony Yerkovich and produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series stars Don Johnson as James "Sonny" Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas as Ricardo Tubbs, Ricardo "Rico" Tub ...

'' television series, among others. Another alumnus, actor Grainger Hines, was with the group between 1968 and 1971. Jug Tavern Park

McElrath's legacy and death

In 2008, John McElrath was awarded the Order of the Palmetto by South Carolina governor

Mark Sanford Marshall Clement "Mark" Sanford Jr. (born May 28, 1960) is an American politician and author who served as the U.S. representative for South Carolina's 1st congressional district from 1995 to 2001 and from 2013 to 2019, and as the 115th govern ...

. John McElrath died of

Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a neurodegenerative disease primarily of the central nervous system, affecting both motor system, motor and non-motor systems. Symptoms typically develop gradually and non-motor issues become ...

on June 9, 2018, at age 77. Brent Forston, who was still

underage In law, a minor is someone under a certain age, usually the age of majority, which demarcates an underage individual from legal adulthood. The age of majority depends upon jurisdiction and application, but it is commonly 18. ''Minor'' may also ...

when he joined the group in 1964, said that " cElrathwas my mentor. He was my biggest influence as a calming figure. ..We were so fortunate to have him lead the way. He was a trailblazer." Ex-member Grainger Hines also gave words of praise: "A lot of people think entertainment is all fun and games but it is a business. John knew this and the longevity of the Swingin’ Medallions, which extends over fifty years, is a true tribute to John McElrath." In 2025, a joint resolution between the South Carolina

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entities. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often ...

and

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

passed to rename a portion of South Carolina Highway 34 connecting Greenwood and Ninety Six the John McElrath Memorial Highway.

Other band member deaths

Steve Caldwell died of

pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer arises when cell (biology), cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a Neoplasm, mass. These cancerous cells have the malignant, ability to invade other parts of ...

on January 28, 2002. Charlie Webber died of cancer on January 17, 2003. Gary "Cubby" Culbertson died on March 27, 2014. James "Hack" Bartley died on April 19, 2016 from accidental drowning while fishing. Jimbo Doares (born James Woodrow Doares, Jr. in

Columbia, South Carolina Columbia is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is List of municipalities in South Carolina, the second-mo ...

on August 14, 1944) died on September 7, 2022, at age 78.

Band members

Original members

*John McElrath keyboards *Jimbo Doares

guitar The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...

*Carroll Bledsoe

*Charles Webber trumpet *Fredie Pugh

*Brent Forston saxophone,

flute The flute is a member of a family of musical instruments in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, producing sound with a vibrating column of air. Flutes produce sound when the player's air flows across an opening. In th ...

*Jimmy Perkins

bass guitar The bass guitar (), also known as the electric bass guitar, electric bass, or simply the bass, is the lowest-pitched member of the guitar family. It is similar in appearance and construction to an Electric guitar, electric but with a longer nec ...

*Joe Morris

drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a ...

s *Perrin Gleaton

lead guitar Lead guitar (also known as solo guitar) is a musical part for a guitar in which the guitarist plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs and chords within a song structure. The lead is the featur ...

*Roy Davenport guitar, vocals

Current lineup

Per the band's website, the current lineup consists of: *Shawn McElrath saxophone, bass, flute, vocals *Shane McElrath keyboards,

alto saxophone The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments. Saxophones were invented by Belgians, Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in the 1840s and patented in 1846. The alto saxophone is pitched in the key of E♭ ( ...

, guitar, vocals *Chris Crowe

baritone saxophone The baritone saxophone (sometimes abbreviated to "bari sax") is a member of the saxophone family of instruments, larger (and lower-pitched) than the tenor saxophone, but smaller (and higher-pitched) than the bass saxophone, bass. It is the lowe ...

, vocals * Josh Snelling trumpet, vocals * John Smith Buchan trumpet, trombone, bass, vocals * Richard Loper trumpet, vocals * Marcus Gullen drums, vocals * Ronnie "R.G." Goldman guitar, bass * Mackenzie Walden bass, guitar * Joe Morris drums Drummer Joe Morris is the only original member who still tours with the group. Shawn and Shane McElrath are, respectively, the oldest and youngest sons of original frontman John McElrath. John Smith Buchan likewise is a nephew of John McElrath.

Discography

;Albums * ''Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love)'' (Smash/Mercury MGS-27083/SRS-67083, 1966) * ''Sun Sand and Sea'' (4 Sale DRP-7775, 1981) * ''It's All Right'' * ''Get U Some'' (USB Records, 1993) * ''Original Coors Beach Party No. 1'' (Medallion, 1998) * ''Original Coors Beach Party No. 2'' (Medallion, 2000) * ''Christmas Party'' (2001) * ''Round & Round'' (2003) (as Three Medallions) * ''Generations'' (2004) ;Compilations * ''Anthology'' (Ripete 5145, 1997) ;Singles * "Bye Bye, Silly Girl"/"I Want To Be Your Guy" (Dot 16721, 1965) * "Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love)"/"Here It Comes Again" (4 Sale 002, 1965) * "Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love)"/"Here It Comes Again" (Smash 2033, 1966) * "She Drives Me Out Of My Mind"/"You Gotta Have Faith" (Smash 2050, 1966) * "I Don't Want To Lose You Baby"/"Night Owl" (Smash 2075, 1966) * "I Found A Rainbow"/"Don't Cry No More" (Smash 2084, 1967) * "Turn On The Music"/"Summer's Not The Same This Year" (Smash 2107, 1967) * "Where Can I Go To Get Soul"/"Bow And Arrow" (Smash 2129, 1967) * "Hey, Hey, Baby"/"Sun, Sand, And Sea" (Capitol 2338, 1968) * "We're Gonna Hate Ourselves In The Morning"/"It's Alright (You're Just In Love)" (123 Records 1723, 1970) * "Rollin' Rovin' River"/"Don't Let Your Feet Touch The Ground" (123 Records 1732, 1970) * "I'm Gonna Make Her Mine"/"Barefootin'" (EBS 062085, 197?) * "Hit Me With Them Horns" (Medallion Productions, 2025) ;Reissue singles * "Baby Talk" (

Jan and Dean Jan and Dean were an American rock music, rock duo consisting of William Jan Berry (April 3, 1941 – March 26, 2004) and Dean Ormsby Torrence (born March 10, 1940). In the early 1960s, they were pioneers of the California Sound and vocal surf m ...

)/"Double Shot Of My Baby's Love" (Collectables 3102) * "Mendocino" (

Sir Douglas Quintet The Sir Douglas Quintet was an American Rock music, rock band formed in San Antonio, Texas in 1964. With their first hits, they were acclaimed in their home state. When their career was established (subsequent to working with Texas record produ ...

)/"Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love)" (Smash 1421) * "Polk Salad Annie" (Tony Joe White)/"Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love)" (Ripete 128) * "She Drives Me Out Of My Mind"/"Hey Hey Baby" (Ripete 143)

References

External links

Official website2021 PBS segment on the Swinging' Medallions (0:00-5:50)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Swingin Medallions, The Musical groups from South Carolina Musical groups established in 1962 American pop music groups 1962 establishments in South Carolina