The Shag Dance is sort of a lazy jitterbug, done on beaches at night, always with someone of the opposite sex. Therefore, the music shaggers picked for their soundtrack had to be sunny, sexy, fun, and lazy. Depending on who you talk to, shagging can be done to songs as diverse as Elvis' "Return To Sender" and Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing," but the general consensus is that there should be a slow shuffle at the bottom and some sort of southern soul on top.
The big hits of shag are almost all one-hit wonders, cherry-picked for their utility - Willie Tee's "Teasin' You," the O-Kaysions' "Girl Watcher" - but that also gives the scene room to breathe. And, as has been proven by its continuing popularity, room to expand.
My favorite Shag Dance song!
I love watching rock 'n roll movies from the 60's just to watch the dancing. It's a kicky blast!
ReplyDeleteEndless summer.... I loved the beach blanket movies and the Beach Boys too. But then that's another story to tell...
ReplyDelete"girl you are taking me back!! Also " Walk away renee" that's my sister's name and we loved this song..wasn't sure what they were sayng but when that part came on WE SANG IT LOUD!!! the group was "the left Banke"? i didn't know that! Kim i love your site!! it's so much fun to go to and REMEMBER songs and 'stuff' ' from days gone by..THANK -YOU!!!"
ReplyDeleteAs info, Frankie and Annette are NOT shag dancing. I never saw shag dancing done in the beach blanket movies, although I loved them while growing up, too. LOL... I live in NC and I'm a shagger. To see shag dancing you need to see "Shag The Movie".
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