The Swingin' Medallions

The Swingin' Medallions were a beach music band from Greenwood, South Carolina. Many of the members were graduates of Lander University, while several others attended the University of Georgia. The original line-up was Charlie Webber (trumpet / vocals), Steve Caldwell (saxophone / vocals), Jimmy Perkins (saxophone / bass guitar / vocals), John McElrath (keyboards / vocals), Carroll Bledsoe (trumpet / vocals), Jim Doares (guitar / vocals), Brent Fortson (saxophone / flute / vocals) and Joe Morris (drums / vocals). The group first formed in the late 1950s and called themselves Pieces of Eight. They changed their name to the Swingin' Medallions after signing with Smash Records in 1965. Their debut single, "I Wanna Be Your Guy", was a flop. The band scored a smash hit, though, with the wonderfully raucous frat rock party classic "Double Shot (of My Baby's Love)," which peaked at #17 on the Billboard charts in 1966 and sold a million copies. The follow-up tune, "She Drives Me Out of My Mind", stalled at #71 on the Billboard charts and "Hey Baby" failed to even make the charts. However, the group still retained its popularity in the South. The band appear as themselves and perform several songs in the rock documentary Mondo Daytona (1968). Charlie Webber died from cancer at age 58 on January 17, 2003. The group continues to perform at various shows, although only John McElrath remains from the original line-up.