The Swingin' Medallions are an Americanbeach musicgroup fromGreenwood,South Carolina, United States.

The Swingin' Medallions
Pictured in July 16, 1966 issue ofKRLA Beat
Background information
Origin	Greenwood,South Carolina, U.S.
Genres	Beach, Frat Rock,rock,pop
Years active	1962–present
Labels	Dot, 4 Sale,Smash, 123, EBS,Ripete
Website	www.medallions.com

The band were formed as The Medallions in 1962, adding the "Swingin'" in 1965;^[1] possibly as a tribute to the Swingin' Travelers, an R&B group popular in South Carolina in the late 1950s and early 1960s.^{[citation needed]} In 1967, Brent Fortson and Steve Caldwell left the band and with six members of The Tassles out of North Carolina formed the Pieces of Eight.^[1] Johnny Cox and Hack Bartley replaced the two at saxophones.

Their firstsingle, "I Wanna Be Your Guy", was inadvertently released under the name, "Swinging Medallions" instead of "Swingin' Medallions". It did notchart, but the second, "Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love)", written byDon Smith andCyril Vetter and originally recorded byDick Holler and the Holidays, reached No. 17 in the U.S.Billboard Hot 100 in 1966,^[1] and propelled their album to No. 88 on theBillboard 200. It was recorded at the Arthur Smith Studios inCharlotte, North Carolina.WIST radio jock Tom Gauger was called in to re-mix for release on Smash. The follow-up single "She Drives Me Out of My Mind", hit No. 71, but the next single, "Hey, Hey, Baby", did not chart. The band continued to be popular in theAmerican South.

In the early-1960s, they frequently played at the Oporto Armory inBirmingham, Alabama where their songs got national airplay by Dave Roddy onWSGN. The band was also a popular attraction inPanama City Beach,Myrtle Beach, andAuburn University.

The band (with a shifting cast) continued to do reunion shows into the 2000s.^{[citation needed]} On September 16, 2009, the band joinedBruce Springsteen & theE Street Band during their concert at theBi-Lo Center inGreenville, South Carolina for a performance of "Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love)".^{[citation needed]}

One alumnus of the group, drummerMichael Huey,^[2] went on to become the staff drummer for theBill Lowery Studios in Atlanta playing on hit records forthe Winstons,Sami Jo,Johnny Nash,Joe South,Frankie Miller,Allen Toussaint, and others. Huey moved to Los Angeles in 1976 and played on numerous hit records and tours withWalter Egan ("Magnet and Steel"),Juice Newton,Glenn Frey,Joe Walsh,Etta James,Lindsey Buckingham,Michael Martin Murphey,Johnny Lee, and theMiami Vice television series, among others. Another alumnus, actorGrainger Hines, was with the group between 1968 and 1971.^[3]

Charlie Webber died of cancer on January 17, 2003.^[4] John McElrath (born John Grady McElrath inGreenwood County, South Carolina on April 13, 1941) died ofParkinson's disease on June 9, 2018, at age 77.^[5][6] Jimbo Doares (born James Woodrow Doares, Jr. inColumbia, South Carolina on August 14, 1944) died on September 7, 2022, at age 78.^[7]

• John McElrath -keyboards(died 2018)
• Jimbo Doares -guitar(died 2022)
• Carroll Bledsoe -trumpet
• Charles Webber - trumpet(died 2003)
• Fredie Pugh,saxophone
• Brent Forston - saxophone,flute
• Jimmy Perkins -bass guitar
• Joe Morris -drums
• Donny LaFave -drums(died 2003)(Double Shot (Of My Baby’s Love) Recording and touring drummer.)
• Perrin Gleaton -lead guitar^[1]
• Roy Davenport - guitar, vocals
• Jake Bartley - guitar, lead vocals (present)

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?)

Reissue singles

• "Baby Talk" (Jan and Dean)/"Double Shot Of My Baby's Love" (Collectables 3102)
• "Mendocino" (Sir Douglas Quintet)/"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)

• Official website