The Poor
Souls:
Carolina Beach Music at its Finest
The Poor Souls, ca. 1983
Bobby Smith, front center
(From the Classic Urban Harmony Archives)
On November 29, 2009, Carolina Beach Music lost one of its
brightest stars. Bobby Smith, bass singer extraordinaire and key
founding member of the Poor Souls died of a heart attack. A year and a
half later, on JUne 9, 2011, we lost magnificent tenor, Butch Stone, of
lymphocytic leukemia. For those of us who
love vocal harmony groups and Carolina Beach Music, the Poor Souls
were the embodiment of both. Sure, you could dance the shag to all the
Poor Souls' songs. But the Poor Souls chose material that was true to
Beach Music's 1950's R&B roots. The Poor Souls repertoire featured
songs by the Swallows, Checkers, Cadets, Coasters, Clovers, Blenders, Bull Moose Jackson
and Louis Prima as
well as their own original material that sounded like it came from 1954!
And while the Poor Souls were outstanding in every way, what gave them an
edge on most Beach groups was Bobby Smith's bass lead and Butch Stone's
tenor. Please scroll to the bottom of this page to watch a very moving
video slide show of a Poor Souls' road trip.
Butch Stone in the recording studio, only months before his
passing.
We at Classic Urban Harmony don't pretend to
be experts on the history of the Poor Souls. I [Charlie] saw the group
only once back in 1982 and talked to Bobby Smith for all of ten minutes.
But we are big fans of the group and their records grace the shelves of our
archives. The Poor Souls' website will soon post a more detailed
tribute to Bobby Smith. Until then, let this page try to tell the
story of one of Beach Music's best - Bobby Smith & the Poor Souls.
The Poor Souls history began in 1967 in
Charlotte, NC.
The group first started singing and performing Beach Music in Charlotte, NC.
The story goes that they took their name from the Charlotte nitery, the Pour
House, and that the group's name was first spelled "Pour Souls." Early
members of the group included, among others, Bobby Smith, Budge Eaton, Butch
Stone and Roger Smith.
The Poor Souls disbanded a couple of times
during the 1970's when gigs were scare for true Beach Music groups.
But the Poor Souls came back strong in 1980. We became aware of
them when our friend Chris Beachley first recorded them for his It Will
Stand label. The single, "Brazil" b/w "Over The Rainbow," was a
magnificent example of Beach Music done in a Classic Urban Harmony style.
"Brazil" was done like the Coasters version while "Over The Rainbow"
followed the Checkers' mold. Both featured the strong bass lead of
Bobby Smith. Both sides were popular in the Carolinas as well as getting airplay in
Philadelphia on Charlie Horner's WXPN Classic Urban Harmony radio program.
The Poor Souls' first record in 1980
(From the Classic Urban Harmony Archives)
To hear "Brazil" by the Poor Souls, click on the YouTube
below.
When next we heard of the Poor Souls, they
were recording for General Johnson's Surfside label. This was
perhaps the golden age of the Poor Souls. Their first release on
Surfside in 1982 was a version of the Swallows' "It Ain't The Meat,
It's The Motion" with the lyrics changed to "It Ain't The Beat, It's
The Motion."
The Poor Souls' first Surfside
release in 1982
(From the Classic Urban Harmony Archives)
When I (Charlie) saw the Poor Souls perform at the Surfside
(SC) Holiday Inn in August 1982, the group was in fine form, performing many
of the sides they would later put on record, like the Blenders' "Don't Mess
Around With Love." What impressed me the most were Bobby Smith's bass
voice, the group's harmony and choice of more obscure 1950's R&B group
harmony. Still, all the songs were updated to contemporary Beach Music
style, complete with a band with a powerful horn section.
Ad for the Poor Souls at the Surfside
Holiday Inn, August 1982
(From the Classic Urban Harmony Archives)
Marquee for Poor Souls at Surfside Holiday
Inn, August 1982
(Photo by Charlie Horner)
Poor Souls at Surfside Holiday Inn, August
1982
(Photo by Charlie Horner)
Poor Souls at Surfside Holiday Inn, Bobby
Smith left
(Photo by Charlie Horner)
Poor Souls at Surfside Holiday Inn, August
1982
(Photo by Charlie Horner)
Poor Souls at Surfside Holiday Inn, August
1982
(Photo by Charlie Horner)
Poor Souls at Surfside Holiday Inn, August
1982
Bobby Smith center
(Photo by Charlie Horner)
In December of 1982 the Poor Souls released a
Beach Music Christmas song.
The Poor Souls' 1982 Christmas Record
(From the Classic Urban Harmony Archives)
The year 1983 was another busy year for the
Poor Souls. Their first release was "White Cliffs Of Dover," another
Checkers' song.
(From the Classic Urban Harmony Archives)
The Poor Souls released an LP on Surfside
in 1983 called S.O.S. It contained their past (and future singles) and
was named the 1983 Beach Music Album of the Year.
The Poor Souls 1983 Album
(From the Classic Urban Harmony Archives)
Another single that found it's way to the Carolina Beach
Music market in 1983 was the Ricky Donathan record "Summertime Is Here."
The Poor Souls backed him one the song.
Ricky Donathan backed by the Poor Souls.
With original record sleeve.
(From the Classic Urban Harmony Archives)
The Poor Souls, Bobby Smith in front
(From the Classic Urban Harmony Archives)
The Poor Souls 1986 release of Bull Moose
Jackson's "Bowlegged Woman"
(From the Classic Urban Harmony Archives)
Over the years, the Poor Souls have won many accolades
including being inducted into the Beach Music Hall of Fame (1999), the South
Carolina Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame (1999) and the South Carolina
Governor's Award (2004).
The Poor Souls had just completed an
outstanding CD called "Try To Remember" before Butch's passing. It is
available through
www.thepoorsouls.net. If you're a
Poor Souls fan like we are, or even if you are not yet acquainted with their
music, please watch the video slide show below of a Poor Soul's road trip
and try to remember. - Charlie & Pam
Video slide show provided by Poor Souls'
manager and producer, Chauncey Edwards
Poor Souls Discography
45 RPM Singles
As the Poor Souls
It Will Stand 4602 - Brazil / Over
The Rainbow ca. 1980
Surfside 820302 - It Ain’t The
Beat / I Want You 1982
Surfside 821028 - Merry
Christmas All / [same] 1982
Surfside 830221 - White Cliffs
Of Dover / Walk That Chaulkline 1983
As Ricky Donathan with the Poor
Souls
Sandhill 1004 - Summertime
Is Here / - 1983
As Bobby Smith & the Poor Souls
Surfside 860512 - Bowlegged
Woman / I’ll Always Love You 1986
Ripete 2017
- Belly-Roll Me / I'll Always Love You 1990
Bobby Smith
- Carolina: Home of Rhythm & Blues / Take My Wife Please
Vinyl LP “S.O.S.” Surfside 1005 1983
Walk That Chaulkline
White Cliffs Of Dover
It Ain’t The Beat
Lonely Teardrops
Gigalo
Brazil
I Want You
Don’t Mess Around With Love
Over The Rainbow
Your Cash Ain’t Nothin’ But Trash
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