Beach Music Top 40 Countdown November 19, 2011

Lakeside Drive Band is a group of veteran
musicians who got together in 2010 to
record and perform for people who want
to dance and have a great time. We have
deliberately held our base membership
down to four performers to give us the
flexibility to fit into any venue while
maintaining the highest quality sound
possible. We are eclectic and play nearly
any kind of music.
In the current economy, we realize it's hard to justify paying
for a live band over a DJ. We are a very economical choice
and you get far more than you pay for when you hire us. We
are all veteran professionals and we deliver what we
promise, which is an outstanding performance and a good
time without you having to worry about anything. We fit into
small spaces and fill large auditoriums alike. Whatever you
need from a band, we can provide it.
Who is Lakeside Drive Band?
MIKE HOWARD - Mike has a vast amount of credit in his playing career. He
served with such groups as The CLOVERS, BILLY SCOTT & The
PROPHETS, CLIFFORD CURRY, PATTY LOVELESS and the BAND of
OZ. Mike is also a songwriter and musical arranger.
PAUL MITCHELL - This drummer has a 20+ years of road work experience,
working with such groups as TRUTH (Virginia), BILLY SCOTT & The
PROPHETS, TOMMY ROE and NITE FLITE. He has toured coast to coast
and Canada to Virgin Islands.
AL EBLE - Guitarist and vocalist Al is a native of New Jersey started
performing at an early age with successful bands as The KRACKERJACKS
in Atlantic City and along the Jersey shore. Al's distinctive vocals and clean
guitar licks have formed him into a natural entertainer.
JASON BARKER - Saxophonist Jason earned his degree at UNC Chapel
Hill and is a past member of the Charlotte Concert Band and Jazz Ensemble.
He has developed his style from playing with and arranging music for bands
in the Triangle to the Charlotte area.
TARA CROTTY - a new resident of North Carolina, earned her Master of
Music degree from Illinois State University and spent 10 years as a public
school music teacher in California and Indiana. Tara has played in many
different ensembles from orchestras to big bands and now teaches private
trumpet lessons in Charlotte.
Cashbox Magazine
Beach Music Top 40 Countdown
November 19, 2011
# 40 (debut) I’m Still In Love With You - Lakeside Drive Band w/Gene Pharr
# 39 (debut) My Heart - Night Cruise Band
# 38 (debut) I Live the Life I Love - Los Super 7 / Delbert McClinton
# 37 (debut) I Believe it To My Soul - Joss Stone / David Sanborn
# 36 Hideaway for Love - Night Move Band
# 35 Make Me Yours - Susan Trexler
# 34 Down In Mexico - Poor Souls
# 33 Don’t Be Ashamed - Steve Cropper Band
# 32 Love Done Gone – Billy Currington
# 31 Don’t Fight It - Huey Lewis and the News
# 30 Don’t Come Crying On My Shoulder - Felicia Moss
# 29 Gotta Have Love - Sugar Creek
# 28 The Walk - Mayer Hawthorne
# 27 You – Chairmen of the Board
# 26 Eyes for You - Darryl Hall
# 24 Independence – Lulu
# 23 So In Love - Jill Scott & Anthony Hamilton
# 22 I Think I’ll Do Some Steppin’ On My Own - Sandy Barber
# 21 She Makes Me Feel Good - Big John Thompson
# 20 Sugar Mama - Eugene Morgan
# 19 You Used to Rock - Blue Six w/ Tabitha Fair
# 18 Who’s Rockin’ You - Donnie Ray
# 17 Baby Love - Nicole Scherzinger
# 16 Back By Popular Demand - Queens of Southern Soul
# 15 I’ll Never Fall In Love Again - Russell Thompkins Jr.
# 14 Rock Bottom Blues - Kid Rock
# 13 Memphis Women and Chicken - T. Graham Brown
# 12 Sugarfied - Burton Gaar
# 11 The Bop - Ms Jody
# 10 Smoke House Brown - King Tyrone & Graveyard Ramblers
# 9 Home U.S.A. - Fats Domino
# 8 Back to the Beach - Danny Woods & Board of Directors
# 7 No Matter - Jack Radics
# 6 Respect Yourself - Huey Lewis & the News
# 5 Promises Promises - Lisa Lois
# 4 Fred’s Dollar Store - Super Chikan
# 3 Trust Me - Virginia Beach All Stars
# 2 Back to Carolina - Poor Souls
# 1 Candy Girl - Lakeside Drive Band
OUR STORY
If you want something done right, then you might as well do it yourself. That was the collective thought of two old friends and musicians from the “old school
way” of doing things in the music business. Mike Howard, keyboardist and Paul Mitchell, drummer had made up their minds to stop playing and being under the
management of others in early 2010. They had their own ideas and ways of doing things that had worked for years and it was time to give it a try for themselves.
Mike and Paul had spent many days and nights discussing and planning all the aspects of the kind of group they wanted. Small, diversified, covering
many styles of music, especially old Rhythm & Blues and Beach Music, with everyone singing lead and backup and, most of all, looking and being professional.
Now to find some guys to add to the mix.
Guitarist and vocalist Al Eble (Eb’-Lee) had auditioned for an old group the guys had been with before and liking his style and easy manner, they asked him to
join in September of 2010. Then began the search for a horn player, and after many auditions, a very enthusiastic young man, Jason Barker, from Stallings,
showed up with all the desire you could ask for and won the position in late October. Thus began the two or three day a week practices (both vocal and
instrumental) for weeks. They were in no hurry - just let it jell. And it did.
Lakeside Drive Band made up promo packs and began delivered them to clubs and Sports bars all around the Charlotte area. A few playing jobs began to
come in, but the band needed more promotion. That’s when Mike Howard, who had a history of writing and recording his own tunes, with a couple of hits
recorded with a country music act that went national, decided to write a song for the group. In early 2011, Mike wrote a song, “Candy Girl”, an old swing style
R&B tune that the band would go in the studio and record to get the name and style of the band out there. A production studio, “Mt. Hollywood” in Mt. Holly,
NC was used to record, produce and master the song.
Mike and Paul then got artwork (done by Jason), found a CD production company in Texas and ordered copies to distribute to Beach radio DJ’s and clubs
around the Carolinas.
The CDs arrived on June 3rd, and on June 4th it was first played on WSGE 91.7 FM in Dallas, NC.
Within a week it was being played all over North and South Carolina and on several internet radio stations, and posted on YouTube. Paul and Mike began
to get calls and emails from all over with wonderful compliments and praise for the song and its “Shaggability”.
An opportunity to have the song, and three other original songs, included on a compilation Beach CD this summer has been offered, and there has also
been talk about a recording contract. The response has been incredible for such a short span of time.
On 11/23/2011, “Candy Girl” hit #1 on the Cashbox Magazine Beach Top 40 Chart.
On the same date, “I’m Still In Love With You”, the second single from the band, debuted at #40.
It looks like Paul and Mike might have been right all along.
Don’t forget to check out our online sites!
(Use your smartphone QR code app and take a picture of the embedded QR code to go to the site automatically!)
http://lakesidedriveband.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lakeside-Drive-Band/101611609899157
http://www.gigsalad.com/lakeside_drive_band_charlotte
Look for our live videos on YouTube! (search “Lakeside Drive Band”)