October 8-14, 2003

Title: Zinging up the charts is The Attraction for beach music fans
Article from: ESP Magazine
Author: Timothy G. Beeman II

The year was 1965. Seven young lads came together in the basement of a local music store in Burlington and formed The Attractions. Soul, R&B and beach were their calling cards, and they emerged from the musical hotbed of Burlington to become one of the Southeast's premier acts on that circuit. Going on to share stages with big names such as Curtis Mayfield, The Impressions and The Platters, the band gained great exposure and a sense of recognition, until the Vietnam conflict, the continuing education of some members, and changing musical tastes led to their disbanding by the early-'70s.

Fast forward to 1999. After 30 years, founders Keevin Smith, Ronnie Lee and Wayne Church decide to re-form this dynamic act. Adding members of other well-known beach acts from the '60s and '70s, the regrouped Attractions went into the studio to try and recapture the magic they had once enjoyed. This turned out to be a very prudent decision.

Teaming with Kernersville-based producer Mitch Hensdale, The Attractions set out to grab a piece of the pie that was the resurgence of true beach music. Hensdale, who admittedly didn't know much about beach music before, suddenly found himself with the challenge to take a self-learning crash course in the genre and obviously came through with flying colors. The result is a 10-song CD, titled Memories, comprised of classic beach and R&B favorites from the '50s and '60s.

One song, "Zing Went the Strings," has helped skyrocket The Attractions to star status. "Zing" is the current No. 1 song on the beach charts, according to the monthly beach chronicle, The Beach Music Reporter.

"Zing Went the Strings of My Heart" was first made popular on film by the Judy Garland vehicle, "Listen Darling," in 1938 and again in 1958 with Bob Hope and Eva Marie Saint in "That Certain Feeling." According to Smith, "We changed the song from its bass range to baritone to make it more danceable." The key change and a tempo switch to a more shag-happy groove is one reason the song has gained the publicity that it has today. The earlier versions of the song were more Hollywood-musical paced.

"Memories" has several prominent tunes. One musical standout is "Fat Harold," named after the now-famous Myrtle Beach mainstay, club owner and resident. Other noteworthy songs are "White Cliffs of Dover," made famous by Glenn Miller and his orchestra and turned into a beach classic by the Checkers; the Chuck Jackson hit (penned by Burt Bacharach) "Any Day Now"; and Arthur Alexandra's "Anna," covered by the Fab Four, The Beatles.

Smith, now a High Point resident, is adamant about the categorization of The Attractions. "We are a pure R&B beach band. We do no Top 40. We want to make sure everything we do is completely suitable for dancing."

During live shows, which are becoming more and more frequent, The Attractions are accompanied by Hensdale behind the sound board. "This way, the sound you hear live is as close as possible to the record," says Hensdale. The band plays quite often in Myrtle Beach's shag clubs and are scheduled appear at the Cammy Awards, the Carolina Beach Music Awards, in North Myrtle Beach in November.

For the last 15 years, Mitch Hensdale has made a name for himself and his establishment, New Horizon Recording Studio, in the area for crisp and clean production of local and national acts. A drum and percussion major at the North Carolina School of the Arts, he is also the drummer for the band Legacy, a symphonic progressive band which is marketed internationally.

New Horizon started off being a tool for his own recording. However, after a few people started using the facility for outside projects, the buzz started getting around. Hensdale found himself in a position that enabled him to create art with others while being able to earn a living.

Hensdale prides himself on his no-nonsense approach to recording. He is able to tune in, EQ and prepare the sound and equipment for the musicians that are in a particular session quickly. This gives them more time to concentrate on the music they are about to record and not worry about preproduction woes. He also plays guitar, bass and keyboards and is more than happy to lend this know-how to anyone's recording, if asked.

The studio has also been used for educational purposes. Legendary classical guitar instructor Aaron Shearer has recorded some of his Mel Bay instructional material in the facility.

New Horizons ventured into the Hollywood realm when it hosted a Fife & Drum Corps for recording pre-production work for the Mel Gibson film, "The Patriot." This accolade however was omitted in the film's final credits.

The Attractions and Mitch Hensdale have a partnership made in musical heaven and the shaggers are ecstatic about it. This has really been a ride for a band of good guys that re-realized their dream and a local producer getting to help create a reality for their vision.