by Charly Mann

The rock and roll band era stated in Chapel Hill in the early sixties. While the members of these groups were white, most of their repertoire were cover songs of black artists like the Tams, Wilson Pickett, and The Drifters. The roots of this sound can be heard in much of the original music performed by Chapel Hill musicians over the last four decades. James Taylor, our most well known rock star, and singer-songwriter, has had as many hit songs that were covers of this 60's music as those written by him. They include Handy Man, How Sweet It Is, and Everyday. His two most recent albums, Covers and Other Covers (which was released on April 8th, 2009), are made up almost exclusively of the music of this era.

The common denominator of all these bands is Skip Via on guitar, bass, or dulcimer. Two of these bands, the Sands of Time and Bedpost Reunion, feature lead vocals by members of the illustrious Taylor family. Livingston and Hugh in Sands of Time, and Hugh in the Bedpost Reunion. According to Via, the Bedpost Reunion did some studio recordings. They used a recording studio that was located on Estes drive near where the main Post Office is today. He believes Jack Becker, Chapel Hill High School Class of 1970, may still have tapes of these recordings.

This is The Sands of Time performing at Guy B. Phillips Junior High School in Chapel Hill in October of 1966. Hugh Taylor is the lead vocalist

Skip Via, Fender Telecaster playing through a Fender Deluxe Reverb, David Hackney, bass, Biff Bream, guitar, Hugh Taylor, vocals.

Corodon (Don) Fuller, Mel Jones, vocals

The song you can listen to here is Hugh Taylor's rendition of The Tams classic What Kind Of Fool. It was one of the songs done by him in the Sands of Time. On this rendition his back-up singers are siblings Kate, Livingston, James, and Alex Taylor, who are also from Chapel Hill. lt is from his CD, It’s Up to You, which you can order directly from him at 508-645-3511. Hugh now runs the Outermost Inn in Gay Head, on Martha’s Vineyard.

Hugh Taylor

The Sands of Time photos were provided by Skip Via
 

by Charly Mann

The 1924 National Champion UNC Basketball Tarheels

The University of North Carolina was the dominating basketball program in the country in 1923 and 1924. For two years in a row the team won all their games. Prior to 1936 no college basketball team was ever awarded the title of national champion, but in that year the 1924 Tarheels were retroactively given that award.

The highlight of the season was UNC’s first game against Kentucky (for decades the leading basketball power in the country). Kentucky was favored to win the game, but UNC crushed the Kentucky Wildcats 40 to 21.

The 1924 North Carolina team had two great players; All-Americans Cartwright Carmichael and Jack Cobb.

UNC won the NCAA national championships five times, in 1957, 1982, 1993, 2005, and 2009.

1924 Basketball Season

For the second time in two years, Carolina finished her season's schedule without defeat and for the second time in three years the Tar Heels ran a brilliant course through the tournament at Atlanta and emerged as undisputed Champions of the South.

In the tournament of 1924 the University team had won the Southern crown and had written its name deep into the basketball history of the Southland. In 1923 the Tar Heels traveled to Atlanta without a single defeat and were widely heralded as sure winners; but illness and staleness crept in and the team was eliminated in the second round in its only defeat of the year. 1924 saw the team sweep through the South-Atlantic without defeat for the second consecutive time, and at Atlanta in a blaze of glory the Old North State quint defeated four of the strongest institutions in the South and won the championship.

Only two letter-men composed the team that ended the season in triumph against Alabama. Carmichael and McDonald, two of the greatest players ever developed in the South, played their last season for Carolina and were the framework of the team. Capt. Green was injured while on the trip through Virginia and was unable to share in the glory at Atlanta. Carl Mahler, letter-man from the 1924 team, failed to return to school, and Sam McDonald, another regular, found his work too heavy to permit of his playing.
Coach Shepherd found plenty of material with which to work. Besides Green, McDonald and Carmichael, there were eligible Dodderer, Cobb, Devin, Johnson, Koonce, Poole and Lineberger.

The team gave great promise early in the season by easily defeating several independent club teams in practice games and the smaller Colleges in the State. But when Carolina invaded Virginia and returned undefeated, it was generally predicted that Southern honors would again be won by Carolina.

Leaving Chapel Hill, after defeating Washington and Lee for the second time, the Tar Heels went southward to the Georgia capital and drew the University of Kentucky as their first opponent. With apparent ease the score was doubled on the Kentuckians and Vanderbilt was pitted against Carolina. The Tennessee team was completely outclassed, and defeated, 37 to 20. With the field narrowed down to four contestants, Carolina drew the Mississippi Aggies (1923 Champions) as their opponents for the semi-finals and defeated them by 10 points.

In the final championship game with the University of Alabama, the brilliance of the Tar Heels was considerably dulled by the tenacious guarding of the Alabama team. However, in a final spurt that took her away from their closely-trailing opponents, the Carolinians increased their lead and won the cup.

Front Row (left to right): Jack Cobb, Bill Dodderer, Captain Winton Greene, Cartwright Carmichael, Sam 'Monk' McDonald
Back Row: Mayer Bretney Smith, Jimmy Poole, Donald Koonce, Billy Devin, Henry Lineburger

Chapel Hill is more than a place; it is a state of mind. This collection of photographs captures the timeless essence of what we all love about this town.

 All photograpghs by Gary Edens - UNC alumnus

From 1904: Note that Ardell was in Philantropic, and Archer was in Dialectic. Almost every student at that time was in one of these groups.

by Charly Mann

It was not brawn, but brains that gave the University of North Carolina its colors. At one time intellectual sport was much more popular in Chapel Hill than athletic challenge. From almost the beginning of University the Dialectic and Philanthropic Literary Societies were competing debating organizations. The Dialectic or “Di's” color was light blue, and the Philanthropic or “Phi's” was white. During debates, social events, and commencements, students wore the color of their group. These groups held regular debates against teams from universities like John Hopkins, Vanderbilt, and Georgia.

Almost every student belonged to one of these societies, so to remain impartial at formal University events, professors and school officials wore both colors. It was almost ninety years after this tradition started that in 1888 UNC had an athletic team that competed against another university. By this time the combination of light blue and white already were entrenched as representing the University, and was the obvious choice of colors for the school’s athletic teams.

        This is the room on campus where the debates were held at this time

In some way we have progressed a lot in the last two hundred years, but I think it might be better to be known as the University with the best debating team rather than basketball team. Even up to 1910, the school’s debating victories were more a source of student pride than its athletic success.

              This is the group that gave Carolina its light blue color

          This is the group that was represented by white

In 1970 Chapel Hill seemed to be at the epicenter of the music world as James Taylor's chart topping album Sweet Baby James brought national attention to our little town. While our village was certainly the incubator for many great singer-songwriter talents in those days, including Bland Simpson, Don Dixon, and Mike Cross, the one person everyone knew was destined for stardom was Decatur Jones. He reeked of charisma and talent, yet for some inexplicable reason the stars did not align themselves for Decatur, and his flame has largely faded from our collective memory. Former band mate, and long time Chapel Hill musician, Skip Via recounts for us the recording of Jones’ album that sadly was never released. If any of you have photos or additional memories of Decatur please contact us at chmemories@gmail.com.

Decatur Jones (center with orange t-shirt) and friends Coconut Grove, Florida circa 1982. (photo is by Wayne Sloop)

by Skip Via

In the summer of 1970, Chapel Hill native Decatur Jones assembled a group of local musicians and brought them to New York to record an album. Over the course of a week or so, we recorded 12 tracks in a small studio called Blue Rock Studios in Greenwich Village. All of the tracks were recorded as live takes with Decatur playing and singing in real time along with the other musicians. All of the songs were written by Decatur and arranged by the musicians that played them.

Decatur passed away several years ago at age 44. The album we recorded was never released.

Included here are two of the tracks we recorded with notes on the musicians.

Where Will You Be

Harlan Collins (known during high school as Paul) was living and performing in NYC at the time this recording was made and stopped in to record backing vocals on this track.

Decatur Jones: vocals, acoustic guitar
Jack Becker: double bass
Harlan (Paul) Collins: backing vocals
Corodon (Don) Fuller: piano
Jay Norem: drums
Skip Via: mandolin

Ode to Uncle Sam

The album's producer (name not remembered) brought in a "hot" bass player who was new on the NYC scene. He was a tall, thin, African-American who played excellent bass. Given the time of this recording and my memories of what he looked like, I like to think it was Stanley Clark. I have no proof at all--just my rock and roll fantasy, probably.

Decatur Jones: vocals, acoustic guitar
Unknown: electric bass
Corodon (Don) Fuller: exquisite blues piano
Jay Norem: drums
Skip Via: electric guitar

(Editor's note): Via claims that Corodon (Don) Fuller was possibly the finest musician ever to come out of Chapel Hill

.

Tracks include five classic Milton's radio ads, and a song I produced  in 1978 by  a group from Chapel Hill named The Blazers called "I Ain't Got You" that includes a line about Miltons.

By Charly Mann

 
Milton's ad from June 1971

          Milton's first ad 9-24-1948 (note they are in a temporary location)

Milton Julian is the personification of joy. Of all the people I knew growing up in Chapel Hill from the 1950’s through the 1990’s, no one seemed to enjoy what he was doing more than this Franklin street merchant. His fame is derived from his store, Milton’s Clothing Cupboard, which he operated from 1948 to 1992, selling upscale men’s, and often women’s, clothing. Milton was also always a man just a little ahead of his time, and continued to adapt to fashion trends better than any other store in town. While his brother’s store Julian’s for example maintained the Ivy League look throughout its existence, Milton’s continued to evolve without ever feeling dated or trendy.

Third Anniversary January 1952

Summer Giveaway from July 1972 and Frogstrangler from February 1964

Milton was also a visionary. It was his imagination that created the most original and enticing newspaper and radio ads in Chapel Hill, which you can sample here. He also was the only local merchant to successfully expand outside the confines of Chapel Hill, eventually opening stores in Charlotte, Dallas, and Atlanta.

Heading for Milton's 1971

I am convinced Milton Julian, with his love for people and outgoing personality, would have been successful at anything he would have attempted in life. Fortunately, for us, he decided to open up a clothing store in Chapel Hill.

Milton Julian at 90

Milton Julian and his wife Virginia are alive and well, living on a farm outside of Chapel Hill.

 
From July 1952

Thanks to Gary Edens - radio master, for the Milton's radio spots