My love of Jan and Dean music began with a single from 1958 called Baby Talk. It was a silly single that I got in a box of singles my dad bought for me at Christmas time. It had lots of Fifties nonsensical vocal parts, which Jan Berry seemed to reproduce from listening to various doowop record. I lost touch with them, and then found their Jan and Dean Take Linda Surfing lp, which was cool because my favorite band, the Beach Boys, played on Jan and Dean's cover versions of Surfin' and Surfin' Safari. While their versions lacked the energy of the Beach Boys' versions, they still sounded better than most things being passed of as vocal surf music.
Jan Berry's production work did not have the depth, vocal precision, or variety of instrumental innovations that Brian Wilson had with the Beach Boys. Still, what Jan taught Brian about record producing was invaluable. Before Phil Spector, Jan was Brian's major production influence. Jan and Dean's records had humorous moments that sounded quite in-jokey, but not so much that their listeners couldn't be in on the joke. Humor was the ingredient that made their records different than other artists in the early to middle Sixties.
Living in New Mexico, a landlocked state, Jan and Dean's surfing records captured my imagination, but their hot rod records were immediately relatable. Growing up in Spanish and Indian New Mexico, the low riders were always racing nearby. By 1963, my ears had grown fond of instrumental and vocal Surf and Hot Rod Music. No one could even come close in the songwriting and sounds in the grooves of records by Brian and Jan. Drag City was a hit single, written by Jan and Brian. It had a theme that piggybacked the Surf City theme, with Jan's efforts to put out a solid hot rod album to follow the high selling Surf albums successful.
Drag City's title track, written by Brian and Jan, had an introduction which was similar to Surf City, almost syllable by syllable. Jan's production is perfect, with the racing references suitably genuine. A highlight is the falsetto vocal, on which Dean excels.
I Gotta Drive is a driving exquisitely produced tune. The drumming, presumably by Hal Blaine, is the focus of the track. What really makes this tune a top flight track is a tasteful string section. They add drama to the sound, and help the lyrics sound dramatic instead of melodramatic. Jan's lead vocal is intense, perhaps in a manner close to Brian Wilson on Don't Worry Baby. While not a ballad, the protagonist's thoughts are focused on showing his girl that he is strong and vital.
Drag Strip Girl is a ballad with lyrics that sound perfect for 1964. Although this tune is not one of the album's standout songs, the horn parts add a dramatic touch to the song. There is a percussion part that is also quite novel in that it follows a pattern made famous by the Meters from New Orleans.
The humorous Surfin' Hearse is next, beginning with a brief quote of the Laurel and Hardy theme. This tune perfectly exemplifies Jan Berry's gift of writing a tune that is not only hilarious, but offers slices of the surfing culture. The lyrics are tongue in cheek, but also help a landlocked listener to picture the absurdity of surfers driving around in a Cadillac hearse, with their surfboards stuck in the rear of the car, or on top of the car. The Surfin' Hearse is a Cadillac that is fine when he meets a past winner who has lost her vision . Some highlights of the tune include a Bela Lugosi type organ riff which is suitably macabre. If I were to pick one tune that exemplifies Jan and Dean's style of humor, it would be Surfin' Hearse (or Popsicle). Roger Christian was a co-writer.
Deadman's Curve is somewhat eerie in that it describes a dangerous curve on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles that had a reputation for fatal car accidents due to drivers taking it too fast. Brian Wilson and Artie Kornfeld had roughed out a basic idea for a song, and they planned to offer it to Jan and Dean. This was because Brian had a songwriting gig with Screen Gems/Columbia and Lou Adler. Jan helped with the words to the song, and produced a suitably dark tune with car crashes dubbed in. The record was a hit, and was issued on a album by Jan and Dean eventually to help sales. In this version on Drag City, there is a beautiful trumpet part which pops up frequently in the track.
To put together albums as frequently as did The Beach Boys and Jan and Dean, there were times when something had to get done to finish an album on time. Being well known for their humor, Jan Berry put together a long two part send up of the whole hot rod genre. Nothing was sacred to these guys and their odd tape, Schlock Rod was over five minutes long. Unfortunately, it was broken into Parts one and two, which comprise side one's final track and side two's first track. There is no way to adequate way to describe the piece. It almost feels like a rap over the music, similar to what Lord Buckley would do, if you haven't heard it, take a listen! The song is credited to Jan Berry, Don Altfield, Roger Christian, and a certain guy named Dean Torrence.
As I mentioned above, Drag City is full of clever and funny tunes. Popsicle, a two minute treatise in sound about that cold snack. When we were in LA, I'd hear the bell ring, and I would get two orange flavored popsicles. We stayed at my aunt and uncle's home in Inglewood, and I have always felt good about the Beach Boys and Jan and Dean. One day I figured out that when we there, we were less than a mile from the Wilson's home.
Surf Route 101 is a tune written for the movie Muscle Beach Party, with Brian Wilson, Jan Berry, and Roger Christian doing the honors. The version here on Drag City has a cool reverbed guitar and a punchy trumpet line which is fun to hear. As Brian songs go, it is a tune that sounds like it was composed quickly. Jan pulls off a nice lead vocal.
Sting Ray is a tune that was placed on the album to help fill it out. The group playing may be The Matadors. The song is credited to Jean Sharp as composer. There are short talking fills in Spanish throughout the song. The Matadors were one group that Jan used for backing vocals. Some marimba can be heard in the background. Jan and Dean do a respectful version of the Beach Boys' Little Deuce Coupe. The tune is a 4/4 shuffle, and the arrangement is very sparse. It's not a highlight of the album.
Hot Stocker is a tune that has some cool horns in the backing track, and Jan sings lead vocal. I don't hear Dean on the tune. The tune is credited to Jan Berry, Artie Kornfeld, and Roger Christian. There is also a banjo, which also appears on the bridge to Popsicle.
Jan Berry's production work did not have the depth, vocal precision, or variety of instrumental innovations that Brian Wilson had with the Beach Boys. Still, what Jan taught Brian about record producing was invaluable. Before Phil Spector, Jan was Brian's major production influence. Jan and Dean's records had humorous moments that sounded quite in-jokey, but not so much that their listeners couldn't be in on the joke. Humor was the ingredient that made their records different than other artists in the early to middle Sixties.
Living in New Mexico, a landlocked state, Jan and Dean's surfing records captured my imagination, but their hot rod records were immediately relatable. Growing up in Spanish and Indian New Mexico, the low riders were always racing nearby. By 1963, my ears had grown fond of instrumental and vocal Surf and Hot Rod Music. No one could even come close in the songwriting and sounds in the grooves of records by Brian and Jan. Drag City was a hit single, written by Jan and Brian. It had a theme that piggybacked the Surf City theme, with Jan's efforts to put out a solid hot rod album to follow the high selling Surf albums successful.
Drag City's title track, written by Brian and Jan, had an introduction which was similar to Surf City, almost syllable by syllable. Jan's production is perfect, with the racing references suitably genuine. A highlight is the falsetto vocal, on which Dean excels.
The original Drag City 45 and Cover
I Gotta Drive is a driving exquisitely produced tune. The drumming, presumably by Hal Blaine, is the focus of the track. What really makes this tune a top flight track is a tasteful string section. They add drama to the sound, and help the lyrics sound dramatic instead of melodramatic. Jan's lead vocal is intense, perhaps in a manner close to Brian Wilson on Don't Worry Baby. While not a ballad, the protagonist's thoughts are focused on showing his girl that he is strong and vital.
Drag Strip Girl is a ballad with lyrics that sound perfect for 1964. Although this tune is not one of the album's standout songs, the horn parts add a dramatic touch to the song. There is a percussion part that is also quite novel in that it follows a pattern made famous by the Meters from New Orleans.
The humorous Surfin' Hearse is next, beginning with a brief quote of the Laurel and Hardy theme. This tune perfectly exemplifies Jan Berry's gift of writing a tune that is not only hilarious, but offers slices of the surfing culture. The lyrics are tongue in cheek, but also help a landlocked listener to picture the absurdity of surfers driving around in a Cadillac hearse, with their surfboards stuck in the rear of the car, or on top of the car. The Surfin' Hearse is a Cadillac that is fine when he meets a past winner who has lost her vision . Some highlights of the tune include a Bela Lugosi type organ riff which is suitably macabre. If I were to pick one tune that exemplifies Jan and Dean's style of humor, it would be Surfin' Hearse (or Popsicle). Roger Christian was a co-writer.
Deadman's Curve is somewhat eerie in that it describes a dangerous curve on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles that had a reputation for fatal car accidents due to drivers taking it too fast. Brian Wilson and Artie Kornfeld had roughed out a basic idea for a song, and they planned to offer it to Jan and Dean. This was because Brian had a songwriting gig with Screen Gems/Columbia and Lou Adler. Jan helped with the words to the song, and produced a suitably dark tune with car crashes dubbed in. The record was a hit, and was issued on a album by Jan and Dean eventually to help sales. In this version on Drag City, there is a beautiful trumpet part which pops up frequently in the track.
To put together albums as frequently as did The Beach Boys and Jan and Dean, there were times when something had to get done to finish an album on time. Being well known for their humor, Jan Berry put together a long two part send up of the whole hot rod genre. Nothing was sacred to these guys and their odd tape, Schlock Rod was over five minutes long. Unfortunately, it was broken into Parts one and two, which comprise side one's final track and side two's first track. There is no way to adequate way to describe the piece. It almost feels like a rap over the music, similar to what Lord Buckley would do, if you haven't heard it, take a listen! The song is credited to Jan Berry, Don Altfield, Roger Christian, and a certain guy named Dean Torrence.
As I mentioned above, Drag City is full of clever and funny tunes. Popsicle, a two minute treatise in sound about that cold snack. When we were in LA, I'd hear the bell ring, and I would get two orange flavored popsicles. We stayed at my aunt and uncle's home in Inglewood, and I have always felt good about the Beach Boys and Jan and Dean. One day I figured out that when we there, we were less than a mile from the Wilson's home.
The Drag City lp cover
Surf Route 101 is a tune written for the movie Muscle Beach Party, with Brian Wilson, Jan Berry, and Roger Christian doing the honors. The version here on Drag City has a cool reverbed guitar and a punchy trumpet line which is fun to hear. As Brian songs go, it is a tune that sounds like it was composed quickly. Jan pulls off a nice lead vocal.
Sting Ray is a tune that was placed on the album to help fill it out. The group playing may be The Matadors. The song is credited to Jean Sharp as composer. There are short talking fills in Spanish throughout the song. The Matadors were one group that Jan used for backing vocals. Some marimba can be heard in the background. Jan and Dean do a respectful version of the Beach Boys' Little Deuce Coupe. The tune is a 4/4 shuffle, and the arrangement is very sparse. It's not a highlight of the album.
Hot Stocker is a tune that has some cool horns in the backing track, and Jan sings lead vocal. I don't hear Dean on the tune. The tune is credited to Jan Berry, Artie Kornfeld, and Roger Christian. There is also a banjo, which also appears on the bridge to Popsicle.
Just a shameless plug for Mark Moore's excellent book!
Copyright 2016 by Peter Reum - All Rights Reserved
No comments:
Post a Comment