Sunshine Music
Sunshine Music FAQ and Intro
Hi, fellow Jan & Dean fans!
I am Doc Rock, the founder, creator, president, and
main writer of Sunshine Music, The Official Jan &
Dean Authorized International Collectors’ Club. Contributors to SM
included Dean, Frank Kisko (who edited regularly), Honolulu Lulu, and many
Fans and members of SM.
I became a Jan & Dean fan back in the 1950s.
I started buying Jan & Dean
records in 1963, when I fell in love with “Linda” (not the girl, but the
record, my first J&D 45). My
first Jan & Dean album was Drag City.
I started corresponding with Dean in 1966, shortly
after Jan’s accident. I met
Dean in person in California at the office of Kittyhawk Graphics in 1972.
I met Jan in 1978 at a club in small club in Topeka,
Kansas, where he was performed his band, Aloha. We got together again
backstage in Wichita.
In early '70s, I wanted to started a new Jan &
Dean fan club. But right when I
was about to begin my club, Mark Plummer, a fan in Southern California,
started his own club called the Ripped Baggies club.
I new Mark pretty well, and decided not to compete with him.
Dean gave Ripped Baggies his blessings, and I contributed to Ripped
Baggies. However, after a few
years, Mark Plummer discontinued Ripped Baggies and many members were
disappointed that they didn't get to a thing for their money.
So in 1978, I launched Sunshine Music, named after
the Dean Torrence, Papa Do Run Run song of the same name.
Dean cooperated with me Sunshine Music, agreeing to look over the
material before I published each issue, he made comments and contributions,
sent photographs, and other had input. Over
the years, Dean and I became pretty good friends and talked on the phone
several times a year. I was also
backstage at more Jan & Dean concerts that I can remember.
The early days of Sunshine Music were difficult.
Since it was before home computers, I had to type every article myself,
use scissors and Scotch tape, white out, and hand-printed labels for the
issues I mailed. The membership
list was on three by five cards. Finally the home computer arrived in early
'80s, and things became a lot easier.
Sunshine Music came out four
times a year, but often I fell behind, and put out double issues in a year to
catch up.
Issues of Sunshine Music included record reviews of
re-issues and of new material, concert reviews, letters from fans, reprints
of old articles, concert schedules, many new interviews and original articles,
old radio station surveys of top 40 songs, contests, ads, and anything else
that came along. There were more
interviews with Dean than Jan, because Jan was difficult to talk to due this
disability. But, there were more
articles reprinted about Jan for the same reason, and Jan was on more covers
than Dean was, a way to balance things out. And there were ads for records,
T-shirts, videos, all sort of stuff.
At one time, they're were over 300 members of
Sunshine Music, from all over the US, Japan, Germany, Britain, France,
Australia, South America, Mexico, Canada and more. However, in the middle '90s, membership began to dwindle.
Plus, there was very little new information to fill each issue.
I had written so many articles, I got everything off my chest that I
wanted to say, I ran hundreds of photos, and so in 1996, I reluctantly
discontinued publishing Sunshine Music.
Shortly after that, the World Wide Web got big.
Then there was an explosion of CD releases I could have reviewed!
So I said to myself, how easy SM could have been for 17 years ago if
I'd had the World Wide Web, instead of photo copying, folding and stapling,
postage stamps, all the work of putting out a Fanzine! And the b&w
photocopied photos were terrible! Look at the color, motion and sound
available on the internet!
Suddenly it dawned on me that Dani had a great site,
and I had nearly 20 years of articles already written, articles that
today’s fans had never seen before!
So I approached Dani about reprinting old Sunshine
Music articles, interviews, reviews, etc., on his Web page.
Dani agreed, and so the Sunshine Music section of Surfin’ Again was
born. I hope you enjoy Sunshine Music. Write and let me know, especially g
you an SMer from the old days! And, Dani, thanks for the space! Bust your
Buns!
Michael
“Doc Rock” Kelly
Sunshine Music
Jan
Berry and the '60s
Over the years since his accident, interviewing Jan Berry has always been
tough. His memory is sometimes
open to him, other times closed. It
is not a matter of the veracity of the memories, but of their accessibility.
His condition has improved with time.
And of course, he has always maintained his intelligence and primary
brain power. His main problem
has been aphasia -- getting the thoughts in his head to come out of his mouth.
People often mistake the characteristics of aphasia for retardation or
simple mindedness. Nothing could
be more incorrect, as witnessed for example by the great productions Jan has
released since the accident, such as "Totally Wild" or "Sing
Sang A Song," complex, mature, interesting, and musically sophisticated
productions all.
Because of
Jan's health problems, most of the interview material in Sunshine Music up to
now has been from sources other than Jan, such as his dad Bill Berry and
Dean. Beginning here and now,
without ignoring other sources, our intention is to present more from Jan.
Doc Rock :
Do you remember much about the days at Liberty Records?
Jan Berry:
Oh, yeah, before my accident and after my accident.
Doc Rock :
Great! Do you remember
Dick St. John of Dick and Dee Dee?
Doc Rock :
I talked to him last week.
Jan Berry:
So did I. We were on a
plane going from the East Coast to the West Coast.
On this flight, we had a song to Sandy, his wife.
Doc Rock :
Since 1970, Sandy has been "Dee Dee," because the original
Dee Dee, Mary Sperling, retired.
Jan Berry:
Dick and I wrote a song called "She's Dancing, Dancing," on
the flight. It is not completed
yet, it is just in rough form, but it was a fun concept.
Doc Rock :
Well, Dick told me that when he was on his first Liberty tour, that
you were on Challenge with "Heart and Soul."
Jan Berry:
Oh, yeah, that is right, I remember.
Doc Rock :
Dick said that you were obsessed with getting on Liberty, that you
were always asking him, "Dick, who do you know at Liberty, how can I get
there, I've got to get Jan and Dean on Liberty."
Jan Berry:
Ha! Yes, I guess so. That was so long ago. The
highlights I remember, but not the details.
I do remember talking to Dick and Dee Dee about Liberty.
Doc Rock :
Do you remember the president of Liberty Records, Al Bennett (Al was
the namesake for Alvin the Chipmunk on Liberty).
Jan Berry:
He was like the Leader of the Pack.
I went into his office to see him after we got big hits. I wanted to renegotiate our Liberty contract to a higher
level. At these times, there was
conflict between Al Bennett and myself.
But it worked out.
Doc Rock :
Do you remember how you finally got on Liberty?
Jan Berry:
I don't really remember. People
in the business who worked at Liberty that we knew, with their help, it just
happened. United and Wester
Studios, renamed these days, we recorded there, but I had to sign with
Liberty to record there.
Doc Rock :
Is that right?
Jan Berry:
It was a good studio, and a good thing, a good arrangement for me.
I did it all myself. Not
including Dean. I didn't even
call him.
Doc Rock :
When?
Jan Berry:
On "Surf City" and all of those things, he wasn't even
around, he didn't sing, he didn't do anything.
Doc Rock :
Dean has said he was not on "Surf City."
He was on the album cuts? (Dean
is obviously on a lot of songs, especially on a lot of the album cuts.)
Jan Berry:
Well, the label still says Jan and Dean, so it doesn't make any
difference, but I produced the records, so I got paid more than Dean I think,
but I don't know for sure. That
was a long time ago.
Doc Rock :
Dean has always been very frank about that.
He said years ago how he was not on "I Found A Girl," about
how Steve Barri was able to impersonate him, and just last summer about how
he was not on "Surf City." Do
you remember the producer at Liberty Records, Snuff Garrett?
Jan Berry:
Yeah, we did "Tennessee" with him.
Just that one song. We
did the performance "live" at United Studios, the Liberty studios.
Eastwood and Sunset. Dean
was there, we recorded everything, the vocals, the rhythm track, everything
at once. It was just on two
tracks at the time.
Doc Rock :
And Dean was there for that one, of course.
Jan Berry:
Yes, sure.
Doc Rock :
Do you recall the flip side of that record?
Jan Berry:
No.
Doc Rock :
It was called "You're Heart Has Changed Its Mind."
Jan Berry:
Oh, yeah, right!
Doc Rock :
The sound on that is a lot different, produced by Lou Adler.
Jan Berry:
That was a ballad.
Doc Rock :
Back to "Surf City," if not Dean, then who was on that
record with you?
Jan Berry:
I don't mean to make a big deal of it, about Dean. Before the accident, I was the leader of the pack of Jan and
Dean. After the accident, Dean
became the new leader of the pack sort of, and he controlled everything, and
so it has come full circle. My
day then, now his. He was
jealous then, so I have the accident, then I was jealous!
After that, the whole jealous thing was completely finished.
Doc Rock :
It all equalled out, eh?
Jan Berry:
And we still survived. Not
in the studio, but on the road. There
is still road work all the time. Best
ever so far on the road. All
across the nation and in Canada and we just did two weeks in the Caribbean. We sang four songs, two weeks, everything else we just
relaxed!
Doc Rock :
Last summer, I saw you in Newton, Kansas.
Jan Berry:
Yes, I saw you back stage.
Doc Rock :
You did a very good show.
Jan Berry:
Yes, our vocal now is better than ever, the vocals with the wireless
microphone is perfect, sensitive, super now with no feedback, loud, my voice,
it is all I need. Now we go on
the road and we are happy! Or
unconscious, I don't know what it is (laughs)!
Doc Rock :
If Dean was not on every record, he was always a big asset on stage,
with comedy and personal appearances, right?
Jan Berry:
Yeah, yeah! We always had
good rapport. There was one
thing at the Hollywood Bowl, with the Mamas and Papas, we sang and then we
missed Hollywood Bowl while I was driving back to the studio.
We made it too late. And
I didn't get on. A week later, I
had an accident. Strange, huh?
Doc Rock :
The last show you did on the road, the weekend before the accident,
you were in Kansas City an hour from here, and I could have seen you.
But I did not go because you were coming to my town, Lawrence, the
following weekend. But you had
the accident between the two dates, so I missed your last show and my only
chance to see you.
Jan Berry:
Was it on the news?
Doc Rock :
Yes, the newspaper and the news.
Jan Berry:
Oh, God, strange world, you missed it!
I'll tell you one thing, I am alive, and we'll be there sooner or
later!
Doc Rock :
I saw you the first time in 1978 with your solo band Aloha.
I met you and showed you my 78 of "Jennie Lee."
Jan Berry:
That was a good record. It
wasn't Dean. The studio and
everything, no one heard about Dean. He
went into the Army. So, we
recorded and put it out and it was funny.
Dean had a transistor in the Army and he heard us up in San Francisco
[heard Jan and Arnie's record "Jennie Lee" on the radio], and he
had all of his friends listen to it, and the disc jockey finished the song
and he said, "Yes, and it's Jan Berry," and Dean yells!
"Oh!" (Laughs.)
Finally, when Dean got out, we hooked up.
Doc Rock :
Was Dean not on "Jennie Lee?"
Was that just Jan and Arnie?
Jan Berry:
Yeah.
Doc Rock :
But was Dean in the rehearsals, the practice sessions for "Jennie
Lee?"
Jan Berry:
No. He hadn't even heard
about it. He wasn't on it, (didn't
record with me) until the next year.
Doc Rock :
When you were at Liberty Records, Snuffy didn't work with you very
much. You produced your own
records, didn't you?
Jan Berry:
Right. "Tennessee"
was produced by Snuff Garrett, and I think one of the other songs, and that
was it. We kept on going with my
producing later on.
Doc Rock :
And that was a change for the good, because you did better records.
That is when the hits came.
Jan Berry:
Yeah, right.
Doc Rock :
"Linda" was the first Jan and Dean record I bought, I liked
it a lot.
Jan Berry:
Good, I liked it, too.
Doc Rock :
The surfing songs after that were wonderful.
Did Brian Wilson sing on much of those, maybe the falsetto parts?
Jan Berry:
No. On "Surf
City," Brian Wilson sings on the vocal, me and Tony Muchello, who has
passed away now. On "Little
Old Lady," Dean wasn't anywhere around here.
Brian Wilson helped with the song, that one.
One other track, "Dead Man's Curve," Brian Wilson, I think
he wasn't singing the vocals though. The
other thing, he did, "Surf City" and "Little Old Lady From
Pasadena." just the
background. Not the leaders,
just the vocals, you know.
Doc Rock :
I never heard of Tony before.
Jan Berry:
Yeah, he passed away, oh, four years ago, I guess.
Doc Rock :
Where did you know him from?
Jan Berry:
He was a three voice of background, played a lot of other songs,
harmony. He was good, and sort
of just a musician on the vocals, sort of a year or two, I just sang alone,
you know.
Doc Rock :
Oh, three voices! You
mean "Tony, Vic, and Manual," the Matadors.
Jan Berry:
Yes! That's it, that's
the group, that's the name! The
background voices! To sing
background harmony against my lead.
Doc Rock :
What about Phil Sloan and Steve Barri?
Jan Berry:
Yeah, we were up there recording together many times. Steve Barri with the falsetto.
"Surf City," "Little Old Lady," the falsettos.
Doc Rock :
"Sidewalk Surfin'," he did that one, too?
Jan Berry:
Right. Yep.
Doc Rock :
What has been going on lately?
Jan Berry:
There is a year and a half now, we've worked on the studio. I paid everything. Oh,
boy! That's a lot of money.
And that's why I'm broke. The
record's done. And so we've printed and everything. And sent it to music lawyer.
We're gonna push it on a label now.
That's good anyway if I get signed, that's gonna be interesting!
It's called "Second Wave."
If you can get that!
Doc Rock :
That is a great title. I
can't wait to hear it. Thanks
for talking. I know you have
another appointment to get to.
Jan Berry:
OK. hey, thanks a lot,
and keep on truckin'!
Interview
Postscript
Last
year, when I printed the interview with Dean in which he stated that he was
not on "Surf City," I got many letters from people who were
perplexed, shocked, or disbelieving. Long-time
SMers will remember when I printed Dean's comment that Steve Barri had Dean's
falsetto down and Jan would use Steve when Dean was not around, as on "I
Found A Girl." Anyone who
listens to the out takes of "Little Old Lady" and compares them to
the 45 can hear that the falsetto voice and parts are entirely different.
Dean was there for the sessions, but mixed down on the final track,
along with some trumpet parts. It
is also clear that Dean is on a great many, the vast majority of singles and
album tracks. To me, singles like "Surf City" have always been of
minor personal importance and interest; it has been the LPs that have
entertained and interested me.
Dean
was clearly on "Submarine Races," "Schlock Rod,"
"Drag City," Batman," "The
Restless Surfer," "Linda," "Heart and Soul," "Ride
the wild Surf," "Clementine," "Baby Talk," "Frosty,"
and "Popsicle," to name but a very few.
But
Jill Gibson did the high notes on "Easy As 1,2,3."
Brian and Steve Barri did them on "Surf City."
Steve did them on "I Found A Girl" and apparently on "Sidewalk
Surfin'" and "Little Old Lady."
Neither Jan nor Dean is on "Move Out Little Mustang."
What
is one to make of this revelation that Dean did not warble on every cut, or
that Tony, Brian, Jill, Steve, and others sang not just backgrounds (like the
Fantastic Baggies and the Matadors), but also dualed leads, did harmonies,
and sang falsetto parts?
Remember
in the Sunshine Music story about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, where Dean
nominated Jan Berry, not Jan and Dean, for membership?
Dean feels that as a writer, producer, arranger, business man, and
artist, Jan deserves recognition for the genius he showed and the
accomplishments he achieved. For
his part, Jan says not a bad word against Dean.
Here
is the bottom line. As a musical
act, "Jan and Dean" were not two guys.
They never pretended to play all the instruments and sing all the
harmony. "Jan and
Dean" was a group. Jan was
the leader of the pack, as he says, the driving force, the overachiever/extrovert
who wrote songs and dissected lab specimens on airliners on the way to
weekend gigs while in Med school. The
"group called Jan and Dean" included, at various times and places,
Jan, Arnie, Dean, Brian, Lou Adler, Glen Campbell, Phil Sloan, Steve Barri,
Jill Gibson, Hal Blain, Bones Howe, Billy Strange (guitar), Roger Christian,
Tommy Tedesco (guitar), Tony Terran (French horn), George Tipton, Snuff
Garrett, Johnny Crawford, and others.
Keep
in mind, not every Beatle was on every Beatle record, nor were the performers
on Beatle records limited to the Fab Four themselves. And Brian worked on Beach Boy albums while the band was on
tour, surprising them with what he had done using other bands and voices
while they were gone!
In
a less famous example of groups made up of many invisible members, Jerry
Allison, the drummer for Buddy Holly's Crickets, recently related to me the
strange tale of one Crickets' experience.
"We
did a 'Bobby Vee Meets the Crickets' tour in England in '62.
I was in the air force reserve at the time, and the Cuban crises came
up so I didn't get to go on the tour. I
think that is the only time the Crickets ever played with Bobby Vee.
I really can't remember it, because I wasn't there!
That was the only Crickets tour I ever missed. The Liberty album that was made to go with the tour, 'Bobby
Vee Meets the Crickets,' did really well in England. You still see a lot of them floating around.
Funny thing about that album. The
group that did the tour were not the ones on the album at all, including me.
And we always get asked in interviews, 'Who was on this record and
that record?' because in those days, they never listed on the albums who
played on them. Take the 'Bobby
Vee Meets the Crickets' album cover. The
picture has Bobby and Joe B. and Jerry Naylor and myself.
Jerry Naylor didn't play any instrument anyway!
He was just, like a member of the Crickets, we worked with him at the
time. And he was there only for
the picture that day, he was not on the album at all.
Joe B. was in the trucking business at the time and he happened to be
in town; he was a former Cricket, so that looked good, let's get Joe B. for
the cover! He didn't play on the
album at all, either!"
On
the "Bobby Vee Meets the Crickets" cover, of the three Crickets
pictured, only Jerry was on the record, and none on the cover or the record
was on the "Bobby Vee Meets the Crickets" British tour!
Gary
Lewis and the Playboys? Gary was
originally the drummer only. Snuff
made him the lead singer, but they used Ron Hickland as his back up singer to
help the sound, and mixed them together.
The
Jan/"Jan and Dean"/Dean situation perhaps most closely parallels
the Phil Spector situation. The
records Spector did are now known as "Phil Spector" records.
The "Phil Spector Group" consisted of Darlene Love, the
Crystals, Ronnie, Bobby Sheen, Nino Tempo, Cher, Jeff and Ellie, Jack
Nitzsche, the Ronnettes, Barry and Cynthia, the Righteous Brothers (the
Ronnettes did some of the high voices on their records), Ike and tina, the
Blossoms, Sonny Bono, and a half-dozen regular musicians.
With these people and others, in various combinations and under a
variety of names, Phil put out records.
His "main" visible partner changed over time, from Lester
Sills, to Darlene, to Ronnie, to the Righteous Brothers, and so on.
But through it all, Phil produced, wrote, arranged, ran the business
end, and had hits.
Jan
was like a West Coast Spector. The
only difference was, he almost always called the artist "Jan and
Dean," he performed himself more than Phil did, he stuck with one "main"
visible partner longer. And he
did live shows, invariably with that partner.
And
Dean? How many rock and rollers
of any era, who had many years of success, stayed in school (besides Jan)?
About the only one was Lesley Gore, and she did not get a graduate
degree like Dean. Sure, Jan was
a genius. But don't sell Dean
short. His comic was (and is)
genius, and that would have become even more important, apparent, and valued
had their TV show and movie career not been cut short by Jan's accident.
And just look at Dean's art work.
Name one other rock and roller with that kind of adjunct ability and
achievement!
No,
there should be no shock, dismay, incredulity, or least of all shame attached
to the revelations that Jan used others besides Dean on the records and that
Dean was not there every second like some kind of Siamese twin of Jan's.
Recall, when Dean first heard of Jan's accident the next morning (and
before he knew it was anything more than very minor injuries) he was actually,
if not glad, at least relieved that he could go out on a date that evening
instead of spending yet another night in the studio.
Jan
performed a wonderful service to record fans worldwide, and Dean's
contribution of support, friendship, business partner, camaraderie, friend in
need, comedy, and stage presence contributed immeasurably to the success,
appeal, and longevity of the act -- certainly more than any other single
person did.
Jan
-- as Dean said, you deserve the Hall of Fame!
And,
to quote the Beach Boys at the end of "Barbara Ann," "Thanks,
Dean."
Dean
Torrence At the Jan and Dean 30th Anniversary Concert Newton, Kansas
Saturday Night August 26, 1989
Jan
and Dean are alive and well and touring the US! I
hadn't seen them in about three or four years, and I didn't know what to
expect. Well, they were the best
ever. the newest version of the
Bel‑Air Bandits is very together, and the outdoor venue, with seating
on a grassy football field, was very atmospheric.
The warm up group was from Kansas, and did very enjoyable '50s and
'60s numbers and original material in an old style.
The three hour wait for Jan and Dean was well worth it.
Several
new songs were presented. "Green Onions" and "Summertime Blues"
were unexpected, but not as much as "Blueberry Hill" sung very well
by Jan right in the middle of "Dead Man's Curve."
The
crowd was as enthusiastic as any, and young and old danced, sang, and cheered.
After
the show, I went backstage (an air conditioned RV) with my wife, Buzzie, and
my daughter, college freshman Corina, to visit with Dean for about 90 minutes.
Jan was also there briefly, but he signed autographs then returned to
the hotel in the limo.
Dean:
Michael! Doc Rock! Welcome, come on in!
Michael:
Dean! The show was great!
I've seen you many times, but I think this was about the best. Your voice is excellent, Jan did very well, and this band is
really tight! But some faces
have changed in the band. Tell
me, who is in the band nowadays?
Dean: Well, the senior
members who have been with us since 1981 include Gary Griffin on keyboards.
And Chris Farmer, who is our base player but sometimes plays guitar,
keyboard, or trumpet and has also been with us since 1981.
We just added two new guys at the beginning of this year.
One is Chris Farmer's younger brother, who has hung around the band
for the last 7 or 8 years, as a little kid, now he's old enough to be with
us. As a matte of fact, he had a
birthday yesterday, we took him to Dairy Queen.
That's Terry Farmer, our lead guitar player now.
Finally, David Loggeman is our new drummer.
So half the band has been with us eight years, almost nine, and two
have been with us one year. And
that new blood has helped all of us a whole bunch!
Michael:
Maybe that explains the extra-tight performance.
Dean:
As for past members, John Cowsill, our last drummer, has reformed the
Cowsills and he's gonna do one of his first dates in October.
I think we are all going to go to that.
He's even going to use a couple of our band members for that show.
Randall Kirsch, who was with us last year as lead guitar, has his own
LP out which even got reviewed in Rolling Stone.
So he's on the road with his own music project.
His group is called Show of Hands, which plays modern folk country
rock 'n' roll music. And another
kid who was playing guitar for us last year was Phil Bardowell.
Phil and his little brother have put together a group of their own
called Brother To Brother. In a
couple of days, they are going to play and we are also going to that.
So all of our alumni have done varying things, stayed within music,
and at different times still play with us.
In fact, a couple of them played with us just last week.
We are all sill brethren.
Michael:
Now for the $64,000 question. Ever
since I bought my "Dead Man Curve" LP, for over 25 years, I have
been trying to decipher the background words to the second verse of
"DMC." I have tried to
read your lips on stage. But I
cannot figure it out? What are
those words?!?!
Dean: You know the
Carpenters did that song, whatever that album was, "Now and Then,"
they, too, heard that part. Richard
and Karen actually sang background on some Jan and Dean records.
Michael:
Which ones?
Dean:
Well, on some of the stuff I did.
"Like A Summer Rain."
Michael:
Right. Richard was also
on keyboard on that LP.
Dean:
Right. And so Richard got
my number and called me up and wanted to know what that part was.
And I was surprised he had heard it, because it was pretty subtle.
Michael:
Yes.
Dean:
That was one of Brian Wilson's favorite parts, too, on our records.
Michael:
So, are you gonna tell me what it was?
Dean:
That's... (deleted by your SM editor and publisher.
%%% (It's „slippin’ and a-slidin’,
driftin’ and broadslidin’ „ , says Frank Kisko) %%%
Michael:
Well, no wonder I couldn't get it!
Who wrote that?
Dean:
Me. That's why it was
turned down as the A-Side.
Michael:
Finally, I can sing along with the darn thing!
Corina: (Enters after
talking for a while with the band). Sing
along with what?
Michael:
That back ground part on "Dead Man's Curve."
Corina:
Oh, that background part I can never figure out?!!
Michael:
Yes, the one that we've been working on for 20 years!
Corina:
Pop, I'm only 17!
Dean: (When Jan's helper
asked for a marker to sign autographs with, and also for some change, Dean
kidded.) I don't bring money to
this! I get money for this!
I don't bring my own money. Michael,
you got change for a $20,000 bill (the fee the group got for the gig.)?
(In comes some fans for
autographs.) Hey, Greg!
Michael, do you know Clevenger? Greg,
did you ever write to Doc Rock?
Greg:
Eh, no.
Dean: (Kids)
Then get out of here! No
Michael Kelly has been running our fan club, or our collectors' club, for ten
years. (Talked and signed.)
Greg:
How's Susan?
Dean:
Well, her baby shower (looks at wrist watch) ended about 2 hours ago.
Michael: BABY SHOWER?!
Dean:
Yes, Susan is due
November 26th or 27th. But's
it's gotta be October 1st, because I don't have any insurance until October!
October 1st I get insurance, so I'm gonna find out how much this kid
likes me! If she comes early,
its gonna cost me a lot of money.
Michael:
Is this for publication?
Dean: Sure.
Well, no, not to the Collectors.
What do they care?
Michael:
You'd be surprised. I get
questions like, "What color are Dean's eyes, REALLY."
Dean:
(Bugs his eyes and leans forward.)
Buzzie: Black!
Michael:
Did you notice the cover of SM #38 with "Dead Man's Curve"
at #1? Cool, huh?
Dean:
(Looks at the issue.) Where
do you get all this junk?
Michael:
Most all of the old stuff I saved from the '60s.
Collector's send me things. And
one woman, Carol Robbins, donated and sent me her old scrapbook.
She has a lifetime free subscription because there was some stuff in
there even I didn't have.
Greg:
I didn't know about this Sunshine Music.
How can I get a copy?
Dean:
Here, have this one (generously handing out my sample).
Greg: Are there back issues?
Dean: There are back issues,
billions of them.
Voice outside:
Dean, are you coming out to sign autographs?
Dean:
Are their Idcos out there? You
know what Idcos are? Gary named
them that, That's "Is Dean Coming Out"s.
(Dean did his duty, then returned.)
Michael:
Look at this 7 inch, small hole, 45 picture disk of "Little Deuce
Coupe" and "Surf City." I
paid $7 for this. Have you ever
seen it?
Dean:
Seven dollars? You got gypped! (Takes
the record and handles it by the edges.)
Michael:
That's OK, you can finger it. It's
just the K-Tel stuff, I got it for the photos, not the music.
I am going to make a clock out of it.
Dean:
This is the K-Tel stuff?
Michael:
Yeah. So you can handle
it.
Dean:
Where'd this come from?
Michael: I got it at a
Holiday Inn in Lawrence at a January record show. But I am going to get a clock mechanism for it.
Dean:
Yeah, yeah, it would make a good clock!
But make the hands go backwards!
(All laugh.) I was over at Keenan Wynn's house. He had a clock on his wall that said "We never have a
drink before five," and all the hours had fives!
(Dean flips through some
back issues of SM.) Your graphs,
boy....
Michael:
Not really mine.
Dean: You got these off
someone else?
Michael:
Those are from a book that has a graph for each record ever on
Billboard up to 1970.
Dean:
Graphs?
Greg: Yes, but you have to
buy supplements for the years after 1969.
Michael: Not me.
I only dig '50s and '60s stuff. Who
cares about the updates. I mean,
once Jan had his wreck, the music died for me.
Dean: Yeah, and our graph
went 'buzzzzz' (gestures a nose dive).
Michael:
Last night on the Beach Boys' Endless Summer they discussed Jan and
Dean.
Dean:
Yeah? What'd they say?
Michael: They told about a
1964 show in Hawaii that included Peter and Gordon and Jan and Dean.
It seems that Peter and Gordon, coming from cold, foggy England, got
terrific sunburns and were lobster red on stage!
Then Jan was wrapped up totally like a mummy, and Mike Love was so
taken with the image that he took pictures which he still has.
Lastly, they said you and Jan chased the Boys with fire extinguishers.
Does any of this ring a bell?
Dean: A great moment in
rock and roll history!
Michael:
I thought you probably wrote about it in your diary.
Dean:
I didn't have to! We were playing at the Naval station, Pearl harbour probably,
Pear Harbour, a great place! We
had all been screwing around all day, we were just in one of those moods.
We arrived there and we were planning to attack them on stage with
CO‑2 fire extinguishers. Being a Naval station they had plenty of CO‑2 for
engine fires and such. So we had
those.
The Beach Boys knew we were
probably going to do something, so up on stage with them they had shaving
creme. They had sent somebody to
the PX to get 15 or 20 cans of aerosol shaving creme, and they had these
stashed.
Michael:
That wasn't mentioned on the show!
Dean: They may have
forgotten about that. Anyway,
someone ratted on them and told us they had shaving creme, and that they were
going to be waiting for us. So
since we were all in the same dressing rooms, we took their street clothes
and put it on over our clothes. Mike's
beautiful leather jacket, some of Dennis' real nice silk Hawaiian shirts, we
wore all their clothes. We said,
"now if they blast us, it's their own stuff!"
And I knew they'd start blasting, then stop when they saw what they
were doing. But I wanted to see
whether or not they would do it anyway.
And, yes, they did it anyway. Actually,
I don't think they were smart enough to know it was their clothes right away.
So the CO‑2 was going,
the shaving creme was flying, and the music stopped completely.
There was just a huge cloud on stage, and there were all these sailors
in the audience, wondering "What the hell is going on?"
They couldn't see a dang thing. There
was just shave creme coming out of a CO-2, cloud.
When it cleared, the Beach Boys continued, but they were all covered
with stuff. We went back to the
dressing room, took off their clothes and hung them back where they were, but
now they are dripping this shave creme, and we just left.
It was great, a lot of fun. It's
a real story. Brian's wife
Marilyn says she shot the whole thing on 8mm and still has it.
Greg:
Did you and Jan go to school together?
Dean:
Sure.
Greg:
How about the Beach Boys, did you go to school with them?
Dean:
They didn't even go to school (college).
Michael: They didn't even
surf!
Greg: Yeah, in Salina (60
miles from Newton, Kansas) Mike Love said they wrote the surf songs in class,
not on the beaches.
Dean:
Jan did that, too. But he did the songs in med school. The Beach boys probably wrote their songs in wood shop!
All laugh!
Greg:
Do you like the Beach Boys, Dean?
Michael:
You mean, the Beach BUMS? "Mickey
Mouse with a sore throat?"
Greg:
Oh, I see....
Dean:
Michael's just kidding, we (J&D & the BB5) kid each other.
(Dean signs another LP.)
Michael:
I have an import LP that tells all about how Jan attended design
school and Dean was a doctor who had the wreck.
Dean:
Well, that's close....
Michael: Back to
Hawaii‑‑Do you know why Jan was wrapped up like a mummy?
Dean: Jan used to carry his
doctor's bag around, he must have gotten carried away with some bandages.
We used to wrap him up and put a cigar in his mouth and he'd smoke it!
Michael:
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Buzzie: Why did you do that?
Dean:
(In his funny, joking voice) I
don't know why.
Michael: Probably because
trout have eye lids. Are Jan and
Dean on any of those Beach Boy TV show hours?
Dean:
Yeah. Supposedly it
hasn't come up yet.
Michael: Last night's was a
rerun. There are only 8 or 16
hours.
Dean:
When we were there making it, they were hating it.
They thought it was stupid.
Michael: The music is so
broad.
Dean: That's the idea,
appeal to everyone.
Michael:
Variety gave it a bad review, except the reminiscing around the fire
at then end, which is where the fire extinguisher story came up.
(Dean signed some more
autographs periodically. He's a
nice guy. Before the show, a
very young blonde kid sat near me with a guitar case.
During the show, this grade schooler jumped on stage.
He had Dean's name on his guitar, and he played along with the band
for the rest of the show, doing a very impressive job.
No on knew him at the time, but it turned out his name was Larry
Smiley Junior. At this point,
Larry came back stage for an autograph.
Dean:
He's my clone. I'm grooming him for my daughter.
Michael:
It's a girl?
Dean:
Yes. And it is due soon.
I was six weeks early, my sister was early, Susan was early, so I
don't know.
Michael and others: You're
sure it is a girl. It's not
going to be named Linda, is it?
Dean: That's for sure!
But it will be a girl.
Michael: Maybe, Barbara Ann?
Dean:
Well, maybe Barbara Ann!
Michael: My daughters are
named Marlena after the Four Seasons' record and Corina after Ray Peterson's.
Dean:
I got beat up over that one. There
was a big fight.
Michael:
Over "Corinne, Corinna?"
How?
Dean:
Back in the Arnie days, I was at Fort Ord, and they lined up all the
guys that were going to Korea...
Corina: I lived there for
four years, Fort Ord, not Korea! And
in high school I sang in a group called "Corina and the Koreans"
because two of my three background singers were Korean.
Michael:
But, a fight?
Dean:
Well, once we all graduated from Infantry school we were sent to
different places. Since I was in
for just 6 months, I stayed at Fort Ord.
Some went to the south. But
some were going to go to Korea. These
were the dregs, the goofy guys, they were all looney tunes anyhow, and they
were all PO'd because they were all going to Korea.
So I walked by singing, to the tune of "Corinne, Corinna,"
"Korea Korea!" As I
went over to the restroom, the head, they came up there and walloped me.
I said, " Hey, it's just a joke you guys" They didn't think it was funny.
(Sings) "Korea, Korea, where you been so long!"
Michael: A good old WW I
song.
Dean: No.
Really, that old?
Buzzie:
Sure, there are Big Band versions.
(Dean signs some more
autographs.)
Michael: I used to write to
all the record company addresses on the backs of my LPs and ask for catalogs.
Here are two '60s Liberty catalogs I got.
Then Ventures signed this one by the pictures of their albums.
Could you sign by the Batman LP, since the Batman movie is so big now?
Dean:
Actually, I liked the Batman album, I thought it was funny.
Michael:
I love it. Why hasn't it
been reissued now, because with the hit movie, it'd be a natural?
Dean: I wrote the folks,
the chairman of the board at Capitol, this was seven months ago, reminding
them that they had a Batman album.
Michael: And the great
single, it would sound like a Beach Boy thing to most people, and they are
popular.
Dean: Yeah!
I mean, even just by mistake they would have sold a couple of hundred
thousand copies.
Everyone: Yeah, great,
imagine, wonderful idea, great record.
Dean: Capitol didn't even
consider it. They are such jerks!
Greg: It's their loss.
They'd have made thousands off it.
Dean:
I don't think they wanted to. They
only like to make billions of dollars. You
know, it's no longer just a couple of hundred thousand.
Michael: That's what the
individual executive's percentage has to be.
Dean: Exactly.
Greg: Can you sign this LP?
Have you ever seen it?
Dean: No.
Michael:
Ne either, but it's probably the K-Tel cuts.
Dean: Is it K‑Tel?
Michael: Probably, that's
the kind of graphics they always use. Let
me see it. Yes, see here where
it says "Key Seven Music," that means' K‑Tel.
Dean:
Oh.
A female fan who came in:
Do you have any albums that are live?
Dean: Ah, ah...Doc Rock
will tell you!
Michael: Command
Performance, 1965, Filet of Soul, 1967...
Dean:
Which you can also pick up on "Gotta Take That One Last Ride."
Michael: You mean Anthology
Album.
Dean: Right.
A two LP set, cut down to one side.
Michael: I have Bobby Vee's
LP in that series, a beautiful test pressing that was never issued.
Dean:
It wasn't?
Michael:
No, and was he surprised when I had him sign in Kansas City last month!
Bobby Vee recognized me from 8 years ago, even though I have shaved my
beard. Did you recognize me out
front?
Dean:
Oh, that's right, you used to have a beard!
Michael:
Do Midwest audiences respond well to Jan and Dean.
Dean: Yes, usually.
Michael: Compared to other
places?
Dean: Usually.
Everywhere it's good, assuming it was promoted well.
We just played Kingsport, Tenn., 50,000 people.
Michael:
Marlena couldn't be here tonight.
She wanted me to ask you, where did you get the ideas for all your
crazy songs, like "Schlock Rod" and "Submarine Races?"
Dean: Usually after a
couple of cases of beer! No,
"Schlock Rod" was written on a flight to Hawaii‑‑after
a bunch of free airline drinks!
Michael: First time I heard
it was when I played it on a juke box. Everyone
in the place looked at me funny.
Dean: That was a very
bizarre song.
Michael and Buzzie: I love
it.
Dean: I like it, too.
Michael: You even put it on
"Gotta Take That One Last Ride," in original mono.
Dean: Well, that was
because I had writer's credit! Had
to get something I wrote on there.
Michael: I once made a big
chart of all the Jan and Dean songs and composers‑‑you didn't
write much, did you?
Dean: Well...I didn't get
credit for my stuff. I wrote as
much of "Surf City" as Jan did, but you'll notice I didn't get any
credit.
Michael:
But, did you sing on it?
Dean:
Well...no....
Michael:
Good. That falsetto never
did sound good to me. I was worried.
Dean: I wasn't on it, the
final record, to tell the truth. Brian
and I both sang on the sessions for it...(fans interrupt for photos and
autographs), but the final mix . . . I did help rewrite the lyrics to
"Surf City."
Fan: Dean, can you sign
this "Little Old Lady" album?
Michael:
How many of those have you signed over the years?
Dean:
Uncounted. Who's is this?
Fan: It was my
grandmother's.
Dean: YOUR GRANDMOTHERS!
I've been waiting eight years for someone to tell me that.
Oh my God. Now the kids
who were fans way back then are grandmothers!
Michael:
It could be worse. It could be her late grandmothers!
Fan: It is!
Dean:
Oh, no, a late grandmother. How
old was this fan?
Fan:
Well, she was already middle aged when the LP came out.
She liked young music anyway.
Dean: Whew!
I thought the teenagers of 1964 were already really old!
Michael: Like you, Dean?
I just found out that my high-school sweetheart is a grandmother.
I've been considering suicide ever since! (Fan leaves.) Dean,
what ever happened to the TV special, the video tape of the China tour?
Dean: (Puts on his
sarcastic voice.) Well, you see,
these people in their wisdom...
Michael: Oriental wisdom?
Dean:
No, no, the Orientals are a lot smarter.
The jerks that filmed it...
Michael: Lorimar?
Dean: Lorimar, I mean, you
wonder why Lorimar is going out of business, well, now I have found out
exactly why they are going out of business.
They are morons, spelled with a capital "M."
See, they realize in their infinite wisdom that there is no interest
in the USA in China. Who's
interested in China? And the
record company says "Who interested in Batman?"
"Who's interested in China?"
"Who's interested in Batman?"
"Who's interested in China?"
"Who's interested in Batman?"
(At this point Dean got carried away, used one bad word, then
apologized and went on.) Those
stupid jerks! Hate 'em!
Michael:
Kind of like back in 1973 when you recut "Sidewalk Surfin,'"
and it hit big in San Diego, but UA wouldn't ship it out?
Dean: "No one is
interested in skateboards" they'd always say. I saw some in a 501 Jeans commercial just last night.
"What do you think that is, guys?"
"I don't know...what?"
They don't see, they don't hear, I don't know what they are doing.
Maybe they are doing drugs.
Michael: "Maybe?"
Reminds me of the Legendary Masked Surfers 45 "Summer Means Fun."
The store copies were not the remixed version, even the DJ copy you
sent out was the old LP cut, not the remix!
Only a copy a got at a station had the remix. They
sent out the wrong mix 90% of the pressings!
Dean: Only someone smart
would send out the right version.
Michael: No consistency.
No organization or planning.
Dean "Who's...interested...in...China?"
Buzzie: I work with a
graduate student from China, Way Wu. He
was over at our house for lunch. We
gave him grilled cheese and tomato soup, real American food.
In China, they have the same identical meal, rice all three meals.
Anyway, he saw Michael's records (you have to climb over them to get
into the kitchen) and so we played his only Chinese record, Jan and Dean's
"Wa Ichi Nichi Shiow." Wu
started singing along. It was
great!
Dean: (Laughs)
When they have a hit over there, it is the only hit they've got.
It stays on the charts for about five years.
He should know that song. We
were told that was huge, huge.
Michael: Wu was very
impressed.
Dean: Where was he from?
Buzzie: Shanghai.
Dean: Shanghai, that's
where we did it. Had he heard of
the concerts?
Buzzie:
No.
Michael: I almost showed
him the Japanese LP, but realized, wrong language. You know, the one with the J&D drawings with blonde hair,
huge jaws and dimples, the oriental view of Americans?
Dean: Yeah, I like that
cover a lot. "No one is
interested in China." I
called them when that stuff was on Nightline ever single night.
It's already packaged, sweetened, everything. Get it on somewhere. People
are very interested in what the young Chinese people are thinking about.
Here we see tens of thousands of them reacting to American music.
"We might get fired if it flops.
What to do! What to
do?" I said "You
stupid fools, that's why you are losing your jobs at Lorimar."
So now Warner Brothers is buying it, and Time is buying Warners.
But even the Batman thing really irritated me.
The Chairman of the board is a good friend, he didn't even write me a
note back. When he was out of
work, wanted to write a book, I let him come over to my house and I gave him
a couple of hours of my time. The considerate thing to do would have been to write back
saying, "Thanks, but no thanks."
Michael: Speaking of dumb
things, because radio stations are dumping their turntables for CD players,
and because young DJs don't know any better, oldies are turning up on the
radio for the first time that are "K‑Tel" type remakes.
Of course, you get royalties no matter which version they play, don't
you?
Dean: They filed bankruptcy,
too! They want to pay me like a
penny on the dollar. They did
give me some stock.
All laugh!
Dean: I just don't care any
more. I'll just keep buying real
estate, then someday I'll buy them all and dump them in the ocean!
Well
SMers, here is Dean, commenting on, as promised, "the business pitfalls
and artistic hazards of performing, from Newton, Kansas, to Steve Allen,
Lloyd Thaxton to Red Skelton,...and Dean comments on 'Jan and Dean vs. the
Beatles'."
Michael: So it can be hard
to get your royalties and cooperation from some of these record companies
like K-Tel?
Dean: Impossible sometimes.
that's why we do shows like this. We get half the money in advance, half at
the show. that is the way to do business.
More fans came for
autographs. Dean signed them all, and made very friendly comments.
Michael: I heard comments
in the audience that perhaps you were not going to perform tonight because of
money problems, failure to get paid.
Dean: The show was on again,
off again several times because the local promoters are inexperienced and did
not want to pay us 50% up front and the rest here in town before we did the
show, as is standard practice in the business. They are rookies and wanted to
pay us out of the take. But that is a gamble we can't take. It costs us to
fly out here!
(Note: In the summer of
1999, Three Dog Night was to appear in Newton at the same venue. They got
their half up front. However, when Three Dog Night arrived in Newton and
showed up at the "stadium," the promoter was unable to come up with
the second half, so the band left town without performing. The resulting riot
required police intervention!)
Michael: I hear you got the
key to the city.
Dean: Yes, but it was not
the kind of key we expected. It was a real key! We were hoping for two keys (kilos!)!
Jan returned from signing
autographs to the comfort of the air conditioned trailer.
Jan: Is there a Mountain
Dew left? It sure is hot.
Local: Do you ever do the
same town twice? I mean, might you come back here again?
Dean: Sometimes. Usually,
the second time is even better, just because people become believers the
second time. The word of mouth that you did an OK job, that is was fun, that
it actually worked, and that yes, rock 'n' roll will work outside or grass.
You have to establish a venue. This crowd was enthusiastic. When people see
that it was a family show with little kids on stage, it can be even better
next time.
Michael: (Kevin, my brother
born in 1963, was looking at a Popsicle LP.) See, Dean made that record a hit
when the record label wanted to do "Norwegian Wood."
Dean: In their wisdom.
Putting out "Norwegian Wood." What kind of...who's gonna sell more
than the Beatles? If it were 10 or 20 years later, then maybe.... But not a
year after the Beatles hit. We had one member in the hospital in a coma, and
they thought, great idea, good marketing idea, cash in on the publicity. So I
said, "OK, you guys are so brilliant, just let me pick out the flip side."
They said no. I cried,
"But my partner is dying! Humor me!"
"OK, we'll humor him,
Jesus Christ, his partner is dying. Poor guy. What od you wan to put on the
other side?"
"Uh, 'Popsicle.'"
"'Popsicle? That old
track from 1963? In 1966?"
"Wah! My partner is
dying!!"
"OK OK OK."
"But I need to remix
it, tweak it up just a bit."
They were unsympathetic to
this idea. "It is just a 'B' side."
"I know it is just a
'B' side. Wah! My partner is..."
"OK. Yeah. OK. Go in
the studio, we'll give you a little budget, you got two hours to remix."
"OK. Yessir. Thank you."
So I remixed it, and it charted. Then they patted me on the back.
"See, we got you a hit!"
Kevin: I was wondering if
you read those old Sunshine Musics about Jan and Dean vs. the Beatles? How
did you see that whole thing?
Michael: That series was a
big success. I got a lot of great letters on that!
Kevin: I always wanted to
hear your opinion on that, Dean. If Jan and Dean had been promoted like the
Beatles, would you have been able to do what the Beatles did, or was it
something else?
Dean: I think that just
about anybody who had hits, if you had a string of hits, yeah. That is, I
think we could have done it back to them in their home land. I'm not sure
here, because we spent too much time here to be so much an oddity.
Kevin: I see.
Dean: They were very
different, people reacted, " Oh, music from a different country, oh,
that is wild!"
Kevin: Are you a Beatles
fan"
Dean: Oh, yeah, sure.
Jan: Oh, yes! Their music I
like.
Kevin: I thought so. I
liked your John Lennon dedication.
Dean: But it is all in
approach. They knew that is was big business. They understood their persona.
They understood humor.
Buzzie: Brian Epstein did.
Dean: Somebody did.
Michael: And Liberty never
did understand Jan and Dean, music or humor.
Dean: I had a good friend,
Harry Nilsson. who was the "fifth" Beatle. Harry has an IQ of about
160 or 170, somewhere in there, very bright. And the Beatles loved Harry
Nilsson, the artist. So Harry went over there and met the Beatles, and they
hung out together. Harry did a bunch of albums with each one of them,
individually. And when he came back from meeting them, I was doing all of
Harry's album graphics, we spent time together as good friends, and I asked
him, "How was it? What were those guys like? What did you think?"
He said, "Boring. They
are boring guys." I said, "Well, they must be real creative."
"I don't know. Kind of creative. They were good writers. But it was
Brian Epstein. and it was joint chemistry. Each had individual strengths that,
all together made a great package. Harry Nilsson said that "George
Martin had a lot to do with it, their producer."
Kevin: And so it was not
just pure promotion like a lot of people might say?
Dean: Well, it was that,
too. It all has to be in a package. When we had...this still ticks me off 25
years later...when we were doing music, we had a record company tell me,
"You stay out of the art department, because we are the graphics and we
will do the album covers." I told them, me, an artist with a graduate
degree in commercial design, "It is our album cover. we are doing the
music. You are supposed to reflect what we are doing musically, but visually.
This, out music, is all visual stuff. But you don't."
"Get out of here."
I insisted, "But you
don't understand, it is a total concept. How can you be doing our graphics
when you do not even understand what the music is about, and what our
concepts are?"
"Aw, we just put a
picture on and a title on."
"It is not done that
way anymore!" We were even beginning to get into videos. They had no
concept of that, "Where would you play videos?"
Michael: I was peeved by
the first annual MTV video awards show. They gave the award for "The
First Music Video" to A Hard Day's Night. Jan and Dean did the
"Surf City" video over a year before! And there were many other
before that.
Dean: Yes. But to get an
award, you have to have a public relations firm and you have to have a big
company behind you putting up the money, making sure everyone has the music
and knows you. That means paying someone $7,500 a month to take care of all
of that kind of stuff. Because if you just hand it out yourself, no one cares
about it. You have to have that juice. The Beach Boys, for example, have
movies, all of the promotion...
Kevin: Being an established
act as you were, what was it like, having the British Invasion come along
like it did? Were you resentful of it and its success over US music?
Dean: We were happy about
it! Luckily we were right in the middle of it. If we had been just starting,
it might have blasted us out of the water. If we had been just on the tail
end of it and starting to have career problems of our own, our career would
have gone into the toilet that much quicker. But we were at the strongest
point of our career, so they towed the rest of us along with them."
Michael: How so?
Dean: All of a sudden, rock
and roll was considered important by the establishment for the first time.
the record companies said, "This is multi-million dollar stuff! Hey, the
records can sound better. Listen to those records! Hey, production quality is
important. Oh, gosh!" So, they went out and bought eight track recorders
and sixteen track recorders for the first time. They bought filters. They
bought everything.
Michael: Was part of that
new importance why you got on TV programs like The Celebrity Game? (An early
Hollywood Squares type game show.)
Dean: No, that was a left
over from our old management. They would have been phased out, we would have
gotten with hipper people later. But in those days, that was what you were
supposed to do.
Michael: I was not
criticizing, I enjoyed seeing you guys on that show.
Dean: We did not do them
too often. But se did some for political reasons. Our management was tied
into television, and if we wanted something else, publicity wise, we had to
do those shows, too.
Michael: Do you remember
being on the Steve Allen Show in 1963?
Dean: Yes.
Michael: Do you remember,
"Two ferns for every boy?" "Fern" was a catch phrase for
any noun on that show. You did "Surf City" and used that line. the
audience loved your performance, but Steve Allen hated it, you could tell by
his reaction on camera after you were done. He clearly did not consider you
real singer-singers, not like Bobby Vinton who did "Blue On Blue" a
few nights later. He liked that kind of artist a lot more.
Dean: It was awful that
night. To be sure, it was awful. But those are the kinds of things you get
caught in because you are inexperienced and you don't know how to handle it.
Music in television, rock and roll, live, was relatively a new thing. They
were used to a band and singer. They didn't know how to mix rock roll.
After that show, we knew
better. We learned to be very cautions and to ask certain questions. We went
in to rehears for that show, and it sounded great. They had a great band. It
was big. It had horns. Jan had done all the horn parts, of course, all
written out and everything. We added a couple of our own session guys. The
music was great.
When we rehearsed it, it
was great. We stood right in front of the band into microphones. We sang
along with the band as they played, we said, "Hey, that sounds great,"
and we were very excited.
Next, there was a dress
rehearsal. It was also great, our microphones were right there, in front of
the band.
Then came time to do it
live. they took us out of the green room, we were all ready, and they told us,
"As soon as he announces you, we pull the curtains, you walk out and go
up to the microphones."
We said, naively, "All
right, fine." Steve Allen introduces us, the curtain opens up, but the
microphones are not where we had been rehearsing for two days! They are way
down some ramp, way the hell down about 50 yards! We thought, "What the
hell?" Because the band is right behind us, behind the curtain still! We
walk out and figure, "boy, that sure is a long way from the band!"
We turn around when we get to the mikes, we look at the band, they are
playing, then the curtains close! They actually left the band behind the
curtain! So all we hear is this faint suggestion of music. "Is the band
playing???" Anyway, we start singing, but they did not have any monitors
in those days, they didn't have anything like that. (Note: monitors are
speakers on stage aimed at the singer. The monitor has only the singers own
voice, so he or she can hear and keep on pitch.)
We were supposed to be able
to at least hear the band, but we couldn't, we didn't know where they were.
They couldn't hear us, either! It was a fiasco. We don't know what the hell
is going on, but it is live, so we just go on. It was so bad, we were really
upset. We realized we had really screwed up. But what can you do?
But we did not know to ask
those questions, "Where will we be, will the band stay here?" We
didn't think of it."
Michael: and then Steve
Allen and people like that wonder why you lip-synched so much.
Dean: Yes, that is why you
lip synch or you bring a track in.
Michael: When you did the
Lloyd Thaxton Show, you knocked over sets, you kidded around about empty
record jackets, he said Liberty was Jan and Dean's private label. Jan said,
"And Lou Adler's private label." And after you lip synched
"All I Have To Do Is Dream," Lloyd said, "Hey, you guys really
can sing," and you replied, "Who did you think was making all of
those records." The humor was more fun than the songs!
Dean: Oh, yes! Lloyd knew
that the humor, the visuals,the interviews and all of that were the show. And
that is why we liked doing that show. Because he would allow us to do those
kinds of things. Others didn't.
I got to that show once
right out of a pool. I came in wearing wet trucks and a wet T-shirt. Jan came
in a suit coat, because he came directly from school and they had to wear
jackets to med school. Lloyd looked at us and said a great line that we used
for years: "It's good to see that you didn't let success go to your
wardrobe!"
But he was very clever. But
he did not save any of those shows. We ran into him 10 or 12 years ago and
asked about them. "No, we had no idea, we erased it all." Everyone
thought rock and roll was a waste of time, and no one would care a couple of
years later, let alone 30 years later. Which was a real shame.
Michael: How about other
shows after 1963?
Dean: We learned our
lessons, and did better. We did an appearance on the Red Skelton Show. We
pre-sang it, so it was not the same old stuff, but then we lip-synched to the
new version with only two vocal parts. So it would look more real. It was an
Easter show, so we did "Easter Bonnet." We were to dress up in
tuxedos,but the funny part was we were going to wear tennis shoes. I think we
had our stripped T-shirts on underneath the coats. Another little twist for
humor's sake.
At the dress rehearsal,
they gave us canes and top hats. I told Jan, "you be cool, do it
straight. and whatever you do, I will do it too, but just a beat or two
behind you." So Jan would tip his hat and sing, "In your Easter
bonnet," then he would change hands with the cane, with all the frills
upon it," like that. And I would be overtly watching him out of the
corner of my eyes and watching him and I would be doing everything he did,
but a bit late. I'd take my hat off just as he was getting his back on, and
he'd be moving the cane to one hand and back while I was just getting it
changed the first time. It was working great.
They stopped the thing
about half way through. The director looked worried. He came up to me and he
said, "Looks like, Son, that you are a little uncomfortable with the hat
and cane and stuff. You can just kind of relax with it."
I looked at him and I
thought, "Moron, you mean you really think that we..." You see,
they did not know, we were going to come out and do Jan and Dean, and they
did not even know what we were about, the fool. That is our humor. I was so
surprised that that guy had no idea that that was comedy. We did it so well,
all of our stuff was always so tongue-in-cheek, so satirical, that unless you
know, you miss it.
Michael: Like "Sidewalk
Surfin'" and "Dead Man's Curve."
Kevin: Good acting on your
part!
Dean: Right, the whole idea
was to make it look real, and I felt, "great, I did it, I made him
nervous!" Because it was supposed to look sincerely awkward. And I had
done exactly what I wanted. So I told him, "It's OK, don't worry about
it."
He went back and we did it
again, the same way. He stopped it again and come out and said, "You
know, son, you really need to get loose..."
I tried to tell him, "Don't
you get it, man, the whole idea is to be stiff and uncoordinated." He
didn't get it, so then I started to get angry. I didn't insult him or
anything, but I was obviously agitated. He walked off into the lights and
disappeared. Jan and I were standing there waiting for something to happen.
Five minutes, nothing happens, ten minutes, nothing happens. We are milling
about. Fifteen minutes had gone by. Then our new manager showed up! Lou Adler
had left, he had sold us off to get the money to start his company, Dunhill
Records. The new manager was a real manager, managed people in movies, Bobby
Roberts.
Bobby comes running in, tie
all askew. they had called him in his office in Beverly Hills, "There is
some sort of problem we are having here," and he had come running over.
Bobby is panting, "Jan, Dean, what is the problem?"
"I wasn't aware there
was one," I said innocently. "Jan, did you know about any problem?"
Jan said, "No."
"Well, they said that
you were really upset and uncomfortable" and all of that stuff.
I said, "Oh, that! We
were just doing our humor. This fool thinks we are really that bad. Unless we
can do it our way, we don't do it. 'Cause we are not going to do 'Easter
Bonnet' straight! C'mon Bobby, Christ! Man, we are going to be the laughing
stock!"
Bobby said he understood
and went over to the director and had a conference. "Well, it seems that,
the thing is, Red Skelton is the comedy here. They don't want you to be too
funny, because he is...."
Well. We still refused to
do it straight. We were just thinking, "What are we here for on a comedy
show if no to be funny?" There is another whole set of questions you
never think to ask going in.
Kevin: Dean, you should
write a book on that kind of thing for artists to read.
Michael: Kevin, back when I
was doing a "Dean is Dead" satire of "Paul Is Dead..."
Dean: Oh, yes, I remember
that.
Michael: I got a lot of
people sending in their own clues that Dean is dead. Then, Dean sent me a
postcard. All it said was, "Michael, I hope it is true. (signed)
Arnie."
Dean: Did I do that? That
was pretty clever!
Michael: So I published it
in the letters column.
Buzzie: Tonight's show was
certainly a success.
Michael: Everyone was up
and cheering the whole time. A few in front were sitting at first, but they
soon got up, too. Jan did very well, and you sounded as good as ever as well.
Kevin: There were some
young people around me who never heard of you and they really loved it, too.
Dean:
That is great! Thanks. You know, we told the guards not to make the people in
front stay seated (on the ground, there were no chairs). It works better if
everyone can get excited.
Rock
and Roll Hall of Shame
By
Doc Rock, 1994
Once
again, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has decreed who is worthy and who is
not worthy of having their records played on the oldie stations, the classic
rock stations, and the satellite oldies services, and who we should go to see
in concerts.
If
we did not have the Hall of Fame's 300 self-appointed members to tell us what
was worth listening to, what would we mere mortals do -- decide for ourselves
what kind of music we like?
As
you can see, I think very little of the R&RHAF. I've never found any two
people who can even agree on a definition of what IS rock and roll, let alone
who is best. (I also have never found anyone who knows who is a member of the
Hall's panel of voting members, or how they themselves were chosen!) The
recent issue of the Girl Group Gazette insists that the Ronettes were the
greatest girl group of all time. As a major collector of girl groups for over
25 years, with hundreds of songs in my collection that were never played on
any radio station anyplace, I would put the Ronettes about #80 or #90 at
best. A fan of the Metropolitan opera would say that all girl group music is
trash, while I would say that a good voice is a help, but by no means a
requirement, for making a great girl group record. Why, I have Girl Group
records that have only one singer, and even some excellent Girl Group which
are sung by males! (That is not a homosexual statement. It is just a fact,
like the fact that "Andrea" by the Sunrays is a surf and drag
record, even though it mentions neither water nor cars.)
What
is Great?
Who
is great, who is good, or even who is rock and roll is merely a matter of
opinion. I know people who think that no white person, even Elvis, can
perform rock and roll, or that no authentic rock and roll has been recorded
since 1957. Others say that "Blame It n the Bossa Nova,"
"Downtown," and "Go Away Little Girl" were rock and roll.
(In fact, "Downtown" won the 1964 Grammy for best rock song! Will
Pet Clark ever be in the R&RHOF?)
Who
cares. What the "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" should call itself is
what it really is dedicated to honoring, "Baby Boomers' Teenage
Memories," "AM Top 40 Legends," or "Pop Music of the '50s
and '60s Which was Appreciated and Bought Primarily by Females Between the
Ages of 13 and 21." Because that is what the music was all about then,
and that is what they are celebrating, whether they wish to admit it or not,
even to themselves.
Pat
Boone!
Here
is a question which is sure to provoke hot discussion among any group of
record collectors or rock and roll fans. "Should Pat Boone be in the
R&RHAF?"
When
I asked that question on my radio show, the phone lines lit up. At first,
100% of the callers said, "Yes." Everyone felt that he was not only
a rocker, but that he brought rock & roll music to radios that would
never have heard it otherwise.
Finally,
one female caller protested. She said that although she had originally, in
the '50s, liked Pat Boone and hated Elvis Presley, she has since switched
opinions. Now, she feels that teenagers were duped by the record companies in
the '50s, tricked into liking Pat Boone. But now, she sees him for the shill
he was and prefers the King.
Although
by today's standards, Pat Boone seems hardly a rocker, by 1955 standards, he
was practically a JD! And we have to judge music in the context of the time
it was performed. Even the greatest Academy Award winning movies, from the
silent greats to "Gone With the Wind," can be laughable by today's
standards.
What
Criterion?
I
asked Dean Torrence of Jan & Dean his opinion of the R&RHAF. He had
strong views.
Dean:
All of the hall of fames I've ever heard of, like sports halls of fame, are
based on performance, statistics. The ones who did well statistically are
honored. I don't know who this Rock and Roll hall of fame is, or what they
base their selections on. It certainly isn't hits. What songs did the Four
Tops have? I can't think of one.
Well,
Dean, that is probably your West Coast bias showing. In the East, the Tops
were probably much bigger. But your point is unlimited is its validity. Who
says that Louis Armstrong or Ma (whoever she is) Rainey deserve to be in the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame -- besides the Hall -- and not Pat Boone? Pat was
never a favorite of mine. I bought my first Pat Boone record in 1980 (sic).
But he did more to legitimize, spread, and establish rock and roll than
anyone except Elvis. Anyone who thinks Pat Boone was pop and not rock and
roll needs to realize that the adult, pop stations did not play Pat's
records, the Top 40 stations did, and the adults did not put Pat on top, the
record-buying teens did.
I
expect that the artists included in the Hall are the ones who are either
personal favorites of the voting members, the ones who have the best
publicists, the ones who recently died, and/or the ones who need publicity
for upcoming releases of compact disk compilations (payola?).
Who
would be in the hall of fame if it were based not on ?????, but on
performance statistics like baseball and other sports halls of fame are? That
is to say, if members were picked based on what was done as of, say, 1964,
and not with the hindsight of the decades which observes the '50s and '60s
not as they were seen then, but through MTV-colored glasses? I mean, if
mellow music had become popularized in the '80s instead of Heavy Metal, then
Paul Anka and Bobby Vinton would be revered today instead of the Kinks and
the Kingsmen.
Having
done back then what happens to have become popular now does not mean someone
was great back then. Just the opposite. It means they were out of the
mainstream of their own day, and it was pure luck that their style became
dominant later, hopefully before they themselves passed away.
It's
too bad Ricky Nelson had to die to get recognition he deserved all along.
Let's hope Bobby Vee and Pat Boone do not suffer the same fate.
Looking
at "then" without the influence of "now," as of 1964, for
an excellent example, LA DJ Roger Christian should be in the Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame before Holland, Dozier, and Holland. His lyrics on hits
including (but not limited to):
Shut
Down
Sidewalk
Surfin'
Little
Deuce Coupe
Surf
Route 101
Submarine
Races
Hey
Little Freshman
Three
Window Coupe
Hot
Stocker
Down
At Malibu Beach
Surfin'
Hearse
Bucket
"T"
Ride
the Wild Surf
Honolulu
Lulu
Move
Out Little Mustang
Anaheim
Azusa...
Schlock
Rod
Dead
Man's Curve
Waimea
Bay
New
Girl In School
Don't
Worry Baby
Ballad
of Ole' Betsey
Car
Crazy Cutie
Cherry
Cherry Coupe (Old Roge' loved Coupes)
No-Go
Showboat
Spirit
of America . . .
and
who knows how many others, should have qualified him as a hands-down winner
in 1964, British Invasion notwithstanding, and Holland-Dozier-Holland would
have had to wait a couple of years to even measure up.
It's
hard to know how many songs Roger wrote and thus to prove he is deserving.
But we do know exactly how many hits each artist of the '50s and '60s had.
So, here is the "Doc Rock 'n' Roll Hall of '50s and '60s Teen Fame"
based on hit 45s in those decades. Following the lead of sports halls of
fame, my criteria are public, not private; and objective, not subjective.
To
be nominated for the "Doc Rock Hall of '50s and '60s Teen Fame," an
artist has to meet four criteria:
1.
At least 20 Hits...
national
(Billboard or other recognized) top 100 chart.
2.
At least one record in national top 5...
I
would require a #1 hit, except that sometimes a record that would be #1 in
normal times is held to a lower number because of some extraordinary
circumstances. For example, "Mack the Knife," "Theme from a
Summer Place," and "Hey, Jude," were each #1 for nine weeks,
keeping many other deserving songs from getting to that coveted spot.
3.
At least one Top 40 hit each half decade 55-59, 60-64, and 65-69.
Hits
before 1955 and after 1969 don't count; that's for someone else's hall of
fame.
4.
Primarily rock & roll . . .
not
pop, country, soul, r & b, etc., meaning played foremost on Top 40
stations catering primarily to teenagers. No unknown blues artists allowed.
Following
is a list of the artists meeting my criteria, and their number of hits.
Artists marked * meet all criteria except being primarily R&R. Compare
this list to a list of some of the artists nominated to that other Hall.
"Doc
Rock 'n' Roll Hall of
'50s
and '60s Teen Fame" The other R & R Hall of Fame
(Alphabetical)
Paul
Anka 38 Big Bopper
Freddy
Cannon 22 Coasters
*Johnny
Cash 21 Eddie Cochran
*Ray
Charles 63 Bo Diddly
Chubby
Checker 31 Marvin Gaye
Sam
Cooke 42 Bill Haley
Bobby
Darin 41 B. B. King
Jan
and Dean 24 Clyde McPhatter
Brenda
Lee 48 Ricky Nelson
*Dean
Martin 30) Roy Orbison
Ricky
Nelson 50 Carl Perkins
Platters
40 Smokey Robinson
Elvis
Presley 108 Big Joe Turner
Jimmie
Rogers 25 Muddy Waters
*Frank
Sinatra 60) Jackie Wilson
*Andy
Williams 94) Aretha Franklin
*Roger
Williams 46) The Who
*Jackie
Wilson 92) The Platters
Bobby
Darin
Hank
Ballard
The
Four Tops
The
Four Seasons
Louis
Armstrong
Ma
Rainey
Simon
and Garfunkle
Elvis
Presley
The
Kinks
Charlie
Christian
Goffin
and King
Holland,
Dozier, Holland
This
is not a complete list of the other Hall's nominees, because I never felt it
was worth keeping track of, nor could I easily find a list at the library.
But for the ones I do have, how many are on BOTH the other Hall's list and
Doc Rock's list? Just five.
Ricky
Nelson.
Interestingly,
some critics used to say he was too pop to really be considered rock and
roll, and they never forgave him for covering Fats Dominoes "I'm
Walking." (I never forgave Fats for covering Glenn Millers #1 hit
"Blueberry Hill.") Rick probably got in because he died. Nothing
quite like dying to get recognition. He has always been a favorite of mine,
however.
Platters.
Well,
another group much more pop or R&B than real rock and roll, but I never
held that against them.
Bobby
Darin.
Wow!
Another pop artist who crossed over into R&R whenever possible.
"Real" rockers disdained him, but now that he is dead, he also gets
more respect. I always liked him almost as much as I liked Rick.
Jackie
Wilson.
I
know artists are supposed to suffer, but do they really have to actually die
to get any respect? Jackie is considered R&B by some, but I never held
that against him.
Elvis.
The
King became pop in many fans minds in 1960, give or take a few million
sellers. And, of course, he died, and just in time, too. He was losing favor
with critics, if not with fans.
So,
of the five who made both the R&RHOF list and the Doc Rock criterion
lists, four died and none was pure rock and roll! Interesting, eh?
Let's
look at the "Doc Rock 'n' Roll Hall of '50s and '60s Teen Fame,"
this time in order of number of hits, and excluding the non-rock & roll
artists.
"Doc
Rock 'n' Roll Hall of
'50s
and '60s Teen Fame"
R&R
only
in
order of # of hits
Elvis
Presley 108
Ricky
Nelson 50
Brenda
Lee 48
Sam
Cooke 42
Bobby
Darin 41
Platters
40
Paul
Anka 38
Chubby
Checker 31
Jimmie
Rogers 25
Jan
and Dean 24
Freddy
Cannon 22
Hummmm.
Look how low Jan & Dean are. That looks pretty bad in a J&D mag. I
know! I have an idea. Just singing is OK, but to be a real Hall of Fame
status legend, shouldn't an artist also write or produce or arrange or
something? Let's eliminate the plain singers, and see who is left when we
include only the artists who were involved in the COMPOSING of their records:
"Doc
Rock 'n' Roll Hall of
'50s
and '60s Teen Fame"
R&R
composers
Sam
Cooke 42
Bobby
Darin 41
Platters
40
Paul
Anka 38
Jan
and Dean 24
Now,
that is a great list. Every artist a legend in its own time, dead or alive!
Of
course, as great as it is for an artist to sing and compose, to qualify for
something as distinguished as the "Doc Rock 'n' Roll Hall of '50s and
'60s Teen Fame," an artist should also be able to produce. From Girl
Groups to Motown to Surf, more important sometimes even than the artist and
the band and the song was the way the song was arranged and produced. So,
let's narrow the list down to artists who were also producers and arrangers
on their own records, in order of number of hits:
"Doc
Rock 'n' Roll Hall of
'50s
and '60s Teen Fame"
in
order, R&R only,
composers
and producers
Jan
and Dean 24
Whew!
That was close! What if Jan hadn't written, produced, and arranged? Then to
rig it so only J&D qualified, I would have had to include only artists
who . . . played instruments. What instruments did Jan and Dean play, you
ask? Well, what's the matter, didn't you read the interview with Dean in an
early issue of SM? Jan played the pillow, and Dean specialized in the paper
triangle!
Seriously,
Jan (piano-playing) Berry has been nominated (unofficially) for the Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame by his life-long friend Dean Torrence. After all, as this
(semi-) tongue-in-cheek piece has clearly shown, Jan Berry deserves to be
honored as much as, or more than anyone else who ever got onto a CD (circular
disk). Don't you agree? Let's figure out a way to get him in next year! Send
me your ideas, fast! Let's get this thing done right!
