Jan and Dean were an American rock duo consisting of William Jan Berry and Dean Ormsby Torrence. In the early 1960s, they were pioneers of the California Sound and vocal surf music styles popularized by the Beach Boys.
Surf music is a genre of rock music associated with surf culture, particularly as found in Southern California. It was especially popular from 1958 to 1964 in two major forms. The first is instrumental surf, distinguished by reverb-heavy electric guitars played to evoke the sound of crashing waves, largely pioneered by Dick Dale and the Del-Tones. The second is vocal surf, which took elements of the original surf sound and added vocal harmonies, a movement led by the Beach Boys.
"Rock and Roll Music" is a song by American musician and songwriter Chuck Berry, written and recorded by Berry in May 1957. It has been widely covered and is one of Berry's most popular and enduring compositions.
Jill Gibson is an American singer, songwriter, photographer, painter and sculptor. She is mostly known for her collaboration work with Jan & Dean and for having briefly been a member of the successful 1960s rock group the Mamas and the Papas. She was also one of the main photographers at the historic Monterey Pop Festival in 1967.
Dead Man's Curve is an American nickname for a curve in a road that has claimed lives because of numerous crashes.
"The Little Old Lady (from Pasadena)" is a song written by Don Altfeld, Jan Berry and Roger Christian, and recorded by 1960s American pop singers Jan and Dean. Singer/songwriter P.F. Sloan sings the falsetto part usually sung by Dean Torrence, while Dean sings one of the backup parts. This was the first time P.F. sang the falsetto on a single, although P.F. had already sung some falsetto on the last album Dead Man’s Curve/The New Girl In School.
Papa Doo Run Run is a band from Cupertino, California, United States, that specializes in covers of songs from the heyday of surf music in the 1960s.
"Surfin' Safari" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys, written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love. Released as a single with "409" in June 1962, it peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song also appeared on the 1962 album of the same name.
"School Days" is a rock-and-roll song written and recorded by Chuck Berry and released by Chess Records as a single in March 1957 and on the LP After School Session two months later. It is one of his best-known songs and is often considered a rock-and-roll anthem.
"Surf City" is a 1963 song recorded by American music duo Jan and Dean about a fictitious surf spot where there are "two girls for every boy". Written by Brian Wilson, Jan Berry and Dean Torrence, it was the first surf song to become a national number-one hit.
"Cathy's Clown" is a popular song, written by Don Everly and recorded by The Everly Brothers in 1960. The lyrics describe a man who has been wronged and publicly humiliated by his lover: "Here he comes / That's Cathy's clown". The choruses are sung by brothers Don and Phil in their trademark close harmony style, while Don sings the bridges solo.
Deadman's Curve is a 1978 American made-for-television biographical film based on the musical careers of Jan Berry and Dean Torrence. The film was developed from a 1974 article published in Rolling Stone by Paul Morantz, who also helped write the screenplay.
Ride the Wild Surf is a 1964 American romantic drama film. It was filmed in 1963 and distributed in 1964. Unlike the beach party movies of the era, this was a departure from the typical Hollywood approach to surfing as it was a drama, not a comedy. It is known for its exceptional big wave surf footage – a common sight in surf movies of the time, but a rarity in Hollywood films. Likewise, the film has only one pop song – the titular Jan and Dean track, which is heard once, at the end of the film.
"Sidewalk Surfin'" is a song with music by Brian Wilson and lyrics by Roger Christian, which was recorded by 1960s American pop singers Jan and Dean. The song was recorded as a single and then appeared on the 1964 album Ride the Wild Surf, and later on the Little Old Lady from Pasadena album. The B-side of the single is "When It's Over." "Sidewalk Surfin'" reached number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 on October 31, 1964, which was Jan and Dean's lowest-charting single in a year and a half since the release of their number one hit single "Surf City." Jan and Dean were known for their music of the 1960s surf era with songs like "Dead Man's Curve," "Drag City," and "The Little Old Lady from Pasadena."
"The New Girl in School" is a song written by Jan Berry, Roger Christian, Brian Wilson, and Bob Norberg for the American rock duet Jan and Dean. It was the B-side of their hit single "Dead Man's Curve". Both songs were released on their album Dead Man's Curve / The New Girl In School. "The New Girl From School" charted at number 37 on the Billboard Hot 100. In Canada the song was co-charted with "Dead Man's Curve" and they reached number 39.
"Honolulu Lulu" is a song written by Jan Berry and Roger Christian, and Lou Adler for the American rock band Jan and Dean. It was the second hit single from their 1963 album Surf City And Other Swingin' Cities, charting at number 58 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was also included later on their 1966 album Filet of Soul.
This is the discography for American rock duo Jan and Dean.
Carnival of Sound is the last studio album by the American rock duo Jan and Dean. Though recorded sporadically from 1966 to 1968, it was not released until 2010. Even though it is credited as a Jan and Dean record, it is actually more of a Jan Berry solo effort. Jan died in 2004. The album consists mostly of original material, with a few covers of songs by artists such as The Five Satins and The Coasters. The album is notable for having a more psychedelic sound than other Jan and Dean records.
"Jennie Lee" is a song whose music was composed and written by Jan Berry and Arnie Ginsburg, which was recorded by Jan and Arnie. Jan & Arnie were the precursor to Jan & Dean. The song was recorded and released as the band's first single in April, 1958. The B-side of the single is "Gotta Getta Date". "Jennie Lee" reached No. 3 on the Cash Box charts on June 21, 1958, and No. 8 on the Billboard charts on June 30, 1958. This is generally regarded as the earliest example of elements that would become instrumental in the famous California sound of surf pop in the '60s.
"Surfin' U.S.A." is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys, credited to Chuck Berry and Brian Wilson. It is a rewritten version of Berry's "Sweet Little Sixteen" set to new lyrics written by Wilson and an uncredited Mike Love. The song was released as a single on March 4, 1963, backed with "Shut Down". It was then placed as the opening track on their album of the same name.
