CD Review: Jan & Dean “The Complete Liberty Singles” (Collectors’ Choice)
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In the shorthand of compilation albums and oldies radio, Jan & Dean
sprung into the world fully-formed with the 1963 chart-topper "Surf
City," and proceeded to unwind a string of surf and drag hits that
included "Honolulu Lulu," "Drag City," "Dead Man's Curve," "The Little
Old Lady (From Pasadena)," "Ride the Wild Surf," and "Sidewalk
Surfin'." And together with the Beach Boys, they defined the sunshine
drenched Southern California sound of 1963 and 1964. And while their
well-known singles were a fundamental element of the West Coast pop
revolution, there's a lot more to the Jan & Dean story, before, during
and after their most celebrated sides were waxed. This collection of
singles (A's and B's) recorded by Jan and Dean for Liberty between
1962 and 1966 provides ear-opening insight to the duo's pre-stardom
gestation, the experiments and advances that paralleled their hit-
making years, and the artistic reach that extended past their radio-
friendly hits.
Though Jan & Dean had recorded ten singles (and achieved two hits)
before signing with Liberty, the initial sides for their new label
still found them searching for a unique sound and identity. They
opened their relationship with Liberty by revisiting the pop doo-wop
they'd practiced in the late '50s, recording the '40s standard "Sunday
Kind of Love" in the footsteps of both the Harptones and Del Vikings.
Jan & Dean's take follows the latter's upbeat approach, but with a
solo vocal and a clownish band arrangement. The duo's next outing,
"Tennessee." was even goofier, with "ba ba ba" backing vocals,
stomping percussion and a roaring sax solo. Switching to Brill
Building material, they cut the Mann & Weil ballad "My Favorite Dream"
and gave a rock 'n' roll twist to Barry Mann's "Who Put the Bomp" on
the flip; both sides disappeared without a trace.
Their Christmas single, "Frosty the Snowman" and its doo-wop flip-side
"She's Still Talking Baby Talk" (a sequel to their 1959 hit "Baby
Talk"), perpetuate the sense that Jan, Dean and their producers were
still fishing for good ideas. That good idea turned out to be an
imitation of the 4 Seasons with "Linda," borrowing the Jersey boys'
rhythm and falsetto trademarks and finally riding back into the
top-20. Continuing to capitalize on popular trends, their next single,
the Jan Berry/Brian Wilson-penned "Surf City" not only took them to
the top of the charts, but defined their enduring image and sound. In
just over 2-1/2 minutes, Jan & Dean painted the sort of idyllic
Southern California life that would sell millions of records on both
coasts and in the landlocked states in between. Interestingly, the
trademark falsetto on this track was neither Jan nor Dean, but Tony
Minichiello; co-writer Brian Wilson can also be heard on the song's
catch-line.
Riding the wave of surf and drag sounds, Jan & Dean released six more
hits in a row before their chart action started to fade at the end of
1964. Throughout thia run they added fine B-sides to their singles,
including the jaunty Gary Lewis-styled "When I Learn How to Cry," the
sweet, sunshine "She's My Summer Girl," the 4 Seasons-ish "Someday
(You'll Go Walking By)," the hilarious "Alley Oop" rewrite "Schlock
Rod (Part 1)," and the Beach Boys styled "The New Girl in
School" (which hit #37 as a flipside!). But even as their hits charted
lower in the top-40 in 1965 and early 1966, Jan Berry was developing
arrangements and production techniques (and using Los Angeles studio
players) that were in league with Phil Spector and Brian Wilson. He
layered vocals and instrumentation on sophisticated productions like
"When It's Over," "You Really Know How to Hurt a Guy" and "A Beginning
>From An End." The latter is one of the duo's stranger picks for an A-
side, given its story of a wife dying in childbirth. Even more
strangely, it charted to #109! The B-sides also gave Berry a chance
for humor with the "Surf City" rewrite "Folk City," and the manic car-
song send-up "Bucket T."
Jan Berry's car crash in April of 1966 effectively ended the duo's
recording career, with Liberty releasing their last major chart hit,
the bubblegum doo-wop "Popsicle," as the B-side of "Norwegian Wood."
Two more singles went nowhere, and Jan & Dean ended their run on
Liberty. Gathered here are all of Jan & Dean's Liberty singles,
remastered from the original mono tapes (that is, the AM-ready mixes
that mattered), augmented by Jan Berry's 1965 solo single (the ironic
anti-protest song, "The Universal Coward" b/w "I Can't Wait to Love
You") and a scrapped B-side ("The Submarine Races"). Ed Osborne's
liner notes are superb, as are the photos (CD-booklet small as they
are) and reproductions of 7" single picture sleeves.
There's more to the Jan & Dean story in both their pre- and post-
Liberty years, and in their album tracks, but as a pop act recording
in the AM-radio singles era, this is an interesting way to view their
career, particularly with the inclusion of the B-sides. Everything
here has appeared on CD somewhere else, an album or a compilation, but
never before have all the original mono mixes been laid end-to-end. A
more encompassing collection that picks up select earlier sides might
be more interesting to the Jan & Dean neophyte, but anyone interested
in their most productive years will relish the opportunity to hear all
the Liberty singles in a row. [(c)2008 redtunictroll at hotmail dot com]