@@richardmartin9565 It wasn't the first. It was written by Brian Wilson and given to Jan and Dean. Brian and the Beach Boys were already well established. Great song though!
This song was actually written by Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, who just so happened to sing the falsetto you heard in the backing vocals. He gave the song to them since they were friends with a similar sound.
The Beach Boys, I guess, had not had a number one hit yet. And then Brian wrote "Surf City" and gave it to Jan & Dean and it hit number one. Then I think Brian's abusive dad punished him for it. I remember a line from one the Beach Boys TV biopics where somebody else in the studio says to Brian "next time you decide to write a number one hit, try to keep it in the family" or words to that effect.
He started it Jan finished it and Brian was really surprised when he heard the Tracking at the session he helped put vocals on. It would not have been the same song if he had finished it.
My stepdad used to work for a Winn-Dixie. I'm sure that's a name not many people still know and he told me that there was this little old lady that drove this big boat of a car and he nicknamed it a little old lady from Pasadena cause she would fly out that parking lot lol
Jan and Dean's musical progress was derailed on April 12, 1966, when Berry was severely injured in a Beverly Hills car crash whose circumstances eerily echoed the duo's 1964 hit "Dead Man's Curve." Berry spent two months in a coma and sustained brain damage and partial paralysis, but was able to return to recording and performing after a long and arduous period of rehabilitation.
@@laurabailey1054 I loved that movie because Richard Hatch played Jan and my 8 yr old self crushed on him hard as Apollo from Battlestar Galactica, lol.
Sounds summary, because Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys wrote it for them got in trouble with his father too . And that’s Brian Wilson’s high voice in the background. It went number one and his father was pissed.
True! Brian used to have to do his stereo mixing by constantly turning his headphones around. He was nearly deaf in one ear from his father hitting him hard on the side of his head.
The irony is Brian Wilson wrote it but wasn't entirely happy with it Jan asked if he could record it ~ It became the very first song Brian wrote that made #1
Yes! Jan Berry and Dean Torrence! Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys had this half written and gave it to Jan Berry.Murry Wilso,Brian's dad and Beach Boys manager was livid..lol. This hit number 1 in June of 63.
Brian's da was a real asshole. When thewy dump him the did a lot better as fare as money goes b/c he was taking a big share of it as his managing fees.
Yep! Jan’s contract with Screen Gems-Columbia Music stipulated that any song he co-wrote would be published by them. That’s why Murry Wilson was livid-Sirf City was published with Screen Gems, and NOT with his own Sea of Tunes Publishing! Brian and Jan got royalties, but Murry didn’t…
I was told that Murry Wilson called Jan a pirate. So Jan dressed up like one +went to the studio where the BB's were recording. Murry was NOT amused. The band thought it was hysterical! Jan had a great sense of humor!😂 By the way, Jan finished writing Surf City...
Yes!!! I saw Jan and Dean when I was 10. My dad took me to see them on their comeback tour in the late 1970’s. Jan had a near death car accident in 1966. It took him almost 7 years to get back to the stage. And even then he was partially paralyzed and had brain damage. Please do more! Making my day!
You should try some of these 1. "Dead Man's Curve" 2. "The Little Old Lady from Pasadena" 3. "Drag City" 4. "Ride the Wild Surf" 5. "Sidewalk Surfin'" 6. "New Girl in School" 7. "Linda" 8. "Honolulu Lulu" 9. "Popsicle" 10. "You Really Know How to Hurt a Guy"
In Case no one told you, Huntington Beach, CA was dubbed Surf City because of this sing and because most So Cal surfers surf in Huntington Beach. It is also where the U.S. Open Surf Competition is held. Brittany Hamilton who lost her arm at 14 years old to a shark bite in Hawaii where she lives. She competes in Huntington Beach. She is still surfing today.
Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys and Jan Berry of Jan and Dean co-wrote this song. Also, Brian is singing along with Dean on this recording too. Hal Blain is on drums also.
Drums! Definitely Wipeout. But also In-a-Gada-Da-Vida by Iron Butterfly, and going way back to Carnegie Hall 1938, Sing Sing Sing (with a swing) by Benny Goodman. It revived the Big Band sound and helped boost our boys during WWII.
So today I have thought about my father all day he passed away in 2019. Then turn on my TH-cam after work and eating and playing with the dog Y'all do Jan and Dean surf city. This unlocked so many memories for me. My dad had the vinyl record and we would play it whenever I was a kid. And the Rolling Stones also Peter, Paul and Mary and we also had the Beatles first album. I listen to them before y'all were born lol it was the early 80s I was a kid, so thank you for playing this tonight. Much love from Virginia.
JAN & DEAN contributed so much to the early days of rock & roll and should be in the R&R Hall of Fame! They had a lot more to do with the history of rock & roll than people like Notorious BIG, Janet Jackson and some of these other pop and hip-hop acts that really didn't even release rock and roll.
Jan and Dean successfully rode the wave of surfer music created in Southern California in the early ’60s (and mastered by The Beach Boys). To my mind, their masterpiece is 1964’s “Dead Man’s Curve,” a narrative song about a guy challenged to a drag race while driving his Sting Ray (a Chevy sports car that was the definitive cool ride of the time) by a guy driving the smoking hot Jaguar XKE. It was based on a real “dead man’s curve,” a section of road on LA’s Sunset Boulevard that curved rather sharply to the left. The problem was, the road was not banked, so cars traveling at a high speed would tend to roar off the road and crash which resulted in many serious accidents and even deaths. (I grew up in LA, and we drove that section of Sunset each Sunday on our way to church.) The song is sung in the first person, a dude who knows that accepting a challenge to a race that would include speeding through Dead Man’s Curve would be reckless, but does it anyway, and… well, listen to the song! Tragically, Jan Berry later had his own very real accident (not at Dead Man’s Curve, but ironically in a Sting Ray), that left him brain damaged and partially paralyzed for the rest of his life. He did return to the music studio, and he and Dean Torrence later even toured. I saw them perform in Virginia Beach at a dance club called Rogue’s Gallery in February of 1980. Jan was visibly impaired, with Dean doing all the talking. Jan was “with it,” but couldn’t really talk (but could sing, I guess), and his stiff awkwardness was sad to see. Jan died of a brain seizure in 2004, a week shy of his 63rd birthday. A suggestion for a movie dive is 1978’s “Deadman’s Curve,” the story of Jan and Dean, chronicling their rise to fame, Jan’s accident, and the aftermath. Good flick. “Surf City” is their only hit to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Chart. But their most famous song (it hit No. 3) is “The Little Old Lady From Pasadena,” which has the tempo and energy of “Surf City,” and is about a granny (the background vocals: “Go granny, go granny, go granny, go”) who in her “rickety old garage” keeps a “brand new shiny red super stock Dodge,” which she “drives real fast and drives real hard,” and who is “gonna get a ticket now sooner or later, ’cause she can’t keep her foot off the accelerator.” A definite future must-listen! Another hit (co-written by Beach Boy Brian Wilson) is “Sidewalk Surfin’,” about a rising fad at the time, skateboarding (“Grab your board and go sidewalk surfin’ with me”). That one really resonated with me, so I made a pretty good skateboard with a 1 x 8 plank about 18 inches long with wheels taken off roller skates that were revolutionary at the time-the wheels, instead of being narrow and metal, were a plastic/rubber composite, and much wider-and rode it downhill (about two miles) to school every day in the sixth and seventh grades (I rode the bus home). So that.
A great Brian Wilson (Beach Boys) composition featuring his high falsetto background vocals! A shout out to session drummer Hal Blaine for killer drums!
@RustyHinge well it is credited to both of them. Brian had brought a demo of the song to Jan and Dean for them to record, with a different title. It was then changed to Surf City. I don't know exactly what Jan's input was, but it was commonly known as a Brian Wilson song. In fact, his father, the Beach Boys manager, chewed him out and called him a traitor for giving away a number one song to somebody else.
Jan co-wrote the song, wrote the musical arrangement, and produced it in the studio sessions. It was largely Jan who taught Brian Wilson how to produce records-he also put Brian onto using the Wrecking Crew session musicians for the Beach Boys’ music.
Little old lady from pasadena! It's so fun and so catchy and it was a big hit. I would say The Ventures also did some pretty good surf music and I know there are several others but they aren't coming to mind right away. Walk Don't Run is one of their hits that I really love.
Anyone looking to explore the world of surf guitar would do well to check out Dick Dale. For the older bands who carried the flag, you can't go wrong with the Ventures...
The members of the Beach Boys & Jan & Dean were good friends & worked together on various projects. Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys wrote this song & gave it to Jan & Dean when he decided to put his song "Surfin' USA" on the album The Beach Boys were recording instead. Dean also was among the background singers on the Beach Boys' song "Barbara Ann" (you can actually hear them say "thanks Dean" at the end of the song). The duo's career pretty much ended when Jan was involved in a near fatal car crash in 1966. He sustained severe brain trauma & had to learn to walk & talk again. There was a biopic about them called "Deadman's Curve" - which was the title of one of their songs. The song lyrics are eerily similar to the details of Jan's crash. It is a song I would recommend you check out. .
Thank you for playing this! It is a pretty ugly day here too, but this song put in a different mood for a couple minutes. Great song! One of my mom's favorites.
When I was a kid we always went to Ocean City, MD for a week. There was a restaurant there that had the little juke boxes at the table. I always bugged dad for a dime so I could listen to Surf City. One of my fav songs of all time!. ☺
Jan Berry of Jan and Dean suffered a horrendous car crash that left him brain damaged and severely disabled for the rest of his life. Berry was speeding on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles and in a case of "Life imitating Art", was shockingly reminiscent of their hit song 'Dead Man's Curve' ..... A song you must put on your review List
The musician's on this are the Wrecking Crew Glenn Campbell, Leon Russel , Hal Blaine & Earl Palmer double drumming the same notes same time. Jan was the one who put these guy in rotation. And he was the one who got Brain Wilson to start using them.
Love the reaction, as always. This is a fun song. You NEED to add one of the "Beach movies" to your movie reactions -- the ones with Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon. They're completely silly, but SO fun! Jay, they'll lift you right up out of that depression. Check out "Beach Blanket Bingo," "Bikini Beach," and "Beach Party." They're all so fun and you get that feeling of sun, surf and sand. The kids can watch these, too! ❤
Huntington Beach, California, otherwise known as Surf City. You love the Beach Boys--they recorded "Catch a Wave." Jan & Dean took the song and supplied their own lyrics: "(Grab Your Board and Go) Sidewalk Surfin'."
Thank you! A Brian Wilson (Beach Boys) and Jan Berry collaboration. "New Girl In School" is a personal favorite of mine. And "Yellow Balloon". The Honeys was a female West Coast band which included Brian Wilson's wife and her sister. Hey! Party time, Amber! Although Jan Berry was in a terrible auto accident (Think 'Dead Man's Curve') and it's amazing he could perform at all. Thanks! Nice reaction!
If you like New Girl in School, look up Gonna Hustle You. It was the original version, dubbed too racy by the label so they had to change the lyric. It's great.
Hi Jay & Amber, I agree The Beach Boys do a Great amount of Music for all of us to enjoy, even though Dennis was the only Beach Boy surfed but passed 1983 RIP, this and other songs by Jan & Dean are great and also Jan Berry passed in 2004 from his horrible crash
Jan and Dean were contemporaries of and good friends with The Beach Boys and had a similar sound. They even recorded with them (Barbra Ann for instance). A good number of other hits as well, one of the best known is Dead Man's Curve.
There was a show hosted by Jan and Dean back in the late 60’s called the T.A.M.I show that highlighted a lot of the major music talent at the time. The video is here on TH-cam, check it out.
Thank u for reacting to this son! Got to see them many years ago after Barry’s car crash and his recuperation. Always liked their music! Gives me warm vibes on this enter day!
I loved the beach boys and jan and dean a lot as a kid. Just awesome melodies and singing. I also love story songs so they were great at storytelling. Im 35 so noone my age ever listened to these songs.
Thank you for finally finding Jan & Dean....I have been one of many promoting this early 60s duo.....Now, that you have met them, please try "Little Old Lady from Pasadena" and "Dead Man's Curve." And, two more 60s stars you have not sampled yet that I highly recommend....Jay & the Americans ("Cara Mia" or "Come a Little Bit Closer") and Gary Lewis & the Playboys ("This Diamond Ring")....and I am still pushing you to try Jimmy Soul and "If You Want to be Happy for the Rest of Your Life."
Hey guys I hope you see this…. So my dad absolutely loved your channel. One of his greatest joys in life was showing music to family and friends in hopes that it brought them joy. He was a kind and selfless man and the greatest father in the world. He passed away suddenly on Friday morning while hiking (he was only 60). One of my last memories with him was watching this video. We were best friends and something we did was we watched your videos together every single day- he LOVED seeing the joy his favorites brought you guys and loved how positive you guys are and how deeply you felt the music. It’s crazy because he was a surfer and loved Jan and Dean, he even helped hold the microphone for them when they performed after the car crash. His favorites were the Beatles and beach boys and 80s new wave. He named me after The Beach Boys song “Caroline No” and gosh it would be really amazing if you guys reviewed that one 🤍 He was a pure soul and a Godly man, and died at Zion National park - which means “kingdom of heaven “ so I’ll know he will watch it from heaven with me. My names Caroline and his name was Michael Keating. Thank you for everything
Beach Boy Brian Wilson was working on the song: Surfin' USA in the studio. Jan & Dean, who were good friends with the Beach Boys, heard the song and asked Brian Wilson if they could have it. He said this is for the Beach Boys. He then played another song he was working on, and said they could have it. It turned out to be Surf City. It became the only #1 Surf song...and it wasn't by the Beach Boys. As stated below, Murry Wilson, the father, and Mike Love of the Beach Boys were very upset obviously. Brian Wilson is singing background, but could never get credit because he was with another record label - Capital. A no-no back in the day. Dean Torrance later sang the "Hi" voice on the Beach Boys song - Barbara Ann...which ended up going to #2 on the charts in 1966.
When I first heard this story, I thought, "Oh my gosh, that's so Brian!" (Like I know him, lol.) Imagine being so musically gifted that you can casually give a hit song away to your friends! And then when he played them Surfin' USA, the one he kept, Jan or Dean was the one who pointed out that it sounded like Chuck Berry's "Sweet Little Sixteen" & Brian hadn't realized it, which of course caused legal problems down the road. (I think I read that in Dean's book, but I might be wrong, its been awhile since I read it.) Love Jan & Dean & The Beach Boys!
"Dead man's curve" was a prelude to Jan Berry's car accident he had in Los Angeles. He crashed his Corvette into a parked truck. Berry was thought to be dead at the crash. He was alive but it took him many, many years to recover and to learn how to walk and talk again. I believe one of the wheels on his car had come loose, causing the accident .Not in great health he survived almost 40 years after the crash.
Like others have noted, there was a definite Beach Boys connection with Jan and Dean. Brian's abusive and overbearing father called Jan and Dean "pirates," after which Jan and Dean came to a Beach Boys recording session dressed in pirate costumes. You can also Jan and Dean's voices on the Beach Boys hit "Barbara Ann." For more Jan and Dean check out "Little Old Lady From Pasadena," "The New Girl In School" or the sadly prescient "Dead Man's Curve."
They also had hits from 1957 till 1966, Jennie Lee , Baby Talk , Linda , Dray city , Popsicle, Dean Torrence of Jan & Dean featured lead vocals on the monster Beach boys hit Barbara Ann. A 1978 life story Film Deadman’s Curve is well worth a watch .
🎶 Surf's up with Jan and Dean and the Beach Boys! 🏄♂ Both iconic bands rode the wave of the California sound, creating timeless tunes that define the sun-soaked, carefree spirit of the '60s. Jan and Dean's harmonies and infectious energy complement the Beach Boys' intricate arrangements and vocal mastery. Two sides of the same musical coin, each leaving an indelible mark on the golden era of surf rock!
Great reaction guys... I remember the days of Jan and dean... It takes me back to a better time when things were simpler... Definitely beach boy vibes... See you on the next one, guys...as always, Keep Being Awesome !!!...
If you have heard the Beach Boys you may well have heard Jan & Dean. They often sang back up for each other to promote the beach music genre. In Surf City you can hear Brian Wilson in the back up roll. Traditional Rvck and Surfing music had something of a rivalry going so The big names in surf music worked together in production often.
A story told to me by my older brother . . . . In 1959, my brother played on the UCLA frosh football team. When the season was first starting, apparently Jan Berry tried out for the team. When he came out to practice, the other guys on the team would start singing Jan & Dean's most recent hit (possibly "Baby Talk"). Jan only lasted a few days before quitting. Now the timeline is not quite right, as both Jan and Dean graduated from high school in 1958.
This was on my "surf list", along with the Beach Boys, The Ventures, Kapena, and The Fat Boys with their version of "Wipe Out!!!" Great reaction guys!!!👍👍👍 I used to body board!!!🤗🤗🤗
Their song Dead Man's Curve was somewhat prophetic. Jan Berry was involved in a terrible car crash and was brain damaged and disabled for the rest of his life. There is a pretty good movie about his life (Deadman's Curve) staring Richard Hatch as Jan Berry.
Now that’s just excellent, I was 11/12 when this came out, my friends and I were into slot cars, reading reading Mad Magazine, CarToons and Hot Rod Cartoons and someone had bought this album and we played the heck out of it. Thanks for bringing back some memories. 🍺😎☮️
Imagine being a young teen boy in the Midwest, thousands of miles away from sunny California, dreaming about the beach and those two girls (not that we would have known just what to do with them). Songs like this helped create the whole concept of California Dreaming. I finally made it in my early 20s.
Shades of my wasted teen years! Jan and Dean were the best, the West Coast sound personified. Growing up in Colorado had all of us guys wishing we had surf and sun.... and tanned beach bunnies galore! I knew guys who went around with bleach-blond hair, cut offs and "muscle shirts"" in the middle of winter. What a blast!
The California sound from the 60's is second to none, the longevity of the bands and sounds of the time to this day are testament to that. When many think of summer, the Beach Boys spring to mind but there is a wealth of other great stuff when you start to dig around. Long live the California sound!!!
This song was co-written by Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys. Surf City was the first surf song to top the US Billboard Hot 100 chart which it did for two weeks beginning July 20th 1963, a full year before the Beach Boys achieved their first # 1 hit on the Hot 100 chart, I Get Around which topped the chart for two weeks beginning July 4th 1964.
Love the sound of Jan & Dean. Beach Boys style, which is fun and makes you feel good. Written by Brian Wilson so it would clearly have his stamp and his backing vocal. Watched the story of Jan & Dean when I was a kid. Such a tragic story! Check it out.
Like many kids of my generation, my first job was an afterschool paper route. My very first paycheck was spent on Jan & Dean's just released "Dead Man's Curve/New Girl in School" album (yes, vinyl). I still have that album! And I was blessed to see them Live, in one of their very last concerts, at the Old Chicago Amusment Park in 1976. FYI Their song "Sidewalk Surfin'" pretty much ignited the skateboard craze, because, before that, no one outside of So Cal had ever heard of such a thing.
Loved this song reminds me of going to Surf City on Long Beach Island at the Jersey Shore, back in the 60s the Jersey Shore was the place to be, with the Beach Boys, Jan & Dean and Motown blaring on the Transistor Radio.
I was 13, and surfing with my cousins who lived in Huntington Beach nearby, when this song came out. It was PARADISE! Great music, great waves, great Sun, and GREAT CHICKS!!
When I served in the Navy, I rented a studio apartment in San Diego where the back sliding glass door stepped directly into sand (Affordable in 1982). You could watch surfers from my kitchen stove. Every day it was something different. Just off the top of my head: 1) A beach volleyball tournament with the best volleyball players I have ever witnessed in my life. They were incredibly good and great natural athletes as well. 2) Penthouse magazine playmates signing autographed pictures. (A time before "selfies", I picked up three. Still have them to this day) 3) Surfing parties complete with bonfires and music blaring over speakers. 4) Hell's Angels kegger. They were somewhat frightening, but at that time they had some kind of unwritten code that US Navy sailors were off limits, and in fact the bikers served as pseudo guards, intervening against any antagonists. Of course, back then, sailors were extremely identifiable. They were the only ones with short, short hair. I suppose if one could look past their illicit income activities, the bikers were actually some of the nicest folks I came across in Southern California. Just don't poke your nose in the wrong conversation topics although they do give you fair warning when you cross the boundary. 5) Reggae music. I don't know why but it was BIG. Much bigger on the beach scene (in 1982) than surf music. All of the local street corner bars that were not biker hang outs were playing it. Never seen so many live reggae bands in my life. 6) Three local rock/blues/folk bands, "Blonde Bruce", "Mojo Nixon & Skid Roper", and "The Beat Farmers". Why they didn't make it big nationally I have no idea, but they were extremely popular with the locals. Damn good live music.
i grew up in Huntington Beach CA ( Surf city) during this time. Spent every summer day at the beach. Transister radio by my side waiting for this song to play. Great memories. Thanks
Jay and Amber love this song from 1963. Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys wrote some songs and gave it to Jan and Dean to record it. His dad got angry who was their manager at the time yelled at Brian saying that could have been your hit. Then Brian fired his dad in the in 1966. Check out Drag City another fun one from Jan and Dean about dragster racing. Also The Little Old Lady of Pasadena also by Jan and Dean.
other great 60's "Surf rock" includes The Shadows - "Apache", The Ventures "Walk don't run", "Wipeout", "Pipeline", Booker T. & The MG's - Green Onions, Dick Dale & The Del Tones "Misirlou" 1963,
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They also had "Dead man's curve" "Little old lady from Pasadena", " Sidewalk surfin", & "Ride the Wild surf" LOVE them all!!!!!
Just what I was going to suggest!
@@wonder5487 LOL glad to hear we are on the same page! I bought all of those as 45's back in the day!
Jay. From here it looks like you need a bigger board to hold you up.
I think this could be the first surfing song.
@@richardmartin9565 It wasn't the first. It was written by Brian Wilson and given to Jan and Dean. Brian and the Beach Boys were already well established. Great song though!
This song was actually written by Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, who just so happened to sing the falsetto you heard in the backing vocals. He gave the song to them since they were friends with a similar sound.
The Beach Boys, I guess, had not had a number one hit yet. And then Brian wrote "Surf City" and gave it to Jan & Dean and it hit number one. Then I think Brian's abusive dad punished him for it. I remember a line from one the Beach Boys TV biopics where somebody else in the studio says to Brian "next time you decide to write a number one hit, try to keep it in the family" or words to that effect.
Aha! No wonder. I didn't know, thanks for the great INFO
No wonder it sounds like the Beach Boys. Brian wrote it and did backing vocals.
Jan Berry finished the song by writing the last two verses.
He started it Jan finished it and Brian was really surprised when he heard the Tracking at the session he helped put vocals on. It would not have been the same song if he had finished it.
Jay & Amber, you'll love their "The Little Old Lady (from Pasadena) !!!
Such a great song! Check out the stereo remix on the TH-cam channel, Radio Wollaton. Glorious! 💯👍👍
YES!!! Great humorous song.
My stepdad used to work for a Winn-Dixie. I'm sure that's a name not many people still know and he told me that there was this little old lady that drove this big boat of a car and he nicknamed it a little old lady from Pasadena cause she would fly out that parking lot lol
Go Granny Go Granny Go Granny Go!
Jan and Dean's musical progress was derailed on April 12, 1966, when Berry was severely injured in a Beverly Hills car crash whose circumstances eerily echoed the duo's 1964 hit "Dead Man's Curve." Berry spent two months in a coma and sustained brain damage and partial paralysis, but was able to return to recording and performing after a long and arduous period of rehabilitation.
I remember that day, my birthday, I still have this album,
There was a movie about the accident and rehabilitation
I read when the ambulance arrived, he was in such bad shape they all thought he was DOA.
@@laurabailey1054 th-cam.com/video/bkpLsyXEaco/w-d-xo.html
@@laurabailey1054 I loved that movie because Richard Hatch played Jan and my 8 yr old self crushed on him hard as Apollo from Battlestar Galactica, lol.
“WIPE OUT”
By the Surfaries is a classic!! Famous Drum Solo !!!
Sounds summary, because Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys wrote it for them got in trouble with his father too . And that’s Brian Wilson’s high voice in the background. It went number one and his father was pissed.
True! Brian used to have to do his stereo mixing by constantly turning his headphones around. He was nearly deaf in one ear from his father hitting him hard on the side of his head.
The Wilson's dad was a real piece of work. Denny and Brian particularly suffered emotionally from it.
Little Old Lady from Pasadena and Dead Man’s Curve a prophetic song
The irony is Brian Wilson wrote it but wasn't entirely happy with it Jan asked if he could record it ~ It became the very first song Brian wrote that made #1
Yes! Jan Berry and Dean Torrence! Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys had this half written and gave it to Jan Berry.Murry Wilso,Brian's dad and Beach Boys manager was livid..lol. This hit number 1 in June of 63.
Brian's da was a real asshole. When thewy dump him the did a lot better as fare as money goes b/c he was taking a big share of it as his managing fees.
Brian even sang on it.
Yep! Jan’s contract with Screen Gems-Columbia Music stipulated that any song he co-wrote would be published by them. That’s why Murry Wilson was livid-Sirf City was published with Screen Gems, and NOT with his own Sea of Tunes Publishing! Brian and Jan got royalties, but Murry didn’t…
I was told that Murry Wilson called Jan a pirate. So Jan dressed up like one +went to the studio where the BB's were recording. Murry was NOT amused. The band thought it was hysterical! Jan had a great sense of humor!😂 By the way, Jan finished writing Surf City...
The greatest Surf Duo in History! Jan Berry was also a “Genius “ and Dean is also!!’
Yes!!! I saw Jan and Dean when I was 10. My dad took me to see them on their comeback tour in the late 1970’s. Jan had a near death car accident in 1966. It took him almost 7 years to get back to the stage. And even then he was partially paralyzed and had brain damage. Please do more! Making my day!
Dead man’s curve!!
You should try some of these
1. "Dead Man's Curve"
2. "The Little Old Lady from Pasadena"
3. "Drag City"
4. "Ride the Wild Surf"
5. "Sidewalk Surfin'"
6. "New Girl in School"
7. "Linda"
8. "Honolulu Lulu"
9. "Popsicle"
10. "You Really Know How to Hurt a Guy"
In Case no one told you, Huntington Beach, CA was dubbed Surf City because of this sing and because most So Cal surfers surf in Huntington Beach. It is also where the U.S. Open Surf Competition is held. Brittany Hamilton who lost her arm at 14 years old to a shark bite in Hawaii where she lives. She competes in Huntington Beach. She is still surfing today.
Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys and Jan Berry of Jan and Dean co-wrote this song. Also, Brian is singing along with Dean on this recording too. Hal Blain is on drums also.
The song "Wipeout" by The Safari's You like drums, they got drums
Yes, essentially the drums are the lead backed by the other instruments.
Yes, "Wipe Out" by The Surfaris. The de facto drummer audition song for bands in the 60's.
Jay might need a physical first to make sure he's strong enough to survive "Wipeout"...
Let's not forget all those of us who played Wipeout on the car's dashboard
Drums! Definitely Wipeout. But also In-a-Gada-Da-Vida by Iron Butterfly, and going way back to Carnegie Hall 1938, Sing Sing Sing (with a swing) by Benny Goodman. It revived the Big Band sound and helped boost our boys during WWII.
The little old lady from Pasadena is another by Jan and dean
So today I have thought about my father all day he passed away in 2019. Then turn on my TH-cam after work and eating and playing with the dog
Y'all do Jan and Dean surf city. This unlocked so many memories for me. My dad had the vinyl record and we would play it whenever I was a kid. And the Rolling Stones also Peter, Paul and Mary and we also had the Beatles first album. I listen to them before y'all were born lol it was the early 80s I was a kid, so thank you for playing this tonight. Much love from Virginia.
JAN & DEAN contributed so much to the early days of rock & roll and should be in the R&R Hall of Fame! They had a lot more to do with the history of rock & roll than people like Notorious BIG, Janet Jackson and some of these other pop and hip-hop acts that really didn't even release rock and roll.
Jan and Dean successfully rode the wave of surfer music created in Southern California in the early ’60s (and mastered by The Beach Boys). To my mind, their masterpiece is 1964’s “Dead Man’s Curve,” a narrative song about a guy challenged to a drag race while driving his Sting Ray (a Chevy sports car that was the definitive cool ride of the time) by a guy driving the smoking hot Jaguar XKE. It was based on a real “dead man’s curve,” a section of road on LA’s Sunset Boulevard that curved rather sharply to the left. The problem was, the road was not banked, so cars traveling at a high speed would tend to roar off the road and crash which resulted in many serious accidents and even deaths. (I grew up in LA, and we drove that section of Sunset each Sunday on our way to church.) The song is sung in the first person, a dude who knows that accepting a challenge to a race that would include speeding through Dead Man’s Curve would be reckless, but does it anyway, and… well, listen to the song! Tragically, Jan Berry later had his own very real accident (not at Dead Man’s Curve, but ironically in a Sting Ray), that left him brain damaged and partially paralyzed for the rest of his life. He did return to the music studio, and he and Dean Torrence later even toured. I saw them perform in Virginia Beach at a dance club called Rogue’s Gallery in February of 1980. Jan was visibly impaired, with Dean doing all the talking. Jan was “with it,” but couldn’t really talk (but could sing, I guess), and his stiff awkwardness was sad to see. Jan died of a brain seizure in 2004, a week shy of his 63rd birthday.
A suggestion for a movie dive is 1978’s “Deadman’s Curve,” the story of Jan and Dean, chronicling their rise to fame, Jan’s accident, and the aftermath. Good flick.
“Surf City” is their only hit to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Chart. But their most famous song (it hit No. 3) is “The Little Old Lady From Pasadena,” which has the tempo and energy of “Surf City,” and is about a granny (the background vocals: “Go granny, go granny, go granny, go”) who in her “rickety old garage” keeps a “brand new shiny red super stock Dodge,” which she “drives real fast and drives real hard,” and who is “gonna get a ticket now sooner or later, ’cause she can’t keep her foot off the accelerator.” A definite future must-listen! Another hit (co-written by Beach Boy Brian Wilson) is “Sidewalk Surfin’,” about a rising fad at the time, skateboarding (“Grab your board and go sidewalk surfin’ with me”). That one really resonated with me, so I made a pretty good skateboard with a 1 x 8 plank about 18 inches long with wheels taken off roller skates that were revolutionary at the time-the wheels, instead of being narrow and metal, were a plastic/rubber composite, and much wider-and rode it downhill (about two miles) to school every day in the sixth and seventh grades (I rode the bus home).
So that.
A great Brian Wilson (Beach Boys) composition featuring his high falsetto background vocals! A shout out to session drummer Hal Blaine for killer drums!
It was a collaboration between he and Jan Berry. (Man, Jan never gets the credit he deserves!!)
@RustyHinge well it is credited to both of them. Brian had brought a demo of the song to Jan and Dean for them to record, with a different title. It was then changed to Surf City. I don't know exactly what Jan's input was, but it was commonly known as a Brian Wilson song. In fact, his father, the Beach Boys manager, chewed him out and called him a traitor for giving away a number one song to somebody else.
Jan co-wrote the song, wrote the musical arrangement, and produced it in the studio sessions. It was largely Jan who taught Brian Wilson how to produce records-he also put Brian onto using the Wrecking Crew session musicians for the Beach Boys’ music.
“Two swingin honey’s for every guy” que Ambers eye roll 😂🤣
Dick Dale and the Del-Tones had great beach instrumentals. Misirlou is one of their best. It was featured in “Pulp Fiction “.
The Ventures too, but Dick Dale is GREAT
Little old lady from pasadena! It's so fun and so catchy and it was a big hit.
I would say The Ventures also did some pretty good surf music and I know there are several others but they aren't coming to mind right away. Walk Don't Run is one of their hits that I really love.
Anyone looking to explore the world of surf guitar would do well to check out Dick Dale. For the older bands who carried the flag, you can't go wrong with the Ventures...
The members of the Beach Boys & Jan & Dean were good friends & worked together on various projects. Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys wrote this song & gave it to Jan & Dean when he decided to put his song "Surfin' USA" on the album The Beach Boys were recording instead. Dean also was among the background singers on the Beach Boys' song "Barbara Ann" (you can actually hear them say "thanks Dean" at the end of the song). The duo's career pretty much ended when Jan was involved in a near fatal car crash in 1966. He sustained severe brain trauma & had to learn to walk & talk again. There was a biopic about them called "Deadman's Curve" - which was the title of one of their songs. The song lyrics are eerily similar to the details of Jan's crash. It is a song I would recommend you check out. .
Yeah, this is a classic. Another great song to get you out of the doldrums is "Walking On Sunshine" by Katrina And The Waves (an 80's mega-hit)
Time for some Dead Man’s Curve. This was awesome guys. Thanks ❤❤❤❤❤❤
Thank you for playing this! It is a pretty ugly day here too, but this song put in a different mood for a couple minutes. Great song! One of my mom's favorites.
You all need to react to It's The Little Old Lady From Pasadena and Walk From Dead Man's Curve. Both of these are great. I have always love this duo.
When I was a kid we always went to Ocean City, MD for a week. There was a restaurant there that had the little juke boxes at the table. I always bugged dad for a dime so I could listen to Surf City. One of my fav songs of all time!. ☺
Jan Berry of Jan and Dean suffered a horrendous car crash that left him brain damaged and severely disabled for the rest of his life. Berry was speeding on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles and in a case of "Life imitating Art", was shockingly reminiscent of their hit song 'Dead Man's Curve' ..... A song you must put on your review List
Great - I love them All!! Try 'Drag City' and 'Deadman's Curve' next! Great Reaction You Guys! :)
The musician's on this are the Wrecking Crew Glenn Campbell, Leon Russel , Hal Blaine & Earl Palmer double drumming the same notes same time. Jan was the one who put these guy in rotation. And he was the one who got Brain Wilson to start using them.
Love the reaction, as always. This is a fun song. You NEED to add one of the "Beach movies" to your movie reactions -- the ones with Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon. They're completely silly, but SO fun! Jay, they'll lift you right up out of that depression. Check out "Beach Blanket Bingo," "Bikini Beach," and "Beach Party." They're all so fun and you get that feeling of sun, surf and sand. The kids can watch these, too! ❤
Huntington Beach, California, otherwise known as Surf City. You love the Beach Boys--they recorded "Catch a Wave." Jan & Dean took the song and supplied their own lyrics: "(Grab Your Board and Go) Sidewalk Surfin'."
Thank you! A Brian Wilson (Beach Boys) and Jan Berry collaboration. "New Girl In School" is a personal favorite of mine. And "Yellow Balloon". The Honeys was a female West Coast band which included Brian Wilson's wife and her sister. Hey! Party time, Amber! Although Jan Berry was in a terrible auto accident (Think 'Dead Man's Curve') and it's amazing he could perform at all. Thanks! Nice reaction!
If you like New Girl in School, look up Gonna Hustle You. It was the original version, dubbed too racy by the label so they had to change the lyric. It's great.
Jan and Dean - were heading for greatness when tragedy struck Jan - thanks for everything guys!
Back in the Surfin' Music era in the early and mid 60's. The also did the hit songs "Dead Mans Curve" and "Little Old Lady From Pasadena".
Love Jan and Dean, and the Beach boys!
Hi Jay & Amber, I agree The Beach Boys do a Great amount of Music for all of us to enjoy, even though Dennis was the only Beach Boy surfed but passed 1983 RIP, this and other songs by Jan & Dean are great and also Jan Berry passed in 2004 from his horrible crash
Jan and Dean were contemporaries of and good friends with The Beach Boys and had a similar sound. They even recorded with them (Barbra Ann for instance). A good number of other hits as well, one of the best known is Dead Man's Curve.
Jan & Dean had so many songs…loved Little Old Lady From Pasadena…definitely Dead Man’s Curve…
Jordan is an athlete, and if he can skate he can learn to play hockey! Take a road trip up here to Canada and we'll get the whole family playing!
This song takes me back to my childhood. My aunt would pla Jan and Dean all the time when we were camping in the early 80's
I'm glad you're finally getting around to Jan & Dean. Next up: The Little Old Lady From Pasadena or Sidewalk Surfin'. A couple of their best.
There was a show hosted by Jan and Dean back in the late 60’s called the T.A.M.I show that highlighted a lot of the major music talent at the time. The video is here on TH-cam, check it out.
Another good Jan and Dean song to listen to with a good beat, is "Popsicle"...and "Bucket "T". I think you'll like them both.
Cheered me right up. Thanks, Rob Squad.
Thank u for reacting to this son! Got to see them many years ago after Barry’s car crash and his recuperation. Always liked their music! Gives me warm vibes on this enter day!
I loved the beach boys and jan and dean a lot as a kid. Just awesome melodies and singing. I also love story songs so they were great at storytelling. Im 35 so noone my age ever listened to these songs.
Thank you for finally finding Jan & Dean....I have been one of many promoting this early 60s duo.....Now, that you have met them, please try "Little Old Lady from Pasadena" and "Dead Man's Curve." And, two more 60s stars you have not sampled yet that I highly recommend....Jay & the Americans ("Cara Mia" or "Come a Little Bit Closer") and Gary Lewis & the Playboys ("This Diamond Ring")....and I am still pushing you to try Jimmy Soul and "If You Want to be Happy for the Rest of Your Life."
Hey guys I hope you see this….
So my dad absolutely loved your channel. One of his greatest joys in life was showing music to family and friends in hopes that it brought them joy. He was a kind and selfless man and the greatest father in the world. He passed away suddenly on Friday morning while hiking (he was only 60). One of my last memories with him was watching this video. We were best friends and something we did was we watched your videos together every single day- he LOVED seeing the joy his favorites brought you guys and loved how positive you guys are and how deeply you felt the music. It’s crazy because he was a surfer and loved Jan and Dean, he even helped hold the microphone for them when they performed after the car crash. His favorites were the Beatles and beach boys and 80s new wave. He named me after The Beach Boys song “Caroline No” and gosh it would be really amazing if you guys reviewed that one 🤍 He was a pure soul and a Godly man, and died at Zion National park - which means “kingdom of heaven “ so I’ll know he will watch it from heaven with me. My names Caroline and his name was Michael Keating. Thank you for everything
great to see you giving some surf music a reaction video, thank you for sharing this with all of us.
"The Little Old Lady From Pasadena" is a great song of theirs and was a big hit.
Thank you for this channel!! Y'all always brighten day!
Definitely a beach ⛱️ ☀️ vibe, love it❣️❣️
Beach Boy Brian Wilson was working on the song: Surfin' USA in the studio. Jan & Dean, who were good friends with the Beach Boys, heard the song and asked Brian Wilson if they could have it. He said this is for the Beach Boys. He then played another song he was working on, and said they could have it. It turned out to be Surf City. It became the only #1 Surf song...and it wasn't by the Beach Boys. As stated below, Murry Wilson, the father, and Mike Love of the Beach Boys were very upset obviously. Brian Wilson is singing background, but could never get credit because he was with another record label - Capital. A no-no back in the day. Dean Torrance later sang the "Hi" voice on the Beach Boys song - Barbara Ann...which ended up going to #2 on the charts in 1966.
When I first heard this story, I thought, "Oh my gosh, that's so Brian!" (Like I know him, lol.) Imagine being so musically gifted that you can casually give a hit song away to your friends!
And then when he played them Surfin' USA, the one he kept, Jan or Dean was the one who pointed out that it sounded like Chuck Berry's "Sweet Little Sixteen" & Brian hadn't realized it, which of course caused legal problems down the road. (I think I read that in Dean's book, but I might be wrong, its been awhile since I read it.)
Love Jan & Dean & The Beach Boys!
"Dead man's curve" was a prelude to Jan Berry's car accident he had in Los Angeles. He crashed his Corvette into a parked truck. Berry was thought to be dead at the crash. He was alive but it took him many, many years to recover and to learn how to walk and talk again. I believe one of the wheels on his car had come loose, causing the accident .Not in great health he survived almost 40 years after the crash.
From an incredibly fun era of rock! Swimming pool memories!
also brian wilson of the beach boys wrote surf city
Like others have noted, there was a definite Beach Boys connection with Jan and Dean. Brian's abusive and overbearing father called Jan and Dean "pirates," after which Jan and Dean came to a Beach Boys recording session dressed in pirate costumes. You can also Jan and Dean's voices on the Beach Boys hit "Barbara Ann."
For more Jan and Dean check out "Little Old Lady From Pasadena," "The New Girl In School" or the sadly prescient "Dead Man's Curve."
They also had hits from 1957 till 1966, Jennie Lee , Baby Talk , Linda , Dray city , Popsicle, Dean Torrence of Jan & Dean featured lead vocals on the monster Beach boys hit Barbara Ann. A 1978 life story Film Deadman’s Curve is well worth a watch .
Ah my youth growing up in so cal and yes my brother was a surfer❤we all loved our surf music
🎶 Surf's up with Jan and Dean and the Beach Boys! 🏄♂ Both iconic bands rode the wave of the California sound, creating timeless tunes that define the sun-soaked, carefree spirit of the '60s. Jan and Dean's harmonies and infectious energy complement the Beach Boys' intricate arrangements and vocal mastery. Two sides of the same musical coin, each leaving an indelible mark on the golden era of surf rock!
Great reaction guys... I remember the days of Jan and dean... It takes me back to a better time when things were simpler... Definitely beach boy vibes... See you on the next one, guys...as always, Keep Being Awesome !!!...
Yay! Finally some Jan and Dean!
If you have heard the Beach Boys you may well have heard Jan & Dean. They often sang back up for each other to promote the beach music genre. In Surf City you can hear Brian Wilson in the back up roll. Traditional Rvck and Surfing music had something of a rivalry going so The big names in surf music worked together in production often.
In the 1964 Rock concert film, “The T.A.M.I. Show”, Jan and Dean were the hosts for the music festival, and introduced each musical act. In the film.
A story told to me by my older brother . . . . In 1959, my brother played on the UCLA frosh football team. When the season was first starting, apparently Jan Berry tried out for the team. When he came out to practice, the other guys on the team would start singing Jan & Dean's most recent hit (possibly "Baby Talk"). Jan only lasted a few days before quitting. Now the timeline is not quite right, as both Jan and Dean graduated from high school in 1958.
Great one! 😊❤
This was on my "surf list", along with the Beach Boys, The Ventures, Kapena, and The Fat Boys with their version of "Wipe Out!!!" Great reaction guys!!!👍👍👍 I used to body board!!!🤗🤗🤗
This song makes me always wants to go to the beach 🏖
Their song Dead Man's Curve was somewhat prophetic. Jan Berry was involved in a terrible car crash and was brain damaged and disabled for the rest of his life. There is a pretty good movie about his life (Deadman's Curve) staring Richard Hatch as Jan Berry.
Now that’s just excellent, I was 11/12 when this came out, my friends and I were into slot cars, reading reading Mad Magazine, CarToons and Hot Rod Cartoons and someone had bought this album and we played the heck out of it. Thanks for bringing back some memories. 🍺😎☮️
CarToons! I thought I was the only one who remembered them! Along with SurfToons.
@@kkampy4052 not to forget Cycletoons as well.
Backing vocals various beach boys Jan & Dean often appeared on Beach Boys discs. Near neighbours from Hawthorne California
This is where the Beach Boys got their sound. The Boys even covered them a few times.
Imagine being a young teen boy in the Midwest, thousands of miles away from sunny California, dreaming about the beach and those two girls (not that we would have known just what to do with them). Songs like this helped create the whole concept of California Dreaming. I finally made it in my early 20s.
All Right ! Let's go surfin' now, everybody's learning how. Hard to believe that Surf Music was an actual music genre in the early 60s.
Shades of my wasted teen years! Jan and Dean were the best, the West Coast sound personified. Growing up in Colorado had all of us guys wishing we had surf and sun.... and tanned beach bunnies galore! I knew guys who went around with bleach-blond hair, cut offs and "muscle shirts"" in the middle of winter. What a blast!
A Great Song, Great Reaction Guy's
You need to check out the song Barbara Ann, The Beach Boys and Jan and Dean jamming, classic harmonies. A must.
The California sound from the 60's is second to none, the longevity of the bands and sounds of the time to this day are testament to that.
When many think of summer, the Beach Boys spring to mind but there is a wealth of other great stuff when you start to dig around.
Long live the California sound!!!
This song was co-written by Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys. Surf City was the first surf song to top the US Billboard Hot 100 chart which it did for two weeks beginning July 20th 1963, a full year before the Beach Boys achieved their first # 1 hit on the Hot 100 chart, I Get Around which topped the chart for two weeks beginning July 4th 1964.
Love the sound of Jan & Dean. Beach Boys style, which is fun and makes you feel good. Written by Brian Wilson so it would clearly have his stamp and his backing vocal. Watched the story of Jan & Dean when I was a kid. Such a tragic story! Check it out.
They did a made for TV movie about Jan and Dean which I remember watching as a kid and really liking it.
Like many kids of my generation, my first job was an afterschool paper route. My very first paycheck was spent on Jan & Dean's just released "Dead Man's Curve/New Girl in School" album (yes, vinyl). I still have that album! And I was blessed to see them Live, in one of their very last concerts, at the Old Chicago Amusment Park in 1976. FYI Their song "Sidewalk Surfin'" pretty much ignited the skateboard craze, because, before that, no one outside of So Cal had ever heard of such a thing.
Such a wonderful classic. I can easily imagine back in the day in the 60s being on a California beachwatching the surfers and just enjoying such tunes
Loved this song reminds me of going to Surf City on Long Beach Island at the Jersey Shore, back in the 60s the Jersey Shore was the place to be, with the Beach Boys, Jan & Dean and Motown blaring on the Transistor Radio.
I was 13, and surfing with my cousins who lived in Huntington Beach nearby, when this song came out. It was PARADISE! Great music, great waves, great Sun, and GREAT CHICKS!!
When I served in the Navy, I rented a studio apartment in San Diego where the back sliding glass door stepped directly into sand (Affordable in 1982). You could watch surfers from my kitchen stove. Every day it was something different. Just off the top of my head:
1) A beach volleyball tournament with the best volleyball players I have ever witnessed in my life. They were incredibly good and great natural athletes as well.
2) Penthouse magazine playmates signing autographed pictures. (A time before "selfies", I picked up three. Still have them to this day)
3) Surfing parties complete with bonfires and music blaring over speakers.
4) Hell's Angels kegger. They were somewhat frightening, but at that time they had some kind of unwritten code that US Navy sailors were off limits, and in fact the bikers served as pseudo guards, intervening against any antagonists. Of course, back then, sailors were extremely identifiable. They were the only ones with short, short hair. I suppose if one could look past their illicit income activities, the bikers were actually some of the nicest folks I came across in Southern California. Just don't poke your nose in the wrong conversation topics although they do give you fair warning when you cross the boundary.
5) Reggae music. I don't know why but it was BIG. Much bigger on the beach scene (in 1982) than surf music. All of the local street corner bars that were not biker hang outs were playing it. Never seen so many live reggae bands in my life.
6) Three local rock/blues/folk bands, "Blonde Bruce", "Mojo Nixon & Skid Roper", and "The Beat Farmers". Why they didn't make it big nationally I have no idea, but they were extremely popular with the locals. Damn good live music.
My brother loved playing their music, The Beach Boys and the Everly Brothers.
i grew up in Huntington Beach CA ( Surf city) during this time. Spent every summer day at the beach. Transister radio by my side waiting for this song to play. Great memories. Thanks
Brian Wilson wrote this song and sings uncredited on the track. It was his first number one hit
He co-wrote it with Jan Berry.
I was a young teenage boy when this song came out so Amber, you were spot on with your comment. Thank You, your channel is so fun!
Jay and Amber love this song from 1963. Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys wrote some songs and gave it to Jan and Dean to record it. His dad got angry who was their manager at the time yelled at Brian saying that could have been your hit. Then Brian fired his dad in the in 1966. Check out Drag City another fun one from Jan and Dean about dragster racing. Also The Little Old Lady of Pasadena also by Jan and Dean.
great surfin' music from the sixties Jan and Dean the Beach boys Dick Dale Miserlou great sound
60s style surf music. Been listening to this since I was a child in elementary.
Jan and Dean and The Beach Boys were tied at the hip, Brian Wilson wrote and sung on this track and J&D appeared on Barbra Anne.
I was a teenager in the 70s and allll of the older good stuff was always on the top 40 pop radio stations!!
other great 60's "Surf rock" includes The Shadows - "Apache", The Ventures "Walk don't run", "Wipeout", "Pipeline", Booker T. & The MG's - Green Onions, Dick Dale & The Del Tones "Misirlou" 1963,