Biography
Surf-rock duo Jan & Dean embodied the California spirit of summer fun, though their story is ultimately a sadder one. Jan Berry and Dean Torrence were originally classmates and football teammates at Emerson Junior High School in Westwood, Los Angeles; they began singing together around 1957 with other classmates and friends (including future Beach Boy Bruce Johnston for a time). Their first records were in the novelty doo-wop vein; while Torrence was in the Army Berry scored his first hit with a song about a local exotic dancer, "Jennie Lee." Written with classmate Arnie Ginsburg and released as Jan & Arnie, it charted in 1958. The first Jan & Dean hit came the following year with another doo-wop novelty, "Baby Talk." Both went onto college soon after but Jan kept working on music, and in 1963 the duo had a national hit with "Linda" (a song that previously hit for Ray Noble in 1946, and was written about the songwriter's lawyer's baby daughter-who would later become Linda McCartney). But Jan changed his writing style after becoming friends and cowriters with Beach Boys leader Brian Wilson. They launched their collaboration later in 1963 with "Surf City," which had the harmonies and the exuberance of the early Beach Boys classics. This began a string of hits that included "Drag City," "New Girl in School," "Sidewalk Surfin'" and "The Little Old Lady from Pasadena," all full of California sunshine. The duo also hosted the 1964 concert movie, "The T.A.M.I. Show," with its landmark Rolling Stones and James Brown performances. Dean also dropped in on a Beach Boys session and sang lead on their hit "Barbara Ann." As the Beach Boys moved into more serious territory, Jan & Dean largely stayed lighthearted, though they did record one epic teen-tragedy single, 1964's "Dead Man's Curve," which would prove prophetic. The plan was to move more into comedy, and in 1966 they filmed an unsuccessful TV pilot about the life of a young touring band (a precursor to "The Monkees" (NBC 1966-68)). In late 1965 Jan produced a wild live album, Filet of Soul, which was nearly all dialogue and sound effects; their label rejected it and put a more conventional album out in its place (the original was finally issued in 2017). They did however get to release Jan & Dean Meet Batman, an album-length salute/parody of the popular TV show. The party abruptly ended on April 12, 1966 when Jan crashed his car in Beverly Hills, not far from the actual site of Dead Man's Curve. He spent two months in a coma and sustained serious brain damage; though he never fully recovered he was ultimately able to resume sporadic studio sessions and join Dean on oldies tours. Dean became a successful graphic designer, doing album covers for the Beach Boys and others; Jan died of a seizure in 2004.
