Tag Archives: jan and dean

Three Books For Every (Beach) Boy…

Posted on October 12, 2016 by

You wait all your life for an autobiography by a member of a classic surf vocal group, and then three come along all at once. Good Vibrations: My Life as a Beach Boy by Mike Love with James S Hirsch … Continue reading →

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California Dreaming: Laurel & Hardy

Posted on March 31, 2015 by

Jan Berry was back from Dead Man’s Curve. At least, he was part of the way back. Jan was, if not an actual psychopath (a diagnosis it would be improper to give without knowing him personally, but which is not … Continue reading →

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California Dreaming: Barbara Ann

Posted on August 11, 2014 by

Late 1965 was a time when everyone was jumping on the folk bandwagon, no matter how inappropriately. Brian Wilson had started writing songs for a new album, inspired by the Beatles’ Rubber Soul, that would be the Beach Boys’ big … Continue reading →

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California Dreaming: Dead Man’s Curve

Posted on April 28, 2014 by

Dead Man’s Curve was possibly Jan and Dean’s most prescient song. Jan and Dean were always ones to follow the trends, especially trends that the Beach Boys started, so when the Beach Boys put out the album Little Deuce Coupe, … Continue reading →

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California Dreaming: Heart And Soul

Posted on September 10, 2013 by

Jan Berry may not have been the most original musical force ever, but he definitely knew how to knock off someone else’s sound successfully. He’d been hanging around on the edge of the music business for years, first as a … Continue reading →

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Monkee Music: The Birds, The Bees And The Monkees

Posted on September 30, 2011 by

A revised and improved version of this essay appears in my book Monkee Music, available as paperback, hardback, PDF, Kindle (US), Kindle (UK) and ePub (all DRM-free). For this album, unlike any of the others under discussion, I’m afraid I … Continue reading →

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The Beach Boys On CD: The Beach Boys Party!/Stack-O-Tracks

Posted on February 19, 2011 by

A revised version of this essay appears in my book The Beach Boys On CD. If you like this, please consider buying it. Hardback Paperback PDF Kindle (US) Kindle (UK) Kindle (DE) All other ebook formats This is going to … Continue reading →

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