Jan & Dean - Surf City | Rel Reacts to US Billboard Number 1s

[@DougRayPhillips]

Jan & Dean worked closely with The Beach Boys on quite a bit of stuff, both upfront and behind the scenes. I believe they even contributed backing vocals on Barbara Ann. They did hot rod music, including the dark song Dead Man's Curve. And surf music. And Sidewalk Surfin', which to my knowledge was the first-ever song about skateboarding.

[@KMK7355]

Jan & Dean preceeded The Beach Boys by several years. They charted a Top Ten hit in the late 50's. Jan was a talented guy who had horrible misfortune.

[@ChrisReise]

It was also the FIRST Surf song ever to reach the #1 position.

[@paulcook1915]

Listen to Jan & Dean’s ‘Dead Man’s Curve’, which was a foretelling of Jan’s nearly deadly crash.

[@bwoolno]

Jan and Dean started out before the Beach boys but Jan and Brian Wilson did collaborate on music

[@samfeldstein4498]

Fun fact, this was the #1 song the first Chuck Jones short of Tom & Jerry was released. Also this song might be the first #1 hit to have a music video where the artists aren't just singing the song

[@ryanparis1297]

Like I said in the last video, one of my favorites from 1963. Surf rock’s popularity was brief, but very legendary. I mean, we all know who The Beach Boys are. If you want to check out more of Jan and Dean’s work, I’d like to suggest “The Little Old Lady of Pasadena”. It’s a lot like “Surf City” in its sound, and it’s pretty funny. That’s all I’ll say about that cause I don’t want to spoil it for you. 😀

[@jeffhammers5677]

Surf music, of course, began with The Ventures in Puyallup, Washington

[@galoon]

Surf City was unfinished at the time Brian Wilson handed it over to Jan Berry. Jan & Brian, whom Lou Adler had recently put together as a songwriting team, finished the song together. Jan wrote the musical arrangements and produced the song in the studio, using the famous expert "Wrecking Crew" of Hollywood session musicians. Jan & Brian doubled on the lead vocals and Brian and Tony Minichiello of the group The Matadors sang the falsetto parts. So if you thought it was a Beach Boys single, you're not the only one--the suits at Capitol Records heard it on the radio when it first came out in 1963 and asked Brian Wilson why he'd released a single without their authorization!

[@adrianbara-popa9960]

Yeah Jan & Dean weren't really known for their vocals but their interesting melodies. In the late 50's early 60's music scene they put out a few pop songs that add to defining the "innocent years" of pop/rock n roll. Popsicle, White tennis sneakers, Jennie Lee, Linda, the new girl in school are note worthy songs of theirs during this time period but my favorite is Baby Talk. Definitely worth a listen to.

[@barbarawissinger]

I was always impressed that Dean did the falsetto on the Beach Boys’ Barbara Ann. He was also indirectly involved in the kidnapping of Frank Sinatra’s son. That period was darker than we think. Thanks for your videos.

[@brandonflorida1092]

Glad you're back.

[@wombatwilly1002]

Brian's dad Murry was their manager and was mad as hell that Brian gave them this song!

[@JukeboxBalowski]

Although Dean always sang with Jan at the live shows (often doing falsetto vocals) and was shown on the cover and credited on the record, he has said in several interviews that he didn't actually do the falsetto vocals on the hit record. He said he was either mixed down way in the background, or may not have been on it at all. The actual falsetto voices are said to be Brian Wilson and a guy named Tony who was a session singer for Jan & Dean. Jan Berry was singing the lead vocals.

[@RustyHinge]

Not quite accurate. Dean sang falsetto and other background or co-lead vocals for most of their songs. It is true that Jan was impatient and didn't wait for Dean to get out of college classes to record, so a session guy would fill in. But it wasn't terribly often. Wilson actually sang very little on their records (2 songs, I believe) because his father hated him working with other artists. The only "hit" Dean was absent from was "The Little Old Lady From Pasadena". Dean lent his voice to more than just "Barbara Ann" for the Beach Boys, too. He has a distinct, piercing falsetto, whereas Brian's (and other session guys) had a smoother falsetto. There are re-recordings of J & D where Dean does sing falsetto and also where he doesn't. (I've got 2 '60s versions of "Wild The Wild Surf" and "Sidewalk Surfin'" with and w/o Dean on falsetto.) There are other recordings out there that are "Jan & Dean" but aren't really Jan & Dean. Some are remakes featuring another lead with Dean on falsetto and some have neither one prominently on vocals. These mostly came out in the 1980s. I have several. You should read Dean's autobiography, btw. Good stuff!

[@JukeboxBalowski]

@@RustyHinge I was specifically talking about "Surf City". Dean himself said he had little or no involvement in the recording of that record, and if he was on it somewhere, he was most likely way in the background doing background harmony. He wasn't any of the prominent voices in the song and didn't do the falsetto. Same is true with Little Old Lady from Pasadena and Sidewalk Surfin' and several of their other singles, but Dean did sing falsetto on many of their records as well.

[@terribinder8863]

Surf City refers to Huntington Beach which is in north Orange County. You might like the albums Brian Wilson has released in the last couple of decades, like 'That Lucky Old Sun' 'No Pier Pressure', 'That's Why God Made the Radio.' I've seen him perform many times and it's the best time ever just having everybody in the audience sing along the whole time...

[@dannydougin3925]

On this date March 20, 1963, the instrumental backing tracks for "Surf City" by Jan & Dean were recorded at Western Recorders in Hollywood. The song was written Brian Wilson and Jan Berry, and the record was produced by Berry. Personnel on that session: Earl Palmer-drums Hal Blaine-drums ( Berry used the two drummers playing together on many of their recordings) Ray Pohlman-bass Bill Pitman-guitar Billy Strange-guitar Glen Campbell -guitar Jan Berry-piano Vocal and overdubs were recorded at later sessions. The single was released May 17, 1963 on Liberty Records kzbin.info/www/bejne/raPIopJqq8x_f9U

[@Jonathan-js3bx]

Great song

[@sploggins1]

according to the Billboard Year End Top Songs for 1963, Surfin' USA was #1 for the year, even though never reached #1 for any week. Mysbe you can slip that one in later? I used to go to Huntington Beach all the time in the late sixties - I don't remember any sign or anyone calling it Surf City, but it was our favorite beach to go body surfing!

[@timsmith428]

Jan and Dean were around, before the Beach Boys, and Brian Wilson looked up to them...

[@angelomaurizio1668]

Id heard the Beach Boys record company (Captiol) were very upset with Brian Wilson because he also sang background vocals to Surf City let alone writing the song, which is a no-no in the business.

[@ricktassone6529]

Wow, 2 girls for every boy, 🎧🎶 your woodie better not break down 😊

[@ryeking73]

You should do ‘Dead Mans Curve’ by Jan & Dean