Jan and Dean

I owned this Jan and Dean Album, once upon a time.

The first of the California influences. They were fun. I admit it. I was a big Jan and Dean fan. I liked the Beach Boys when they came along but Jan and Dean were the first to bring that fun crazy surfin' sound into our provincial world.


For several years they were mainstays on the airwaves. Even when the more polished Beach Boys came along, we still hung onto Jan and Dean as the California standard bearers. 


OK Hall of Fame in Cleveland(?) what gives here ?  Brian Wilson learned from and collaborated with Jan Berry. The Beach Boys make the Hall of Fame by using the sound and techniques they learned from Jan and Dean. Why are Jan and Dean are left out of the Cleveland (?) Hall of Fame ?  What the hell ?

Jan and Dean's " Surf City"

I know the Beach Boys had more top 40's. But when put into perspective, Jan and Dean broke new musical ground. They had to soften the marketplace for all the other Surf acts to follow. That's the heavy lifting part. They did all that and still broke through with 24 Top 100 from 1959 till Jan's awful accident in 66. That's almost four Top 100's per year for seven years straight.  Within those 24 there was a #1 and 13 within the Top 30. In 63 and 64, they owned the charts with 10 in the top 30 in just two years. 

Jan and Dean

They were innovators. Jan was known to be one of the best producers in the country. They were loved by teenagers everywhere. They even had hits after the Beatles arrived. Every time I stumble across one of these great pioneering groups who have been left out, I have less respect for the Hall. 


Jan and Dean not only sold a ton of records, they did it while working part time. They were actually college students. Music was their after school job. Jan had a near genius IQ and had finished his second year of Medical School in 66 when he had his terrible wreck. How many of the Rock and Roll Hall Inductees can say they were attending Med school full time while pursuing their music careers. None, Nada.

Jan and Dean's Great Album

So here it is Dean, you and your old partner are now officially in "The Fan's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame". The only one that matters.






  


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