Jan and Dean - Legacy

Legacy

In 1964 Jan and Dean were signed to host what became the first multi-act Rock and Roll show that was edited into a motion picture designed for wide distribution. The T.A.M.I. Show became a seminal and original production - in essence one of the first rock videos - on its release in 1964. Using high quality film (good enough to be transferred from television kinescope directly onto 35mm motion picture stock), new sound recording techniques and having a remarkable cast, the T.A.M.I. Show set the standard for all succeeding music film and video work, including many of the early videos shown by Music Television 17 years later. The revolutionary technical achievements of The T.A.M.I. Show and the legendary list of performers (including a performance by James Brown that many critics have called the best of his career) marked a high point for Jan and Dean, as they were the hosts and one of the main featured acts as well. They became one of the main faces of mid-1960s music until Berry's auto accident two years later through their T.A.M.I. Show appearance.

According to rock critic Dave Marsh, the attitude and public persona of punk rock can be traced to Jan and Dean. Certainly their early hits, recorded with myriad overdubs in a garage, and their casual and goofy stage antics were consistent with some of punk rock's ethos. But their constant improvement and the increased complexity of their arrangements in the latter recordings showed their fealty to Brian Wilson's baroque approach. Many of their records feature the top session players of the era, and their arrangements, with multiple key changes and complex vocal harmonies, reflected a high level of craftsmanship.

Nevertheless, both Jan Berry and Dean Torrence's anti-establishment attitude toward the music industry is well documented. Their music has been covered by numerous Punk and alternative bands since the 1970s.

Along with Phil Spector, Brian Wilson, and Lee Hazlewood, Berry enjoyed a reputation as one of the best record producers on the West Coast. Brian Wilson has cited Berry as having a direct impact on his own growth as a record producer.

In an interview conducted by Jan & Dean fan and historian David Beard for the Collectors' Choice release, Jan & Dean The Complete Liberty Singles, Dean Torrence stated that he felt the duo should be in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: "We have the scoreboard if you just want to compare number of hits and musical projects done. We beat 75 percent of the people in there. So what else is it? I've got to think that we were pretty irreverent when it came to the music industry. They kind of always held that against us. That's OK with me."

The Who covered Jan and Dean's song "Bucket T" on their UK EP Ready Steady Who from 1966. It is one of only a few songs the group performed where Keith Moon (a huge surf music fan) provided the lead vocals.

That not everybody considered Jan and Dean's output to be "real" rock 'n roll is illustrated by disc jockey Steve Propes' calling his early-80s Sunday morning program on KLON Long Beach We Don't Play No Jan And Dean. He subsequently renamed the show Rock-N-Roll-N-Rhythm-N-Blues, which reflected its content equally well.

In February 2010, the legendary unreleased Jan & Dean album "Carnival Of Sound" was released on the Rhino Handmade label. Along with the CD, there is also a limited (to 1500 copies) edition which includes the CD album plus a 10 track LP. The album was released in Europe in April 2010 in its original US form.