Jan And Dean Hit #1 With "Surf City"

Before the Beach Boys, there was Jan and Dean.

Actually, it would be more accurate to say that Jan and Dean made it to #1 before the Beach Boys---but it’s almost certain that without Brian Wilson and company, Jan and Dean would likely be totally unknown.

Pioneers of the “surf music” craze, the song “Surf City” hit #1 on the charts on this date in 1963. “Two girls for every boy!” as an opening line was bound to get your attention!

Jan Berry and Dean Torrence were high school classmates who earned a couple of minor hits while still in their teens. Their sound, however, was more doo-wop than surf—and quickly going out of fashion among teenagers.

Luckily for the duo, they met the Beach Boys while appearing on the same bill at a Los Angeles record hop. It was there they heard the sound that would inspire them to reinvent themselves. Jan and Dean became good friends with Brian Wilson, asking him if they could record one of his songs. Brian declined to give them their first choice (“Surfin Safari”, which the Beach Boys had not yet recorded). Instead, it was the instrumental track and that critical opening line to “Surf City”.

Here’s a video slide show of Jan and Dean—and that first big #1:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERrwjR4ZlfI&feature=related

While “Surf City” would become the first chart-topping surf song, Jan and Dean would record 4 more surf hits: “Honolulu Lulu”(1963), “Drag City”(1963), “The Little Old Lady From Pasadena”(1964) and “Dead Man’s Curve” (1964)

In 1966, Jan crashed his Corvette a short distance from “Dead Man’s Curve”—suffering severe head injuries and partial paralysis. His right arm was useless-and doctors said he would never walk again. Not only did he walk, but he sang, arriving at the studio a year to the day after the accident.

I had the privilege of meeting Jan and Dean in the late 70’s, while working at WBNS-AM in Columbus. A fan of their music, I was told that Jan would have a hard time speaking during a scheduled interview with the pair. Indeed he did, slurring his speech, taking long pauses and generally sounding “out of it” I remember wondering at the time, “How in the world is this guy going to sing tonight?” (they had a sold-out show in town)

I shouldn’t have worried. Whether it hard-wired memory, another part of the brain at work –or just the mystery of music, Jan was spot-on during the show—and the duo sounded great!

Jan passed away in 2004, but the impact of Jan and Dean on the pop music scene is immortal. It must have been exciting to be a young person in Southern California in the 60’s---cruisin’ the streets, hitting the beaches and, of course, surfing. Not sue how adept I would have been at surfing, but with all those bikinis around, I’m sure that it would have been worth a try!


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