Jan and Dean Meet Batman

[Mitchell]

How good is this album? I was watching the Batman show yesterday and I had forgotten how fun it is. Since I got a bit into Jan and Dean, I liked their Batman song, so I was hoping that the rest of this album was up to the same level of quality. Is it worth getting?

[Mark A. Moore]

Mitchell,

The Batman album is interesting on a number of levels . . .

You have the whacked-out Jan & Dean humor, in the form of comedic skits that tell a story . . . an approach descended from Stan Freberg and Dickie goodman, and a precursor of the Firesign Theatre, Lilly Tomlin, etc. . . .

J&D completely savage the TV show, with use of alliteration, etc. . . . way over the top. The deep-voiced narrator is Roger Christian.

Musically, one of the most interesting things is the background music and connecting "Cues" . . . in and between the comedy bits. It's complex . . . very Gothic and moody sounding, with horns and harpsichord (arranged by Jan Berry and George Tipton). And some of the cues and connectors are also very authentic to the incidental music your hear on the TV show . . . with lots of brass and variations of Neal Hefti-style guitar grooves. Cool stuff.

The comedy bits are in the guise of "Captain Jan" . . . and "Dean, the Boy Blunder." But the musical numbers refer to Batman & Robin.

As far as the full music cuts go, they're good, arrangement-wise and vocally . . . "Robin the Boy Wonder" . . . and "The Joker Is Wild." . . . while "Flight of the Batmobile" sounds like something out of a musical stage production.

There are also two great instrumentals . . . The Batman Theme (a version of Hefti's composition from the TV show) . . . and "Mr. Freeze" . . . which has a Spy feel to it. "Freeze" also features a lot of the instrumental Batman hooks you hear in the show . . . Discordant brass . . . like from the "Pow!" and "Poof!" moments from the fight scenes in the show . . . and variations on the ever-present eighth-note guitar motif.

It often takes people a while to get in tune with the over-the-top comedy shtick . . . but musically, the album has some great stuff on it.

Veteran rock critic Dave Marsh called it a "genius album" . . .

Bascially, with the Batman album . . . and the totally bizarre original concept for the Filet of Soul LP . . . you have Jan & Dean as the direct forerunners of Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention . . . and Iggy Stooge.

M.

[rb]

Not sure about the Iggy Stooge thing, but it's a funny album with plenty of interesting music. You'll love it, really.

[Mark A. Moore]

rb,

The Iggy Stooge comparison was made by Dave Marsh . . . and I think he's making a reference to their overall stage persona in that case.

I mean, you have to realize that Jan & Dean actually went out on-stage dressed in goofy-looking Batman & Robin costumes . . . not unlike what kids might wear at Halloween. Hilarious.

The roots of Punk can be traced to Jan & Dean . . . Not only in their public persona, but they were also very anti-establishment when it came to the music business. One look at Jan Berry's legal correspondence from his career bears this out in spades.

M.

[rb]

MAM: I'd never considered the punk-rock attitude thing before, but there may be something to it - they do display that sort of menefreghista attitude. With Batman, it seems that the further they went into it, the less seriously they took it, and the funnier it got. As funny as Schlock Rod, which I also hold in high regard. Definite traces of nihilism there; perhaps the 60's equivalent of Beavis and Butthead (who should be held in high regard as well.) 

[Mitchell]

Thanks, Mark. I absolutely loved the over-the-top cheesiness of the Batman show yesterday. The goofy puns and everything. I was also digging the music. It made me realize that I probably would really like this album. I just looked on Amazon and it seems it is unavailable in the twofer with the Command Performance (an unfortunate Twofer, as I would prefer to hear Folk n Roll, Filet Of Soul, or Pop Symphony along with Batman). It seems as though most of the Jan and Dean twofers are unavailable right now...

[Mark A. Moore]

Mitchell,

I think you'd have some luck getting the J&D two-fers on e-Bay . . . You can often find them with a "Buy Now" option . . . without having to go through the auction process.

M.

[Mitchell]

I don' t use eBay, actually, though I know some people who do. I'll see what I can find.

Which albums sound more like AA&CSCB&TA and the Dead Man's Curve single in terms of overall production strength?

[Mark A. Moore]

Mitchell,

For Jan's productions of that caliber, you'll want the following four albums, which were released in this order:

DRAG CITY ('63) —  but disregard the album-cut version of DMC here, as it is substandard.

DEAD MAN'S CURVE / NEW GIRL IN SCHOOL ('64)

RIDE THE WILD SURF ('64)

THE LITTLE OLD LADY FROM PASADENA ('64)


In addition to the hits, all of these LPs feature stellar album cuts. Truly, some of Jan's best productions were album cuts.

Don't miss FOLK 'N ROLL ('65) either . . .

M.

[Rocker]

It seems like you can listen here to the original "Batman"- spoken parts that were later replaced by the Captain Jan & Dean The Boy Blunder version.

Jan & Dean - "The Penguin" Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ok5Yft0oZnQ

Jan and Dean - The Penguin - Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KW2IIMps1lU

Jan & Dean with the Bel-Air Bandits - The Joker
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUPROqkxguk

Jan & Dean with the Bel-Air Bandits - The Riddler
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_ARCMS5004

[Lonely Summer]

I will have to get this album, always loved the Batman show. Maybe Brian should have done a "Beach Boys Meet The Green Hornet" album.

[Rocker]

I will have to get this album, always loved the Batman show. Maybe Brian should have done a "Beach Boys Meet The Green Hornet" album.

The Batman-album definitely needs a deluxe edition re-relese including the above posted original spoken parts. But I don't know if that is very likely because of the copyrights.

[rn57]

I get the feeling that the owners of the intellectual property surrounding the Dynamic Duo feel that the 1960s series and things like J&DMB project the wrong image of the characters.  Too much levity, not enough grimness as has been the franchise's preferred stance since it started following the Dark Knight comic's atmosphere. So I figure that's why the series has never gotten through the hurdles for DVD release, and why J&DMB is consigned to download-land, with no prospect of the original cover art reaching a printing press again.

[Lonely Summer]

I get the feeling that the owners of the intellectual property surrounding the Dynamic Duo feel that the 1960s series and things like J&DMB project the wrong image of the characters.  Too much levity, not enough grimness as has been the franchise's preferred stance since it started following the Dark Knight comic's atmosphere. So I figure that's why the series has never gotten through the hurdles for DVD release, and why J&DMB is consigned to download-land, with no prospect of the original cover art reaching a printing press again.

That's okay, I will hunt down the vinyl album. Shame, though, about the series never making it to DVD.  I taped them off local tv circa 1990-92, but those tapes are not the best sound or picture, would love to be able to toss them.

[rn57]

I get the feeling that the owners of the intellectual property surrounding the Dynamic Duo feel that the 1960s series and things like J&DMB project the wrong image of the characters.  Too much levity, not enough grimness as has been the franchise's preferred stance since it started following the Dark Knight comic's atmosphere. So I figure that's why the series has never gotten through the hurdles for DVD release, and why J&DMB is consigned to download-land, with no prospect of the original cover art reaching a printing press again.

That's okay, I will hunt down the vinyl album. Shame, though, about the series never making it to DVD.  I taped them off local tv circa 1990-92, but those tapes are not the best sound or picture, would love to be able to toss them.

Well, every episode of the 60s series can be seen at YouTube.

[Rocker]

I get the feeling that the owners of the intellectual property surrounding the Dynamic Duo feel that the 1960s series and things like J&DMB project the wrong image of the characters.  Too much levity, not enough grimness as has been the franchise's preferred stance since it started following the Dark Knight comic's atmosphere. So I figure that's why the series has never gotten through the hurdles for DVD release, and why J&DMB is consigned to download-land, with no prospect of the original cover art reaching a printing press again.

That's okay, I will hunt down the vinyl album. Shame, though, about the series never making it to DVD.  I taped them off local tv circa 1990-92, but those tapes are not the best sound or picture, would love to be able to toss them.

Well, every episode of the 60s series can be seen at YouTube.

Plus the complete '66 movie used to be online on youtube.

I get the feeling that the owners of the intellectual property surrounding the Dynamic Duo feel that the 1960s series and things like J&DMB project the wrong image of the characters.  Too much levity, not enough grimness as has been the franchise's preferred stance since it started following the Dark Knight comic's atmosphere. So I figure that's why the series has never gotten through the hurdles for DVD release, and why J&DMB is consigned to download-land, with no prospect of the original cover art reaching a printing press again.

That's very true and unfortunate. The 60s series was in itself a great parody of comic books. That's why Jan&Dean were so perfect for this kind of album. No other act could have made this and preserve the charme and atmosphere of the series while giving it their own special touch.
As much as I would have loved to hear them as Batman and Robin, I think having their own characters in there is even better.