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Title: WHAT IF.... Post by: Moon Dawg on June 29, 2014, 02:43:23 PM What if Jan Berry had not been critically injured on Dead Man's Curve on April 12 1966? Were Jan & Dean about "finished" or were they headed for greater heights? Recent singles had turned away from the Surf, selling less, but the CARNIVAL OF SOUND album would likely have taken shape for release around 1967. Any theories on the future of Jan & Dean in a world without that terrible accident?
Title: Re: WHAT IF.... Post by: clack on July 02, 2014, 08:23:36 PM Best case : they might have eked out a couple of minor hit singles 66-67.
'Carnival of Sounds' would have been a career killer -- their 'Smiley Smile'. J&D lacked the credibility to cross over to the counter-culture audience. Title: Re: WHAT IF.... Post by: Mikie on July 02, 2014, 09:26:18 PM Jan and Dean probably would have faded like the Beatles of Hey Jude. I don't think Carnival Of Sound ranks even close to Smile........maybe or maybe not better than Smiley Smile......and not as good as Wild Honey, even with its minimal production. And Save For A Rainy Day was all Dean. Hard to say what would have happened without the accident, but one thing is certain, both of them would NOT have given up trying to get a new hit single or album. Even WITH the accident, both of them tried very hard (in spite of threatening lawsuits) to get back on track to recover their glory days. Mark Moore has a new book coming out in 2015 that I'm looking forward to - just the title alone sounds enticing.
Excellent article here about the post-accident days: http://www.carnivalofsound.com/carnival-article-moore.html Title: Re: WHAT IF.... Post by: Mike's Beard on July 03, 2014, 12:49:56 AM Carnival of Sound is an interesting album rather than a good one. Interesting to see Jan & Dean try grab the counter-culture audience but it seems rather phoney. Another case of a clean cut group saying 'groovy, far out man, look at me I'm a hippy'. I doubt if it had of come out at the time many people would have fallen for it.
Title: Re: WHAT IF.... Post by: clack on July 03, 2014, 02:58:52 PM Jan could conceivably have had a post-J&D career similar to Steve Barri, Gary Usher or Terry Melcher, as a songwriter, producer, record exec. J&D as a recording act would have packed it in by 1970 at the latest.
Title: Re: WHAT IF.... Post by: Orange Crate Art on July 03, 2014, 04:10:26 PM As much as I love J&D, if the Beach Boys couldn't convince the general public after '67 then J&D had zero chance. After Sgt Pepper came out I think people viewed the old surf and beach bands as corny and old fashioned, irrelevant basically. Can you imagine The Sunrays trying to continue their success during the fuzzy haze of Iron Butterfly and Blue Cheer?
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