Dead Man's Curve: The Rock 'n' Roll Life of Jan Berry

Jan Berry, leader of the music duo Jan & Dean from the late 1950s to mid-1960s, was an intense character who experienced more in his first 25 years than many do in a lifetime. As an architect of the West Coast sound, he was one of rock 'n' roll's original rebels--brilliant, charismatic, reckless, and flawed. As a songwriter, music arranger, and record producer for Nevin-Kirshner Associates and Screen Gems-Columbia Music, Berry was one of the pioneering self-produced artists of his era in Hollywood. He lived a dual life, reaching the top of the charts with Jan & Dean while transitioning from college student to medical student, until an automobile accident in 1966 changed his trajectory forever. Suffering from brain damage and partial paralysis, Jan spent the rest of his life trying to come back from Dead Man's Curve.

His story is told here in-depth for the first time, based on extensive primary source documentation and supplemented by the stories and memories of Jan's family members, friends, music industry colleagues, and contemporaries. From the birth of rock to the bitter end, Berry's life story is thrilling, humorous, unsettling, and disturbing, yet ultimately uplifting.

1138672021
Dead Man's Curve: The Rock 'n' Roll Life of Jan Berry

Jan Berry, leader of the music duo Jan & Dean from the late 1950s to mid-1960s, was an intense character who experienced more in his first 25 years than many do in a lifetime. As an architect of the West Coast sound, he was one of rock 'n' roll's original rebels--brilliant, charismatic, reckless, and flawed. As a songwriter, music arranger, and record producer for Nevin-Kirshner Associates and Screen Gems-Columbia Music, Berry was one of the pioneering self-produced artists of his era in Hollywood. He lived a dual life, reaching the top of the charts with Jan & Dean while transitioning from college student to medical student, until an automobile accident in 1966 changed his trajectory forever. Suffering from brain damage and partial paralysis, Jan spent the rest of his life trying to come back from Dead Man's Curve.

His story is told here in-depth for the first time, based on extensive primary source documentation and supplemented by the stories and memories of Jan's family members, friends, music industry colleagues, and contemporaries. From the birth of rock to the bitter end, Berry's life story is thrilling, humorous, unsettling, and disturbing, yet ultimately uplifting.

49.95 In Stock
Dead Man's Curve: The Rock 'n' Roll Life of Jan Berry

Dead Man's Curve: The Rock 'n' Roll Life of Jan Berry

by Mark A. Moore
Dead Man's Curve: The Rock 'n' Roll Life of Jan Berry

Dead Man's Curve: The Rock 'n' Roll Life of Jan Berry

by Mark A. Moore

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$49.95 
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Overview

Jan Berry, leader of the music duo Jan & Dean from the late 1950s to mid-1960s, was an intense character who experienced more in his first 25 years than many do in a lifetime. As an architect of the West Coast sound, he was one of rock 'n' roll's original rebels--brilliant, charismatic, reckless, and flawed. As a songwriter, music arranger, and record producer for Nevin-Kirshner Associates and Screen Gems-Columbia Music, Berry was one of the pioneering self-produced artists of his era in Hollywood. He lived a dual life, reaching the top of the charts with Jan & Dean while transitioning from college student to medical student, until an automobile accident in 1966 changed his trajectory forever. Suffering from brain damage and partial paralysis, Jan spent the rest of his life trying to come back from Dead Man's Curve.

His story is told here in-depth for the first time, based on extensive primary source documentation and supplemented by the stories and memories of Jan's family members, friends, music industry colleagues, and contemporaries. From the birth of rock to the bitter end, Berry's life story is thrilling, humorous, unsettling, and disturbing, yet ultimately uplifting.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781476672106
Publisher: McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers
Publication date: 08/16/2021
Pages: 525
Product dimensions: 7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 1.06(d)
Age Range: 18 Years

About the Author

Mark A. Moore is a technical writer for the North Carolina Department of Information Technology and he has written various articles and album liner notes about Jan & Dean. He lives in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Preface 1

Prologue: Tuesday, April 12, 1966 3

1 Some Genius or a Very Clever Criminal 7

2 If Ricky Nelson Can Do It… 21

3 The Real Musician in the Bunch 34

4 Kids Swarmed the Aisles and Screamed 44

5 Good Things Happened Quickly 54

6 Pandemonium 64

7 Nevins-Kirshner Associates and Aldon Music 77

8 More than Most People Can Do 89

9 Screen Gems and a Righteous Trip to Surf City 101

10 A Surf Scene with Music and Medicine 120

11 One of the Finer Arrangers in the Business 138

12 Big, Fat Frothy Records 161

13 Pop Symphony 183

14 Easy Come, Easy Go 196

15 Crazy Hours, On the Run 206

16 The Death Instinct 218

17 Dead Man's Curve 231

18 Some Very Ingenious Stuff 251

19 There Is Promise 263

20 Impulse Disorder 282

21 Life Can Have a Higher Meaning 297

22 In a Carnival of Sound 312

23 Hitch a Ride to Hollywood 325

24 Music Is Power 337

25 Sing Sang a Song 351

26 Rock Drama 365

27 Aloha, America 378

28 On the Run Again, with Papa & the Bandits 394

29 WJB, Inc. 407

30 Chapel of Love 420

31 Second Wave 431

32 Cleaning Up the Past 448

Epilogue: Friday, March 26, 2004 454

Appendix A Jan Berry's Chart Singles and Chart Albums as an Artist, Songwriter, Arranger, and Record Producer, 1958-1966 465

Appendix B Jan Berry's Work as an Artist, Songwriter, Arranger, and Record Producer Outside of Jan & Arnie and Jan & Dean, 1958-1966 469

Appendix C Jan Berry's Music in Film, 1964-2020 472

Appendix D Jan Berry Timeline, 1941-1966 474

Bibliography 477

Index 487

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