The Jan & Dean Record: A Chronology of Studio Sessions, Live Performances and Chart Positions

This is a long-overdue and fascinating biography of Jan Berry. It has many detailed entries organized by date and topic so you can easily pick it up, flip to any page, year, month day, topic and learn something new. I think the thing that differentiates it from many other works is that it's based on first hand experiences, meaning the information comes directly from Jan Berry's personal archives and interviews with his family members, close friends and creative associates.I bought a couple of Jan & Dean compilations when I was a teenager back in the 80's and thought these were just a couple of goofball guys having fun. Then a few weeks ago I was randomly listening to Dead Man's Curve, this time Really Listening, and I was suddenly blown away by the backing tracks. It turns out Jan was this super-smart guy who was the creative force behind the arrangements and productions of this music and he had hired The Wrecking Crew to record the backing tracks based on his arrangements. As the promo for this book says, if you like The Wrecking Crew, this book is for you. Truth!A couple of tidbits:1) I've known for years that Jan Berry was in the serious car crash but didn't realize he was able to come back into the studio a year after the accident to arrange and record new tracks - and some were incredible! (Check out the Carnival of Sound album) It's interesting to read about that timeframe after the crash because it seems the truth has previously been distorted.2) It turns out Keith Moon was a huge Jan & Dean fan. Pete Townshend's commentary about it is hilarious!And 3) Echoing a previous reviewer's comment, Jan might've been a little bit bad sometimes and I may never be able to look at a 45 in quite the same way again.Great book and worth every penny if you're interested in music history and learning about how music was produced back in the era around the 60's. And I hope Jan and/or Jan & Dean end up in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame one of these days.

To those of us who appreciated the skill and art of making music that sells and lasts, this book gives great info on Jan & Dean. And why are they not considered for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?!. Their careers bridge the late 'do-wop' era to the California sound of the early and mid-60's. They (mostly Jan) played a key role in the 'West Coast ' sound and the great Wreaking Crew music makers. One of the sub-themes in the "Once Upon A Time in Hollywood" movie is the "California West Coast sound of the 60's. It is still current for our time. Thanks Tarantino!!!

For the fan and the casual reader, this is a must have historical record! It's just the facts, non-judgmental and puts Rock history straight about the guys that started it all. This would make a fascinating 6 part TV documentary, so much is left out of the TV movie that came out years ago. I can't say enough how awesome the author is putting all the facts together to make this book happen. I had met both of these artists on separate occasions before their reunion with no idea what was going on at the time. This book puts all the pieces together.

The title says it all! If you're looking for an encyclopedic reference for the lives and careers of Jan and Dean, then look no further. The level of detail, (some may call it "minutia"), is staggering and the amount of research that Mark Moore must have done is dizzying.It's not an easy read, (the reason for only a four-star rating). If that is more of what you want, you may be better off waiting for Dean's autobiography later this year.

I have always been a fan of Jan & Dean, so I was really looking forward to Mark Moore's book. To say that The Jan & Dean Record was worth the wait would be an understatement. The author's obvious love of his subject is readily apparent on every page. The devotion to detail is mind boggling. Jan's story is compelling: both triumphant and bittersweet, and the author captures it brilliantly. If J&D do rightfully make it to the Hall of Fame, Mark Moore will have certainly done his part. Highly recommended.

I can't believe how much detail is contained in this book. Mark Moore spent years researching and it certainly paid off. Jan Berry finally gets the credit he deserves for being one of the best arrangers and producers to come out of the early 60's. What surprises me is how entertaining it is. The stories that are shared by the people who were there are awesome! Both Jan and Dean were very funny! And Jan may have been a little bad sometimes. lol Fantastic book!!!

Always loved Mark’s website, and this book really takes all that info and crams it into 400 pages. It’s minutiae, but that’s what I like. If you want a better understanding of how hard J& D worked you’ll find it all here!

Jan and Dean are lucky one man made his life's work to record their history. A must read for those who are fans of the original rock and roll era.

Great super book on the recording career of Jan and Dean and concerts. Highly recommended for anyone interested in 1960’s music.

An outstanding biography of Jan Berry who was writing and producing rock harmonies years before Brian Wilson. Berry was one of the great sixties studio producers who used a range of musicians under the name of Jan and Dean to create hits like Surf City, the Litte Old Lady from Pasadena. In 1966 he almost died in a car crash that echoed his big hit Dead Mans Curve. Brain damaged and paralysed he started recording and touring again.This book pulls no punches. Berry's huge talent is not exaggerated and his drug taking and womanising is described.This is a highly detailed book written by a historian and detailing events with a research discipline that gives it a credibility sometimes missing from music biographies.All Beach Boys, Spector and sixties music fans will find this book a fascinating insight into how music was made. Berry is a fascinating and troubled subject. A huge talent who almost died before he could secure his legacy. This book does it for him.Highly recommended.

Outstanding and the Kindle version is hugely cheaper than the print version.