Jan & Dean - Carnival of Sound - 1968

Got to hear Blowin my Mind on this site. An interesting webstop.
http://www.philxmilstein.com/probe/index.htm

Interesting tune but not a hit by any stretch.

 

Well "Blowin' my Mind" certainly wasn't a hit, but I think it certainly deserved to be.

 

Thanks for posting this excellent review, Mark.

I don't think Fan Tan is a jingle, but rather a song reminiscing about a girl who chewed Fan Tan. From the first stanza:

"Leaving tracks of rainbow wrappers behind,
I couldn't get her from my mind."

Fan Tan chewing gum is no longer produced. It had a highly aromatic, perfumy taste and smell, and very colorful wrappers.

Personally I think it's one of the best songs on Carnival Of Sound. It's track 1, side 1 on my acetate copy.

 

Yeah, that review is by Jeff Mason . . . describing his impresssions of the music. Jeff didn't know about the chewing gum, which is why I inserted that phrase in brackets (for context).

M.

 

So, it looks like Rhino Handmade has picked up the ball here, with both a CD release and a deluxe CD+LP+Book release.

Pre-Order started - 02/10/2010: 29 Unreleased Tracks on CD, w Bonus LP -$49.98; CD-Only -$19.98

• 
  1st official release of the long lost and often bootlegged 1960s album

• 
  CD features 29 songs including mono and stereo mixes of the album along with 15 bonus tracks from the 1966-68 sessions

• 
  16 page full color booklet featuring rare photos and extensive liner notes from producer Andrew Sandoval

The track listing is sequenced differently than the one listed above.

To present a clear and vivid picture of what Berry was up to during this transitional phase, the collection’s producer Andrew Sandoval spent three years carefully reviewing and compiling every tape Berry submitted to Warner Bros. for use on CARNIVAL OF SOUND. “Although Jan cut multiple LP-length acetates of his work at the time, he left behind no definitive track list or sequence for the songs to be included on the album,” he explains in the liner notes. “I created the sequence you hear … by grouping his post-accident tracks together and closing with his pre-accident masters. The two parts of this story have such different flavors that they seem to flow best in this manner.”

Full details at Rhino:

http://www.rhino.com/shop/product/jan-dean-carnival-of-sound?format=enhcd

 

What? A mono vinyl Carnival Of Sound? Somebody pinch me.

No wait, don't.

But this is fantastic, exciting news.

 

Who does the vocals? The three samples on the Rhino Handmade site don't sound like Jan.

 

Go back and read page one.

 

I co-wrote the liner notes with Domenic Priore and producer Andrew Sandoval.

There's an introductory essay, followed by a Chronology section (which is a sessionography with historical context).

Andrew's a fan of the music, and Rhino Handmade did a nice job. The new stereo mixes are amazing.

Until now, almost no one has heard this material from the original master tapes, or in the sound quality on this Rhino release.

The bootlegs were terrible.

Mark M.

 

Wow...with a vinyl LP. I'm signing up.

Dale

 

Mark a big thanks for helping to finally get this music released. The Rhino package is beyond what I imagined would ever come out.

You wouldn't know when the actual release / ship date will be? I can't seem to find it in the information. I pre-ordered it anyway yesterday seeing someine mention it in the Birds and Bees and Monkees thread without even looking I had an email annoncing it from Rhino.

Chris

 

Says 2/22 in the bullet points:

http://rhino.com/shop/product/jan-dean-carnival-of-sound?format=enhcd

 

Thanks, didn't see that today. That date wasn't there yesterday.

 

I'll second that! I've always been intrigued by those tracks...but couldn't stand the shatty boot sources that have been floating around all these years.

But I've always wanted to hear them in something like decent fidelity. To have them reissued from master tapes is more than most of us J&D fans could have hoped for. It's a much appreciated move -- and to get a mono vinyl LP to go with it--just brilliant.

It's interesting to see the doo-wop choices Jan Berry made to record. Mark, do you get into that in the liner notes? I love that updated for '67 pop cover of "Stay"...

Dale

 

On the website, Andrew Sandoval is quoted as saying "“Although Jan cut multiple LP-length acetates of his work at the time, he left behind no definitive track list or sequence for the songs to be included on the album,” he explains in the liner notes. “I created the sequence you hear … by grouping his post-accident tracks together and closing with his pre-accident masters. The two parts of this story have such different flavors that they seem to flow best in this manner.”

BUT....while not "definitive"....wouldn't the acetate found on page one of this thread seem to provide a suggested track order?

 

I put my order in for the cd. Seems a little pricey, but I'm excited about the new music!

 

Does anyone here ordered from Rhinohandmade and lives in Europe ?
When I want to pre-order, I only have the "rush shipping" option which is 22 $ = more expensive than the cd itself ! Did I miss something ? I'd really like to get this cd but I won't pay 22 $ for a single cd shipping......

 

I've read up a bit on this and have had boots of Carnival of Sound for years, but my question is this: If this was a Jan Berry work, how does this get a release under the name Jan & Dean? Same as 'Save for a Rainy Day' is pretty much a work of Dean's, but Jan gets credit?
Is the mutual credit of both individuals on both releases simply contractual?

 

Read http://www.carnivalofsound.com/carnival-article-moore.html to get an understanding of the mess regarding who was credited on the album...

 

My copy arrived yesterday! Have not had a chance to dive in yet thanks to a new baby in the house, but I did get to read the great liner notes. They really shed impressive light on this period in the J&D universe, as did Mark's ESQ article.

 

My copy came this morning--listening now.

I'm wowed by this. A "new" Jan & Dean record and it is great. The arrangements are fantastic. Based on the crappy boot from years back, I knew they could sound good if the master tapes were found and used...

Back to our discussion of whether or not this had any commercial viability in 1968...have a look at the top 100:

http://www.moline1968.com/scrapbook/billboard-hits.html

Scattered throughout the chart are pure pop songs -- I'd argue that much of what I'm hearing on Carnival of Sound could have easily competed, even if it wasn't considered 'hip' or 'cool'. I mean if Ohio Express, 1910 Fruitgum Company, Classics IV and the John Fred and His Playboy Band could get into the top 40 for the year, I think many of these tracks might have had a shot given the right promotion...much of this is very AM radio friendly.

High praise to Rhino, Mark, Andrew and all the people who got this together and put through. I bought the deluxe set -- the LP and CD package. I might buy another for a back-up. Thanks so much.

Dale

 

Anyone?

 

Jan compiled 10-track acetate and 12-track acetate versions of the Warner Bros. album. What's not clear is whether Jan compiled these acetates for listening purposes, or with a specific track order in mind.

"Love & Hate" was on the 12-track version . . . which is why it was left off the current mono LP. Too bad, it's one of the best cuts. But the CD more than makes up for it.

"Tijuana" was not included on either acetate version. Nor was "Yakety Yak."

M.