Rhino Handmade releasing Jan & Dean "lost album" - Carnival of Sound*

I received mine yesterday! It's been a long time since I've been so excited about a release. This is wonderful stuff. I am completely new to all of it and I love it!

 

I agree that Batman is hilarious. Some of the Batman sessions are even funnier. Jan & Dean's humor may have worked both for and against them. It's hard to imagine who could have emceed the T.A.M.I. Show better than they did, but I think their zaniness may have prevented some from taking their music as seriously as it should be.

"Folk City" on Folk 'n Roll is rather funny too I think. Folk 'n Roll has some great tracks among the lesser ones. "I Found a Girl" and "I Can't Wait to Love You" are marvelous. I'm embarassed to admit that "A Beginning from an End" almost brings me to tears despite the hokey "Dead Man's Curve" type narrative. It's a beautiful sad song. Even "Universal Coward" with it's jingoistic lyrics is an amazing piece of music.

 

Ordered the CD + LP version. At least this time when I ordered, the website's ordering system was working.

 

I'm happy to say that my CD + LP package finally arrived on my doorstep today (it was shipped on 2/23)!

Here's hoping that it sounds as good as it looks (I'm sure that it will).

 

The one that torques me most might be The Flame's second album produced by Carl Wilson. Steve Desper says that it's in the can ready to go, he has it and it's just as good as The Flame [self-titled]. He trying to get it released.

 

I know The Flame's debut gets a lot of praise, but I didn't care for it. So, that's one that I'll skip. I do like Carl though.

 

Wow I'd love to hear that! I love the first album.

 

Just got my copy of Jan & Dean's 'Carnival Of Sound' today, and I must agree with everyone else who got it that this is an amazing collection of songs. I might be bold enough to say that this is Jan Berry's 'Smile'. It's interesting to speculate if this album might have done something in the charts if released back in the day.

It makes a nice companion piece to the 'Birds/Bees' Monkees set, especially since they both share the song 'Laurel & Hardy', which Davy Jones recorded as a demo for Jan and is on the 'Birds/Bees' set, and I love that Davy does the spoken bit in Berry's cover of 'In The Still Of The Night' on 'Carnival', a very pleasant surprise.

I opted for just the CD rather than the CD/Vinyl combo, and that's ok, as I'm really enjoying it. If you haven't gotten 'Carnival Of Sound' yet, then do yourself a favor and order it soon. This album is a real keeper.

 

Was just listening to Jan Berry's demo of 'Laurel & Hardy', and in the bit where Berry starts screaming sounds so identical to John Lennon's screams on 'Cold Turkey' that it's scary!

 

Well, I agree it was probably out of step with what was considered 'cool' in those years, but then there were lots of big sellers that probably weren't too cool either. Though popular, it's hard for me to think of Spanky and Our Gang as cool, or any of a number of bubblegum acts...

A better question would be, "how radio friendly was Carnival of Sound?" -- I haven't gotten my copy yet, just heard the clips on the Rhino website and going from memory from that terrible boot from years ago...and in particular I remember "Stay" as sounding both '67-'68 AM radio friendly and current with the modern production...I recall several others having a AM radio-friendly sound, though I can't put my finger on the titles just now.

Dale

 

Hmmmmm...... I wonder if all of the mixes are the same (?)

 

Sorry for duplicate posts...I meant to post this comment on this thread (also put it on Mark's thread):

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

 

Is this album in the same musical vein as Save For A Rainy Day?

 

Yes, if you mean is it Sunshine Pop. It's a much more involved project though, with much bigger, much more involved production. If you're a fan, you have to get it. I am very glad I did.

But it's depressing in a way, also. After the crappy way Liberty dealt with Jan & Dean in the final months in 1966 with all the cash-ins, those last weak albums...to find that Jan Berry was soon thereafter capable of getting these kinds of tracks together says to me the whole post-accident Jan & Dean story could have been very different.

Dale

 

Argh, I ordered the $50 deluxe Vinyl/CD edition of "Carnival Of Sound" and Rhino sent me the $20 "Grateful Dead - Road Trips - Austin 11-15-71" CD instead!

Customer service, here we come. :thumbsdn:

 

And yet they got my order to me in 4 days -- LA to Japan. Of course, they forced me to go priority mail, which is unnecessary between the US and Japan, especially between the west coast of the US and Japan. I've never had anything go missing and things get here in 5 days to a week without exception using regular air mail. You get what you pay for, I guess. I got great service by paying a US $12 premium over shipping that would have made me wait an extra 2 days or so.

Dale

 

4 days for me too, but the wrong album & artist.

 

Glad many of you are enjoying the Carnival.

If you got the vinyl version, check the run-out groves on both sides of the LP. A bit of tradition is upheld.

M.

 

I played the CD several times today. Can't decide whether I like the mono mixes or the stereo mixes better. All I can say is this is a wonderful album and it's such a treat to finally be able to hear it the way it is supposed to sound.

No, it's not a "heavy" album, it's pop...but it is a lush, wonderful piece of 60s pop with a classic Jan & Dean album sound and feel.

And where's that "sounds insincere" guy? Knowing the background of what Jan Berry must have been going through makes the title song quite meaningful if you ask me -- healing, like he was using it as a prayer or mantra. I'm touched by it -- it's a lovely tune. With apologies to Mark, I'll paste the lyrics from his Carnival of Sound blog:

CARNIVAL OF SOUND
(Jan Berry - Roger Christian - David Weiss)

Life can have a higher meaning
In a Carnival of Sound
Release the thoughts inside your mind
Seek the truth, it's there to find

Search yourself, analyze
Thoughts just can't be compromised
Deepest meanings can be found
In a Carnival of Sound

Release yourself from thoughts of anger
In the Carnival of Sound
Peace of mind's not hard to find
If you'll only look around

You can see far above
If you look through eyes of love
Eternal wisdom's destined goal
Can be found inside your soul

Life can have a higher meaning
In a Carnival of Sound
Release the thoughts inside your mind
Seek the truth, it's there to find

Search yourself, analyze
Thoughts just can't be compromised
Deepest meanings can be found
In a Carnival of Sound

I cannot get enough of this. I love it. It's ridiculous that it took such campaigning to get this finally released. How could people not have recognized the musical value of these last, full-on Jan Berry efforts of the 60s for 40+ years? I don't know, maybe my bias as a fan makes me unrealistic, but this release came out sounding so good I can't help but be puzzled why it took so long.

Again, kudos to all those that made it happen.

This has to be one of the greatest, "previously unreleased" discoveries ever. For 60s pop fans this is a treat and very highly recommended, unless you somehow expect a Jan & Dean album to sound like Tracy Chapman.

Dale

 

I ordered the CD weeks ago ... when will it arrive? ... I ask rhetorically.

 

I can't stop playing Fan Tan and the title track. That big harmony choral sound on the refrain of Fan Tan is so great. Both the mono and stereo mixes are mastered just right. Fan Tan has colonized my consciousness -- I wonder if it's triggering some buried childhood memory?

Dale

 

Nothing yet...not too impressed with customer service thus far.