To balance out Carnival of Sound

[positivemusic]

I just got a chance to hear the Rhino Handmade release of Carnival of Sound and I absolutely love it. This release reaffirms my belief that it is the equal to Brian Wilson's Smile in terms of their respective greatest works and statements of the times!

The only catch I have, and an answer to a lot of gripes about the album that people have is the exclusion of Dean's vocal take of "Louisiana Man."

I know the second recording of it has more brass and a more thorough backing track, but to me it just isn't as strong as Jan's earlier take and the vocals have always seemed a bit sloppy.

To me it would have really balanced the album out to have Jan's "Only a Boy" on side one with Dean's vocal recording of "Louisiana Man" on side two. That way, each Jan and Dean would have been equally represented with a lead vocal each. It really is a shame that their relationship was so strained that this couldn't have been the case.

[Mark A. Moore]

Well, that's like saying "Only A Boy" should have been on Save For A Rainy Day. There was a J&D song in the can, and Dean certainly wanted to use the Jan & Dean name (no interest in releasing stuff under his own name).

But Dean would never have put "Only A Boy" on Rainy Day. Nor should he have -- because it didn't fit thematically.

For the same reason, "Only A Boy" should not have been included on Carnival of Sound (even with Jan's vocal) -- because it's not a good fit for the overall theme of the album. Same goes for "Tijuana."

Dean ran into trouble when he went to Columbia and got the tapes for "Louisiana Man." Jan's Screen Gems account got billed for Dean's work, and that's when the real trouble started. Screen Gems didn't bother with Dean's self-released material, but when he made the deal with Columbia, using the J&D name illegally, they quickly pulled the plug on Dean's single and album.

There's no way Jan would have used Dean's version of "Louisiana Man" on Carnival of Sound. Dean opted out of the counter-offer for a record deal with Columbia, and was then pressured to sign a legal contract with Warner Bros. -- which made Carnival a J&D album.

Dean could have sung on Carnival. But their working relationship was just shot by that time.

Sad but true.

[positivemusic]

I agree on using "Only a Boy" for either album. As well as Tijuana. When I set up Carnival of Sound to listen to, I re-arranged the tracks to match a 12 song tracklist you previously wrote out on this site. Albeit, substituting the different versions of "Louisiana Man", thus leaving off Tijuana.

I understand all the legal problems that followed these albums, as well as the personal aspect. I just meant being that Jan did include "Only a Boy" here, in a perfect world, Dean's version of "Louisiana Man" would be welcomed. Not blaming Jan at all for his positions on anything, though!

[Mark A. Moore]

I'm with you on the "perfect world" scenario. J&D had an opportunity to stay relevant in '67 and '68 . . . and they frigged it away.

As for "Only A Boy" . . . both single and album cut . . . I think Warner Bros. was as much (if not more) of a driving force as Jan. They initially latched onto that song (as a single) because it featured Jan's pre-accident lead vocals.

At the time, there was no full Carnival album yet . . . and no one knew Jan's true prognosis.

I think Warner Bros. pinned their hopes on "Only A Boy" because Staff Sgt. Barry Sadler's "Ballad of the Green Berets" had been a recent blockbuster -- five straight weeks at #1 in early '66 . . . the same period when Jan produced "Only A Boy."

[Kentucky Surfer]

I think "Only A Boy" would have been a great single release in the spring of 1966.  However, by 1968, the anti-war sentiment had grown so strong that this song would not have been successful.

If the contractual relationship with Liberty been in better condition in early 1966, we might have seen "Only A Boy" receive a timely release and achieve commercial success, fueled by interest in Jan after his accident.