Carol Kaye

[2dean2]

Just though I'd share with you guys about my dealings with Jan & Dean Bassist Carol Kaye.
Carol does not did not despite what you may have read in the past liked Jan's music. As a Jazz player it was below her. Couldnt stand doing the "SURF" stuff. And pretty much wont talk about it on her website forum.
I tried to send her 3 youtube vids of backing tracks RTWS LOL SWS. She responded with I dont watch vids and wouldnt ans any ?'s about the every present BBBBBBBbbbbbbbBBBBBBBbbbb. Her Bass or a guitar ?
Now before you say IT's her site she can do what she wants. I agree. EXCEPT
When another sent a vid containing Mel Torme (sic)  She watches it and thanks the guy . Wont discuss Jan's sessions beyond  saying how much she came up with lines after Jan told her basically what he wanted .
(this due to jans scd is not surprising ) Will wax poetic about other Surf and R&R  people she worked with
Brian Wilson being one Spector and Sonny & Cher the other's. Saying she basically got burned out doing 10-12 hrs of DUGA DUGA DUGA Ditch Digger Music . She didnt want to hear it now . I tried to convince her that she should listen to it really hear it for the first time as she being burned out wasnt really hearing the music then . And that Jan's music wasnt Surf but the Ca Sound and that he years before anyone else gave the players credit on an Album SC &OSCITY'S She banned me from the site. Or at least I think she did cant sign on and attemps to have failed. Now if she really doesnt want to talk nothing but Jazz fine But
that should include Wilson and other's.

[Mark A. Moore]

There will be more about this in the Sessionography I'm working on.

[owen]

Carol Kaye has a very particular point of view, nd seems to dismiss  lot of what she has worked on as just "business". She doesn't even agree that they were ever called the Wrecking Crew. She claims Hal Blaine invented that name in 1990, and that really they were called The Clique.

Talking about working on surf songs she says "Oh, that's easy. That's just doing the drum beat. I mean, you're just doubling up and doing it. You can do that for years, and that's what we did for years." I think she genuinely has nothing else to say about working with J&D other than that.

You can read all this and more in some depth at http://www.songfacts.com/blog/interviews/carol_kaye/

Cheers
Owen

[jdman]

Yep, I've noticed her attitude about Jan lately. The first interviews that I read, she said some really good things about Jan and how talented he was. Lately, she seems to skip over that when talking about her career. I stopped reading her blogs on Facebook because it seems she has no interest in speaking of Jan & Dean anymore.

Mark, you keep saying you have all this information. Any idea when it will be released?
I especially want to hear what Kim Fowley has to say-he's unique!!!

[Mark A. Moore]

There is a reason she has become evasive about Jan & Dean. The Sessionography will reveal it.

As for getting banned from any of her forums, 2dean2, you are not the first . . . just ask Andrew G. Doe. Ha!

[2dean2]

I was really disappointed I couldnt learn any Jan stuff from her. She has been writing books and has a Skype lesson avail . But just Jazz is all she wants to do now I guess. The "Surf " stuff should be any easy thing to teach for her. She knows what she's doing No hand issues after 49 years of bass playing . I would suggest anyone taking bass to check her stuff out. I just wish she wasnt "ashamed " the rock and roll stuff.
And besides Jan was much more than surf or r&r . Big Big sound. But she wont listen now to hear what she was playing on auto pilot all those years ago . (Barney Kessel used to sleep till his solo then a nudge and he would wake up and play). Of course the real problem is the lack of J&D sheet music for guitar and Bass out there.

[Mark A. Moore]

Of course the real problem is the lack of J&D sheet music for guitar and Bass out there.

Most of the original charts and scores used by studio musicians to record Jan & Dean's tracks in the '60s still exist. I have them in my possession . . . directly from Jan Berry.

Most of the bass lines -- especially on the famous songs -- were written out note for note. And those written parts are exactly what you hear on the recordings. Those bass lines were not "made up" by studio bassists. They played the parts that were put in front of them.

[jdman]

AMEN!!!! Mark

A lot of these people that were involved with the recordings are obviously getting older and they want their legacy to grow. I've noticed it in Carol, Artie, Dean, and several others. Unfortunately, Jan gets screwed sometimes because he can't take up for himself.
I'm not saying they are being mean, just that they make themselves look a little better than it was. That's why I'm glad Mark has the proof. Jan DID write those parts-not Carol. Thank you

[2dean2]

I figured as much , I knew that Jan written his stuff out . What he trusted to his players I didnt know.
I wonder if this dislike for Jan's stuff could have anything to do with Carol's feud with Hal and Denny Tedesco over the "Wrecking Crew" Movie ? Carol thinks it's too Tommy and Hal and not enough of other members,
She also sued over Tommy calling her a "Dumb Cunt". Jan's favorite guys seemed to be Hal & Tommy.
The reason I would want to learn "authentic" Jan Berry Bass and Guitar lines is to get it right . After all the hard work before and after the accident. I think he deserves that and not "sounds pretty close" He was the one who got me interested in music in the first place . And the players he used got me interested in learning to "site read"

[Mark A. Moore]

Jan's favorite guys seemed to be Hal & Tommy.

Those two were on most everything. But the Sessionography will reveal a very clear pattern with regard to "regulars" who played on Jan & Dean sessions. It's very telling.

[Admin]

I especially want to hear what Kim Fowley has to say-he's unique!!!

My interview with Kim Fowley lasted five hours. Kim's commentary will show up in Jan's biography. Not so much in the Sessionography book, which will come out first.