Altfield-gibson

[1Jay1]

Its a shame Don altfield and jill gibson, along with roger christian, didnt carry on as a team with jan, on a professonal level,in the 70s, as together they wrote some great songs,

[Spazzatron]

Don & Jill wrote some nice songs that were used on The Yellow Balloon's album that are very "Jan & Dean in late '66."  They both worked with Jan on his Carnival of Sound project, but I think their professional partnership was already coming to an end even before the accident.  Obviously afterwards it was a very different dynamic and they'd both moved in other professional directions.

Roger Christian's car lyrics are great, other-subject material is another matter.  I find most of it lyrically cumbersome and ham-fisted.  I Can't Wait to Love You is a fantastic track, one of Jan's best from '65 but it suffers from Roger's mediocre lyrics.  They don't do anything to make the recording pop and there are a couple of lines that are downright embarrassing.  They just don't work.  The same is true for A Beginning From an End.  Great track, corny lyrics.  I think if Jan had more time to work on them or had a different lyricist on that material he might have gotten a hit record.

[jdman]

I agree with you 100%. The lyrics needed help in 1965. Jan's music was great! But the lyrics just didn't get it to the next level.

[surferbee]

I love Roger's car lyrics - they are the best. I've often wondered whether one of the factors affecting the reputation of Jan's later songs is the lyrics. Jan's music was great as always but some of the lyrics were mundane and clumsy and - of course - post accident jan was reliant on other voices to find his words.

[1Jay1]

 just wondered, has jill or don wrote a book about working with jan and dean. I d also like to hear don version of ocean park angel,and hear his side why it was never released, as he was working on it, arranging it with jan.

[surferbee]

Jill certainly has a story and a really intriguing one. I guess she is directing her creativity into her art. She is immensely talented. http://www.gibsonarts.com

[1Jay1]

I did contact jill a few years ago, and said what a big part she was with the songs she wrote, its a  shame to say goodbye, is one of her best, if i m correct don was also credited as song writer.