Hi Mark
On the 'new' but as it turned out temporary website you posted some information about your new biography. Are you able to update us on how its going.
I posted a question about whether it will be illustrated. I've said before how sad it is that the early sixties were just not photographed or filmed enough. I understand why but, as far as I know, there are no pictures of Jan and Brian working together and - part from the Pop Symphony shots very little of Jan in the studio.
I've read and reread and now constantly reference the Jan and Dean Record which is an outstanding example of intelligent research. I can't wait for the next book....
Thanks Surferbee,
The book is going well and nearly finished. I had to get the deadline extended. It will be well illustrated with photos, maps, and diagrams.
There is a photo of Jan and Brian together, but not in the studio. The reason you don't see images of them working together in the studio is because they were not supposed to be working together in that capacity. It was a blatant violation of Jan's Nevins-Kirshner and Screen Gems contracts.
Their songwriting relationship was permissible, because everything Jan wrote or co-wrote was automatically published by Screen Gems. Any songwriting collaborators who worked with Jan, including Brian Wilson, forfeited any publishing to work with Jan. Brian got a songwriting royalty for co-writing with Jan, but no publishing royalty, which was why Murry Wilson was so upset.
Just to be clear, for those who don't understand, the songwriting royalty for a song, and the publishing royalty for that song, are not the same thing. The writing and publishing are two different revenue streams.
The best shots of Jan in the studio are owned by Dean Torrence and Jill Gibson. Dean contributed a couple of his images for my forthcoming book. And I'll be lobbying the publisher (McFarland) to use one of Jill's images (at least in part) for the cover. But that'll be McFarland's call.
