Decades after the car accident that changed his life forever, Jan Berry’s original music scores and charts from the 1960s still exist—the actual documents used by the Wrecking Crew to record the original songs. These fascinating manuscripts open an important window on Jan’s body of work for Jan & Dean and other artists.
In association with Jan’s estate, author Mark A. Moore has begun to transcribe and publish some of Jan’s best arrangements, to shed more light on him as a songwriter and music arranger, and to invite further study of the music.
These transcribed scores will interest musicians, music educators, school ensembles, bands, and any musician/aficionado of the West Coast Sound and the Hollywood studio system of the 1960s.
The classic “Dead Man’s Curve” debuted the series. More will be added as they become available.
Interview: Learn more about how Jan Berry worked with the Wrecking Crew studio musicians in this interview with author Mark A. Moore.
“Jan wrote what he heard in his head and hired the best guns in town to realize what was gloriously swimming in there. He was a beacon to the acts that he inspired.“
Tom Bahler
Composer, singer, songwriter, arranger, and producer
Vocalist on Jan Berry’s Carnival of Sound sessions, 1968
“The score [for ‘Anaheim, Azusa…’] provides an insight into not only the inventive orchestration but the production techniques and studio methods of a historic time in pop music on the West Coast.“
Paul Von Mertens
Multi-instrumentalist and musical director for Brian Wilson’s band
What’s Inside
Each sheet music publication includes:
- Illustrated cover page.
- Introductory text describing the song in context with Jan Berry’s career as a musician, music arranger, record producer, and medical student.
- Commentary on the various parts in the music score—vocals, brass, woodwinds, strings, guitar, bass, keyboards, drums, and percussion—with insight on Jan’s music production process.
- A song chronology with recording session details.
- Full music score for each song.
- Individual charts for each part in the music score.
- Illustrations, including images from Jan Berry’s music archive.
Pricing
Each comprehensive sheet music publication is priced at $49.99—the lowest price allowed by Hal Leonard for this level of music arrangement—and comes as a downloadable PDF file.
A Note to Musicians and Music Educators
If your ensemble tackles any of these arrangements, or any part of these arrangements, please share links to video or recordings with us here at the site. Thanks!
Publications
- Dead Man’s Curve
- The Anaheim, Azusa & Cucamonga Sewing Circle, Book Review and Timing Association
- Batman
- Surf City
- It’s As Easy As 1, 2, 3
- Rockin’ Little Roadster
- Pop Symphony: The Little Old Lady (from Pasadena)
Dead Man’s Curve
Jan Berry’s Authentic Original Music Score
Used by the Wrecking Crew to Record the Original Song (and for live performances).
Arranged by Jan Berry
Transcribed by Mark A. Moore
Description: Jan’s & Dean’s classic Top 10 hit from the spring of 1964 (#8 Billboard; #9 Cash Box; #28 Billboard Year-End; #70 Cash Box Year-End). A BMI Award-winning song. Inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008.
Size: 10″ x 14″
Length: 48 pages
Contents: Cover Page; Introductory Text; Full Score; Individual Charts; and End Page.
18 Parts: Alto Sax 1-2; Tenor Sax 1-2; Baritone Sax; Trumpet 1-3; Trombone 1-3; Bass; Guitars 1-3; Timpani; Drums; and Piano (classic “big band” lineup for jazz ensembles).
(Audio Preview — Jan Berry’s brass and woodwind arrangement from the full version intended for live performances in the ’60s. The studio (hit single) version was culled from this arrangement, recorded with fewer players. The verses and outro are the same in both versions. Note: The music notation software cannot realistically reproduce the glissandos and slides written in the original music score. Otherwise, the playback is remarkably accurate.)
Distributed by: ArrangeMe and the Hal Leonard Corporation.
Licensed from: Screen Gems-EMI Music, Inc.
Available from: Sheet Music Direct, Hal Leonard’s premier outlet for digital sheet music. Also available from Sheet Music Plus.
Published: May 17, 2022 (Fiji Printing #1).
The Anaheim, Azusa & Cucamonga Sewing Circle, Book Review and Timing Association
Jan Berry’s Authentic Original Music Score
Used by the Wrecking Crew to Record the Original Song (and for live performances).
Arranged by Jan Berry
Transcribed by Mark A. Moore
Description: The B-side of Jan’s & Dean’s Top 20 hit “Ride the Wild Surf” from the fall of 1964 (#50 Cash Box; #77 Billboard). The A-side was the title track to the Columbia Pictures film Ride the Wild Surf (#16 Billboard; #23 Cash Box).
Size: 11″ x 17″
Length: 71 pages
Contents: Cover Page, Introductory Text, Full Score Studio Recording Arrangement (with Full Vocal Arrangement and Individual Charts), Full Score Alternate Brass and Woodwind Arrangement (with Individual Charts), and End Page.
Studio Recording Arrangement (20 parts): Oboe, Bassoon, Trumpet, French Horn; Guitar 1-3, Bass 1-2; Glockenspiel, Timpani, Percussion, Drums 1-2; Harpsichord, Piano; Vocals (lead, falsetto, alto, tenor, and bass).
Alternate Brass and Woodwind Arrangement (live performances) (11 parts): Alto Sax 1-2, Tenor Sax 1-2, Baritone Sax; Trumpet 1-3, Trombone 1-3.
Distributed by: ArrangeMe and the Hal Leonard Corporation.
Licensed from: Universal Music Careers.
Available from: Sheet Music Direct, Hal Leonard’s premier outlet for digital sheet music. Also available from Sheet Music Plus.
Published: July 27, 2022 (Fiji Printing #2).
“If you were a musician on a Jan & Dean session date in 1964, you knew to look hard at the part in front of you before the red recording light came on, which chart would be filled with multiple key center shifts, time signature changes and unexpected turns of harmony—the act had come a long way from “Baby Talk” or “Jennie Lee”. (“Ride the Wild Surf” has 19 different chords in it.) In the case of [“Anaheim”] Jan may have based some of his melodies on Bach’s version of the hymn “Lobt Gott…”, but to even the classically trained ear . . . the main tip of the cap is in the mid-verse instrumental breaks, which almost any listener can tell you is an homage to the Beach Boys’ then-recent hit “I Get Around”. Upon inspecting the score, I see that the rhythm and downward swoop of the first note is another. Jan’s sophisticated arrangement is full of sly humor, like the oboe, bassoon and harpsichord gamely attempting to convince the listener that the grannies are stereotypically prim and proper and would be likely listening to square, stuffy baroque music. There is even a self-reference at the end with “Go Grannies Go,” as though the infamous Little Old Lady had sisters. It is instructive to see how much Jan borrowed from Phil Spector—the double drum sets, the unusual number of guitars/basses (six), the rather large ensemble playing live in one room. Here we see Jan Berry at perhaps his finest arrangement/production hour, at the peak of his game, age a mere 23, giving Brian Wilson a run for his money. He was also smart enough to realize that at live shows, a beefier sound was called for, and a standard Big Band winds section replaced the more orchestral instruments in the alternative live arrangement. For my money, I think the song might have benefitted from having less background vocals, since the instrumental parts are so dense and lively and deserve to be better heard. (I note there were numerous vocal overdub sessions). Conceptually, [“Anaheim”] was a triumph, which regrettably was not reflected in its sales, peaking at only #77 in the Billboard charts. Modern connoisseurs of baroque pop would do well to study this outstanding piece of work by Jan Berry.“
Probyn Gregory
Multi-instrumentalist and member of Brian Wilson’s band
Batman
Jan Berry’s Authentic Original Music Score
Used by the Wrecking Crew to Record the Original Song (and for live performances).
Arranged by Jan Berry
Transcribed by Mark A. Moore
Description: Jan & Dean’s homage to the 1966 Batman television series, starring Adam West and Burt Ward as the Caped Crusaders (#60 Cash Box; #66 Billboard).
Size: 11″ x 17″
Length: 78 pages
Contents: Cover Page, Introductory Text, Full Score Studio Recording Arrangement (with Full Vocal Arrangement and Individual Charts), Full Score Alternate Brass and Woodwind Arrangement (with Individual Charts), and End Page.
Studio Recording Arrangement (18 parts): Alto Sax, Tenor Sax, Baritone Sax; Trumpet 1-3, French Horn, Trombone 1-3, Tuba; Guitar 1-3, Bass; Timpani, Drums; Piano
Vocal Arrangement (5 parts): Lead, Falsetto, Alto, Tenor, and Bass
Alternate Brass and Woodwind Arrangement (intended for live performances) (11 parts): Alto Sax, Tenor Sax, Baritone Sax; Trumpet 1-3, French Horn, Trombone 1-3, Tuba. (Audio Preview — Note: The music notation software cannot realistically reproduce the glissandos and falls written in the original music score. Otherwise, the playback is remarkably accurate.)
Distributed by: ArrangeMe and the Hal Leonard Corporation.
Licensed from: EMI Music Publishing
Available from: Sheet Music Direct, Hal Leonard’s premier outlet for digital sheet music. Also available from Sheet Music Plus.
Published: August 13, 2022 (Fiji Printing #3).
Surf City
Jan Berry’s Authentic Original Music Score
Used by the Wrecking Crew to Record the Original Song (and for live performances).
Arranged by Jan Berry
Transcribed by Mark A. Moore
Description: Jan & Dean’s blockbuster hit from the summer of 1963—the first record in the Surf genre to hit #1 nationally (#1 Billboard; #1 Cash Box; #3 R&B; #1 Australia; #26 UK; #26 Cash Box Year-End; #28 Billboard Year-End). A BMI Award-winning song.
Size: 11″ x 17″
Length: 61 pages
Contents: Cover Page, Introductory Text, Full Score Studio Recording Arrangement (with Full Vocal Arrangement and Individual Charts), Full Score Alternate Brass and Woodwind Arrangement (with Individual Charts), and End Page.
Studio Recording Arrangement (14 parts): Guitar 1-4 (with tablature), Bass (with tablature), Vibraphone, Percussion, Drums; Piano; Vocals (lead, falsetto, alto, tenor, and bass).
Alternate Brass and Woodwind Arrangement (used for live performances in the ’60s) (9 parts): Alto Sax, Tenor Sax 1-2, Baritone Sax; Trumpet 1-3, Trombone 1-2.
Distributed by: ArrangeMe and the Hal Leonard Corporation.
Licensed from: Screen Gems-EMI Music Inc.
Available from: Sheet Music Direct, Hal Leonard’s premier outlet for digital sheet music. Also available from Sheet Music Plus.
Published: September 9, 2022 (Fiji Printing #4).
It’s As Easy As 1, 2, 3
Jan Berry’s Authentic Original Music Score
Used by the Wrecking Crew to Record the Original Song (and for live performances).
Arranged by Jan Berry
Transcribed by Mark A. Moore
Description: Jan Berry’s duet with Jill Gibson, originally from Jan & Dean’s Dead Man’s Curve/The New Girl in School LP, 1964. Also a Jill Gibson solo single, 1964.
Size: 11″ x 17″
Length: 40 pages
Contents: Cover Page, Introductory Text, Full Score Studio Recording Arrangement (with Full Vocal Arrangement and Individual Charts).
Studio Recording Arrangement (15 parts): Baritone Sax, Trumpet, Flugelhorn, French Horn, Guitar 1-3 (with tablature), Bass (with tablature), Drums; Piano; Vocals (lead, soprano, alto, tenor, and bass).
Distributed by: ArrangeMe and the Hal Leonard Corporation.
Licensed from: Screen Gems-EMI Music Inc.
Available from: Sheet Music Direct, Hal Leonard’s premier outlet for digital sheet music. Also available from Sheet Music Plus.
Published: October 4, 2022 (Fiji Printing #5).
Rockin’ Little Roadster
Jan Berry’s Authentic Original Music Score
Used by the Wrecking Crew to Record the Original Song.
Arranged by Jan Berry
Transcribed by Mark A. Moore
Description: Non-single album cut from the Dead Man’s Curve/The New Girl in School LP, 1964.
Size: 11″ x 17″
Length: 44 pages
Contents: Cover Page, Introductory Text, Full Score Studio Recording Arrangement (with Full Vocal Arrangement and Individual Charts).
Studio Recording Arrangement (15 parts): Tenor Sax, Trumpet, Flugelhorn, French Horn, Guitar 1-3 (with tablature), Bass (with tablature), Drums; Piano; Vocals (lead, falsetto, alto, tenor, and bass).
Audio Preview — Jan Berry’s brass and woodwind arrangement, accompanied by parts for bass and Danelectro six-string bass (guitar), as written in the original music score used by the Wrecking Crew to record the original song.
Distributed by: ArrangeMe and the Hal Leonard Corporation.
Licensed from: Screen Gems-EMI Music Inc.
Available from: Sheet Music Direct, Hal Leonard’s premier outlet for digital sheet music. Also available from Sheet Music Plus.
Published: December 19, 2022 (Fiji Printing #6).
Pop Symphony: The Little Old Lady (from Pasadena)
Jan Berry and George Tipton’s Authentic Original Music Score
Used by the Wrecking Crew in recording the Pop Symphony LP, 1965.
Arranged by Jan Berry & George Tipton
Transcribed by Mark A. Moore
Description: The opening track of Jan’s ambitious orchestral project from 1965. Here the classic ’60s hit is re-imagined as a sophisticated Viennese Waltz.
Size: 11″ x 17″
Length: 41 pages
Contents: Cover Page, Introductory Text, Full Score and Individual Charts, and End Page.
Studio Recording Arrangement (25 parts): WOODWINDS: Flute, Oboe, Clarinet 1 (Clarinet & Flute); Clarinet 2 (Clarinet & Bass Clarinet); BRASS: French Horn 1-2, Trumpet 1-2, Trombone; STRINGS: Harp, Violin 1-8, Viola 1-2, Cello 1-2, Contrabass; RHYTHM: Guitar, Danelectro 6-String Bass Guitar, Drums, Percussion (Triangle, Piatti, Concert Bass Drum)
Distributed by: ArrangeMe and the Hal Leonard Corporation.
Licensed from: Screen Gems-EMI Music Inc. and Universal Music-Careers.
Available from: Sheet Music Direct, Hal Leonard’s premier outlet for digital sheet music. Also available from Sheet Music Plus.
Published: February 1, 2023 (Fiji Printing #7).
