Dead Man’s Curve – Jan & Dean | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop (#8); 1964
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
The saying goes that art often imitates life, yet, in the tragic case of Jan Berry, life imitated art. Jan and high school buddy Dean Torrence teamed up with Arnie Ginsberg, and adjourned to a makeshift recording setup in Jan’s garage where they crafted Jennie Lee, inspired by a local stripper.
Released by “Jan & Arnie” (Dean was in the Army Reserves), Jennie Lee bumped to #8 in 1958. After Dean’s return, he and Jan reached #10 in 1959 with Baby Talk. Four years later, Surf City put them on the map permanently.
In 1963 Jan and LA deejay Roger Christian co-penned a song inspired by a dangerous stretch of Sunset Boulevard known as Dead Man’s Curve. The song – featuring Roger’s XKE and Jan’s Stingray – peaked at #8 in May of 1964.
On April 19, 1966, Jan slammed his Corvette into a parked truck on Dead Man’s Curve, suffering severe brain damage. After years of rehabilitation, Jan returned to performing until his death on March 26, 2004; exactly 40 years after Dead Man’s Curve entered the Top 40.
This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.
Produced by:
- Jan Berry for Screen Gems, Inc.
Lyrics Written by:
- Jan Berry
- Roger Christian
- Brian Wilson
- Artie Kornfeld
Ed Osborne
Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).