Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys Talks About Jan Berry: "Encomium In Memoriam Vol. 1" 

God talk about courage,its hard to think anyone could survive that crash.Thnx to Dean for keeping his memory alive.

R.I.P. Jan Berry...we miss you!!!

Jan accomplished a hell of a lot after that freakin crash...most people would've folded the tent and vegatated...not Jan he was too busy living free and easy! Rest In Peace Jan Berry.

Real guys. Real music. What an era it was. Please send me back in time. George Vreeland Hill

Now, I like Jan Berry even more after hearing about the shaving or whipped cream he sprayed on Mike Love's face. Jan and Dean cut some really good songs that I never heard before. And Dead Man's Curve was and always will be a classic. To those who criticize Wilson and Berry shame on you. Some of the comments I read were callous and heartless. How many gold records or timeless songs have they contributed for our ears?

Jan & Dean where a wonderful duo. Love all of there material from surf city to batman. Awsome wonderful stuff. Miss ya Jan

Brian did a great interview; enthusiastic and animated, more than usual about Jan's work and how it influenced him. I give them both lots of credit for continuing in music after whatever health issues befell them. Brian is back, creating and touring better than 40 years ago!

Brian Wilson's solo output throughout the early 2000s is by far amongst the best in music at large. We are truly blessed to still have a genius of his calibre among us. And of course the late, great Jan Berry was likewise worthy of such accolades.

Brian suffered some drug induced trauma due to Landy's overprescription of tranqs. Landy needed Wilson to be tranquilized in order to make him pliable and acquiescent to his demands. He is indeed doing much better now but the physical effects are marked and noticeable, in addition to his documented shyness. But in any case Brian Wilson is in a much happier place than he's ever been simply because he has finally realized that his work is very much appreciated as a national treasure!

Was able to get Jan Berry back stage to see Brian after the millenium concert at Redondo Beach (Jan had the seat next to me and Brians ex wife was on the other side. Jan was grooving to a lot of the music that night.

R.I.P. Jan Berry passed away on this date in 2004 at age 62... {Mar. 26th}

My aunt used to babysit Brian and his brothers, for a few years, when they lived in Hawthorne.

I love Brian

Jan bears an uncanny resemblance to John Candy when he's playing that little keyboard. Saddest thinng I ever saw was Jan standing alone at the corner of Sweetzer and Santa Monica Blvd with his dog...the cars passing by, and nobody having a clue as to who he was.

they never thought jan would sing again untill they went on tour and he was going to lipsink with a singer behind the curtain but he got mad and started to sing to prove he could to everybodys amazement he sang better then he talked so he didnot need any backup

So sad, Jan was so talented. I don't know what's worse, how damaged Brian ended up or Jan before we lost him. And then there was Denny at the end=( The talent in those 3 tripled any of whats out there in the "music industry" now.

problems or not, people putting down brian or jan is just stupid because theyre making music and have a good life, not sitting on the computer posting negative things

Jan Berry was partially paralyzed in a near-fatal car crash in 1966. The effects of the crash impaired him for the rest of his too-short life. Brian is admittedly a different story :(

It's called The Aneheim Asusa and Cucumonga Sewing Circle Book Review and Timing Association. Long title-one of Jan's best productions

That tells me a lot what a person you are. Brian is the worlds most respected composer, producer and arranger. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame refers to Wilson on its website as "One of the few undisputed geniuses in popular music." In 2008, Rolling Stone magazine published a list of the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time, and Wilson was ranked at #52. Learn some history and you will change your attitude.

Awsome clip, thanks for posting.

Brian's use of LSD in the '60s has been overblown quite a bit. He did some in the 1965-67 period or so and almost none after. His main drugs were mostly pot, speed and "uppers". Brian's speech is affected not so much by illegal drugs, but by prescription drugs that his controversial former therapist/Svengali Eugene Landy gave him WAY too much of back in the '80s. Brian was too doped up for a long time. He's doing much better now.

@caraphyllis I grew up listening to these guys and jan and dean. Love them both. I am not sure but I think a little of the speech problem was related to a hearing problem as well. He wrote and composed so much outstanding music it is amazing, especially with the treatment he got from his father.

Brian's use of LSD in the '60s has been overblown quite a bit. He did some in the 1965-67 period or so and almost none after. His main drugs were mostly pot, speed and "uppers". Brian's speech is affected not so much by illegal drugs, but by prescription drugs that his controversial former therapist/Svengali Eugene Landy gave him WAY too much of back in the '80s. Brian also talks towards his right ear a little because he is almost completely deaf in that ear, since childhood.

In their biopic Deadmans Curve Jan Berry already injured is shown singing "little lovely lady she 's my lady . she's my baby during recovery period. I don't know that he finished that tune

I don't know if I agree. I think Mike's "I want money"-based character allowed the Beach Boys to sell more records, thus giving the band more clout and allowing Brian more freedom to do what he wanted. While Mike certainly did not do all of the songwriting he claims to have done, his lyrics for certain songs (such as "California Girls") did appeal to a much broader audience than many of Brian's lyrics (such as those of "Let Him Run Wild"). That's important, even if Mike is an ass.

07:09 Wow, sounds like they were a bunch of really wild and crazy guys..

Wow, Jan shows the effects of his horrific crash (how did he survive?) and Brian also seems a little out of it, but Jan and Dean were on so many other bands recordings, Beachboys, Riventons, etc.. any stories from those who knew them? would be great to read

Brian was/is much better than John Lennon could ever have hoped to be. Simple as that. If anything, Lennon could have been a 2nd Brian Wilson if he applied himself a bit more.

The Beach Boys backed up Jan & Dean on Surfin and Surfin Safari on the Linda album.Brian did some background vocals on Surf City.He may have done some background vocals on Drag City and Deadman's Curve,but I'm not positive. It really wasn't as much as people say.The two groups really didn't sing on each others records as much as some books claim.I think Dean sang a little with the Beach Boys on a couple of late 60's songs.Not a lot though.

@runeguldberg I don´t care at all what Rolling Stone says (specially if he´s in number 52!!!); he´s a genius and we love him aside from what the media indicates. I also think John Lydon is a genius too and he probably won´t be nominated on that list... Anyway, rock and roll hall of fame, Rolling Stone, billboard, the oscars... all media for the system. All related to commerce. Artists don´t need the system to be called "great artists".

@Foxwagon1 No, Chuck Berry got credit for "Surfin USA" not FFF

Cool man. What are your recollections of the 'Dead Mans Curve' days?

I once met Dean Torrance, but not Jan Berry. I knew Jan Berry's co-writer, Roger Christian. Roger never got the credit he should have for many of J&D songs.

@Foxwagon1 The opening guitar intro for "Fun Fun Fun" was similar to Johnny B. Goode, but Chuck didn't receive any songwriting credit for that one. Chuck did get credit for "Surfin' USA" - which was the same tune as his own "Sweet Little Sixteen."

"Little Lovely Lady" the song in Dead Man's Curve was written by Jimmy D Armstrong and Mark Ward of Papa Doo Run Run. They wrote it between takes while Papa was filming their scenes in the movie. Director Jacob Zillberg asked them to quickly write a song after finding they couldn't get clearance in time to use "Mother Earth". Much has been written over the years about this song, where is it - who has it etc.? Rumor is Dean & Papa (w/Jan?) have a near finished version recorded circa 1979.

The Chuck Berry song that Surfin USA is similar to is Sweet Little Sixteen, and the intro of Fun Fun Fun is similar to Johnny B Goode's intro.

But Brian gave Jan and Dean a Song ... (name it) Plus there were covers reworded by J&D like sidewalk surfin which was a rip off of BB's Catch a Wave

@caraphyllis dont worry too much about the remarks made teenagers and idiots make themselves obvious.

Brian is definitely under the influence of SOMETHING in this vid. Probably prescribed meds.

Not condoning drugs here, but as far as Brian - he 'dealt' with a unique case of bi-polar disorder (undiagnosed for years)...not until the late '80s was he treated with proper medication. Jan Berry should have died from that car accident in '67, but miraculously came back. Do some research on these people before you criticize them.

yeah, he'd stay up for days on speed, in the pool

In this clip they showed a Warner Bros. acetate of an Lp worth of interesting tracks. Is this something you can post?

He reminds me of Ozzy. I guess when you're doing drugs, you don't think about what you'll be like when you're 50.

Please can you tell some stories from your aunt?

Brian sounds like bobby the brain

Obvious your not a psychiatrist. Your facts are wrong. He is a survivor of the rockstar lifestyle. Wilson's drug regimen is a mild combination of antidepressants. He has been touring for years.

Just think if Brian Wilson would have ditch that no-talent money grabbing Mike Love and had Jan Berry.They would have been untouchable.

What caused yours?

Proving once again that Brian Wilson is absolutely insane.

they shot him with whip cream...isnt dat funny? ^_^..(person the left nodding) yes brian that is funny yes brian.

Sometimes you forget who was in the car accident, Brian Wilson or Jan Berry! Apparently SURF music eats your brain!

Brian has always been a bit off You can hear him in video's from the early 70's and he was like that then Genius has it's price I guess

Why are these guys so faded the hell out??? Lemme guess.. drugs? Experimental and incontrolled??? hmmm I see the future in the past.

@runeguldberg I don´t care at all what Rolling Stone says (specially if he´s in number 52!!!); he´s a genius and we love him aside from what the media indicates. I also think John Lydon is a genius too and he probably won´t be nominated on that list... Anyway, rock and roll hall of fame, Rolling Stone, billboard, the oscars... all media for the system. All related to commerce. Artists don´t need the system to be called "great artists".