Stars of Surf City

Surf City, here we come.

Chances are, you’ve heard those upbeat, happy-go-lucky words blare

across radio stations throughout the years -- some 30-plus, to be more

precise.

Well, come Saturday night at the Waterfront Hilton, Dean Torrence, one

of the two voices behind the smash hit, Surf City, and the Surf City

All-Star Band, will perform the hits that idealized the Southern

California beach lifestyle at the fifth annual Golden West College

Foundation fund-raising gala.

Torrence was one half of the 60s pop duo, Jan & Dean, whose surf- and

car-themed songs included the No. 1 hits, Surf City and Honolulu Lulu,

and such classics as Little Old Lady from Pasadena and Deadman’s Curve.

The duo was honorably mentioned at this year’s American Music Awards

national broadcast.

He now sings all the Jan & Dean hits with the Surf City All-Star Band,

a blend of members from the Beach Boys, Jan & Dean and The Ventures.

They perform songs from Jan & Dean and the Beach Boys that re-create

what Torrence, a Huntington Beach resident, calls the “California

experience.”

“Our music is intended to be nostalgic, but we take it very

seriously,” said the 61-year-old husband and father of two. “We

incorporate audience participation and our show also includes what we

call a meet and greet where we pose for pictures, sign autographs and do

interviews. We’re having a blast with this.”

The Surf City All-Stars was formed in the early 1980s when Jan Berry

couldn’t perform with Jan & Dean, due to occasional health problems. Each

band member has a long career in surf and beach music. Most of the

members have, at one time or another, toured or recorded with the Beach

Boys.

“We had a friendly competition with the Beach Boys,” Torrence said of

Jan & Dean. “We tried to outdo each other but we also inspired each

other. We even shared recording secrets with each other.”

Surf City All-Stars band members include Gary Griffin on keyboards,

Dave Logeman on drums, Randell Kirsch and Don Raymond on guitar/bass and

Huntington Beach police officer Steve Fulmer on steal drums. The band

recently added Philip Bardowell on guitar and vocals.

Bardowell took Carl Wilson’s place and performed with the Beach Boys

for the last few years.

Actor John Stamos has also been known to show up at a concert and play

a set or two with the band.

The band garnered 14 Gold records, 26 chart records and three Grammy

nominations -- with one win, in its illustrious career, and helped the

City of Huntington Beach copyright the slogan, Surf City, as the city’s

official nickname.

“We have played at every major state fair that there is and we may be

playing at the upcoming Orange County fair,” Torrence said.

The duo, Jan & Dean, Torrence said, was formed somewhat by accident.

The two played football together at University High in West Los Angeles

and had lockers next to one another. They used to “goof around” and belt

out songs in the locker room, where the acoustics were “awesome,” he

said.

“It was Jan’s idea that once the football season was over to go to his

house and lay down some tracks. On a tape recorder -- a o7 tape

recorderf7 . Imagine that,” he said.

Jan & Dean had their first bona fide hit in 1959 with the top 10

single, “Baby Talk.” It was the beginning of bigger things to come.

The equipment used for stage shows was raw back in his hay day,

Torrence said, who added, “I am almost sure that our shows were pretty

much just us singing and playing, and whatever problems we may have had

during a show were drowned out by screaming fans.”

But those fanatical screams turned into prayers of concern in 1966

when, at the height of the band’s popularity, Berry, then 25, was

seriously injured in an automobile accident, which left him in a coma for

nearly a month. Berry never fully recovered although he did make a

remarkable comeback from the near-fatal accident.

Berry’s health has declined over the past few years. Torrence and his

Jan & Dean bandmates, who have been together for more than 20 years,

decided to reorganize and forge out on their own.

Berry still performs on occasion with the band.

“Surf City was lucky for me a long time ago . . . maybe it can bring

us good luck again, Torrence said.

* MIKE SCIACCA is the education and sports reporter. He can be reached

at (714) 965-7171 or by e-mail at [email protected].