Jan and Dean 1966 unaired pilot show - Wrecking Crew with live backing

[Tama CW]

Never saw this before. And what I most liked seeing was the Wrecking Crew live behind J&D (7-10 minute point of the video). I've seen almost nothing of Hal Blaine playing live....and would have loved to been just behind him once watching him play. And here you get quite a few glimpses of his style on classic 60's Jan and Dean tunes. The show is very much like the TAMI shows that were recorded live. But, in those you don't see the WC actually playing. Tommy Tedesco is another WC member I recognize. Hal Blaine gets a supporting actor role in this short as "Clobber." Pretty cool to see that. That double bass drum kit with the orchestra sort of surprised me. It does give the drummer more space to be "featured."

If you grew up in the 60's this pretty much was what you saw on TV for "teen entertainment." I'd call this short a Frankie and Annette beach movie on land. Others will see it as trying to copy the Beatles movies. This pilot was filmed right before Jan's car accident and before the Monkees TV showed aired. Quite a lot happening in 1966.

Pilot Show

 

[Peterk256]

Thanks for sharing that. I believe these are the drums from that show, displayed at the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, AZ.

 

[tommykat1]

Whoa, what a stab from the past! Very cool, thanks for posting.

 

[yetanotherdrummer]

This was going to be a weekly TV show, with Hal having a recurring part on it. But Jan's car accident changed all of that.

 

[mkelley]

Wow, that was....um...something. Love Jan and Dean and grew up with the music but the Monkees would be Shakespeare compared to that.

 

[Hop]

Wow! That was bad.

I guess having William Asher as a producer for this bomb had one perk...
Elizabeth Montgomery at 14:40:

 

[Tama CW]

A number of character actors in this short that were often seen in the 50's and 60's. And running into a very young Bo Svenson as the Smithsonian security guard was interesting. He looked very familiar but until the credits rolled, I had no idea that was him.

 

[retrosonic]

Also, if you want to see Hal Blaine, check out "The Tami Show" , and when Gerry and The Pacemakers are playing, look at the upper right corner of your screen...thats Hal watching Gerry and digging the tune.

 

[Joe A]

I read about this in Hal Blaine's autobio. This is a treasure!

This was going to be a weekly TV show, with Hal having a recurring part on it. But Jan's car accident changed all of that.

This would have made a perfectly acceptable season-length series—we'd be watching it on TV occasionally, I'm sure. There was definitely a place for it...a real tragedy with Jan, and thankfully he survived!

 

[Joe A]

Thanks for sharing that. I believe these are the drums from that show, displayed at the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, AZ.

View attachment 403030 View attachment 403031

Did he ever play both bass drums? I'd have to think that after going to Roy Knapp's school, he could at least make his feet "do that thing", but I never heard him play two that I'm aware.

 

[dboomer]

The narrator is Vin Scully!

 

[yetanotherdrummer]

Here is a better look at Hal and the double bass Ludwig set.

 

[Tama CW]

Those look like 15" hats.

 

[GeneZ]

Did he ever play both bass drums? I'd have to think that after going to Roy Knapp's school, he could at least make his feet "do that thing", but I never heard him play two that I'm aware.

I think I hear him playing both starting here... It sounded like two bass drums from where I sit.

 

[wflkurt]

Of course the two bass drums were need to get both Jan AND Dean on there...Lol. I love stuff like this. I am also a big Corvette fan and that car looks awesome! Sadly it probably the same one that Jan crashed when he had his accident. I would have loved to watch Hal play back in the day. I just love his style.

 

[Tama CW]

........I love stuff like this. I am also a big Corvette fan and that car looks awesome! Sadly it probably the same one that Jan crashed when he had his accident. I would have loved to watch Hal play back in the day. I just love his style.

The red Vette used for the video was Dean's. Jan's was white and possibly a convertible. I read this in some of the comments of the video.

 

[rhythmace]

That drum ending to "Hang On Sloopy" had both bass drums going big time. Ace

 

[Ludzil]

Man, Jan and Dean could not act. Hal Blaine could tho.

 

[retrosonic]

Hal actually had a SAG card and had appeared in some of the Elvis Movies before the Jan and Dean thing, so he was very familiar with the business.

 

[p83]

next time you watch the nutty professor, note that during buddy love's concert scene hal is right over his shoulder playing percussion and is almost always in the shot.