Dean Torrence’s The Teammates: Twenty Years Of Making Music 1965-1985 (out October 14th, 2022 via Omnivore Recordings) is a curated collection that traverses the decades of the various musical teams Torrence has captained.

Whether it was in the producer’s chair, behind the microphone or putting together musical entities, Dean has done it all.

This collection includes many of Dean’s rare collaborations with the likes of Mike Love, Jan Berry, Bruce Johnston, Harry Nilsson, and Leon Russell.

The Teammates: Twenty Years Of Making Music 1965-1985 also offers extensive liner notes by Torrence, a track-by-track conversation with David Beard on the album’s contents and a forward by longtime Jan & Dean associate, and entertainment executive Winston Simone.

1. Buy Our Album – The Legendary Masked Surfers
2. Summertime, Summertime – Our Gang
3. The Theme From Leon’s Garage – Our Gang
4. Louisiana Man – Jan & Dean
5. Snowflakes On Laughing Gravy’s Whiskers – The Laughing Gravy
6. Vegetables (Alternate Mix) – The Laughing Gravy
7. Moving Day – Locksley Hall
8. It’s A Beautiful Day – Hogfat Cantina Singers & Bel Air Bandits
9. Just Keep It Up – Terry Melcher, Bruce Johnston, Dean Torrence
10. Love Lace – Terry Melcher, Bruce Johnston, Dean Torrence
11. A Teenager In Love – Dean Torrence
12. I Only Have Eyes For You – Dean Torrence
13. Get A Job – Dean Torrence
14. One Summer Night – Dean Torrence
15. Dead Man’s Curve (Dr. Landy Version) – Dean Torrence
16. Be True To Your Bud (Budweiser Fight Song) – Mike & Dean
17. Lightnin’ Strikes – Mike & Dean
18. Her Boyfriend’s Back – Mike & Dean
19. Alley Oop – Mike & Dean
20. Jingle Bell Rock – Mike & Dean
21. Ride The Wild Surf – Flo & Eddie with Dean Torrence
22. Order Our Album – The Legendary Masked Surfers
23. Fun, Fun, Fun (Commercial) – Mike & Dean

Tracks 1, 4, 6–10, 15, 21–23 previously unissued.

On this simply brilliant new collection of tunes, that are noticeably about friendship, being buddies, and having teammates in life, this true team effort (from behind the scenes to the music itself) kicks things off with the short, tongue in cheek Buy Our Album (The Legendary Masked Surfers) and the Beach Boys-imbibed Summertime, Summertime (Our Gang) and then brings us the surfing melodies within The Theme From Leon’s Garage (Our Gang), the chatty session intro to the scratchy blues of Louisiana Man (Jan & Dean), the old timey lean of Snowflakes On Laughing Gravy’s Whiskers (The Laughing Gravy), an alternate mix of Vegetables (The Laughing Gravy), the light and airy magnificence of Moving Day (Locksley Hall), and then we get delivered the upbeat and perky, finger-clicking It’s A Beautiful Day (Hogfat Cantina Singers & Bel Air Bandits), a pair from Terry Melcher, Bruce Johnston, Dean Torrence; the drum-led, funky guitar and pop bounce of Just Keep It Up and then the rhythmic pop flow of Love Lace, before the mellow pop of A Teenager In Love (Dean Torrence) is laid before us.

A quartet from Dean Torrence are up next in the shape of the laid low, mid-tempo balladry of I Only Have Eyes For You, a great rendition of the Silhouettes’ foot-tapper Get A Job, the reaching, soulful Dead Man’s Curve (Dr. Landy Version), and then the horn-imbibed surfer ode One Summer Night, and those are lovingly followed by a quintet from Mike & Dean; the free flowing Be True To Your Bud (Budweiser Fight Song), the drum-led Lightnin’ Strikes, their rendition of The Angels’ of Her Boyfriend’s Back, the finger-snapping Alley Oop 9which was a song inspired by the V. T. Hamlin-created comic strip of the same name), and then the sentimental Holiday tune Jingle Bell Rock is brought out, with the recording coming to a close on the gently frenetic surfer song Ride The Wild Surf (Flo & Eddie with Dean Torrence), the instructive book ending Order Our Album (The Legendary Masked Surfers), and then, finally, we get the rambunctious Fun, Fun, Fun (Commercial) by Mike & Dean.

Teaming with The Beach Boys/Jan & Dean historian David Beard (also editor/publisher of Endless Summer Quarterly), Torrence raided his vaults and discovered previously unreleased recordings from 1965–1985. Beginning with the ultra-rare single of “Summertime, Summertime” by Our Gang (never available on CD and taken from the original 2-track master), this collection is a treasure trove of rarities and previously unheard music.

There are alternate recordings by Jan & Dean, never before heard music from 1973 by Terry Melcher, Bruce Johnston & Torrence, and a slew of rare tracks by Mike (Love of The Beach Boys) & Dean from the early ’80s that has never been made available on CD or digitally until now!

Omnivore Recordings is proud to continue its association with Dean Torrence on this exciting and rare compilation of historical music from one of the early progenitors of rock ’n’ roll.

Official Purchase Link