Few musicians can say they out-charted Paul McCartney. But in the 1970s, John Dean did it. From the late '60s
all the way through the charming new songs he performed live for
our little podcast, Dean's perfect pitch and sincere vocal
melodies continue to stand the test of time. A-Bomb producer and
co-founder Justin Birchard jumped at the opportunity to interview
Dean when the two crossed paths 700-plus miles away from the Seven Sided River House.
 |
| John's outdoor shed has a backdoor that leads to his hideaway studio. |
 |
| Justin interviews John in his cozy recording studio. |
At age 12, Dean performed in a
smoke-filled tavern for the first time (and yes, the band had to
whisk him in the back door). Before he knew it, throngs of 50 to 100
neighborhood teens would be showing up just to hear him and his
brothers practice at their home in the town of Skaneateles, New York.
"My parents -- god, they were so tolerable!" said the
multi-instrumentalist, still seeming surprised at the fertile,
supportive environment that fostered a local music scene. "That's
when we first started going, 'Do we want to go to college, or do we
want to keep doing this?'" Dean and his brothers quickly built a
dedicated following. Their talent was the product of growing up among
eight kids in a very musical family, led by a mother who regularly
played a Hammond B-3 organ. The atmosphere produced several bands,
most notably the Dean Brothers Band.
 |
| The Dean Brothers first LP "As They Are" |
 |
| An original Dean Brothers concert poster circa 1970's |
Peaking from 1972 to 1976, they
rejected record deals, played huge shows and ran down their dreams.
Fans today still treasure the Dean Brothers album "As They Are",
plump with hits such as "Who Loves You?" and "Sell My Misery". But the Deans always held to their principles, turning
down label-offered opportunities to play lollipop tunes (with lyrics
like "Gee, it's so nice to be with you") in favor of
personal lyrics, intricately woven harmonies, and folky, rock 'n'
roll infusions.
The Dean Brothers then and now:
 |
| 70's Dean Brothers |
 |
| 80's Dean Brothers |
 |
| Dean Brothers today |
In 2009 the Dean Brothers were inducted into the SAMMY's Hall of Fame. It was a tremendous honor for the quartet and a tribute to their continuing impact on the region.
Today John Dean is still going strong, as evidenced by the brand-new song "Ring Thing". He graciously gave A-Bomb a live performance of the endearing ditty, which can be heard here in Episode 5. It's clear that John hasn't lost his fastball. Once he starts singing, you know you're hearing somebody special. "I remember as a little kid, hearing the Everly Brothers, looking up at the radio, and thinking they were in there," Dean chuckled. "I remember thinking at 8 or 9 years old, I'm gonna do that." Well done, John.
Today John Dean is still going strong, as evidenced by the brand-new song "Ring Thing". He graciously gave A-Bomb a live performance of the endearing ditty, which can be heard here in Episode 5. It's clear that John hasn't lost his fastball. Once he starts singing, you know you're hearing somebody special. "I remember as a little kid, hearing the Everly Brothers, looking up at the radio, and thinking they were in there," Dean chuckled. "I remember thinking at 8 or 9 years old, I'm gonna do that." Well done, John.
John also performed a beautiful bonus
song for us called “Still Do”, you can see videos of both
performances below--
"Ring Thing" live performance by John Dean:
"Still Do" SPECIAL BONUS live performance by John Dean:
In Episode 5 you'll also hear the Dean Brothers' tune “Mars”, a song written in the 70's that
daydreams about exploring the surface of Mars. In a cosmic
coincidence that defies all rational explanation, many years later
John had a daughter who went on to work for NASA as part of the Mars
Rover team. She currently still works for NASA and operates the
camera's on the Opportunity Rover. Wow!
 |
| John's daughter currently operates the cameras on NASA's "Opportunity" Mars Rover |
Currently John can be found performing
all across the Syracuse region of New York, sometimes solo,
sometimes with his new band Dean's List, and sometimes with the
original Dean Brothers crew. For all the latest news and show dates
make sure to stay tuned to their facebook pages:
You can also find The Dean Brothers on Spotify!
----------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------
Links to John's music:
"As They Are" by the Dean Brothers. The original 1976 album with 12 songs.
"Live at the Red House" 2012 live album with 13 songs.
John's 10-song 2016 album "Still Do" and his three other solo albums can be found here.
----------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------
Here are two great articles where you can learn more about the history of the Dean Brothers and other prominent artists from Syracuse region of New York:
-->History of Syracuse Music Blog: The Dean Brothers Band
-->Artist Trove Blog- The Dean Brothers
----------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------
Astute observers may be wondering why a guy who was born and raised in New York is wearing a Cubs hat. Well as it turns out John's nephew Dylan Cease is a top pitching prospect for the Chicago Cubs!
After the interview John took Justin
and the Broadways for a cruise on his sailboat:
Listen to past episodes here: A-Bomb Audio Podcast Season 1
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
About A-Bomb Audio
Our first season premiered on May 4,
2016. Episodes are released on the first Wednesday of each month, and
the first season will be six episodes long. After the first season
concludes, we'll release an EP showcasing all the songs recorded live
in-studio at the Seven Sided River House in North Aurora,
Illinois.
Each show will also have a corresponding blog that will include photos, videos and/or links to our guest's websites and social media pages.
We hope you'll enjoy this project as much as we do! Thank you for listening.A-Bomb Audio is sponsored by 7sidedrecords.com
Each show will also have a corresponding blog that will include photos, videos and/or links to our guest's websites and social media pages.
We hope you'll enjoy this project as much as we do! Thank you for listening.A-Bomb Audio is sponsored by 7sidedrecords.com
A-Bomb Audio was created by Jeff Stogis and Justin Birchard
Episode 5 host: Justin Birchard
Episode 5 voice-overs and commentary: Jeff Stogis and Chris Shern
Producer: Justin Birchard
Sound engineering
and design: Justin Birchard
Episode 5 production assistance: Jeff Stogis and Mary Broadway
Bloggage:
Jeff Goluszka and Justin Birchard
