|
Did you ever wonder who was doing the red-hot "rebel yell" at
the top of the soundtrack on the film: PULP FICTION? Or, who's
been carrying MAZDA and DOMINO'S PIZZA commercials to a new high
with the same glass-shattering yell,while backing up good ole'
DICK DALE on a hot rhythm guitar? It's JAN DAVIS, and this is his
official website!
Back in the "Miserlou" era, Dick Dale
was riding waves of popularity with his surfin' guitar and the Deltones,
while Jan was working nonstop as one of the most booked studio musicians
whenever gigs called for an unforgettable lead or rhythm guitar.
Jan wasn't much into surf sounds then, as he was way into Rock 'n
Roll with his custom blue Fender guitar.
Jan graduated from being a recognized teen-player when he opted into doing lead
guitar with the ever-popular B. BUMBLE & THE STINGERS. He was even named
group leader while the Stingers were still a struggling bunch of studio musicians,
mainly for Jan's songwriting and guitar ability. Their innovative instrumental
tunes are still being aired and CD's are selling, worldwide.
Jan's next venture turned out, ironically, to be a blessing for one of the hottest
instrumental groups of the mid-sixties, THE VENTURES, when Jan co-wrote and played
lead guitar on "The Fugitive." No sooner did A & M Records sign Jan, realizing
his potential with the hit sounds of this cut, it was covered by The Ventures
and immediately took off. The single consolation, over time, was that "The Fugitive" is
included on numerous VENTURE albums, crediting Davis as co-writer.
Jan continued the battle for popularity by taking up acoustic guitar and continues
to be praised by his peers for his unusual guitar tuning ability, which Jan terms
as: Hawaiian tuning. Many guitarists of our time have attempted to duplicate
Jan's artistry on guitar, to no avail.
Jan and another professional singer-musician, Lee Charles, were chosen to play
and sing at the Sahara Hotel in Lake Tahoe, for a fun gig that put their names
on the highway billboards, with mega success! They were later booked at the (Frank
Sinatra owned) Cal Neva Lodge, Lake Tahoe, and gained even more popularity, as
many famous personalities were very impressed with this duo's hot act!
Soon, Jan took his acoustic guitar to another level. Influenced by SABICAS, he
found his niche in a danceable Flamenco style, as heard on his "Hot Sauce" a
Top-Ten Adult Contemporary charting hit on Billboard. To Jan's dismay, as this
hot album cut rose to fame, the record label sat back and waited to see what
would happen with the cut, rather than promoting the hit single, and lost all
momentum along the way. This was yet another blow to Jan's ego and career. "Now
what?" was all Jan could say.
By this time, Jan had written and produced numerous instrumentals, each with
its own Flamenco flavor. His guru was Mr. Rene' J. Hall, who wrote most of Jan's
arrangements, from his early beginning with B. Bumble & The Stingers. Only
now it was time to move on. On they did, to the concert circuit.
Jan told us, "One of the biggest thrills of my life was playing solo guitar in
front of Philharmonic orchestras, and the most memorable was with Rene' J. Hall
arranging and conducting. Those were times that I'll always cherish and I hope
Rene's spirit stays with me."
Film and music video scoring was something Jan had always wanted to do. A video
shoot was set up, using the rugged and beautiful California coastline, including
Corona del Mar, Laguna and Newport Beach as a backdrop. Jan wrote and arranged
a nine-selection score entitled, "Concert By The Sea," This soundtrack is a
major accomplishment, as Jan performs on video his Flamenco, Classical and even
a jazz composition, on dual acoustic guitars. Close up shots of his guitar fingering
are extraordinary. These fantastic selections were so well received, it's also
a CD album, released on the Stone Tiger Music Music Label.
Jan's fans asked, "Can you sing?" This was the beginning of The Spain Gang. Jan
brought together seven of the finest musicians he could find and formed a group
unlike any others around. They all love "Bad Boy" Jan's Flamenco-based concepts
and they found out he could sing!
The Spain Gang's first release was a CD EP on the Stone Tiger label entitled "I
Loved You Too Much." Radio stations from New York to Hawaii soon picked the lead
cut of the same title to be on their Top 30 playlists, mainly due to the hard-hitting
lyric, immediately used on a PSA, (Public Service Announcement) broadcasted nationally,
with Jan Davis as national spokesman for abused and battered women.
All players in The Spain Gang also related to the English and Spanish versions
of "Coyote," also included on the EP. These two popular cuts were selected as
the only vocals out of 18 selections on their CD album: Rock 'N' Flamenco. Listen,
and you'll hear why "Coyote" was chosen for its vocal content. Upon early release
of "Rock 'N' Flamenco," the lead cut, "Flamenco Loco," charted at ..8 on Latin
charts across the USA and is still going strong in dance clubs everywhere.
"Jan Davis-Diversified Genres," CD album, contains two or more cuts from five
of his albums. You'll hear "Shazzam," (Rock) with its controversial PMS lyric. "Piece
of My Heart," (Rock) A red-hot Janis Joplin remake! Altogether, there are more
than twenty different genres heard, including Smooth Jazz, Latin, Blues, Classical,
New Age and Pop!
"Jan Davis-Blast from the Past" gives fans 16 of his most popular guitar instrumentals
from the 60s and 70s. This "Blast" is a hit at most major Internet download sites.
The music of Jan Davis is available for purchase at the Stone Tiger Music website. Stone Tiger Music is also home to other music legends
such as Ernie "In the Mood" Fields and his Orchestra, and B. Bumble and the Stingers!
This album contains music from the following
genres:
60's Surf, Rock Vocals (guitar driven), Smooth Jazz, Electric
Guitar, Film Instrumentals, Spanish Guitar Instrumentals |
