Gruppo vocale di veri american boy con facce pulite e capelli corti, Jay and the Americans sfoggiano un buon pop per radio e tv, con facili armonie e corretti zuccherini. Il gruppo nasce a Broolyn nel 1961 per mano di Kenny Vance (n.1942 USA), Sandy Deane (n.1941 USA, vero nome Sandy Yaguda), Marty Sanders (n.1941, USA), Howie Kane (n.1942 USA) e John "Jay" Traynor subito sostituito in veste di frontman da David "Jay" Black (n.1939 USA). Tra il 1962 e il 1970 gli Americans impongono ben 18 hits nelle classifiche Americane, quasi tutte prodotti da Wes Farrell (quello di Hang On Sloopy); tra i maggiori successi citiamo She Cried (n.5 nel 1962), Only In America (1963), Come A Little Bit Closer (III posto nel 1962), Cara Mia (n. 4 del 1965 e, successivamente riedito, n. 1 in Olanda nel 1980. Nella seconda parte del decennio sono ancora in classifica con Some Enchanted Evenings, Sunday And Me (Neil Diamond), This Magic Moment e Walking In The Rain, ultimo successo nel 1970. Il gruppo si scioglie poco dopo per dispute contrattuali con la United Artists. I soli Kenny Vance e Jay Black si faranno notare nei '70 per alcuni lavori solistici. Ricordiamo che Donald Fagen e Walter Becker (Steely Dan) prendono parte al tour d'addio del gruppo nel 1970 e compaiono in CAPTURE THE MOMENT (United Artists 1970 USA). Da parte sua Kenny Vance produrrà la colonna sonora di GOTTA WALK IT LIKE YOU TALK IT, opera prima su vinile dei futuri Steely Dan.
Trade ad for Jay and the Americans' single "Sunday And Me". 1966
Jay and the Americans were a pop music group popular in the 1960s. Their initial line-up consisted of John "Jay" Traynor, Howard Kane (né Kirschenbaum), Kenny Vance (né Rosenberg) and Sandy Deanne (né Yaguda), though their greatest success on the charts came after Traynor had been replaced as lead singer by Jay Black.
Biography
Early years
They were discovered while performing in student venues at New York University in the late 1950s. They auditioned for Leiber and Stoller, who gave the group its name.Career pinnacle
With Jay Traynor singing lead, they first hit the Billboard charts in 1962 with the tune "She Cried," which reached #5 (later covered by The Shangri-Las, Aerosmith, and others). The next two singles did not fare as well, and Traynor left the group. Jay's solo singles made little impression, but one, "Up And Over" issued on ABC in 1966 became a Northern Soul classic. Empires' guitarist Marty Sanders (né Kupersmith) joined the group. He brought David Black (né Blatt) of "The Empires" in to take Traynor's place (after David first agreed to adopt the name Jay Black), and Black sang lead for the rest of the group's major hits.[citation needed]They returned to the charts in 1963 with "Only In America," a song originally meant for The Drifters. Other notable hits for Jay and the Americans were "Come a Little Bit Closer" in 1964, which hit #3, and "Cara Mia" in 1965, which hit #4. They also recorded a commercial for H.I.S. Slacks and a public service announcement for the Ad Council, featuring a backing track by Brian Wilson and Phil Spector. Two tracks from this era later found favor with the Northern Soul crowd: "Got Hung Up Along The Way" and "Living Above Your Head".[citation needed]
In 1966, the group was featured in the Universal comedy film, Wild Wild Winter, singing "Two of a Kind" at the film's finale, with surf band The Astronauts depicted as providing backup instrumentals. As of February 2017, the song has only been released on the 1966 soundtrack LP.[citation needed]
In 1968, they recorded an album of their favorite oldies called Sands of Time, which included "This Magic Moment," which was originally done by the Drifters. The single went to #6 in early 1969. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. in May 1969. "This Magic Moment" was the last top ten record for Jay and the Americans, although a follow-up album, Wax Museum, in January 1970, did yield the #19 hit single "Walkin' In The Rain," first recorded by The Ronettes. Their next singles failed to chart, and the band grew apart, but the demand for appearances remained. (Around the same time the band recorded "This Magic Moment," Jay and the Americans member Sandy Yaguda produced a Long Island teen sextet called The Tuneful Trolley. Their late-1968 Capitol LP, Island In The Sky — a hybrid of Beach Boys and Beatlesque psych-pop—was reissued in 2008 in the UK on Now Sounds.) From 1970 to 1971 Jay and the Americans' touring band included Walter Becker and Donald Fagen (of later Steely Dan fame) on backup bass guitar and electric organ.[citation needed]
Split
The group split in 1973. All of the members moved on to solo musical careers, with the exception of Jay Black, who continued to perform as "Jay and the Americans." Black continued with a variety of musicians. Jay was featured in the PBS special Rock, Rhythm, and Doo Wop as "Jay Black & The Americans" in 2001.Their version of "Cara Mia" went to #1 in the Netherlands when it was re-released in 1980.
Sale of the band name and "reunion"
In 2006, Jay Black filed for bankruptcy due to gambling debts, and his ownership of the name "Jay & The Americans" was sold by the bankruptcy trustee to Sandy Deanne (Yaguda), Black's former band mate and original member of Jay & The Americans for $100,000. With the name purchase, former members Deanne, Howard Kane, and Marty Sanders reunited, and recruited a sound-alike singer from Chicago, coincidentally nicknamed "Jay." Thus, John "Jay" Reincke became the third "Jay" and the band returned to playing both national and international music venues. Their show covers the history of Jay and The Americans, acknowledging all three Jays and featuring all of the top hits in their original arrangements.[citation needed]David Blatt still tours under his stage name, "Jay Black". Kenny Vance is currently the lead singer of Kenny Vance and the Planotones, a neo-doo wop band that he formed in the 1970s. After leaving the group, John Traynor recorded a handful of songs on the Coral label, including "I Rise, I Fall" in 1964. None were hits, but "I Rise, I Fall" became a minor hit for Johnny Tillotson. The label billed Traynor as "JAY formerly of Jay and the Americans." Traynor toured with Jay Siegel's Tokens until shortly before his death on January 2, 2014.
Awards and recognition
The group was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2002.Members
Current members
- Sandy Deane - vocals (1960–1973, 2006-present)
- Howard Kane - vocals (1960–1973, 2006-present)
- Marty Sanders - guitar, vocals (1962-1973, 2006-present)
- Jay Reincke - lead vocals (2006-present)
Former members
- Kenny Vance - vocals (1960–1973)
- Jay Traynor - lead vocals (1960-1962)
- Jay Black - lead vocals (1962-1973)
Discography
Singles
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Record Label | B-side From same album as A-side except where indicated |
Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | AC | CB | |||||
| 1961 | "Tonight" | 120 | – | – | United Artists Records | "The Other Girls" | She Cried |
| 1962 | "She Cried" | 5 | – | 44 | "Dawning" | ||
| "This is It" | 109 | – | 83 | "It's My Turn to Cry" (Non-LP track) | Come a Little Bit Closer | ||
| "Yes" | – | – | – | "Tomorrow" (On the LP "Come a Little Bit Closer") | She Cried | ||
| 1963 | "What's the Use" | – | – | – | "Strangers Tomorrow" | Come a Little Bit Closer | |
| "Only in America" | 25 | – | 28 | "My Clair de Lune" (On the LP "She Cried") | |||
| "Come Dance with Me" | 76 | – | 82 | "Look in My Eyes Maria" | |||
| 1964 | "To Wait for Love" | – | – | – | "Friday" | ||
| "Come a Little Bit Closer" | 3 | – | 4 | "Goodbye Boys, Goodbye" | |||
| "Let's Lock the Door (And Throw Away the Key)" | 11 | – | 10 | "I'll Remember You" (From Livin' Above Your Head) | Blockbusters | ||
| 1965 | "Think of the Good Times" | 57 | – | 54 | "If You Were Mine, Girl" | ||
| "Cara Mia" | 4 | – | 4 | "When It's All Over" (Billboard #129) | |||
| "Some Enchanted Evening" | 13 | – | 15 | "Girl" | Jay & The Americans Greatest Hits! | ||
| "Sunday and Me" | 18 | – | 20 | "Through this Doorway" (from Jay & The Americans Greatest Hits!) | Sunday and Me | ||
| 1966 | "Why Can't You Bring Me Home" | 63 | – | 55 | "Baby Stop Your Cryin'" | ||
| "Crying" | 25 | – | 32 | "I Don't Need A Friend" | |||
| "Livin' Above Your Head" | 76 | – | 78 | "Look at Me, What Do You See" | Livin' Above Your Head | ||
| "(He's) Raining in My Sunshine" | 90 | – | 62 | "The Reason for Living (For You My Darling)" | Try Some of This! | ||
| 1967 | "You Ain't As Hip As All That Baby" | – | – | – | "Nature Boy" | ||
| "(We'll Meet in The) Yellow Forest" | 131 | – | 93 | "Got Hung Up Along the Way" | Non-LP tracks | ||
| "French Provincial" | – | – | – | "Shanghai Noodle Factory" | |||
| 1968 | "No Other Love" | 114 | – | 119 | "No, I Don't Know Her" | ||
| "You Ain't Gonna Wake Up Cryin'" | – | – | – | "Gemini (Don't You Ever Wonder Why)" | |||
| "This Magic Moment" | 6 | 11 | 5 | "Since I Don't Have You" | Sands of Time | ||
| 1969 | "When You Dance" | 70 | – | 41 | "No, I Don't Know Her" (Non-LP track) | ||
| "Hushabye" | 62 | 31 | 45 | "Gypsy Woman" (Non-LP track) | |||
| "(I'd Kill) For the Love of a Lady" | – | – | 113 | "Learnin' How to Fly" | Capture The Moment | ||
| "Walkin' in the Rain" | 19 | 8 | 14 | "For the Love of a Lady" (From Capture The Moment) | Wax Museum, Vol. 1 | ||
| 1970 | "Capture The Moment" | 57 | 32 | 45 | "Do You Ever Think of Me" (Non-LP track) | Capture The Moment | |
| "Do I Love You?" | 93 | – | 123 | "Tricia (Tell Your Daddy)" (From Capture The Moment) | Wax Museum, Vol. 1 | ||
| 1971 | "There Goes My Baby" | 90 | – | - | "Solitary Man" | Non-LP tracks | |
Albums
| Year | Album | Billboard 200 | Cashbox | Record Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | She Cried | – | – | United Artists Records |
| 1962 | At the Cafe Wha? (Live Album) | – | – | |
| 1964 | Come a Little Bit Closer | 131 | 88 | |
| 1965 | Blockbusters | 113 | 73 | |
| 1966 | Sunday and Me | 141 | – | |
| Livin' Above Your Head | – | – | ||
| 1967 | Try Some of This! | – | – | |
| 1969 | Sands of Time | 51 | 30 | |
| 1970 | Wax Museum | 105 | 68 | |
| Wax Museum, Vol. 2 | – | – | ||
| Capture The Moment | – | – |
Compilation Albums
| Year | Album | Billboard 200 | Cashbox | Record Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | Jay & The Americans Greatest Hits | 21 | 58 | United Artists Records |
| 1966 | Jay & The American Greatest Hits, Volume 2 | – | – | |
| 1968 | Jay & The Americans!! | – | – | Sunset Records |
| 1969 | Early American Hits | – | – | |
| 1991 | Come A Little Bit Closer: The Best of Jay and The Americans | – | – | EMI Records |
| 1997 | Masterworks 1961-1971 (3 CDs) | – | – | United American Records |
Mix - Jay & The Americans - Greatest Hits [HQ]
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Jay & The Americans - Cara Mia - YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sFy5_kmEi4
30 lug 2006 - Caricato da flydguzmon
Jay & The Americans Perform "Cara Mia" On Shindig In 1965.
Jay and the Americans - Come A Little Bit Closer (Shindig - Oct 21 ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8lRsmyRJg8
20 ott 2011 - Caricato da John1948SIxC
Jay and the Americans was a pop music group popular in the 1960s. Their initial lineup consisted of John "Jay ...
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