Джей и американцы: История американской рок-группы 60-х

1960s American rock band

Jay and the Americans are an American rock group who formed in the late 1950s. Their initial line up consisted of John "Jay" Traynor, Howie Kane (born Howard Kirschenbaum), Kenny Vance (born Kenneth Rosenberg) and Sandy Deanne (born Louis Sandy Yaguda), though their greatest success on the charts came after Traynor had been replaced as lead singer by Jay Black (born David Blatt) and Marty Sanders (born Martin Joe Kupersmith) were added to the line up. They were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2002.

Originally called The Harborlites, 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.

Soon they signed with United Artists Records. 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. "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. Becker and Fagen also contributed string and horn arrangements to the 1970 Jay and the Americans album Capture the Moment.

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", using a variety of musicians. The original version of "Cara Mia" went to #1 in the Netherlands when it was re released in 1980. In 1991 EMI released the material on CD for the first time with the collection Come A Little Bit Closer. In 2001, he was featured in the PBS special Rock, Rhythm, and Doo Wop as "Jay Black & The Americans".

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 bandmate 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. Until 2017, David Blatt continued to tour under his stage name, "Jay Black". he continued to perform until 2017. 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. Black died on October 22, 2021, from complications of pneumonia and dementia. In a statement, Jay and the Americans acknowledged that Black and the rest of the group had experienced "both wonderful and very contentious times" but that they respected the success that they achieved with Black as their lead singer.

The group was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2002.

Year Album Peak chart positions Record Label US 200 USAC USCB CAN RPM 1961 "Tonight" 120 — — — "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" (from 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" (from 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 1 "Goodbye Boys, Goodbye" "Let's Lock the Door (And Throw Away the Key)" 11 — 10 9 "I'll Remember You" (from Livin' Above Your Head) Blockbusters 1965 "Think of the Good Times" 57 — 54 31 "If You Were Mine, Girl" "Cara Mia" 4 — 4 1 "When It's All Over" (Billboard #129) "Some Enchanted Evening" 13 — 15 5 "Girl" Jay & the Americans Greatest Hits! "Sunday and Me" 18 — 20 6 "Through This Doorway" (from Jay & the Americans Greatest Hits!) Sunday and Me 1966 "Why Can't You Bring Me Home" 63 — 55 16 "Baby Stop Your Cryin'" "Crying" 25 — 32 33 "I Don't Need a Friend" "Livin' Above Your Head" 76 — 78 38 "Look at Me, What Do You See" Livin' Above Your Head "(He's) Raining in My Sunshine" 90 — 62 60 "The Reason for Living (For You My Darling)"(from Livin' Above Your Head) 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 75 "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" (from Capture the Moment) "You Ain't Gonna Wake Up Cryin'" — — — — "Gemini (Don't You Ever Wonder Why)" "This Magic Moment" 6 11 5 1 "Since I Don't Have You" Sands of Time 1969 "When You Dance" 70 — 41 40 "No, I Don't Know Her" (from Capture The Moment) "Hushabye" 62 31 45 42 "Gypsy Woman" "(I'd Kill) For the Love of a Lady" — — 113 — "Learnin' How to Fly" Capture the Moment "Walkin' in the Rain" 19 8 14 17 "For the Love of a Lady" (from Capture the Moment) Wax Museum, Vol. 1 1970 "Capture the Moment" 57 32 45 41 "Do You Ever Think of Me" (Non LP track) Capture the Moment "Do I Love You?" — — 123 — "Tricia (Tell Your Daddy)" (from Capture the Moment) Wax Museum, Vol. 1 1971 "There Goes My Baby" 90 — — — "Solitary Man"Non LP tracks "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.