Jay & The Americans - Biography
By Nick Castro
Jay & The Americans were one of the most popular vocal groups from the 60's. They are best remembered for their hit songs, "Cara Mia", "She Cried", "Come a Little Bit Closer" and "Let's Lock the Door (And Throw Away the Key)". They represented a counterbalance to the counterculture, utilizing not only a tight harmonized sound, rooted in 50's doo-wop, but also a clean cut and wholesome image. They were able to deliver a series of hits, which garnered them a lot of popularity with young record buyers, and though they stood out among a sea of hippie hair and wild clothing, they rivaled many bands of their era, while looking like a college fraternity.
Jay & The Americans began when friends Kenny Rosenberg, Sydelle Sherman and Sandy Yaguda were singing in a group called The Harborlites in the Belle Harbor region of New York in 1959. The group already had an all American look and were capitalizing on their image as much as possible. All members wore white jackets and it was in this group that they honed their vocal stylings, later to the hallmark of their sound. They originally auditioned for a local record label, Ivy Records, who turned them away. The group, undaunted, kept practicing and underwent some personnel changes until they finally got a deal to release a record with the label. The record garnered attention amogst local deejays and the had a regional hit with their song, "Is That Too Much to Ask". Later that same year, the group had built a reputation for themselves in their area, partly due to their record. They joined forced with singer John "Jay" Traynor, who had already been singing in the Brooklyn and New York area for groups like The Mystics.
By 1960, the still unnamed group were auditioning for labels and trying to find a home for their clean cut sound. They began to work with writer and producer, Terry Phillips, who got them an audition with famed songwriting partners Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. Leiber and Stoller turned the group down and criticised Philips' songs. The group stormed off but the next day Rosenberg went back to their office and somehow secured a deal for the group. Leiber and Stoller began writing for the group but wanted to go in a campy and humurous direction that the group was not interested in. Originally they were be named Binky Jones and The Americans but the refused to hardily that they to the consensus of Jay & The Americans.
Jay & The Americans got their first big break when, through connectinos already established by Leiber and Stoller, they got a deal with United Artists to record some of the material from the West Side Story, which a huge hit at the time. The band recorded the song "Tonight" and they had a regional hit with it, selling upwards of 40,000 copies in New York alone. Unfortunately United Artists did not yet have full confidence in the group and hired two other, more well known acts, to record same song and released it simultaneously. This maneuver took much of the wind out of the band's sails.
Soon, Jay & The Americans were releasing their second single, "She Cried", which, with the help of many prominent deejays, became a huge success for the group. They quickly followed up with their album, She Cried (1962 - United Artists). The album was much overlooked, though the band's single was doing well. They were still in the days before the popularity of the long play record.
Shortly after the release of the album, and a few more singles that failed to garner the attention of their previous effort, Traynor left the group from disillusionment. The band remained magnanimous and continued on without him. They were now in search of a new lead, which they found in David Black, formerly of the group The Empires. Before they did though, they recorded as the backing band for Bobby Goldsboro, on his song, "See the Funny Little Clown".
Black assumed the role of Jay, and recorded the song, "Only in America" with Jay & The Americans. The recording of this song was a result of a strange set of circumstances, circling around the recent events and racist attitudes of the country at the time. The Drifters had originally record the song, much to the chagrin of Jay & The Americans, but Leiber & Stoller were unable to sell the song to Atlantic because the label thought the times too volatile to have a black group singing a song about becoming president. Although Leiber & Stoller argued, in the end they were forced to give the song to Jay & The Americans, who recorded their voices in place of the Drifters. They record label then sped up the recording to put the song in a more suitable range for the band. Unfortunately they did this after the group had done their vocals so many have pointed out that the record sounds strange. The band followed up with various other hits, such as "Come a Little Bit Closer" and "Cara Mia", which Black had sung for the band during his audition.
Soon Jay & Te Americans were feeling left behind by Leiber & Stoller, and the group feared they were not getting the song writing duos strongest material. The band soon looked elsewhere for help and were soon working with Artie Ripp of Kama Sutra Productions. They recorded their hit song, "Come a Little Bit Closer", with him, which is still played regularly on the radio.
In 1969, Jay & The Americans released, what is widely considered to be their musical masterpiece, Sands of Time (1969 - United Artists). They had a hit with the song, "This Magic Moment", previously released by The Drifters. Many have credited this album with the resurgence of the doo wop style, which later led to the success of groups like Sha-Na-Na. The group would have their last hit, the next year, with the song, "Capture the Moment". Although they struggled to remain afloat amidst ever changing musical styles and tastes, they would inevitably break up in 1974.
The band reunited, in sorts, in 2006 when Sandy Deanne bought the band's name from Jay Black, so Black could pay off his gambling debts. The band has continued on with various members since, as has Black as a solo artist.
