The Smiley Smile Message Board

What a great sounding group, their "sands of time" album has so many great 1950s covers. They also did classic Spector covers.
Walking In the Rain.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yYJd_VtyhM
Hushabye
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJZr8fjdtBk

I have thought many a time about starting a Jay and the Americans thread here! They are one of my favorite groups.

Last month, I saw Jay Black live for the third time. He is simply incredible - he can still hit the notes. He doesn't look very well (he makes fun of that), and his humor borders on vulgar at times, but he always has audiences rolling in the aisles. He is 74 years old and still a great performer.

Here's a video of Jay doing Cara Mia the night after I saw him last:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykmXmq4ne3c

Coincidentally, also on the bill was Jay Siegel's Tokens - of whom which Jay Traynor is a member. He was the first "Jay" of the Americans before Jay Black and sang on the hit, "She Cried".

My favorite Jay and the Americans related song is Jay Black solo single, "What Will My Mary Say". Originally a Johnny Mathis tune, it is arranged and produced on a Pet Sounds level.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0O5ZRuZFS8

A BB connection - Jay & The Americans cut a version of "Things Are Changing" (Phil Spector's reworking of "Don't Hurt My Little Sister"). IIRC, one of the band members mentioned in the Singles Collection liner notes that Brian was at the vocal session giving them some tips.

I'd reccomend grabbing the 3CD Singles Collection if you can find it - might be OOP now, but a great starter into the catalog if you're really interested. I'd think casual fans wouldn't find the albums essential - however, there are some cool non-single cuts on each LP to be discovered.

That BBs connection is interesting with Brian giving a such a great vocal group more tips. I will check out that 3CD set you mentioned along with Sands of Time. Such great vocals and production work.

I just watched the video with Jay Black from last month and holy crap, that man can still hit those notes.

Jay Black is, hands down, one of my half dozen favorite singers of all time, in any kind of music.

Back in the '70s, he and Sinatra were doing a TV movie "Contract On Cherry Street" together - one of Jay's rare acting roles. During a break Old Blue Eyes turned to Jay. "You're the kid that does 'Cara Mia,' right?" inquired Frank. Jay replied in the affirmative. "You still singin' it in the same key?" Again Jay answered yes. "You gotta take the key down or you'll ruin your voice kid," quoth Frank.  Jay hasn't changed the key. Or just barely.

It'd be pretty interesting to see him on a bill with the first Jay, Mr Traynor. A couple years ago Jay - Black, that is - and Lesley Gore performed together someplace in the Philadelphia suburbs. I was going to go but a big thunderstorm kept me away. More's the pity.

Kenny Vance has been long gone from the Americans and is still performing all over the place with his Planotones, having weathered the destruction of his home and nearly all his JATA memorabilia in Hurricane Sandy.  Sandy Yaguda, Howie Kane and Marty Sanders are still touring with a Jay they found a few years back. Have seen him on Youtube- a pretty solid singer, but no Jay Black.

I was there! Lesley was pretty awful, sadly.

Thanks for posting that video, EgoHanger. That was great! I've seen Jay sing "Cara Mia" a couple of times on those PBS oldies shows (which are very entertaining BTW), but that was a few years ago and I wondered if he still "has it". He does. I think that is Jay's son on guitar.

Jay has led a very interesting life. It would make a fascinating book or documentary.

My day saw them at his high school in the early 1970s around the time the future "steely dan" members were in the backing band.

Got the "sands of time" album on LP and it's just perfect! ;D

The current version of "Jay & The Americans" came to a local 300 seat theater in December, and I wasn't going to go, but decided to buy tickets a few hours before the show. Glad I did, as I can now say I've seen all of the members of the 60s incarnations of JATA.

Jay Black (3x solo)
Jay Traynor (3x as a member of Jay Siegel's Tokens before he passed)
Kenny Vance (1x as a member of Kenny Vance & The Planotones)
Marty Sanders, Sandy Deane, & Howie Kane (1x as "Jay & The Americans)

Great group.

Nice Ego! I love how that group did oldies with class and great voices unlike the BBs circa 15 big ones!

My dad was a big fan, when I was a kid when they'd come on the radio he'd always talk about how great Jay was when he sang... however, he used to tell me that he had passed away.


So, my father passed away in 2001, a few months later, I was watching one of the PBS shows and here comes Jay Black on stage, and of course with that voice obviously he's the original guy from all the songs my dad loved.  Later on, I found out that show was recorded the day after my father passed away!

So I guess Jay won that one, lol...   

Fantastic singer in my opinion.  My favorite is their version of This Magic Moment, man that's just such a special song.