Jay and the Americans

Jay & the Americans was an American doo-wop vocal group, which was originally founded in 1959 in New York Harbor Lites. Jay Traynor had previously sung with The Mystics. Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller discovered the band in 1961 at an audition and she got the same year a record contract with United Artists Records ( a subsidiary of the film company United Artists ). In the fall of 1961 appeared under the new band name with Tonight from West Side Story her first single.

Description

After 1962 David Black entered a new singer, get a number of successes. The second single She cried reached in 1962 a number 5 ranking in the U.S. charts. After changing cast they reached with Come a little bit closer a respectable 3rd place in 1963, followed by Let's lock the door ( 11th place ) and think of the good times in 1965.

After Cara mia (4th place ) they started successfully Oldies chose to cover, Some enchanted evening, interpreted, inter alia, by Perry Como, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and The Temptations, reached number 13, followed by Neil Diamond 's first songwriting success Sunday and me ( 18th place) and Roy Orbison's Crying ( No. 25 ) and a cover version of This magic moment the drifters, which was even more successful than the original with a space -6- positioning.

Unlike in the United States of the singing group was less successful in Germany, the single Cara Mia reached the only one in Germany a ranking in the singles charts and reached there only ranks 30th

In the 1970s it became calmer around the group, Walking in the rain peaked in the U.S. charts, No. 19 Two band members, in 1969 to Donald Fagen and Walter Becker pounded, then also founded the successful band Steely Dan.

The last charts quotation is from the year 1970, after the group split. In 2002, she was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.

Members

  • John " Jay" Traynor ( born March 30, 1943 in Albany, New York, † January 2, 2014 in Tampa / Florida of liver cancer, lead vocals ), replaced by David " Jay" Black ( born November 2, 1938 in New York)

Singles ( selection)

  • Tonight, 1961
  • She cried, 1962 ( U.S. # 5 )
  • Only in America, 1963 ( U.S. # 25 )
  • Come dance with me, 1963 ( U.S. number 76 )
  • Come A Little Bit Closer, 1964 ( U.S. # 3 )
  • Let's lock the door, 1964 ( U.S. # 11 )
  • Think of the good times, 1965 ( U.S. number 57 )
  • Cara mia, 1965 ( U.S. # 4 )
  • Some enchanted evening, 1965 ( U.S. # 13 )
  • Sunday and me, 1965 ( U.S. No. 18 )
  • Why can not you bring me home, 1966 ( U.S. number 63 )
  • Crying, 1966 ( U.S. # 25 )
  • Livin ' above your head, 1966 ( U.S. number 76 )
  • He 's raining in my sunshine, 1966 ( U.S. No. 90 )
  • This magic moment, 1968 ( U.S. # 6 )
  • When you dance, 1969
  • Hushabye, 1969 ( U.S. number 62 )
  • Walkin ' in the Rain, 1969 ( U.S. # 19 )
  • Capture the moment, 1970 ( U.S. number 57 )
Doo Wop Kenny Vance
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