Top 10 Jay And The Americans Songs

Photo: By United Artists Records/Lew Futterman, the group’s manager. (Billboard September 7, 1963, page 53) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

The origins of the classic rock group Jay and the Americans go all the way back to the 1950s and a band called The Harborlights. The group took the name from their hometown of Belle Harbor, New York. The group had a local hit entitled “Is That Too Much To Ask,” thanks to its promotion by New York’s very popular disc jockey, Cousin Brucie. Eventually, the group was put into contact with the legendary songwriting team of Leiber and Stoller, who had started managing and producing acts. Leiber and Stoller began their own record label, which Atlantic Records eventually brought out. It was Leiber and Stoller who first gave Jay and the Americans their start. The band’s first hit single, “She Cried, “was released in 1962. The song proved to be very successful for the band as it reached the number five spot on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1962. The song also served as the title of the band’s first album, which was released on May 29, 1962, after the song had become a huge hit. The album consisted of covers of songs that were popular at the time, such as “Moon River, Save The Last Dance for Me and Spanish Harlem.”

The original Jay and the Americans consisted of John “Jay” Traynor on lead vocals, Howard Kane, Kenny Vance, and Sandy Deanne. It did not take long before the band’s lead singer, John “Jay” Traynor, left the band and was replaced by a singer named David Blatt. Since the band had become well known as Jay and the Americans in name only, David Blatt changed his name to Jay Black for the band. In the early 1960s, not everyone owned a television, and so bands were primarily known by name and what they sounded like on the radio. Most people only saw the faces of the bands from the album covers. The Beatles would change all of that very quickly.

# 10 – She Cried

# 9 – Let’s Lock the Door (And Throw Away the Key)

“Let’s Lock the Door (And Throw Away the Key),” written by Roy Alfred and Wes Farrell, was released by Jay and the Americans on November 25, 1964 as a single for United Artists, later included on their album Blockbusters. Produced by Artie Ripp, the track runs two minutes and twenty four seconds and was backed with “I’ll Remember You.” Recorded in 1964, the single marked a strong follow-up to the group’s earlier success “Come a Little Bit Closer,” capturing their blend of rock and pop with polished vocal harmonies and tight instrumental backing. The record became a chart success, spending ten weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaking at number 11 in early 1965, while also climbing to number 10 on the U.S. Cash Box chart and reaching number 9 in Canada. Its chart performance reinforced Jay and the Americans’ standing as one of the most consistent hitmakers of the era, and the single’s memorable hook and well-crafted production further secured its place in their catalog of 1960s favorites.

# 8 – Hushabye

“Hushabye,” written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman and first recorded by the Mystics in 1959, was revived a decade later by Jay and the Americans, who released their own version in 1969. Issued as a single on United Artists, their rendition carried a polished pop-rock sensibility that contrasted with the original doo-wop style while maintaining the lullaby-inspired melodic framework that made the song memorable. Produced during the group’s late 1960s output, the single reached number 62 on the Billboard Hot 100 and climbed to number 42 in Canada, marking it as a modest chart entry within their catalog. Although it did not achieve the same commercial impact as earlier hits, Jay and the Americans’ “Hushabye” is notable for reconnecting with the song’s history, as former lead vocalist Jay Traynor had once been a member of the Mystics, giving the group’s version an added sense of continuity with its origins.

# 7 – Walking In The Rain

“Walking in the Rain,” written by Barry Mann, Phil Spector, and Cynthia Weil, was released by Jay and the Americans in November 1969 as a single on United Artists and later included on their album Wax Museum, Vol. 1. Produced by the band alongside Thomas Kaye, the song runs two minutes and fifty seconds and was backed with “For the Love of a Lady.” Their rendition of the track proved to be a commercial success, reaching number 19 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, climbing to number 14 on the Cash Box Top 100, and earning a strong showing on the Adult Contemporary chart where it peaked at number 8. In Canada, the single rose to number 17, further demonstrating the band’s international reach at the time. While it marked the group’s final entry into the Top 40, the recording highlighted their polished vocal arrangements and ability to reimagine a composition first popularized earlier in the decade, securing “Walking in the Rain” as an enduring piece of their late 1960s catalog.

# 6 – Some Enchanted Evening

After the release of Jay and the Americans’ Greatest album in 1965, the band released a new studio album later that year entitled Sunday and Me. Neil Diamond wrote the album’s title track. The song “Sunday and Me” was released as a single and reached number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100. With the success of the song “Sunday and Me,” Jay and the Americans had their third top 20 single in 1965, making it one of the most successful years of the band’s career.

# 5 – Sunday and Me

# 4 – Gypsy Woman

In 1966, Jay and the Americans released the Livin’ Above Your Head album. The record did not feature any songs to reach the Billboard top 20. Despite the lack of a hit, the album featured great recordings of songs such as the Four Seasons song “The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore,” and the Jay and the Americans original “Livin’ Above Your Head.” One year later in 1967, Jay and the Americans released the album Try Some of This! Once again, the band failed to have any chart success with any of the songs on the album.

The band came roaring back in 1968 with the album Sands of Time. The record would feature one of the biggest songs of their career, the magical “This Magic Moment.” The song was the band’s fourth top 10 hit of their career, peaking at the number five position on the Billboard Hot 100. More importantly, it has become one of the most loved songs in the band’s catalog. The band released two more singles from the album, entitled “Hushabye” and “When You Dance.” Both songs broke into the Billboard top 100 but did not break into the top 50. Nonetheless, on the strength of the single “This Magic Moment,” the Sands of Time album sold exceptionally well and has become one of the band’s most popular albums. One of our favorite songs on the album was the cover version of Curtis Mayfield’s “Gypsy Women.” The song wound up being the B side to “Hushabye.” Jay Black’s vocal on the track was simply killer.

# 3 – This Magic Moment

In 1969, Jay and the Americans released the Capture The Moment album. In February of 1970, Jay and the Americans would release their next-to-last album entitled Wax Museum. The record would contain their last top 20 song of their career, entitled “Walking In The Rain.” The band’s final album would be an extension of the Wax Museum LP, entitled Wax Museum Vol. 2.

The band broke up in 1974. However, their music had infiltrated popular culture and was continuously played on the radio and jukeboxes around the world. Recently, the inclusion of “Come A Little Bit Closer” in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies helped the band find a new audience. While many of the vocal-based bands of the 1960s have been forgotten, the legacy of Jay and the Americans is still burning strong in 2018.

# 2 – Cara Mia

“Cara Mia,” recorded by Jay and the Americans in 1965 for their album Blockbusters, became one of the group’s biggest international successes, solidifying their reputation for delivering powerful vocal performances. Produced by Artie Ripp and released through United Artists, the single was backed with “When It’s All Over” and clocked in at two minutes and thirty five seconds. Written by Tulio Trapani (Mantovani) and Lee Lange (Bunny Lewis), the song had already been a massive hit in the 1950s, but Jay and the Americans gave it new life in the rock era. Their version rose to number 4 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100, topped the Canadian charts at number 1, and reached number 3 in New Zealand. By the end of 1965, it ranked number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 year-end chart and number 43 on the Cash Box year-end list, marking it as one of the band’s signature recordings.

# 1 – Come A Little Bit Closer

Following the success of the band’s first single, “She Cried,” and with the addition of David Blatt, the band found itself struggling to find new material to record. Frustrations rose between the band and Leiber and Stoller. The best material available was being given to other bands on the label like The Drifters. Jay and the Americans decided to work with a new producer named Artie Ripp. It turned out to be the best decision they had ever made because Artie Ripp and the band wound up recording a song that would catapult the group to stardom. The song was called “Come A Little Bit Closer,’ and its success helped secure the band a spot opening for The Beatles on their 1964 American tour. Jay and the Americans’ popularity also secured them an opening spot for another legendary band, The Rolling Stones.