The guys auditioned for the seminal music team of Leiber and Stoller, who gave the group its name in 1960. In the manner of the time, Leiber and Stoller wanted to extend this to "Binky Jones and the Americans", but Traynor declined to be known as "Binky Jones" his whole career. He instead offered up "Jay", a family nickname, and it suited everyone.
They first hit the Billboard charts in 1962 with the tune "She Cried". Later covered by several other artists, the track's highest charting was #5, inspiring the group. The next two singles didn't fare nearly as well, however, and John Traynor left the band. David Black (né David Blatt) of The Empires took his place (after first agreeing to adopt the name Jay Black), and Empires guitarist Marty Sanders also joined. Black sang lead for the rest of the group's existence.
They returned to the charts in 1963 with "Only In America", a song originally meant for The Drifters. Other notable hits for the Americans were "Come a Little Bit Closer" in 1964, which hit #3, and "Cara Mia" in 1965, which hit #4. The Americans also recorded a commercial for H.I.S. Slacks, and a public service announcement for the Ad Council, featuring a backing track by Brian Wilson and Phil Spector.
In 1968, they recorded an album of their favorite oldies remade fresh, called Sands of Time, and its single was "This Magic Moment", which also came through the Drifters. That track proved to be the last Top Ten record for the group. However, the band's follow-up album, titled 'Wax Museum', yielded the #19 hit "Walkin' In The Rain". First recorded by The Ronettes, the emotive love song has remained a classic on oldies themed stations along with the group's earlier work.
Their next singles failed to chart, nonetheless, and the band grew apart. The demand for live appearances remained. While the other members moved on to solo musical careers in 1973, Jay Black continued to perform as "Jay and the Americans" or "Jay Black and the Americans" until the 1980s, with a variety of musicians, including Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, who would later found Steely Dan. ."
The group reunited in the 1990s for special performances, most notably the 45 Years of Motown special on PBS.
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 band mate and original member of Jay & The Americans for $100,000 to pay Black's debts. 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. Their show covers the history of Jay and The Americans, acknowledging all three Jays and featuring all of the top hits in their original arrangements.
David Blatt still tours under his stage name, "Jay Black". 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 now tours with Jay Siegel's Tokens.
Always Something There to Remind Me
Jay & The Americans Lyrics
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You used to walk with me,
And every step I take recalls
How much in love, we used to be
Oh, how can I forget you
When there is always something there to remind me
Always something there to remind me
I was born to love you,
And I will never be free
You'll always be a part of me
When shadows fall, I pass a small cafe
Where we would dance at night
And I can't help recalling
How it felt to kiss and hold you tight
Oh, how can I forget you
When there is always something there to remind me
Always something there to remind me
I was born to love you, and I will never be free
You'll always be a part of me
If you should find you miss the sweet
And tender love we used to share
Just go back to the places
Where we used to go and I'll be there
Oh, how can I forget you
When there is always something there to remind me
Always something there to remind me
I was born to love you, and I will never be free
When there is, when there is
When there is always something there to remind me ...
Always Something There to Remind Me is a song about a man who can't forget about his past love whenever he walks down the streets or passes by a particular small cafe. Jay & the Americans captured the vulnerability of a broken heart through the simple lyrics of this song. The opening lines refer to the man walking down a city street where he used to walk with his sweetheart. Every step he takes brings back memories of their love. The chorus "Always something there to remind me" emphasizes the inescapable nature of reminiscing about someone who has left a lasting impact on your life.
The lyrics go on to express the man's feeling that he can never be free of the love he feels for his former flame. He says he was born to love her, and she will always be a part of him, showing that the memories of the relationship will be with him forever. The mention of dancing at a small cafe and holding his lover tightly while they kissed gives an intimate feel to the song and highlights the depth of their relationship.
Finally, the lyrics offer a glimmer of hope. The man suggests that if his former lover misses him, she should return to the places they used to visit, and he will be there. However, it's left unclear whether he means physically or in spirit, emphasizing that the distance between them is much more significant than the city streets they once shared.
Line by Line Meaning
I walk along the city streets
I am walking down the streets of the city
You used to walk with me,
You used to walk down these streets with me
And every step I take recalls
Every step I take reminds me
How much in love, we used to be
How deeply we were in love
Oh, how can I forget you
It's impossible to forget you
When there is always something there to remind me
There's always something that triggers my memory of you
I was born to love you,
Loving you is something I was meant to do
And I will never be free
I will always be emotionally tied to you
When shadows fall, I pass a small cafe
As night falls, I pass by a small cafe
Where we would dance at night
A place where we would dance together at night
And I can't help recalling
I can't help but remember
How it felt to kiss and hold you tight
How wonderful it felt to embrace you and kiss you
If you should find you miss the sweet
If you realize you miss the sweet
And tender love we used to share
And the tender love that we shared
Just go back to the places
Just go back to the places where we went together
Where we used to go and I'll be there
Where we used to go, and even though I'm not physically there, my memories will be
When there is, when there is
Even when
When there is always something there to remind me...
Even when I'm reminded of you constantly...
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Hal David, Burt Bacharach
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind