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.
My Prayer
Jay & The Americans Lyrics
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At the end of the day in a dream that's divine
My prayer is a rapture in blue
With the world far away and your lips close to mine
Tonight while our hearts are aglow
Oh tell me the words that I'm longing to know
May they still be the same for as long as we live
That you'll always be there at the end of my prayer
Jay & The Americans' "My Prayer" is a poignant love song that expresses the singer's longing for his loved one. The song is about the singer's prayer being answered, a prayer to be with his loved one in a dream that's divine, where the world is far away and their lips are close. The singer yearns for their hearts to be aglow while in the arms of his lover. The song continues with the singer asking his lover to tell him the words he's longing to hear while they're in each other's arms. The lyrics speak to the intensity of the singer's love, and his deep longing for the answer to his prayers, to always be with his lover.
The song is a timeless classic that has been covered by a variety of artists, including The Platters, who popularized the song in the 1950s. "My Prayer" is a beautiful example of the romantic ballad that was popular in the '50s and '60s and is still beloved today. The song's simple yet romantic lyrics, set to a beautiful melody, have captured the hearts of generations, making it a true classic.
Line by Line Meaning
My prayer is to linger with you
I wish to spend more time with you
At the end of the day in a dream that's divine
During the calm of the night, when everything is just perfect between us
My prayer is a rapture in blue
In me, there's a feeling of intense joy and love every time I think of you
With the world far away and your lips close to mine
When we are together, nothing else matters in the world
Tonight while our hearts are aglow
As we are in a state of great love and affection tonight
Oh tell me the words that I'm longing to know
Kindly tell me what I crave to hear from you
My prayer and the answer you give
The question I ask you and the response you provide
May they still be the same for as long as we live
May the question and answer remain the same throughout our entire life
That you'll always be there at the end of my prayer
I hope that you will always be with me when I pray and also when we are together
Contributed by Allison C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.