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.
Howie Kane passed in 2023 due to injuries from a car accident. His replacement is Darren Dowler of Paul Revere & The Raiders, who sings Kenny’s part and occasionally fills in for Sandy Deanne who has cut back his tour dates.
To Wait For Love
Jay & The Americans Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
하루의 끝엔 언제나 니가 있었어
오래된 서랍 속에 꽃을 담은 너의 말들
더 이상 네게 의미 없는 걸 알지만
시간이 지나 뒤돌아보니
너와 남긴 발자국들이
점점 멀어져 간 걸 왜 몰랐을까? Um-hmm
그대 꽃잎이 되어 바람에 날아가네요
너무 멀리 가진 말아줘 oh
내가 달빛이 되어 그대를 기다릴게요
부디 아프게 웃지 말아 줘
꼭 데리러 갈게
너에겐 늘 철없었던 내 모습도
너에겐 늘 상처였던 기다림도
'미안해'란 세 글자로 풀어내기엔
버거웠겠지, 미웠겠지 (난 늘 그렇게 애였지)
시간이 지나 뒤돌아보니
나를 안아주려 했던 널
밀어내려 한 난 왜 몰랐을까? Oh
그대 꽃잎이 되어 바람에 날아가네요
너무 멀리 가진 말아줘 oh
내가 달빛이 되어 그대를 기다릴게요
부디 아프게 웃지 말아 줘
꼭 데리러 갈게
여전히 내 세상은 니가 전부인데
한참을 기다린 넌 얼마나 아팠을까? Oh
내가 데리러 갈게, 매일 밤 널 기다릴게
부디 잊지 말아 줘
그대 웃어줄래요? Oh
잘 지내야 해요
어여쁜 미소만 내게 남겨줘
내가 달빛이 되어 가는 길 비춰줄게요
그리워지면 돌아와 줘
꼭 데리러 갈게
In "To Wait For Love," Jay & The Americans convey an urgency to not let love pass by. The lyrics speak to the feeling of being completely swept away by someone and realizing that the love shared is not to be ignored. The song advises the listener to not be scared of the unknown and to take chances when it comes to love. The chorus repeats the phrase "love ain't gonna wait for you," emphasizing that if the feeling of love is present, it shouldn't be ignored, or there may be regret.
The verses illustrate the strong connection between the singer and their love interest. The line "be the one I give my all" suggests that the person has chosen to fully commit themselves to the relationship. The line "please don't wait for a minute longer 'til you finally give your heart" suggests that the person they're singing to may be hesitant or unsure of their feelings. The singer is encouraging them to not delay and to fully embrace the love they share.
Overall, "To Wait For Love" is a song about seizing the moment and not letting the fear of the unknown hold someone back from pursuing a strong romantic connection.
Line by Line Meaning
When your heartbeat's taking over
When your emotions are overwhelming
And there's nowhere you can go
And you can't escape them
And the love that you discover
And the love you have found
Has finally taken hold
Has finally become a permanent part of your life
When it feels like the beginning
When it feels like the start of something new
And the story will unfold
And you are excited to see what happens next
There's a time to take your chances
It's important to take risks
Don't be scared of the unknown, ooh
Don't be afraid of what you don't know
'Cause you can't fight it
Because you can't resist the love
Don't deny it
Don't pretend it's not there
Love is stronger than each other
Love is more powerful than anything else
Show me baby, what you're gonna do, do
Show me how you will act on this love
'Cause love ain't gonna wait for you
Because love won't wait forever
Don't run, don't hide
Don't try to avoid it
It's so good, it's so right
It's a wonderful and perfect thing
You know that it's true
You understand that this is real
So baby hold me, bring me closer
So hold me tight, bring me closer
Be the one I give my all
Be the one I love completely
Please don't wait for a minute longer
Please don't delay any further
'Til you finally give your heart, ooh
Until you finally express your love
I can't hold back what I'm thinking
I can't keep my thoughts to myself
Don't you tell me that I'm dreaming
Don't say it's just my imagination
You know that there's something you should do, do, do, do, do
You know you need to take action
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Jin Hwan Kim, Dong Hyuk Kim, Seong Ho Park, Kang Hyun Jo
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind