Jay and The Americans have been searching for an identifiable sound ever since they started recording. So far they’ve had three smash hits, and they have all been different

 

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That nervous feeling. “I used to feel physically sick every time we did a personal appearance,” said Jay Black of Jay and the Americans. “Honest, it was no laughing matter, even though you might think I’m joking about it. Literally, before every performance, the rest of the boys would have to kick me into shape.

“I don’t know why this happened. I mean, I wasn’t particularly scared, or any of that jazz. Maybe it was a feeling of insecurity.”

“This is the one thing I’m serious about. It didn’t show outwardly, and still doesn’t if I have a nerve attack before a performance.

No laughing matter. Jay must have had butterflies when he and the group – Kenny Vance, Sandy Deane, Marty Sanders and Howie Kane (who has been in the army but gets out in time for Christmas) – were chosen to open the Beatles first ever American concert in Washington last January.

It was no laughing matter, as the audience believed they were there to see the Beatles only, and they let out hoots and hollers en masse when they discovered there were other acts on the bill. The group, having a natural sense of comedy in situations like this, decided it was easier to pitch in than fight. Jay walked on the stage, observed the Beatlemania first hand on stage and said, “How did you know we were going to be here?” The place broke up laughing.

Have played everywhere. “It’s not always as easy as that,” said Sandy Deane. “Audiences are different everywhere. I guess we’ve played to all types of crowds. Clubs, one-nighters, colleges. You name ’em and we’ve played ’em. We’ve appeared in clubs where the audience has been so drunk they didn’t even know we were on. We feel like standing there and not singing a note.

“Talking to Jay and the Americans, you get the feeling that you’ve been thrown into a punch line game with five comedians. This is an image that doesn’t need developing. If anything, they prefer to play it down, even though the comedy bit comes in handy during their act.

“We’ve had three big record hits,” said Jay. “We’d like to be more consistent. We’ve been together for two years. We’ve had good and not so good experiences. Right now, life is pretty good.”But who are we? I mean, people buy our records and we make personal appearances but we haven’t yet reached the stage where we’re immediately identifiable.

College dates tops. “The one direction which we’re serious about – apart from upwards – is colleges. We like playing college dates best. Maybe it’s because we look a little like University freshmen.” (The boys wear turtle neck sweaters and bright-red cardigans on stage).

“When we do a college concert we feel at home, and we also get the feeling that the rest of the audience is able to identify themselves with us. This is a great field with a terrific future.”

Look at the Lettermen. They play colleges for about nine months out of every year. Only there’s one difference. Their music isn’t the same as ours, and we can’t afford to ignore the commercial market.”

A different sound. “In choosing material, we always look for something a little different. If you remember, all three of our hits have had a different sound. Good songs too, if we have to say so ourselves.

“Wesley Farrell wrote, ‘Come A Little Bit Closer’. Right up until the time of release, we didn’t know whether it was going to be the topside or not. People told us it was going to be a smash. We didn’t believe them until it happened. What’s the point of having false illusions.“

Our next record is a real groove. It’s called “Let’s Lock The Door (And Throw Away The Key)”. For our own career we hope it’s a hit. That’s been the one thing lacking. A follow up hit.

Won’t follow trends. “We don’t follow trends in music we prefer to create for ourselves, and then we don’t get stuck when the band wagon has been rundown. We’re not always right, but at least we can’t be accused of being copyists.”

One person who is leading Jay and the Americans in the right direction is their co-manager, Vic Catela of Concerts Incorporated who they dig. “We leave everything in his hands,” says Jay. “He’s so great. We’d love to have him on the road with us, but we’d be so impossible to control he’d probably resign. That would be no good.

“Someone’s just started a fan club for us. They’re running a contest. The two winners get to spend an evening with us. Hope they don’t get disillusioned when they meet us. Probably think we’re some kinda nuts or something.” END

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Information, credit and news source: Music Business; December 5, 1964

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Note: Americans’ frontman Jay Black passed away on October 22, 2021. He was 82. For his obituary, published in NPR.org please go HERE