I'm a firm believer that certain people were born to do certain things. I've said this about entertainers and athletes. Jay Black was born to sing and the fact that he sings the same or better 50 yrs later is astounding. RIP JAY BLACK one of the best voices ever❤
I mentioned in your last reaction of Jay and the Americans, that a song of theirs you might want to check out is Come a Little Bit Closer. It came out about the same time as Cara Mia.
Thank you again guys! I’m so glad you enjoyed the performance. I 100% agree with your statement in that Jay Black was an underrated vocalist. The group had quite a few hits back in the 1960’s, but never truly got the credit and recognition they deserved. He passed away just a few years ago in 2021 and sang until 2017. Some other great songs to react by the group are This Magic Moment, Walkin’ in The Rain, Some Enchanted Evening, their version of Roy Orbison’s crying, the list goes on and on. Thanks again guys!
also he did 2 versions of a song called "Running Scared" that Roy Orbison also did, its so good to see him get the recognition he deserves. Did you know he sang "Cara Mia" at Junior Gotti's wedding? anyway good to see it again, have a good day
I totally agree with you. I cannot understand why he was never inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame There are many vans in there and individual performers who is not a patch on his butt. He truly never got the recognition he deserved because of his vocal prowess He was a one-of-a-kind OUTSTANDING!!!
@@billysmith8784 well look at the craziness in many of the RRHOF choices and then not putting Jay Black and the Americans in blows my mind and I am 73 now and see no end of their craziness
@@rokmin8550 I have heard those version of Running Scared. He did a great job. He absolutely admired Roy, and Roy was a fan of his. And yes, he was quite friendly with the Gotti family.
I remember when he did that performance on the PBS channel... It's so good to see you guys reacting to some of the greatest singers of days gone by...His real name was David Blatt...He replaced John "Jay" Trainor as lead singer in 1962 and changed his first name to Jay to keep continuity for the name of the group... Not long after, his last name was billed as Black instead of Blatt and from that point on he was known as Jay Black... He had arguably 1 of the best voices in rock and roll at that He had arguably one of the best voices in rock and roll at that time... He did so many great songs... Not a bad rabbit hole to go down if you want to do that... Great reaction guys and thanks for the look back...Keep Being Awesome !!!...
I’m crying here. Memories! Such an unbelievable talent. Grew up loving him. So much more you need to experience. Your reaction to his excellence is wonderful
Love your reactions, Phil & Sam! I grew up during the 60’s (saw the Beatles live in Toronto), and I used to carry a transistor radio practically every where I went because I lived for the music back then. In fact I still do. Anyway, the first Jay & Americans hit I heard was “Come A Little Bit Closer.” It is a “catchy showtune” thatI think you will enjoy. Cheers - Mark P
As beautiful live as the studio version........that's a great singer! My edit is for his performance at 72. His voice has matured and is a little deeper, but wow, if he lost anything, it's hard to tell
Hats off to Richard for suggesting Jay and Americans His vocals are always spot-on outstanding very few singers can even approach the platform that he sings on!
You should do the same for the Tokens and The Lion Sleeps Tonight as well as the Diamonds and Little Darling'. You'll be just as impressed! Keep up the great work!
Samantha, the song you are thinking about is "Some Enchanted Evening", a Rogers & Hammerstein song from the musical South Pacific. Jay's version of it is incredible.
A treat to revisit this classic. I felt like his voice was richer at 72, particularly in the lower register. Incidentally, I'm 75, and my singing is better than it's ever been, after over 55 years in the biz.
I'm so glad you two were into his performances; especially the one at age 72. If you had heard him speak it was like an old-time gangster from Jersey or NYC. When he was young Frank Sinatra asked him something along the lines of "Hey, since this is your signature song, how will you be able to do it for decades to come?"
I've been following Jay Black And The Americans since the beginning. Here are a number of their great songs that are also past hits or tunes you may have never heard before: 1) Only In America 2) Sunday And Me 3) Living Above Your Head 4) Hang Around 5) Run To My Loving Arms 6) She Cried 7) When It's All Over 8) Something In My Eye. (NOTE: The last two songs are killer ballads!) Enjoy people!
If you get a chance, you should do some Tom Jones then and now. He is another who really took care of his incredible voice. The perfect example is "I'll Never Fall in Love Again". He did a live version for BBC radio in 2020 when they were doing backyard concerts during covid lockdowns. Compared to the original he really hasn't lost anything. You can also find him doing "It's Not Unusual" from his "Ages and Stages" Tour here on YT. The tour was 2024 !!!!!!!!!!!!
I got lucky enough to see him perform at a charity event in South Florida in the early 2000's he said he sang it in the same key to do it any other way would have been cheating his audience. He also had an wicked adult sense of humor so no children were allowed at the event, funny, talented man.
Yes it was absolutely crazy that he is not been inducted but Jay kind of told it like it was The Rock and roll Hall of Fame people kind of want you to jump through hoops and he more or less told them to kiss his ass he done his work with his voice not kissing ass. The other thing was he knew that everybody else knew how good he was including Roy Orbison Roy and him were great friends They each made an agreement that either one could sing each other songs with no royalties I think they both knew that they were that good that the other person singing the song wasn't ever going to screw it up!!
Jay was amazing !!! If you enjoyed this young and old comparison try "Sugar baby love" live by the Rubettes in 1974 and in 2008, these are two different videos. You will not be disappointed .
The old saying is true . Especially about your vocal chords . I sang in a few local bands over the years IF YOU DON'T USE IT YOU LOOSE IT . He was a professionally trained [opera] singer . I guarantee that he practiced his singing every day .. [ I've lost what i did have ]
Damn Phil, Sam was roasting you. I've seen this before and I totally understood where you were coming from with some doubt.This song is awesome.I love these older type of songs. To answer your question of where this music has gone. It's gone to the ways of BS studio tricks. I know I'm old school, but there is very little modern music at least in spades that grabs me. There are so many great tunes from this time.
@@johnbattles1002 Yes all true that is why I watch them almost everyday and it is good they are learning about all the great music going back to the 50"s, 60's and 70's
At 72 he was having to try harder to hit the notes he hit effortlessly at 22, but still managed. Fantastic singer. Yusuf / Cat Stevens totally rerecorded a hit album of his from 1970 in 2020 with similar results. Of course the Cat doesn't have Jay's range, but still amazing.
Jay was an opera trained singer, and could belt out this song in his late 70s with almost no difference in voice strength. Right up there with Roy Orbison. as far as greatest male voice of any genre… They had a few hit songs, sadly not enough to make him a household name.
While both of these performances are awesome, neither does justice to the power Jay Black had with his beautiful voice. I had the good fortune to see Jay and the Americans in the early 70’s. This man’s Voice could blow the roof off of the venue he was singing in. Jay and the Americans always put on a great show. Sadly he passed away in 2021 at 82 years old.
Never got the opportunity to see Jay Black but I have seen the group with Jay Reincke twice. He’s not bad, but of course he doesn’t hold a torch to Jay Black.
He was going to be a cantor but was encouraged by secular vocalists to join their R&R singing group -- retrospectively termed "doo-wop." His style was not exactly my cup of R&B tea, but kudos to maintaining his voice and may he RIP. As for the greatest pop voices of the time & genre, check out the B&W youtube footage of Jackie Wilson doing "Danny Boy" and the Platters singing "My Prayer." That is if you want to hear the best of that glorious era.
These television shows of the 60s, 70s were all 'pre-recorded', they weren't live concerts as you would hear at an actual concert or live theater performance.
Love Jay Sad story he ran afoul of the IRS and had to declare bankruptcy and even lost the right to perform as Jay and the Americans This performance was from 2011 on PBS his last performance was in 2017 He was a fellow Long Islander and played here often. Ive seen him countless times over the years before he passed. He has many hits but this is 1 of my favorites. You should check it out NEW 📀 Come A Little Bit Closer - Jay & The Americans {DES Stereo} 1964 ua-cam.com/video/Oxfzfl5WoxE/v-deo.html
What is funny is the little jokes he tells in the concert. He said he could not afford to let his voice go because he had been in so much tax trouble that he ran out of money and had to keep performing. He told the story about meeting Frank Sinatra in the 1960's and Frank joked, great song kid but what are you going to do when you are 30 ?
good to see you young people enjoy the music of my youth. RIP Jay
I'm a firm believer that certain people were born to do certain things. I've said this about entertainers and athletes. Jay Black was born to sing and the fact that he sings the same or better 50 yrs later is astounding. RIP JAY BLACK one of the best voices ever❤
I mentioned in your last reaction of Jay and the Americans, that a song of theirs you might want to check out is Come a Little Bit Closer. It came out about the same time as Cara Mia.
Don't forget to mention that that song was in the 2nd Guardians of the Galaxy movie!
Thank you again guys! I’m so glad you enjoyed the performance. I 100% agree with your statement in that Jay Black was an underrated vocalist. The group had quite a few hits back in the 1960’s, but never truly got the credit and recognition they deserved. He passed away just a few years ago in 2021 and sang until 2017. Some other great songs to react by the group are This Magic Moment, Walkin’ in The Rain, Some Enchanted Evening, their version of Roy Orbison’s crying, the list goes on and on. Thanks again guys!
Our pleasure Richard! Great selection!
also he did 2 versions of a song called "Running Scared" that Roy Orbison also did, its so good to see him get the recognition he deserves. Did you know he sang "Cara Mia" at Junior Gotti's wedding? anyway good to see it again, have a good day
I totally agree with you. I cannot understand why he was never inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame There are many vans in there and individual performers who is not a patch on his butt. He truly never got the recognition he deserved because of his vocal prowess He was a one-of-a-kind OUTSTANDING!!!
@@billysmith8784 well look at the craziness in many of the RRHOF choices and then not putting Jay Black and the Americans in blows my mind and I am 73 now and see no end of their craziness
@@rokmin8550 I have heard those version of Running Scared. He did a great job. He absolutely admired Roy, and Roy was a fan of his. And yes, he was quite friendly with the Gotti family.
"Come A Little Bit Closer" is another great tune from Jay & The Americans.
Also, "This Magic Moment"
I remember when he did that performance on the PBS channel... It's so good to see you guys reacting to some of the greatest singers of days gone by...His real name was David Blatt...He replaced John "Jay" Trainor as lead singer in 1962 and changed his first name to Jay to keep continuity for the name of the group... Not long after, his last name was billed as Black instead of Blatt and from that point on he was known as Jay Black... He had arguably 1 of the best voices in rock and roll at that He had arguably one of the best voices in rock and roll at that time... He did so many great songs... Not a bad rabbit hole to go down if you want to do that... Great reaction guys and thanks for the look back...Keep Being Awesome !!!...
I’m crying here. Memories! Such an unbelievable talent. Grew up loving him. So much more you need to experience. Your reaction to his excellence is wonderful
Oh my goodness! That was enchanting!
You should listen to the original version of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" by The Tokens and then listen to them in a live performance MANY years later.
This song is timeless! I’m 43 years old and have been listening to it since I was a wee lad. His voice is amazing!
Come a little bit closer by Jay and the Americans.
Yes! Thanks so much to reacting to this magnificent performance.
I was wondering if he was going to hit those high notes and he nailed it. That's the first range to go. Amazing.
Love your reactions, Phil & Sam! I grew up during the 60’s (saw the Beatles live in Toronto), and I used to carry a transistor radio practically every where I went because I lived for the music back then. In fact I still do.
Anyway, the first Jay & Americans hit I heard was “Come A Little Bit Closer.” It is a “catchy showtune” thatI think you will enjoy.
Cheers - Mark P
This is so awesome! Jay has not lost his voice at all. Love your reactions!
One of the best music reviews I've ever watched. For many reasons.
As beautiful live as the studio version........that's a great singer! My edit is for his performance at 72. His voice has matured and is a little deeper, but wow, if he lost anything, it's hard to tell
Hats off to Richard for suggesting Jay and Americans His vocals are always spot-on outstanding very few singers can even approach the platform that he sings on!
Jay (David) Black is in the top 5 of the 60's and 70's. I saw him in concert😢 I miss him.
This Majic Moment is one of my favorites from Jay and the Americans.
You can do the same thing with the Tokens and the Lion Sleeps Tonight. You can see the same guys doing it 50 years apart and they are incredible!
RIP. Jay was one month shy of his 83rd birthday when he passed in Queens, NY.
Jay Black must have went down to the crossroads to be singing like that at 72.
If you know you know. But yep.
You should do the same for the Tokens and The Lion Sleeps Tonight as well as the Diamonds and Little Darling'. You'll be just as impressed! Keep up the great work!
Two great songs. Little Darlin and The Lion Sleeps Tonight
You should do a reaction of Jay doing "Walking in the rain".The notes he hits are in the stratosphere!
Samantha, the song you are thinking about is "Some Enchanted Evening", a Rogers & Hammerstein song from the musical South Pacific. Jay's version of it is incredible.
A treat to revisit this classic. I felt like his voice was richer at 72, particularly in the lower register. Incidentally, I'm 75, and my singing is better than it's ever been, after over 55 years in the biz.
I hope he never smoked . Wow that definitely is his song no one else can touch that!!
Yr absolutely correct!!!!
WOW, amazing... I didn't know who sang that song... thanks guys...
God bless the Jay sounded so perfect at 72 years old ❤
Amazing,!!!!
Great rection! You should do the same thing with Tokens :"The lion sleeps tonight". That will blow you away too.
Great song, great reaction. One of my FAV groups all-time !!
Wow they had some good songs and when he sung this when he was older on TV i saw it the show had groups and singers from the 60s
Unfortunately Jay Black passed away in October 2021 age 82
One of my favorite songs
Ric Mango who joined Jay and the Americans in 1962 at the age of 15 sang at my wedding in 1982 in New York.
One of your best reactions!! 👏
I'm so glad you two were into his performances; especially the one at age 72.
If you had heard him speak it was like an old-time gangster from Jersey or NYC.
When he was young Frank Sinatra asked him something along the lines of "Hey, since this is your signature song, how will you be able to do it for decades to come?"
JAY BLACK S real name was David Blatt. He became Jay when he replaced John (Jay) Traynor.
🤯 Holy moly
Impressive 🔥
I've been following Jay Black And The Americans since the beginning. Here are a number of their great songs that are also past hits or tunes you may have
never heard before: 1) Only In America 2) Sunday And Me 3) Living Above Your Head 4) Hang Around 5) Run To My Loving Arms 6) She Cried
7) When It's All Over 8) Something In My Eye. (NOTE: The last two songs are killer ballads!) Enjoy people!
Thanks for this one!
If you get a chance, you should do some Tom Jones then and now. He is another who really took care of his incredible voice. The perfect example is "I'll Never Fall in Love Again". He did a live version for BBC radio in 2020 when they were doing backyard concerts during covid lockdowns. Compared to the original he really hasn't lost anything. You can also find him doing "It's Not Unusual" from his "Ages and Stages" Tour here on YT. The tour was 2024 !!!!!!!!!!!!
He's on tour now, plays Las Vegas this weekend, played NYC recently. Age 84!!
I just saw Tom a few weeks ago. Still going strong.
'Come a little bit Closer' another great from them/him
I got lucky enough to see him perform at a charity event in South Florida in the early 2000's he said he sang it in the same key to do it any other way would have been cheating his audience. He also had an wicked adult sense of humor so no children were allowed at the event, funny, talented man.
Thank you so much. This was amazing!
Like a fine wine, he's better with age.
Both are live!
Like a fine wine
Impressive!!!
Name one current singer who in 50 years will still be belting them out.
Robert Plant
Yes it was absolutely crazy that he is not been inducted but Jay kind of told it like it was The Rock and roll Hall of Fame people kind of want you to jump through hoops and he more or less told them to kiss his ass he done his work with his voice not kissing ass. The other thing was he knew that everybody else knew how good he was including Roy Orbison Roy and him were great friends They each made an agreement that either one could sing each other songs with no royalties I think they both knew that they were that good that the other person singing the song wasn't ever going to screw it up!!
I see you guys are still posting videos. Great to see.
Jay was amazing !!! If you enjoyed this young and old comparison try "Sugar baby love" live by the Rubettes in 1974 and in 2008, these are two different videos. You will not be disappointed .
The old saying is true . Especially about your vocal chords . I sang in a few local bands over the years IF YOU DON'T USE IT YOU LOOSE IT . He was a professionally trained [opera] singer . I guarantee that he practiced his singing every day .. [ I've lost what i did have ]
Classic
Damn Phil, Sam was roasting you. I've seen this before and I totally understood where you were coming from with some doubt.This song is awesome.I love these older type of songs. To answer your question of where this music has gone. It's gone to the ways of BS studio tricks. I know I'm old school, but there is very little modern music at least in spades that grabs me. There are so many great tunes from this time.
Yeah I saw that too I love watching these two hope they have no more problems I subscribed long ago so they can keep going
@@wildbill7081, Sam is adorable and they both seem like such good, decent , and intelligent people that anyone would want to be friends with.
@@johnbattles1002 Yes all true that is why I watch them almost everyday and it is good they are learning about all the great music going back to the 50"s, 60's and 70's
At 72 he was having to try harder to hit the notes he hit effortlessly at 22, but still managed. Fantastic singer. Yusuf / Cat Stevens totally rerecorded a hit album of his from 1970 in 2020 with similar results. Of course the Cat doesn't have Jay's range, but still amazing.
The '65 version was from the Tv program SHINDIG
You must check out "Walking in the Rain" by Jay and the Americans
That's one of my favorite songs by them
Jay was an opera trained singer, and could belt out this song in his late 70s with almost no difference in voice strength. Right up there with Roy Orbison. as far as greatest male voice of any genre… They had a few hit songs, sadly not enough to make him a household name.
The same can be said about Tom Jones. He was performing into his 80's at a very high level.
Would love for you to do “Beyond The Sea “ by Bobby Darin I think you’ll enjoy it
While both of these performances are awesome, neither does justice to the power Jay Black had with his beautiful voice. I had the good fortune to see Jay and the Americans in the early 70’s. This man’s Voice could blow the roof off of the venue he was singing in. Jay and the Americans always put on a great show. Sadly he passed away in 2021 at 82 years old.
Always wanted to see him but never had the chance. They toured recently but with his replacement. I didn't bother going.
Add him to the list of folks I never had a chance to see live
Never got the opportunity to see Jay Black but I have seen the group with Jay Reincke twice. He’s not bad, but of course he doesn’t hold a torch to Jay Black.
He was going to be a cantor but was encouraged by secular vocalists to join their R&R singing group -- retrospectively termed "doo-wop." His style was not exactly my cup of R&B tea, but kudos to maintaining his voice and may he RIP. As for the greatest pop voices of the time & genre, check out the B&W youtube footage of Jackie Wilson doing "Danny Boy" and the Platters singing "My Prayer." That is if you want to hear the best of that glorious era.
Only In America by Jay and The Americans
He is just as good live….today
Jay is dead
IMHO, some of the Old school Performers sounded the same when they died as they did when they arrived.
These television shows of the 60s, 70s were all 'pre-recorded', they weren't live concerts as you would hear at an actual concert or live theater performance.
His backing singers have aged well!
Those were not the original “Americans” in the second rendition
you need to listen to "The Night We Met" by Lord Huron studio version
I like his older voice better..
His nickname is "the voice".
“So much for weaker vocal chords.” Uh, listen to your wife, Bro! Lol! 😂🤣
Love Jay Sad story he ran afoul of the IRS and had to declare bankruptcy and even lost the right to perform as Jay and the Americans This performance was from 2011 on PBS his last performance was in 2017 He was a fellow Long Islander and played here often. Ive seen him countless times over the years before he passed. He has many hits but this is 1 of my favorites. You should check it out NEW 📀 Come A Little Bit Closer - Jay & The Americans {DES Stereo} 1964 ua-cam.com/video/Oxfzfl5WoxE/v-deo.html
I thought the second performance would sound better because of better sound equipment.
Tokens still sound encredible
If you like this, listen to Tom Jones singing "Ill Never Fall in Love Again" at 82.
GAWD! - one quick WIKI would have told you that he was DEAD!
P.S. Do something with that white wall.
yes maybe but you cannot believe everything on WIKI poo
High on me reaction ??
Sadly Jay passed in 2021 at the age of 82
He wasn't known as "the voice" for nothing
One little tidbit; at age 72, he was apparently still smoking a pack of cigarettes every day!
Listen to Sam, she knows what's happening.
:)
I know that, it was ment as a joke!
Another great one to sing in the shower.
What is funny is the little jokes he tells in the concert. He said he could not afford to let his voice go because he had been in so much tax trouble that he ran out of money and had to keep performing. He told the story about meeting Frank Sinatra in the 1960's and Frank joked, great song kid but what are you going to do when you are 30 ?
He died penniless
He gambled all his money away and owed millions in taxes...sad
Stop talking ...please