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The definitive Jay & the Americans collection, Come a Little Bit Closer: The Best of Jay & the Americans, collects the highlights of the band's career with each of its lead singers, Jay Traynor and Jay Black. Traynor was the voice behind the group's first big hit, 1962's "She Cried," as well as singles like "Dawning," the melody of which cleverly mimics Edvard Grieg's "Morning Mood" and a laid-back version of "Tonight" from West Side Story. It's too bad that the Americans didn't wait to record that last song until Black had entered their fold. His impressive range and theatrical delivery made songs like "Only in America" sound like they were from some forgotten musical and made the band's version of "Crying" closely rival Roy Orbison's original. Along with the title track, "Come a Little Bit Closer" also features the hits "Cara Mia" -- one of the best showcases for Black's vocal prowess -- and "This Magic Moment," as well as sound-alike follow-ups like "Let's Lock the Door (And Throw Away the Key)," "Some Enchanted Evening," and "Sunday and Me." The group's attempts to graft folk-rock and psychedelic pop to their own sound on "(He's) Raining in My Sunshine" and "(We'll Meet in the) Yellow Forest" aren't entirely successful, but they are interesting -- perhaps more interesting than the band's better-known songs. Not all of the collection's 28 tracks are strictly necessary, but that's what makes it so comprehensive. Casual fans of Jay & the Americans might only need a dozen-track collection to satisfy their needs, but for the fans who need all the hits, some choice album tracks, and Italian and Spanish versions of "She Cried" and "Come a Little Bit Closer," this is the collection for them.
© Heather Phares /TiVo
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Leonard Bernstein, ComposerLyricist - Jerry Leiber, Producer - Mike Stoller, Producer - Stephen Sondheim, ComposerLyricist - Jay & The Americans, MainArtist
(C) 2005 Capitol Records, Inc. ℗ 1961 Capitol Records, LLC
Barry Richards, ComposerLyricist - Jerry Leiber, Producer - Mike Stoller, Producer - Ted Daryll, ComposerLyricist - Jay & The Americans, MainArtist
(C) 2005 Capitol Records, Inc. ℗ 1962 Capitol Records, LLC
Jerry Leiber, Producer - Mike Stoller, Producer - Tony Powers, ComposerLyricist - Manuel Barkan, ComposerLyricist - Jay & The Americans, MainArtist
(C) 2005 Capitol Records, Inc. ℗ 1962 Capitol Records, LLC
Jerry Leiber, Producer - Mike Stoller, Producer - Ellie Greenwich, Composer - Tony Powers, Composer - Jay & The Americans, MainArtist
(C) 2005 Capitol Records, Inc. ℗ 1962 Capitol Records, LLC
Jerry Leiber, Producer - Mike Stoller, Producer - Ted Daryll, Composer - Greg Richards, Composer - Jay & The Americans, MainArtist
(C) 2005 Capitol Records, Inc. ℗ 1962 Capitol Records, LLC
Jerry Leiber, Composer, Producer - Mike Stoller, Composer, Producer - Jay & The Americans, MainArtist
(C) 2005 Capitol Records, Inc. ℗ 1962 Capitol Records, LLC
Barry Mann, ComposerLyricist - Jerry Leiber, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Mike Stoller, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Cynthia Weil, ComposerLyricist - Jay & The Americans, MainArtist
(C) 2005 Capitol Records, Inc. ℗ 1963 Capitol Records, LLC
T. Powers, Composer - Jerry Leiber, Producer - Mike Stoller, Producer - Jay & The Americans, MainArtist - M. Maurer, Composer
(C) 2005 Capitol Records, Inc. ℗ 1963 Capitol Records, LLC
Bobby Hart, ComposerLyricist - Kevin Farrell, ComposerLyricist - Tommy Boyce, ComposerLyricist - Artie Ripp, Producer - Jay & The Americans, MainArtist
(C) 2005 Capitol Records, Inc. ℗ 1964 Capitol Records, LLC
Wes Farrell, Composer - Jay & The Americans, MainArtist - Gerry Granahan, Producer - Alfred Roy, Composer
(C) 2005 Capitol Records, Inc. ℗ 1965 Capitol Records, LLC
Wes Farrell, ComposerLyricist - Artie Ripp, Producer - Jay & The Americans, MainArtist - Alfred Roy, ComposerLyricist
(C) 2005 Capitol Records, Inc. ℗ 1965 Capitol Records, LLC
Mantovani, ComposerLyricist - Jay & The Americans, MainArtist - Gerry Granahan, Producer - B. G. Lewis, ComposerLyricist
(C) 2005 Capitol Records, Inc. ℗ 1965 Capitol Records, LLC
Richard Rodgers, Composer - Oscar Hammerstein II , Composer - Jay & The Americans, MainArtist
(C) 2005 Capitol Records, Inc. ℗ 1965 Capitol Records, LLC
Neil Diamond, ComposerLyricist - Jay & The Americans, MainArtist
(C) 2005 Capitol Records, Inc. ℗ 1990 Capitol Records, LLC
Wes Farrell, ComposerLyricist - Al Kasha, ComposerLyricist - Joel Hirschhorn, ComposerLyricist - Jay & The Americans, MainArtist - Gerry Granahan, Producer
(C) 2005 Capitol Records, Inc. ℗ 1966 Capitol Records, LLC
Joe Melson, Composer - ROY ORBISON, Composer - Jay & The Americans, MainArtist - Gerry Granahan, Producer
(C) 2005 Capitol Records, Inc. ℗ 1966 Capitol Records, LLC
Kenny Vance, Composer - Marty Sanders, Composer - Jay & The Americans, MainArtist - Jay Black, Composer - Gerry Granahan, Producer
(C) 2005 Capitol Records, Inc. ℗ 1966 Capitol Records, LLC
BOB FELDMAN, Producer - Ronnie Dante, ComposerLyricist - Gene Allen, ComposerLyricist - Jay & The Americans, MainArtist
(C) 2005 Capitol Records, Inc. ℗ 1966 Capitol Records, LLC
Edward Snyder, Composer - PAUL VANCE, Composer - Jay Black, MainArtist
(C) 2005 Capitol Records, Inc. ℗ 1966 Capitol Records, LLC
Billy Carl, Composer - Jay & The Americans, MainArtist - Reid Whitelaw, Composer
(C) 2005 Capitol Records, Inc. ℗ 1967 Capitol Records, LLC
Doc Pomus, ComposerLyricist - Mort Shuman, ComposerLyricist - Tommy Kaye, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Jay & The Americans, Producer, MainArtist - Jata Enterprises, Producer
(C) 2005 Capitol Records, Inc. ℗ 1975 Capitol Records, LLC
Doc Pomus, ComposerLyricist - Mort Shuman, ComposerLyricist - Jay & The Americans, Producer, MainArtist
(C) 2005 Capitol Records, Inc. ℗ 1969 Capitol Records, LLC
Barry Mann, Arranger, Work Arranger - Cynthia Weil, Composer - PHIL SPECTOR, Composer - Jay & The Americans, Producer, MainArtist - Thomas Kaye, Producer
(C) 2005 Capitol Records, Inc. ℗ 1969 Capitol Records, LLC
PHIL SPECTOR, Composer - Peter Andreoli, Composer - Jay & The Americans, Producer, MainArtist - Vincent Poncia, Composer - Thomas Kaye, Producer
(C) 2005 Capitol Records, Inc. ℗ 1970 Capitol Records, LLC
Ted Daryll, Composer - Greg Richards, Composer - Jay & The Americans, MainArtist
(C) 2005 Capitol Records, Inc. ℗ 1990 Capitol Records, LLC
Bobby Hart, Composer - Kevin Farrell, Composer - Tommy Boyce, Composer - Jay & The Americans, MainArtist
(C) 2005 Capitol Records, Inc. ℗ 1990 Capitol Records, LLC
PHIL SPECTOR, Composer - Brian Wilson, Composer - Mike Love, Composer - Jay & The Americans, MainArtist
(C) 2005 Capitol Records, Inc. ℗ 1965 Capitol Records, LLC
NONE, Composer - Jay & The Americans, MainArtist
(C) 2005 Capitol Records, Inc. ℗ 1990 Capitol Records, LLC
Album review
The definitive Jay & the Americans collection, Come a Little Bit Closer: The Best of Jay & the Americans, collects the highlights of the band's career with each of its lead singers, Jay Traynor and Jay Black. Traynor was the voice behind the group's first big hit, 1962's "She Cried," as well as singles like "Dawning," the melody of which cleverly mimics Edvard Grieg's "Morning Mood" and a laid-back version of "Tonight" from West Side Story. It's too bad that the Americans didn't wait to record that last song until Black had entered their fold. His impressive range and theatrical delivery made songs like "Only in America" sound like they were from some forgotten musical and made the band's version of "Crying" closely rival Roy Orbison's original. Along with the title track, "Come a Little Bit Closer" also features the hits "Cara Mia" -- one of the best showcases for Black's vocal prowess -- and "This Magic Moment," as well as sound-alike follow-ups like "Let's Lock the Door (And Throw Away the Key)," "Some Enchanted Evening," and "Sunday and Me." The group's attempts to graft folk-rock and psychedelic pop to their own sound on "(He's) Raining in My Sunshine" and "(We'll Meet in the) Yellow Forest" aren't entirely successful, but they are interesting -- perhaps more interesting than the band's better-known songs. Not all of the collection's 28 tracks are strictly necessary, but that's what makes it so comprehensive. Casual fans of Jay & the Americans might only need a dozen-track collection to satisfy their needs, but for the fans who need all the hits, some choice album tracks, and Italian and Spanish versions of "She Cried" and "Come a Little Bit Closer," this is the collection for them.
© Heather Phares /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 28 track(s)
- Total length: 01:14:20
- Main artists: Jay & The Americans
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Capitol Records
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock
© 2005 Capitol Records, LLC This Compilation ℗ 2005 Capitol Records, LLC
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