Thank you guys so much for doing my request! I’m glad you guys enjoyed it. Cara Mia means “my dear” in Italian. The song was originally an opera tune from the 1950’s, but the lead singer Jay Black rewrote it into a rock and roll song. He had to fight the record company for several years to record it. When he got the chance, he did it in one take. The same song you hear in this recording was done in exactly one take. He just passed away a few years back and did this song all the way up until his mid 70’s. It sounded amazing to the very end of his career. You’ll have to check out live versions he did later in his career. Thanks again guys!
Jay Black was classically trained as you can obviously tell from his singing voice...He also was a friend of Frank Sinatra and also co- starred in a movie with him...He sang like that into his seventies...his voice was always there for him throughout his life...His real name was David Blatt.. The original lead singer of the group that he replaced was Jay Traynor...Blatt billed himself as Jay to keep continuity in the name of the group...the last name was billed as Black by mistake so he was no longer known as David Blatt, but as Jay Black...he passed away 2 years ago...great reaction, guys...Keep Being Awesome !!!
I grew up in Kew Gardens Queens NYC. I was in Tico and the Triumphs with Paul Simon 1959 60 61. Kenny from this group was a casual friend of mine. We had street corner Doo-Wop duals all the time. Years later i met Kenny in LA he was still with a group and performing.
My Dad has been gone now for almost 2 yrs. He made it to 83 before cancer took him. This was one of his all time very favorite songs and every time I hear it I think of and miss him dearly. Jay Black was one of his all time favorite singers. Thank you for reacting to this.
I think this from the early 1960s era, just before The Beatles and the British Invasion. Great stuff. What a voice. This is when you actually had to be able to sing.
Another Jay and the Americans song is "Come a Little Bit Closer". It would be a great song to react to. Not the over the top vocals of this song, but it's fun and catchy
As a kid, I would perform this song for my mom. And I really got into it. Lol. God love her..she would sit and listen every time and act like it was the greatest thing ever. Just imagine a little girl singing this. It had to be torture. Lol
I went to several concerts where Jay Black sang this same Song and this was in his latter years He sounded exactly the same And he hit the same notes each time It was phenomenal how he sang And he hit the same note steady hit when he was in his 20s and you did that when it was in the 70s and 80s He had a great talent that the Lord gave him. He also sang very many other songs and sounded exactly the same The notes he sang were Identical. It's a shame when we lose such great talent
Rest in peace Jay Black, lead singer of 'Jay and the American' November 2, 1938 to October 22, 2021. I loved to see you in concert. You were such a great guy.
One of the first 45's I got. I just loved their sound and Jays voice was outstanding! There was a radio station down the road from me and we would stop and the DJ would come out and say hi and I'd request this song and he'd play it. Jay could still hit those notes in his latter years.
Not sure if I would call them highly influential, but they did have a nice run of hits throughout the 1960s. Jay Black, without a doubt, had one of the greatest voices of the era and really of all time. I really enjoyed them. Their other big songs include "Come a Little Bit Closer", "Let's Lock the Door & Throw Away the Key", "Only In America", "She Cried", plus a great cover of the Drifters' song "This Magic Moment."
Glad you two found Jay And The Americans. The people in the comment section listed a number of their songs but here is the complete list of hits that many of you may not have heard before: 1) Let's Lock The Door 2) Come A Little Bit Closer 3) Walking In The Rain 4) This Magic Moment 5) Only In America 6) Sunday & Me 7) Living Above Your Head 8) Some Enchanted Evening 9) Hang Around 10) Run To My Loving Arms 11) She Cried 12) When It's All Over 13) Something In My Eye. Many of the songs listed above are exceptional. ENJOY!
This was good. But I wish you would have done the live, black & white TV performance. It’s awesome to actually watch Jay hit those high notes with such precision and expressiveness!
Jay Black still gives be goose bumps. I went to a concert many years ago while he still performed and he could still hit those high notes. Sorry to hear he passed. Keep playing his music, it won't disappoint you. ❤
Jay Black was known simply as The "Voice". All of his peers in the music industry considered him and Roy Orbison the very best. I feel that he was the best lead male vocalist of the entire rock and roll era. Roy and Jay were best of friends They both said they wanted no royalties if either of the two sang the others songs. I really believe that they both knew how good they were and you that the other person singing their song wasn't going to ever mess it up!!! There are two performances of Jay performing this live on PBS in 2001 and then in 2011 in the latter one he was 73 I believe and it is still flawless. They had a lot of great hits One was walking in the rain another was let's lock the door and throw away the key another one was she cried and another one that hit probably number three called c** a little bit closer. On that one they had 3 minutes left of studio time and they put it together no takes no nothing and it came out fantastic!!!
There is a live version of this with the lead singer what looks like in his 60s and he hits all the same notes as in the original recording. Listen to ‘livin above your head’ another hit from this group.
My mother loved this song. She was born in Italy and came to the U.S. as a little girl and cara mia means my dear in Italian but they also use it as my love.
I still love this song (1965)! I don't know if you've ever heard "Looking for an Echo" by Kenny Vance & the Planetones (there's a live version on y/t) but it's just as mind-blowing.
❤❤❤ it’s amazing. This guy could do it when he was like 60 the same vocals it was amazing. It’s on RUclips. Also try come a little bit closer and. This magic moment.❤❤❤❤❤
I have seen this group many times in "Oldies" shows and had original singers. However, I believe they were on the 4th or 5th "Jay" . Still a great group. Us "Boomers" are still alive and well and still love our music. 😄😄
The lead singer, Jay Black, born David Blatt in Astoria, Queens, NY and he grew up in the Borough Park neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY. Jay Black/David Blatt grew up in an Orthodox Jewish family, and he started his singing career in the Temple Beth-El of Borough Park as part of Ben Friedman’s choir with Cantor Moshe Koussevitzky. A Cantor is someone who has the vocal training similar to an opera singer, and leads the synagogue congregation in the Sabbath and High Holiday prayers. This is how Jay Black received his formal training as a singer, and why he was able to hit notes at such high octaves and hold his notes at such high octaves.
This version is way better than the original and is simply beautifully performed. Definitely do Come A Little Bit Closer and This Magic Moment. They also do a nice version of Roy Orbison’s song Crying which K.D. lang also covered. Speaking of Roy you guys should do In Dreams, Uptown, Running Scared, Love Hurts (also made famous by Nazareth), Windsurfer and California Blue. Those last two were more current songs before he passed away. Of course there’s plenty more great ones.
I’m a big fan of their songs “She Cried” and “Only in America”, but equally great and more well known are their hits “This Magic Moment” and “Come a Little Bit Closer”. I think they’re up to 5 Jay’s now 😂
You should watch/hear a 73 year old Jay (David Blatt) do this song excellently, as if no time had passed vocally on a PBS show in 2011. There have been so many requests for a number of Jay's song. I will suggest one that no one here mentioned 'Hushabye."
They sing the song Some Enchanted Evening, from the play South Pacific. Jay's voice is incredible in that song also. I don't think there is a song that they have ever done that was mediocre.
My favourite Jay and the Americans song is ‘Come a Little Bit Closer’ please add my vote to reacting to this song. Gene Pitney also recorded Cara Mia plus many other greats like: ‘(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance’, ‘Half Heaven - Half Heartache’, ‘Only Love Can Break a Heart’ and ‘Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa’. Gene Pitney also wrote ‘Rubber Ball’ which was a hit for Bobby Vee and ‘Hello Mary Lou’ which was recorded by Ricky Nelson. FYI the song ‘(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance’ is the same name as the 1962 western starring John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart and Lee Marvin but the song wasn’t used in the film.
Jay, David Blatt was one of the greatest singers ever. He passed not Too long ago. One of the greatest songs ever My favorite by them is Walking in the Rain a cover by the Ronettes. Id appreciate if you would react to it. Beautiful timeless song. Their cover was terrific. They had more very good songs also.
If you've seen Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, you heard Jay and the Americans singing Come a Little Bit Closer while all the fighting was going on, on Yandu's ship. Of course they added the big choir to it to beef up the last refrain. 👍👍
this is great but as a group "This Magic Moment and Come a Little Closer" will give you a better feel for the whole group vocally this just showcases Jays Operatic trained voice by the way he was still singing this in 2000+
Jay and the Americans came out of the late 50's harmony group style of music often referred to as Do Wop. The sixties were in a lot of ways the decade of the singles group and Jay and the Americans were definitely in that vein. Their thing was to add lots of strings and production to simple singles.
These guys were very influenced by Roy Orbison. They also did a very successful cover of one of Orbison's biggest hits, "Crying" that went to #25 for them in the charts
![Lethal Company Music Video 🎵 "Follow The Orders" [VERSION A]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/QeooZB4Z7RA/mqdefault.jpg)
Jay and The Americans are more proof that those of us who were born in the 50s grew up listening to the best music of all time.
damm straight!
The best music!👏🎶♥️
Another popular song of theirs at that time frame was- Come A Little Bit Closer. They had a few more hits, but this one always comes to mind.
Just my opinion but Come a little bit closer was their best song
Yeah! Great song!
Yes it's great. I also like "Only In America". Amazing voices.
THE BEST
'This Magic Moment' (1969) great cover of a Drifters song.
Thank you guys so much for doing my request! I’m glad you guys enjoyed it. Cara Mia means “my dear” in Italian. The song was originally an opera tune from the 1950’s, but the lead singer Jay Black rewrote it into a rock and roll song. He had to fight the record company for several years to record it. When he got the chance, he did it in one take. The same song you hear in this recording was done in exactly one take. He just passed away a few years back and did this song all the way up until his mid 70’s. It sounded amazing to the very end of his career. You’ll have to check out live versions he did later in his career. Thanks again guys!
Struck gold,congrats 😊
Wow, that's amazing! Thanks Richard!
Jay Black was an opera style rock singer. He could hit notes that were unbelievable.
Come a little bit closer is a MUST
Jay Black was classically trained as you can obviously tell from his singing voice...He also was a friend of Frank Sinatra and also co- starred in a movie with him...He sang like that into his seventies...his voice was always there for him throughout his life...His real name was David Blatt.. The original lead singer of the group that he replaced was Jay Traynor...Blatt billed himself as Jay to keep continuity in the name of the group...the last name was billed as Black by mistake so he was no longer known as David Blatt, but as Jay Black...he passed away 2 years ago...great reaction, guys...Keep Being Awesome !!!
Nice comment and I always enjoyed Jay and the Americans music and now at 73 I know much more thanks to your comment
This song has given me goosebumps since the day it came out.
Yes yes yes! Jay And The Americans were classy . He nails that high!
THIS is real music ... Thank you.
RIP Jay Black, The Voice! This Magic Moment, Come A Little Bit Closer and Only In America are the follow up hits.
I grew up in Kew Gardens Queens NYC. I was in Tico and the Triumphs with Paul Simon 1959 60 61. Kenny from this group was a casual friend of mine. We had street corner Doo-Wop duals all the time. Years later i met Kenny in LA he was still with a group and performing.
My Dad has been gone now for almost 2 yrs. He made it to 83 before cancer took him.
This was one of his all time very favorite songs and every time I hear it I think of
and miss him dearly. Jay Black was one of his all time favorite singers.
Thank you for reacting to this.
This magic moment is magical
Wow, reminds me of Roy Oberson.
What a voice!
"Come a Little Bit Closer" is my favorite.
Their way of doing...This Magic Moment
I think this from the early 1960s era, just before The Beatles and the British Invasion. Great stuff. What a voice. This is when you actually had to be able to sing.
I love your comment also and very true
Love this song what a great voice ❤
Another Jay and the Americans song is "Come a Little Bit Closer". It would be a great song to react to. Not the over the top vocals of this song, but it's fun and catchy
As a kid, I would perform this song for my mom. And I really got into it. Lol. God love her..she would sit and listen every time and act like it was the greatest thing ever. Just imagine a little girl singing this. It had to be torture. Lol
Jay's father was a Kanter in Temple and Jay was trainer to be one.
Jay & The Americans. I haven't heard them in decades! Richard Takes me back. Thanks dude.
I went to several concerts where Jay Black sang this same Song and this was in his latter years He sounded exactly the same And he hit the same notes each time It was phenomenal how he sang And he hit the same note steady hit when he was in his 20s and you did that when it was in the 70s and 80s He had a great talent that the Lord gave him. He also sang very many other songs and sounded exactly the same The notes he sang were Identical. It's a shame when we lose such great talent
Great, great band. Thanks for getting to them....
Rest in peace Jay Black, lead singer of 'Jay and the American' November 2, 1938 to October 22, 2021. I loved to see you in concert. You were such a great guy.
Memories 😊
You can check out the live version. Jay Black kept singing this into his late 60 s or 70 s. With the same powerful voice.
The best song and Jay the best singer ever❤️❤️🙏🙏💋🌺👩
This classic was a song my husband and I would sing ( or try) in the car on highways. It was comical. One of my best memories!
One of the first 45's I got. I just loved their sound and Jays voice was outstanding! There was a radio station down the road from me and we would stop and the DJ would come out and say hi and I'd request this song and he'd play it. Jay could still hit those notes in his latter years.
One of the best voices ever. Great group.
I love this song so very much! It gives me goosebumps every time I hear it. Love your reactions!
❤❤❤❤ this is what the 60s are all about great music great vocals❤❤❤❤❤
Was fortunate enough to hear him later in his career at an oldies show and he still hit those notes.
Childhood I remember this playing on the AM radio in 1965 as a young lad great tune.
Not sure if I would call them highly influential, but they did have a nice run of hits throughout the 1960s. Jay Black, without a doubt, had one of the greatest voices of the era and really of all time. I really enjoyed them. Their other big songs include "Come a Little Bit Closer", "Let's Lock the Door & Throw Away the Key", "Only In America", "She Cried", plus a great cover of the Drifters' song "This Magic Moment."
Glad you two found Jay And The Americans. The people in the comment section listed a number of their songs but here is the complete list of hits that
many of you may not have heard before: 1) Let's Lock The Door 2) Come A Little Bit Closer 3) Walking In The Rain 4) This Magic Moment 5) Only In America
6) Sunday & Me 7) Living Above Your Head 8) Some Enchanted Evening 9) Hang Around 10) Run To My Loving Arms 11) She Cried 12) When It's All Over
13) Something In My Eye. Many of the songs listed above are exceptional. ENJOY!
there is a PBS oldies show of him doing this song 40 years later and hes even better
As good as when I first heard it. What pipes! Love the bass line at the end.
Jay Black had an amazing voice.
These guys could sing this song without any music and it would still be amazing.
This was good. But I wish you would have done the live, black & white TV performance. It’s awesome to actually watch Jay hit those high notes with such precision and expressiveness!
Now you must listen to more Jay and the Americans. Come a Little Bit Closer was a big hit.
My first album that I ever own was Jay and the Americans. Thanks for the reaction.
A blast from my childhood past.
Jay Black still gives be goose bumps. I went to a concert many years ago while he still performed and he could still hit those high notes. Sorry to hear he passed. Keep playing his music, it won't disappoint you. ❤
Nice going. I could hear music like this in the 60s. Nice to see younger people keep it going
Jay Black was known simply as The "Voice". All of his peers in the music industry considered him and Roy Orbison the very best. I feel that he was the best lead male vocalist of the entire rock and roll era. Roy and Jay were best of friends They both said they wanted no royalties if either of the two sang the others songs. I really believe that they both knew how good they were and you that the other person singing their song wasn't going to ever mess it up!!! There are two performances of Jay performing this live on PBS in 2001 and then in 2011 in the latter one he was 73 I believe and it is still flawless. They had a lot of great hits One was walking in the rain another was let's lock the door and throw away the key another one was she cried and another one that hit probably number three called c** a little bit closer. On that one they had 3 minutes left of studio time and they put it together no takes no nothing and it came out fantastic!!!
Jay could sing! Please listen to Walking In The Rain, and Only In America - classics you should listen to.
There is a live version of this with the lead singer what looks like in his 60s and he hits all the same notes as in the original recording. Listen to ‘livin above your head’ another hit from this group.
Wow, wasn't expecting anyone to recommend that one! My dad was their drummer for the summer of '66, and that was the only recording he did with them.
Wonderful !!!
My mother loved this song. She was born in Italy and came to the U.S. as a little girl and cara mia means my dear in Italian but they also use it as my love.
Watching your faces as you listen to some of the greatest music ever recorded is a lot of fun.
Back in the 60's, my best friend was a first cousin with Jay. I got to meet him very, very briefly around 1970.
I still love this song (1965)! I don't know if you've ever heard "Looking for an Echo" by Kenny Vance & the Planetones (there's a live version on y/t) but it's just as mind-blowing.
❤❤❤ it’s amazing. This guy could do it when he was like 60 the same vocals it was amazing. It’s on RUclips. Also try come a little bit closer and. This magic moment.❤❤❤❤❤
Let's lock the door- another great one by them!
I have seen this group many times in "Oldies" shows and had original singers. However, I believe they were on the 4th or 5th "Jay" . Still a great group. Us "Boomers" are still alive and well and still love our music. 😄😄
One of my favorite songs from back then!!!
Loving me some 60s music.
tremendous operatic voice of Jay Black! super range, tone/pitch control. Sadly he passed on in 10/21 (RIP)
One of my all time favorite songs. Saw them in 73
The lead singer, Jay Black, born David Blatt in Astoria, Queens, NY and he grew up in the Borough Park neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY. Jay Black/David Blatt grew up in an Orthodox Jewish family, and he started his singing career in the Temple Beth-El of Borough Park as part of Ben Friedman’s choir with Cantor Moshe Koussevitzky. A Cantor is someone who has the vocal training similar to an opera singer, and leads the synagogue congregation in the Sabbath and High Holiday prayers. This is how Jay Black received his formal training as a singer, and why he was able to hit notes at such high octaves and hold his notes at such high octaves.
I saw Jay and the Americans in 1973 Madison Square Garden, and the Crowd requested an on-cord, and They did.
Jay died a year or two ago. He was amazing.
This version is way better than the original and is simply beautifully performed. Definitely do Come A Little Bit Closer and This Magic Moment. They also do a nice version of Roy Orbison’s song Crying which K.D. lang also covered. Speaking of Roy you guys should do In Dreams, Uptown, Running Scared, Love Hurts (also made famous by Nazareth), Windsurfer and California Blue. Those last two were more current songs before he passed away. Of course there’s plenty more great ones.
I’m a big fan of their songs “She Cried” and “Only in America”, but equally great and more well known are their hits “This Magic Moment” and “Come a Little Bit Closer”. I think they’re up to 5 Jay’s now 😂
We listened to this song on AM radio (mono) and it didn't bother us a bit. Keep listening to the 60's hits!!
From NYC Do Wop street singers to playing with The Beatles and The Stones. Lots of hit songs...
they were always popular even with brit invasion and motown ; they were around awhile
If you can pull PBS and get their live version, you will be amazed when their much older!
You should watch/hear a 73 year old Jay (David Blatt) do this song excellently, as if no time had passed vocally on a PBS show in 2011.
There have been so many requests for a number of Jay's song. I will suggest one that no one here mentioned 'Hushabye."
They sing the song Some Enchanted Evening, from the play South Pacific. Jay's voice is incredible in that song also. I don't think there is a song that they have ever done that was mediocre.
My favourite Jay and the Americans song is ‘Come a Little Bit Closer’ please add my vote to reacting to this song. Gene Pitney also recorded Cara Mia plus many other greats like: ‘(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance’, ‘Half Heaven - Half Heartache’, ‘Only Love Can Break a Heart’ and ‘Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa’. Gene Pitney also wrote ‘Rubber Ball’ which was a hit for Bobby Vee and ‘Hello Mary Lou’ which was recorded by Ricky Nelson. FYI the song ‘(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance’ is the same name as the 1962 western starring John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart and Lee Marvin but the song wasn’t used in the film.
Love when they sing "Come a Little Bit Closer you're my kinda Man" Actually these guys helped Steely Dan get their start.
If you get a chance listen and watch apbs special with jay simging it 50 years later.
...still had it !!!!
Jay, David Blatt was one of the greatest singers ever. He passed not Too long ago. One of the greatest songs ever
My favorite by them is Walking in the Rain a cover by the Ronettes. Id appreciate if you would react to it. Beautiful timeless song. Their cover was terrific. They had more very good songs also.
You need to watch the live version from the 65 and then him in 2001
Absolutely!
Listen to 'This Magic Moment'.
Hey Sam and Phil, when your mentioned Roy Orbison there's a song of his that you should definitely do a reaction to, that song being "Ooby Dooby"
If you've seen Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, you heard Jay and the Americans singing Come a Little Bit Closer while all the fighting was going on, on Yandu's ship. Of course they added the big choir to it to beef up the last refrain. 👍👍
this is great but as a group "This Magic Moment and Come a Little Closer" will give you a better feel for the whole group vocally this just showcases Jays Operatic trained voice by the way he was still singing this in 2000+
"Walking in the Rain" is a fun romantic song by this group.
Just as good live, believe it or not
Ya as others have stated. Come a Little Bit Closer
Singer reminds me of Roy Orbison
He was trained as a cantor at the synagogue growing up
Also check out Johnnie Maestro and the Brooklyn Bridge's "Heard You're Getting Married". You won't be disappointed
Jay Black is the lead singer.
Cara Mia is an Italian phrase. Cara is "dear" and Mia is "my" in English. So it translates to "My Dear".
Jay's father was a Cantor.
My Beloved
Sunday and Me...
Love Sunday and Me. It was written by Neil Diamond.
Listen to Orbison's In Dreams. It has like 5 parts, and none repeat.
Jay and the Americans came out of the late 50's harmony group style of music often referred to as Do Wop. The sixties were in a lot of ways the decade of the singles group and Jay and the Americans were definitely in that vein. Their thing was to add lots of strings and production to simple singles.
Check out This Magic Moment...
Check out "Only In America "!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This has a bit of a "Roy Orbison" flavor to it. It's from the same era as when Roy was at his peak.
These guys were very influenced by Roy Orbison. They also did a very successful cover of one of Orbison's biggest hits, "Crying" that went to #25 for them in the charts