Songs with Earlier Histories Than the Hit Version

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Tagged: Jay & The Americans

1960s, R&B

Only in America

First recorded by The Drifters (1963, released 1996).
Hit version by Jay & the Americans (US #25 1963).

From Songfacts:

“Written by the brilliant Brill Building songwriting teams of Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller (‘Hound Dog‘, 1953; ‘Stand By Me’, 1961; ‘On Broadway‘, 1963) and Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil (‘On Broadway’, 1963; ‘You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin” 1964; ‘We Gotta Get Out of This Place‘, 1965; ‘Never Gonna Let You Go‘, 1982), ‘Only in America’ was first written for and recorded by The Drifters.

“It was written at a time before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 had become the law of the land, and the original lyrics when first submitted reflected the racism that existed at the time in the US:

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1950s, Pop

Cara Mia

First recorded by David Whitfield & the Mantovani Orchestra (US #10/UK #1 1954).
Other hit version by Jay & the Americans (US #4 1965 |NETH #1 1980).

From the wiki: “Authorship of ‘Cara Mia’ (in Italian, ‘my beloved’) is credited to Tulio Trapani (the nom de plume of the song’s co-writer and arranger Mantovani) and Lee Lange (Bunny Lewis, David Whitfield’s producer). English singer David Whitfield first recorded the song with the Mantovani Orchestra in 1954. Whitfield’s version became one of the biggest selling British records in the pre-rock days, the first UK record to spend ten consecutive weeks at #1 on the UK Singles chart. It sold more than three and a half million copies worldwide and was also a Top-10 hit in the US.

“The 1965 cover by Jay & the Americans became a #4 hit in the US. It was re-released in 1980 in the Netherlands and became a #1 hit there.”

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1960s, Rock

Shanghai Noodle Factory

First recorded and released by Jay & the Americans (1967).
Hit album version by Traffic (1968).

From the wiki: “‘Shanghai Noodle Factory’, ostensibly about the business of music being in conflict with the needs of a musician, was written by Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi, Chris Wood, Jimmy Miller, and Larry Fallon sometime between Winwood’s departure from the Spencer Davis Group and his co-founding of the band Traffic in the spring of 1967. But, ‘Shanghai Noodle Factory’ would first be recorded by the group Jay & the Americans (‘Come A Little Bit Closer’, ‘Cara Mia’, ‘This Magic Moment‘) and released in October 1967 as the B-side to the non-charting single ‘French Provincial’.

“Coincidentally, it was co-writer and Traffic (and former Spencer Davis Group) producer Jimmy Miller who helmed the Jay & the Americans recording session.

“Traffic would record its own version of Winwood’s song during the group’s final studio sessions in early 1968. Traffic’s ‘Shanghai Noodle Factory’ would then be released in December 1968 in the UK (February 1969 in the US) as the B-side of the non-charting single ‘Medicated Goo’ and appear on the 1969 album Last Exit.”

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1960s, R&B

This Magic Moment

First recorded by The Drifters (US #16 1960).
Other hit version by Jay & The Americans (US #6 1968).

From the wiki: “‘This Magic Moment’ was composed by lyricist Doc Pomus and pianist Mort Shuman, one of their best-known songs, and was first recorded in 1960 by Ben E. King and The Drifters. In 1969, ‘This Magic Moment’ was covered by Jay and the Americans and reached the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.”

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