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The nostalgia-laced airwaves are full of hits from Jay and the Americans like “This Magic Moment,” “Walking In The Rain” and “Come A Little Bit Closer” — but on Nov. 14, the band will once again bring them to life in Brooklyn, where it all started 50 years ago.
Sandy Deanne, Marty Sanders and Howie Kane all hailed from in and around Flatbush, where legend has it that the only requirement for joining the band was owning a white dinner jacket and being able to carry a tune.
The group inked its first record deal in 1962 and over the next seven years recorded four songs, “She Cried,” “Come a Little Bit Closer,” “Cara Mia” and “This Magic Moment” that reached the top 10.
By 1973, tastes in popular music had changed and Jay and the Americans went the way of the ’60s themselves. But three years ago, Deanne, Sanders and Kane got back on the road, touring the oldies circuit — including the very same Our Lady of Grace auditorium in Gravesend where they performed more than 40 years ago.
“We jumped at the chance to come back home,” Deanne said.
This time, the booking will earn the band more than the $350 it received in 1964.
“The guy who booked us this time asked if we’d play for the same $350,” said Deanne, who respectfully rejected the offer. “We’ve had a lot of hits since then.”
Jay and the Americans at Our Lady of Grace Auditorium [Avenue W and E. Second Street in Gravesend, (718) 627-2020], 7:30 pm, Nov. 14. Tickets, $75.
©2009 Community Newspaper Group
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