"The Part of Me That Needs You Most" by Jay Black

Song#:  0336
Date:  09/20/1980
Debut:  98
Peak:  98
Weeks: 4
Genre:  Pop



Pop Bits:  Black was best known as the lead singer of Jay and the Americans beginning in 1963 when original Jay, John "Jay" Traynor, left the group. Black's given name is David Blatt, but in order to join the group he had to change his name to fit the group and became Jay Black. With Black on lead, the group had three Top 10 hits including 1968's gold record "This Magic Moment" (#6) - originally a #16 hit in 1960 for The Drifters. The group's popularity declined and they split in 1973. However, Black continued performing as Jay and the Americans for the next several years while also recording as a solo artist. This song barely made the chart and was his only solo entry.

ReduxReview:  This just kind of sounds...old-fashioned. And not in a good way. I don't care for the song and I'm not a fan of Black's voice. Obviously, he can sing and has a good voice, but there is just something about the tone and singing style that I'm just not liking. I'm not connecting with any of this. I mean, just by comparison, the previous song I covered was Cliff Richard's "Dreamin'." Richards was from the same rock 'n' roll era as Black and his song/voice sounded fresh and updated. It is an interesting contrast between the two.

ReduxRating:  3/10

Trivia:  Triple Shot!  1) In 2006, Black had to file for bankruptcy due to gambling and tax debts. He had to sell his ownership of the name "Jay and the Americans" to another former member. He almost lost his right to even use "Jay Black," but he was able to retain the use of that name. He now performs as Jay Black and the Alley Cats.  2) Early on as Black was touring with his own Jay and the Americans, he hired two musicians that worked in the group for over a year - Donald Fagen and Walter Becker, aka Steely Dan.  3) This song was already recorded by the group Exile ("Kiss You All Over") in 1979 for their album "All There Is," but it was not released as a single.

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