Jay & the Techniques

Jay & the Techniques was an American pop group formed in Allentown, Pennsylvania during the mid-1960s. Their song "Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie", released in 1967 on the Smash label, reached the Top 10 on the R&B chart.[1]

Career

The band was best known for its Top 10 debut single, "Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie", which was released in 1967 and reached No. 6 in the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The track was arranged by Joe Renzetti, and written by Maurice Irby, Jr. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.[2] Although this song served as the band's primary hit, the group also captured various chart positions with "Keep the Ball Rollin'" (#14) and "Strawberry Shortcake". "Keep the Ball Rollin'" also notched up sales in excess of a million copies, to secure a second gold disc for this group.[2] However, its position on the 1960s pop charts declined after "Baby Make Your Own Sweet Music" was released. They made their final effort with the R&B hit, "Number Onderful", but after that, the group disbanded.

"Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie" and "Baby Make Your Own Sweet Music" (the latter a cover of a single first released in 1967 by Johnny Johnson and the Bandwagon) were both released in the UK by Mercury Records and, whilst neither song charted in the UK, in the early 1970s both songs became dance favourites of the British Northern Soul music scene.

In 1996, Mercury Records released a compilation album of the band's hits entitled The Best of Jay & The Techniques.

Original band members
  • Jay Proctor: Lead vocalist and primary founder of the group
  • George "Lucky" Lloyd: Second vocalist
  • Dante Dancho: Lead guitar
  • Chuck Crowl: Bass guitar
  • Karl Landis (Lippowitsch): Drums (was replaced by Paul Coles, Jr.)
  • Ronnie Goosley: Saxophone
  • Jon Walsh: Trumpet (was replaced by Danny Altieri)

Nick Ashford, Valerie Simpson and Melba Moore often served as backing vocalists.

The band was multiracial, Proctor and George (Lucky) Lloyd being the only African-Americans in the group.

Discography

Albums
Year Album Billboard 200 Record Label
1968 Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie 129 Smash Records
Love, Lost & Found –
1995 The Best of Jay and the Techniques – Mercury Records
2009 Baby Make Your Own Sweet Music: The Very Best of Jay & the Techniques – RPM Records

Singles
Year Title Peak chart positions Record Label B-side Album
US US
R&B		 US
Dance		 AU CAN CAN
R&B
1967 "Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie" 6 8 – 30 61 6 Smash Records "Stronger Than Dirt" Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie
"Keep the Ball Rollin'" 14 – – 71 – – "Here We Go Again"
1968 "Strawberry Shortcake" 39 – – – 27 – "Still (In Love With You)" Love, Lost & Found
"Baby Make Your Own Sweet Music" 64 – – – 53 – "Help Yourself to All My Lovin'"
"The Singles Game" 116 – – – – – "Baby How Easy Your Heart Forgets Me"
"Hey Diddle Diddle" – – – – – – "If I Should Lose You" Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie
1969 "Are You Ready for This" – – – – – – "Change Your Mind" (#107 BB)
"Dancin' Mood" – – – – – – "If I Should Lose You"
1972 "Robot Man" – – – – – – Gordy Records "I'll Be Here"
1974 "I Feel Love Coming On" – – 6 – – – Silver Blue Records "This World of Mine"
1976 "Number Onederful" – 94 11 – – – Event Records "Don't Ask Me to Forget"

See also

References
  1. Allmusic.com biography by Ron Wynn
  2. Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 224. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
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