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 Billboard Hot 100 chart.[ Biography by Ron Wynn], AllMusic
Career The band was best known for their 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. Although this song served as the band's primary hit, the group also captured various chart positions with "Keep the Ball Rollin'" (No. 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. 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 Onederful", 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 Black African-Americans in the group.
Discography Albums YearAlbumBillboard 200Record 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 YearTitlePeak chart positionsRecord LabelB-sideAlbum US USR&B USDance AU CAN CANR&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" (No. 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 List of Mercury Records artists
References
External links Jay Proctor interview by Rob Jones