Jay & the Techniques was an American pop group formed in

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, 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 ''

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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

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. The track was

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, and written by Maurice Irby, Jr. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a

gold disc Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

. Although this song served as the band's primary

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, the group also captured various chart positions with "

Keep the Ball Rollin' "Keep The Ball Rollin'" is a song written by Denny Randell and Sandy Linzer was recorded by Jay & the Techniques. Chart performance "Keep The Ball Rollin" reached NO. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in 1967. Other recordings ...

" (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 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 Johnny Johnson and the Bandwagon were an American vocal soul group, prominent in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Career Originally known simply as The Bandwagon, they were formed in 1967 and featured Artie Fullilove, Billy Bradley, Terry Lewis and ...

) were both released in the UK by

Mercury Records Mercury Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group. It had significant success as an independent operation in the 1940s and 1950s. Smash Records and Fontana Records were sub labels of Mercury. In the United States, it is ...

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

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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 Ashford & Simpson were an American husband-and-wife songwriting-production team and recording duo of Nickolas Ashford (May 4, 1941 – August 22, 2011) and Valerie Simpson (born August 26, 1946). Ashford was born in Fairfield, South Carolina, ...

Valerie Simpson Ashford & Simpson were an American husband-and-wife songwriting-production team and recording duo of Nickolas Ashford (May 4, 1941 – August 22, 2011) and Valerie Simpson (born August 26, 1946). Ashford was born in Fairfield, South Carolina, ...

and

Melba Moore Beatrice Melba Hill or Beatrice Melba Smith (sources differ) (born October 29, 1945), known by her stage name Melba Moore, is an American singer and actress. Biography Early life and education Moore was born Beatrice Melba Hill or Beatrice Melba ...

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

Discography

Albums

Singles

References

External links

Jay Proctor interview
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jay and the Techniques American pop music groups Musical groups from Pennsylvania Mercury Records artists Smash Records artists