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Jay Boy

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Jay Boy was set up mid-1967 by Edward Kassner as a sub/sister label of President and would be later incorporated in his parent Enterprise Group. The label is named after Kassner's son. The label featured MOB (music of black origin) and was launched November 1968 with Boy 1 Doris Willingham (later to become Doris Duke) "You Can't Do That" Jay Boy was also launched USA wise (via London Records part of the UK Decca Group). As with Kassner's President label the records were pressed by Orlake Dagenham Essex, (Orlake was the last of the original group of UK manufacturers and were originally button manufacturers they changed their presses and direction when Jeffery Kruger wanted a company to press his fledgeling Ember label and had been pointed in Orlake's direction by Sir Edward Lewis of Decca as they had no free presses and could not help Kruger) Kassner had become a dab-hand at licencing and re licencing titles and then giving them new UK release. Jay Boy finally paid off and came into it's own in 1973 after 80 odd sure-fire flopps (chart wise). In Feburay 1973 UK Polydor's dance inprint MoJo scored big time with an until then UK unknown Timmy Thomas "Why can't we live together" licenced from the small USA Florida based label Glades, Glades was part of a consortium under the parent of TK Records, TK had new signings and wanted a UK outlet (clearly Polydor-MoJo were not offering the right deal) Ed Kassner did. TK had found a UK home with Jay Boy, In spring 1974, what had originally been an instrumental and backing in progress track by TK in-house writers Howard Cassy and Richard Finch, the track had had some vocals overdubbed by session vocalist George McCrae, the title was Rock Your Baby* the rest is industry and club-dance history USA TK with it's sunshine sound and UK Jay Boy had arrived. Kassner UK licenced TK's other sub label Cat (with George McCrae's wife Gwen) to UK President. Jay Boy had a two year clear run of hit after hit with it's TK catalogue. Sadly as so often happens, once a licence goes, the licence falls by the way-side and Jay Boy did once TK sought their own UK Indent and signed a USA and UK deal with Columbia Inc/CBS. Jay Boy has an ellecptic mix of releases, from Southern Soul, Northern Soul, Soul-Disco, Funk, many lesser known releases are sought after collectable gems. *Such was the demand and success Orlake could not keep up with the pressing runs, Kassner had to contract Phonogram to do a pressing run which was standout as an IEP (Integral Embossed & Painted) finished in orange paint.