The Joneses - Keepin' Up With The Joneses (Mercury Records LP, 1974)

The Joneses
Keepin' Up With The Joneses
Mercury Records LP, 1974

The Jonesesbiography

Formed 1969, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.

The group comprised of:

Cy Brooks (lead singer)
Glenn Dorsey
Sam White
Reginald Noble
and his brother Wendell Noble

They were one of several groups from that time that represented a return to the vocal group format the became prevelant in the previous two decades.
During the early 70s, the group began recording in the soft-soul mode that featured a falsetto lead, sweet harmonies along with fully orchestrated arrangements.
The original group formed in Pittsburgh in 1969, however the recording group arrived at its final line-up after moving to New York to record for YM.R Records in the early 70's.
The members of the V.M.P. group featured falsetto lead Cy Brooks, Glenn Dorsey, Sam White and brothers Reginald and Wendell Noble, and on that label they had a New York hit with 'Pretty Pretty'.
Moving to the Pride label in 1973, they had another local hit, 'Pull My String'.
Mercury Records then signed them.

Cy Brooks left at this point and his lead spot was taken by baritone Harold Taylor (who had earlier been with the group in Pittsburgh).
At Mercury the Joneses first had success locally in Baltimore with 'Baby Don't Do It', but in 1974 they began a string of national hits including 'Hey Babe' (number 18 R & B).
They then followed with their crossover hit, 'Sugar Pie Guy' (number 10 R & B, number 47 pop), also in 1974.
They also had considerable success with 'l Can't See What You See in Me' (number 28 R & B) in 1975.

The Joneses broke up in 1975, but in the following years there were four resurrections of the group, the first in 1977 and the last in 1992, and each time the only constant in the new line-ups being Glenn Dorsey.

The Joneses - Keepin' Up With The Joneses
1974

1. I Can't See What You See In Me (3:06)
2. Fire (2:50)
3. Our Love Song (7:27)
4. Hey Baby (Pt 1) (3:32)
5. Hey Baby (Pt 2) (2:05)
6. Sugar Pie Guy (Pt 1) (3:40)
7. Sugar Pie Guy (Pt 2) (3:46)
8. I Promis You (4:46)
9. Baby Don't Do It (2:54)
10. Please Let Me Stay (4:14)

The Joneses were from Baltimore and recorded their debut album, Keepin Up With The Joneses in New York. They recorded with some of the leading Jazz studio musicians of the city such as Richard Tee, Cornell Dupree, Wilbur Bascome, Ralph McDonald and others. Most of the LP is mid-tempo vocal group Soul like Baby Don’t Do It. Sometimes they come with lush arrangements with strings such as Sugar Pie Guy that reminds a bit of a Barry White production with that philly style.