Techniques

Formed in Jamaica during 1964, the Techniques functioned as a rocksteady vocal harmony ensemble whose lineup featured singer Junior Menz, formerly of the Paragons. By the following year the group had registered hits such as “Little Did You Know” on Duke Reid’s Treasure Isle label. Additional momentum came in 1967 with the single “Love Is Not a Gamble,” which also reached Britain via the fledgling Trojan imprint. Although reggae was emerging and gaining favor the next year, vocal groups remained prominent, enabling the Techniques to score two further successes: their Jamaican Song Festival entry “Run Come Celebrate” and a version of the Temptations’ signature piece “My Girl.” Because earlier recordings were dispersed across dozens of compilations, the Heartbeat label’s Run Come Celebrate (1993) supplied a practical single-CD collection of their work.