Mark & the Escorts Reunions Page

Mark & the Escorts was my teenage band which started when I was 13 years old in 1963. The other original members were also 13 or 14 years of age. The band started as a 3-piece and wound up a 7-piece band when we did our recordings for G.N.P. Crescendo Records in 1965. Because those recordings, particularly "Get Your Baby," have been included on many '60s and garage rock compilations CDs and the band has been featured in many books on the era, Mark & the Escorts have been asked to reunite and perform numerous times in the 21st century. We fit into the garage rock/exotica genre of shows, as well as "Eastside Sound" shows because we were part of the rock music boom of the 1960s in East Los Angeles that produced hit bands such as the Premiers, the Blendells, Cannibal & the Headhunters, and Thee Midniters. The songs we did at our reunion shows came directly from our set lists of the era, which would include our recordings, "Eastside Sound" hits, British Invasion, rock & roll, and R&B.

Our first reunion show was at Blowout 2009 in Van Nuys. The original members of Mark & the Escorts in the reunion band are Mark Guerrero (lead vocals, lead guitar), Ernie Hernandez (drums, lead vocals), Rick Rosas (bass), Robert Warren (rhythm guitar), and Trini Basulto (tenor sax). Added to the band are John Valenzuela (guitar- formerly of my 1970s band, Tango), Alex Del Zoppo (keyboard- formerly of original Woodstock band, Sweetwater), and Leo Valenzuela (bass- when Rick Rosas was unavailable. Below are info, flyers, photos, and videos on our reunion shows, starting with the most recent.

Mark & the Escorts
Benefit for Norton Records
The Echo
Echo Park District, Los Angeles
April 13, 2013

Benefit for Norton Records- On Saturday, April 13, 2013 Mark & the Escorts reunited to benefit Norton Records who suffered losses in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy back east. The benefit concert took place at The Echo nightclub on Sunset Blvd. in Los Angeles, in the Echo Park district. Legendary East L.A. band, Thee Midniters, were also part of the lineup. With Mark & the Escorts, that made two East L.A. "Eastside Sound" bands of the 1960s on the bill with twelve other bands. The show went from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. The venue was packed with hundreds of people, who were totally into the music. I was pleased that the mostly young, white audience showed great appreciation and reacted enthusiastically to my band, as well as Thee Midniters.

Rock & Roll Music (Beatles version)
I Wanna Do the Jerk (Ronnie & the Casuals)
La La La La La (The Blendells)
Little Latin Lupe Lu (Righteous Brothers)
Roll Over Beethoven (Beatles version)
Dance With Me (Mark & the Escorts)
Drive My Car (The Beatles)
Nadine (Chuck Berry)
Land of a Thousand Dances (Cannibal & the Headhunters)
Get Your Baby (Mark & the Escorts)
Long Tall Sally (Beatles version)

Mark Guerrero (lead vocals, lead guitar)
Ernie Hernandez (drums, lead vocals)
Robert Warren (rhythm guitar)
Trini Basulto (tenor sax)
Leo Valenzuela (bass)
John Valenzuela (guitar)
Alex Del Zoppo (keyboard)

Mark Guerrero lead vocals: "Rock & Roll Music," "La La La La La," "Roll Over Beethoven," "Dance With Me," "Nadine," "Land of a Thousand Dances," "Long Tall Sally," and co-lead vocal on
"Drive My Car" and "Little Latin Lupe Lu."
Ernie Hernandez lead vocals: "I Wanna Do the Jerk," We Gotta Get Out Of This Place,"
and co-lead vocal on "Drive My Car" and "Little Latin Lupe Lu."
Instrumental: "Get Your Baby"

Mark & the Escorts
Blow Out 2013
Viva Cantina
Burbank, California
March 31, 2013

Blow Out 2013- On Sunday, March 31, 2013, Mark & the Escorts reunited to perform at the 10th anniversary of Real Boss Hoss and his garage rock promotions. Jorge, a.k.a. Real Boss Hoss, is the one who got Mark & the Escorts to reunite for the first time since 1966! It was for his "Blow Out 2009" in Van Nuys. We performed a set of songs from the mid-sixties era, songs from our set lists from back then. The lineup also included the Chuckleberries, Jimmy Angel, Satan's Cheerleaders, and Thee Tee Pees. Viva Cantina is located at 900 West Riverside Drive in Burbank, CA.

Mark & the Escorts Photos- Viva Cantina (2013)

Alex Del Zoppo, Trini Basulto, Ernie Hernandez & Mark

Trini Basulto, Ernie Hernandez, Mark & Robert Warren

Trini Basulto, Ernie Hernandez, Mark, Richard Magaña & Robert Warren

(Richard Magaña was our baritone sax player in the mid-60s)

Rock & Roll Music (Beatles version)
I Wanna Do the Jerk (Ronnie & the Casuals)
La La La La La (The Blendells)
Little Latin Lupe Lu (Righteous Brothers)
Dance With Me (Mark & the Escorts)
Drive My Car (The Beatles)
Farmer John (The Premiers)
Nadine (Chuck Berry)
Land of a Thousand Dances (Cannibal & the Headhunters)
Get Your Baby (Mark & the Escorts)
Long Tall Sally (Beatles version)

Mark Guerrero (lead vocals, lead guitar)
Ernie Hernandez (drums, lead vocals
Robert Warren (rhythm guitar)
Trini Basulto (tenor sax)
Richard Magaña (harmony vocal on "Dance With Me")
Leo Valenzuela (bass)
Alex Del Zoppo (keyboard)

Richard Magaña, who until a few months prior we hadn't seen since the 1960s, came up and sang the harmony part he had done on our recording of "Dance With Me" in 1965.

Mark Guerrero lead vocals: "Rock & Roll Music," "La La La La La," "Dance With Me," "Farmer John," "Nadine," "Land of a Thousand Dances," "Long Tall Sally," and co-lead vocal on
"Drive My Car" and "Little Latin Lupe Lu."
Ernie Hernandez lead vocals: "I Wanna Do the Jerk,"
and co-lead vocal on "Drive My Car" and "Little Latin Lupe Lu."
Instrumental: "Get Your Baby"

Tiki Oasis 2011- Mark & the Escorts reunited once again for a show at Tiki Oasis 11 on Friday, August 19, 2011 at the Crown Plaza Hotel in San Diego, California. The event took place Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and included musical groups, campy burlesque, surf, comedy, and Hawaiian-style acts. We performed on the main stage at 7 p.m. on Friday night. Big Sandy with Los Straightjackets also performed on the same night.

I Wanna Do the Jerk (Ronnie & the Casuals)
Dance With Me (Mark & the Escorts)
Rock & Roll Music (Beatles version)
La La La La La (The Blendells)
Nadine (Chuck Berry)
Drive My Car (The Beatles)
Land of a Thousand Dances (Cannibal & the Headhunters)
Get Your Baby (Mark & the Escorts)
See See Rider (The Animals)

Mark Guerrero (lead vocals, lead guitar)
Ernie Hernandez (drums, lead vocals)
Rick Rosas (bass)
Robert Warren (rhythm guitar)
Trini Basulto (tenor sax)
John Valenzuela (guitar)
Alex Del Zoppo (keyboard)

Mark Guerrero lead vocals: "Dance With Me," "Rock & Roll Music," "La La La La La," "Nadine," "Land of a Thousand Dances," and co-lead vocal on "Drive My Car."
Ernie Hernandez lead vocals: "I Wanna Do the Jerk," "See See Rider,"
and co-lead vocal on "Drive My Car."
Instrumental: "Get Your Baby"

60s Eastside Sound Reunion Show- On Sunday, March 20th, 2011 at the legendary Paramount Ballroom in East Los Angeles an historic benefit reunion show took place. The musical lineup included the Premiers ("Farmer John"), Mark & the Escorts ("Get Your Baby"), Chan Romero and Eastside Revue ("Hippy Hippy Shake") led by legendary "Eastside Sound" guitarist Andy Tesso, the Jags (with members of The Jaguars), the Salas Brothers, the Heartbreakers ("Cradle Rock"), Mickey Lespron of El Chicano, Mike Rincon of the Blendells, the Storytellers, Easy Company, and the In Crowd. The $10 donation went to the families of Frank Zuniga, original bassist of The Premiers, and Annie Perez, the wife of lead guitarist of the Premiers, Lawrence Perez. Frank Zuniga and Annie Perez passed away in December 2010.

Mark & the Escorts- Paramount Ballroom (2011)

(left to right- Alex Del Zoppo (keyboard, unseen), Mark Guerrero, Trini Basulto, Ernie Hernandez (drums, unseen), John Valenzuela, Rick Rosas, and Robert Warren)

Video of Mark & the Escorts performing "Nadine" at the Paramount Ballroom

Song List for Paramount Ballroom

I Wanna Do the Jerk (Ronnie & the Casuals)
Dance With Me (Mark & the Escorts)
Rock & Roll Music (Beatles version)
La La La La La (The Blendells)
Nadine (Chuck Berry)
Drive My Car (The Beatles)
Mercy Mercy (Rolling Stones version)
Get Your Baby (Mark & the Escorts)
See See Rider (The Animals)

Band members for Paramount Ballroom

Mark Guerrero lead vocals: "Dance With Me," "Rock & Roll Music," "La La La La La," "Nadine," and co-lead vocal on "Drive My Car."
Ernie Hernandez lead vocals: "I Wanna Do the Jerk," "Mercy Mercy," "See See Rider,"
and co-lead vocal on "Drive My Car."
Instrumental: "Get Your Baby"

Blowout 2009- Mark & the Escorts reunited for a show called "Blow Out 2009" at the Van Nuys Elk's Lodge in Van Nuys, California on Saturday, February 21, 2009. The show started at 3:30 p.m. and continued 'til 1:00 a.m. We performed around 10:30 p.m. Thirteen classic garage rock and punk bands performed. Mark's band composed of original members Mark Guerrero, Rick Rosas, Ernie Hernandez, Robert Warren, and Trini Basulto performed songs from their 1965 singles on GNP Crescendo Records and other songs from their song lists of the era. Filling in for one member who cannot be found was John Valenzuela on keyboard. Mark & the Escorts were one of the headliners. The one other Chicano band was another popular band from the 60s in East L.A., the Ambertones! The Ambertones went on around 11:00. "Blowout 2009" was a lot of fun. DJs were spinning classic garage rock records between bands and Dionysus Records was selling Eastside Sound CDs, including "Eastside Sound, Vol. 2, Featuring Mark & the Escorts." The mostly young Anglo crowd really enjoyed and appreciated the music of Mark & the Escorts and the Ambertones.

Rock & Roll Music (Beatles version)
I Wanna Do the Jerk (Ronnie & the Casuals)
La La La La La (The Blendells)
Drive My Car (The Beatles)
Dance With Me (Mark & the Escorts)
Silly Putty (Mark & the Escorts)
Get Your Baby (Mark & the Escorts)
We Gotta Get Out of This Place (The Animals)
Nadine (Chuck Berry)
Land of a Thousand Dances (Cannibal & the Headhunters)
Roll Over Beethoven (Beatles version)

Mark Guerrero (lead vocals, lead guitar)
Ernie Hernandez (drums, lead vocals)
Rick Rosas (bass)
Leo Valenzuela (bass)
Robert Warren (rhythm guitar)
Trini Basulto (tenor sax)
John Valenzuela (keyboard)

Mark Guerrero lead vocals: "Rock & Roll Music," "La La La La La," "Dance With Me," "Nadine," "Land of a Thousand Dances," "Roll Over Beethoven," and co-lead vocal on "Drive My Car."
Ernie Hernandez lead vocals: "I Wanna Do the Jerk," "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place,"
and co-lead vocal on "Drive My Car."
Instrumentals: "Get Your Baby" and "Silly Putty"

The Gig that Got Away!
Thee Midniters and Mark & the Escorts

The Galaxy Theater
Santa Ana, California
September 18, 2011

Taking a Trip Down Whittier Boulevard- This would have been an awesome show, but it never happened. The show was set up and ready to go when it was discovered that Thee Midniters were scheduled to perform at a nearby venue a couple of weeks later. According to that contract, they couldn't perform within 50 miles or within one month of that show. Much to everyone's disappointment, including Thee Midniters and Mark & the Escorts, the Galaxy show had to be cancelled. The flyer was so cool like the show surely would've been.

Click here to go to my article "Mark & the Escorts with Lalo Guerrero In the 60s"

Click here to go to my article on the Mark & the Escorts Reunion in 2009.
which includes a photo and video gallery