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. Thanks to the fact I saved my
calendars from those years, below is a list of gigs we did from
the beginning until we changed our name to The Men From
S.O.U.N.D. in 1966. Our first gigs earned us $5 a piece,
which was more than a fair price for 13 year olds in 1963.
We were probably getting around $40 to $50 a piece as we
got more popular. Looking back it amazes me how much we
gigged as kids still in jr. high school.
1963
House party (East L.A.) July 19
C.Y.O. (American Legion) July 26
American Legion (East L.A.) August 2
Young's Restaurant (East L.A.) August 29
House party (Montebello) September 8
Laguna Park (East L.A.) September 16
American Legion (East L.A.) September 21
Recording Session (Jimmy Jones Studio, Pasadena) September 20
House party (East L.A.) October 12
Lalo's Night Club (East L.A.) October 25
Baptism party (East L.A.- first gig with Richard Rosas in band)
November 3
House party (East L.A.) November 8
House party (Wilmington, CA) November 9
CYO Hall (East L.A.) November 15
Lalo’s Night Club (East L.A.)
1964
Lalo’s Night Club (East L.A.) February 14
County Fairgrounds- on the bill with Lalo Guerrero band
(Bakersfield, CA)
Dance- on the bill with Lalo Guerrero (Stockton, CA)
Rainbow Ballroom- on the bill with Lalo Guerrero (San Jose, CA)
Dance- on the bill with Lalo Guerrero band (Indio, CA)
Dance (Chandler, AZ)
House party (Tucson, AZ)
Claremont Jr. High School (Claremont, CA) May 22
American Legion Hall (East L.A.) May 30
Griffith Jr. High Record Club Dance (East L.A.) June 5
Wedding Reception (East L.A.) June 14
Audition for manager Billy Cardenas (East L.A.) June 23
Claremont High School (Claremont, CA) July 4
Rainbow Gardens (Pomona, CA) July 5
Garfield High School Sports Night (East L.A.) July 10
B.P.O.E. Hall (Arcadia, CA) July 11
Rainbow Gardens (Pomona, CA) July 12
Little Union Hall (East L.A.) July 25
Rainbow Gardens (Pomona, CA) July 26
Wedding Reception (Inglewood, CA) August 1 (day)
Taylor Ranch House (Montebello, CA) August 1 (night)
Rainbow Gardens (Pomona, CA) August 2
Claremont High School (Claremont, CA) August 4
Bel Air Rollerdrome (Pico Rivera, CA) August 7
Dance (Coolidge, Arizona) August 12
Wedding (Montebello, CA) August 15
Bel Air Rollerdrome (Pico Rivera, CA) August 28
Chino Prison (Chino, CA) September 12
St. Alphonsus Auditorium (East L.A.) September 19
Lalo’s Night Club (East L.A.) October 2
Soledad Church Carnival Fiesta (East L.A.) September 11 (with
Blue Satins)
Alexandria Hotel (Los Angeles) October 25 (with Blue Satins and
Jaguars)
Cleland House Battle of the Bands (East L.A.) October 30 (we
won)
Palomares Park (Pomona, CA) October 31 (with Premiers and
Jaguars)
Garfield High School Sports Night ( East L.A.) November 13
Cleland House Battle of the Bands (East L.A.) November 20
(Exotics won)
Griffith Jr. High School (East L.A.) December 4
Alexandria Hotel (Los Angeles) December 5
Knights of Columbus Hall (East L.A.) December 26
1965
Mark sitting in with The Blendells (Long Beach, CA) January 15
Wedding Dance (Pico Rivera, CA) January 16
St. Alphonsus Auditorium (East L.A.) January 22
Palomares Park (Pomona, CA) January 23
C.Y.O Hall (East L.A.) January 29
Gigi Hall Presentation (Los Angeles) January 30
Claremont Jr. High School (Claremont, CA) February 12
Alexandria Hotel (Los Angeles) February 13
C.Y.O. Hall (East L.A.) February 19
Big Union Hall (Los Angeles) February 20
Shrine Auditorium (Los Angeles) February 21 (West Coast Eastside
Revue)
Claremont High School (Claremont, CA) February 27
Stereo Masters Studio (recorded “Get Your Baby” and “Tuff
Stuff”) March
Belvedere Park Gym (East L.A.) March 5 night
Lalo’s Night Club (East L.A.) March 5 late night
Alexandria Hotel (Los Angeles) March 13
Jonson’s Market parking lot- Shindig Days (East L.A.) March 20
Bell Gardens High School (Bell Gardens, CA) March 21
Big Union Hall (Los Angeles) April 17
Sacred Heart Church Hall (Pomona) April 18 (rehearsal with
Ronnie & the Casuals)
Big Union Hall (East L.A.) April 1
Belvedere Jr. High (East L.A.) May 7 day
Griffith Jr. High School Tower Queen Dance (East L.A.) May 7
night
St. Alphonsus Auditorium (East L.A.) May 8
Roger Young Auditorium (Los Angeles) May 29
Boulevard Theater (East L.A.) June 5
House party (East L.A.) June 6
Alexandria Hotel (Los Angeles) June 12
Palomares Park (Pomona, CA) June 19
Garfield High School Sports Night (East L.A.) June 25
Montebello Ballroom (Montebello, CA) July 2
Big Union Hall (Los Angeles) July 10
Huntington Park Ballroom Wedding Dance (Huntington Park, CA)
July 17
City Terrace Park Hall (East L.A.) July 24
Cleland House Battle of the Bands (East L.A.) July 30 (we won)
C.Y.O. Hall Reception and Presentation (East L.A.) July 31
Old Dixie Ballroom (Los Angeles) cancelled due to L.A. riots
Montebello Ballroom (Montebello, CA) August 20
Stereo Masters Studio (recorded “Dance with Me” and “Silly
Putty”) August 23
Stereo Masters Studio (re-recorded “Dance with Me”) August 27
Stereo Masters Studio (vocals for “Dance with Me”) August 31
Montebello Ballroom (Montebello, CA) September 3
Parkview Womens’ Club (Los Angeles) September 4
Montebello Ballroom (Montebello, CA) September 17
Statler Hilton Hotel Black & White Ball (Los Angeles) September
18
Montebello Ballroom (Montebello, CA) September 19
Montebello Ballroom (Montebello, CA) October 1
Cantwell High School (East L.A.) October 8
Montebello Armory (Montebello, CA) October 9
Montebello Ballroom (Montebello, CA) October 15
Birthday Party (Burbank, CA) October 30
Montebello Ballroom (Montebello, CA) November 5
Cathedral High School (Los Angeles) November 7
Old Dixie Ballroom (Los Angeles) November 13
Alexandria Hotel (Los Angeles) November 20
Queen of Angels (Los Angeles) November 27
Griffith Jr. High School Tower Queen Dance (East L.A.) December
10
Big Union Hall (Los Angeles) December 11
Inglewood Women’s Club (Inglewood, CA) December 12
All Nation’s Hall (East L.A.) December 19
1966
Montebello Ballroom (Montebello, CA) January 21
Montebello Ballroom (Montebello, CA) March 4
