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The Escorts (New Jersey vocal group)

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The Escorts
The Escorts at Rahway Prison in 1970
Background information
OriginRahway, New Jersey, United States
GenresR&B, soul, doo-wop
Years active1970–2013
LabelsAlithia Records
MembersBilly Martin, La’Grant Harris[1]
Past membersReginald Haynes, Lawrence Franklin, Robert Arrington, William Dugger, Stephen Carter, Frank Heard, Marion Murphy[2]

The Escorts, also known as the Legendary Escorts, were an American R&B vocal group formed by musicians incarcerated at Rahway State Prison in 1970.[1]

Background

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While incarcerated at Trenton State Prison in 1968, founding member Reginald Prophet Haynes began practicing doo-wop singing with other incarcerated people. In 1970, after members of the group were transferred to Rahway State Prison, they first performed as the Escorts at a prison talent show, where they caught the attention of Motown producer George Kerr.[3][4]

In 1973, Kerr returned to Rahway with a mobile recording unit, resulting in the Escorts' debut album, All We Need is Another Chance,[5][6] followed by Three Down, Four to Go (1974).[7]

Legacy

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The Escorts have been sampled by hip hop artists including J Dilla and Public Enemy. They are the subject of Corbett Jones' 2017 documentary film, All We Need Is Another Chance,[8] and a version of the group has continued to tour as the Legendary Escorts. Jill Scott used the track from, "Look Over Your Shoulder", for her song, "Family Reunion" on her 2004 album, Beautifully Human.

Original members

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  • Reginald "Prophet" Haynes (March 24, 1949 – July 11, 2020)
  • Lawrence Franklin
  • Robert Arrington
  • William Dugger
  • Stephen Carter
  • Frank Heard
  • Marion Murphy

Discography

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Albums

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  • 1973: All We Need Is Another Chance No. 41 U.S. R&B[9]
  • 1974: Three Down, Four to Go No. 57 U.S. R&B[9]

Singles

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Year Title Peak chart positions
US
R&B[10]
1973 "All We Need (Is Another Chance)" —
"Look Over Your Shoulder" 45
"I'll Be Sweeter Tomorrow" 83
1974 "Disrespect Can Wreck" 61
"Let's Make Love (At Home Sometime)" 58
1981 "Heart of Gold" —
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart.

See also

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  • Lifers Group – a hip hop group formed at Rahway State Prison (now East Jersey State Prison) in 1991

References

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  1. ^ a b Cardine, Sara (20 September 2012). "Redemption Song". Pasadena Weekly. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  2. ^ Hamilton, Andrew. "The Escorts | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  3. ^ "Theater of the Resist: The Escorts and Lifers Group". Metropolitan Museum of Art. 31 August 2017. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  4. ^ "ALL WE NEED IS ANOTHER CHANCE | Documentary Feature". Anotherchancedoc.com. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  5. ^ Times, Joan Cook Special to The New York (24 April 1973). "Prisoners Sing Sample of Their Album". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  6. ^ "'All We Need Is Another Chance' Doc Looks At The Power of Music Behind Bars". Mass Appeal. 26 April 2017. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  7. ^ "3 Down 4 to Go - The Escorts | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  8. ^ "The Power of Music in ALL WE NEED IS ANOTHER CHANCE | Montclair Film". Montclairfilm.org. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  9. ^ a b "The Escorts". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  10. ^ "The Escorts". Billboard.com. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
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