The Escorts

The Escorts attempted to escape their incarceration at Rahway State Prison in New Jersey by pursuing a recording career. The seven members—Reginald Haynes, Lawrence Franklin, Robert Arrington, William Dugger, Stephen Carter, Frank Heard, and Marion Murphy—were each serving sentences for felonies when they connected with producer, songwriter, and vocalist George Kerr. Authorities permitted Kerr to bring equipment inside the facility, which explains the uneven audio fidelity of the resulting tracks; he captured the group’s performances on site before completing overdubs and mixing elsewhere.

Their collaboration spanned 1973 and 1974, yielding five singles. Kerr wrote and customized the debut release, “All We Need Is Another Chance, Pts. 1 & 2,” specifically for the group. Issued on Alithia Records, the single echoed Kerr’s earlier work with the Whatnauts yet lacked comparable precision, although the seven-voice lineup created a rich harmonic blend. Airplay surfaced in New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia, Virginia, Maryland, and scattered additional East Coast markets, but the record failed to achieve a national breakthrough. Nevertheless, the opportunity to record and issue material instilled considerable optimism among the members.

For the next two singles Kerr turned to cover versions. “Look Over Your Shoulder” backed with “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” failed to register; he had already produced a stronger rendition of the A-side with the O’Jays on Bell Records several years earlier. Closing out 1973, the Escorts delivered two further Kerr productions originally associated with the O’Jays—“I’ll Be Sweeter Tomorrow” backed with “I’m So Glad I Found You”—yet the earlier interpretations remained definitive.

Although Kerr, formerly of the Serenaders, routinely secured at least one R&B Top 20 entry for the acts he handled, he never elevated the Escorts to that level. Before their sessions he had already achieved successes with the Moments, Linda Jones, the Whatnauts, Barbara English, and others. Alithia released one additional single in summer 1974, “Let’s Make Love at Home,” widely regarded as among their strongest efforts, yet it likewise charted modestly and generated no royalties. The album 3 Down 4 to Go appeared in 1973, while Collectables Records issued the CD All We Need Is Another Chance in 1994; later compilations The Best of the Escorts on Sequel Records and Prisoners of Soul on Priority Records also proved worthwhile. Several of the group’s finest non-single tracks surface on these collections, and the digitally remastered editions surpass the sound quality of the original vinyl pressings.

In 1981 Franklin and Arrington revived the Escorts for a brief, unsuccessful two-single stint on Knockout Records. Joined by new members George Byles, James Green, Frank Harris, and Grover Troutman, they recorded “Love Is Like a Dream” backed with “Make Me Over Lord” and “Heart of Gold” backed with “Sing a Happy Song.” Original lead singer Reginald “Reggie” Haynes launched a short-lived solo career; his 1986 Escort Records single “Get Ready to Move” backed with “I’ll Be Sweeter Than Yesterday” made no commercial impact.