The Escorts (American R&B group)

The Escorts, also known as the Legendary Escorts, are an R&B group formed in Rahway State Prison in 1970.[1]

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

Background

While incarcerated at Trenton State Prison in 1968, founding member Reginald Prophet Haynes began practicing doo-wop singing with fellow prisoners. 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

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" off of her 2004 album, "Beautifully Human".

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

Discography

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

References
  1. 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". All We Need Is Another Chance. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  5. https://www.nytimes.com/1973/04/24/archives/prisoners-sing-sample-of-their-album-guard-sees-a-hit.html
  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. "The Escorts". Billboard. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  10. "The Escorts". Billboard. Retrieved 1 August 2020.


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