1) The Escorts were formed by Reginald Haynes in 1968, and originated their smooth vocal sound within the walls of New Jersey's infamous Rahway State Prison. After many failed attempts to allow them to perform on stage, they were finally given the green light. Two years later they were performing on stage at the infamous Rahway State Prison as prison officials, prison guards, visitors and hardcore inmates cheered, stomped, clapped. Little did they know that the late, great Linda Jones (Hypnotized), sister to one of their fellow inmates, was sitting in the audience accompanied by her producer/manager, George Kerr. Kerr, who was a veteran from the stable of Barry Gordy, Jr. and the early motown days, was in his own words" shocked and amazed to find this type of raw, pulsating talent in prison." After the show George Kerr approached Reginald and told him that he thought The Escorts were stupendous. Then he said something that would change Reginald's life forever and earn them both permanent residence in world history. Kerr said "I want to do something that's never been done in the history of the entertainment world. I want to record The Escorts here in Rahway State Prison". Reginald was elated at the prospect of turning professional and so their journey into the entertainment history books began.
The first live concert of The Escorts outside prison walls at Symphony Hall in Newark, NJ on February 17, 1973 created a sensation and two LPs were produced for Alithea Records during this era while some members were still incarcerated: All We Need Is Another Chance, followed by 3 Down 4 To Go. The latter title refers to the fact that three members had been released since the prison's singing group was formed, while the others continue serving their sentences.
2) The Escorts were a Merseybeat band from Liverpool, England. In 1963, they were voted the ninth most popular group in Liverpool by readers of Mersey Beat magazine.
They originally consisted of:
Terry Sylvester - guitar/lead vocals (born Terence Sylvester, 8 January 1946, Liverpool)
John Kinrade - lead guitar/vocals (born 1946)
Mike Gregory - bass guitar/vocals (born Michael Gregory, 7 November 1946, Liverpool)
Pete Clarke - drums (born Peter Gaskell, 1946) replaced by Kenny Goodlass from The Kirkbys; replaced by Pete Clark; replaced by Tommy Kelly of Earl Preston's Realms; replaced by Paul Comerford of The Cryin' Shames.
Sylvester was replaced by Frank Townsend from The Easybeats (1962 - 65) and the Beachwoods, who was later to become a member of Tony Rivers and the Castaways. Paddy Chambers (ex-Faron's Flamingos and The Big Three) subsequently replaced Townsend. Sylvester left to join The Swinging Blue Jeans in 1966, before replacing Graham Nash in The Hollies. He now lives in Florida and travels all over the United States and Canada playing concerts with such as Billy J. Kramer, Peter Noone, Joey Molland and other British Invasion acts. Sylvester also does a one man show.
Paul McCartney played tambourine on their last record "From Head To Toe" in 1966.
Gregory would also leave The Escorts in 1967 to join The Swinging Blue Jeans, and stayed until 1971, whereupon after leaving and doing sessions for a couple of years, he formed a group with Johnny Goodison of the original Brotherhood of Man called Big John's Rock 'n' Roll Circus in 1975. Gregory stayed in 'The Circus' until its demise in 2005, and is now a solo artist.
Kinrade stopped playing after The Escorts split up in 1967, and is now a hairdresser with two salons. Clarke became the in house session drummer for Apple Music. He did sessions for Kiki Dee and Billy Preston and, after a brief stint in Badfinger, is now living in the US
Although they never released a full album, during their short time together, at the instigation of Elvis Costello, Edsel Records released an LP containing all twelve songs from the six singles in 1983. It was released on CD in 1995 as EDCD 422 and entitled From the Blue Angel, as a reference to the club where they began performing in 1962. Costello also released a single which was a cover of The Escorts last recording - "From Head To Toe" / "Night Time".
3) The Escorts - Brisbane pop band from 1967
I Only Have Eyes For You
The Escorts Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can't see anyone but you
Sha bop sha bop
Are the stars out tonight
I don't know if it's cloudy or bright
I only have eyes for you dear
But I can't see a thing in the sky
I only have eyes for you
I don't know if we're in a garden
Or on a crowded avenue
You are here and so am I
Maybe millions of people go by
But they all disappear from view
And I only have eyes for you
The song "I Only Have Eyes For You" by The Escorts is a classic oldies love song that embodies the idea of love as blind devotion. The lyrics convey the idea that the singer's love is so all-consuming that they cannot see anything or anyone else, regardless of their surroundings or circumstances. The opening line, "My love must be a kind of blind love, I can't see anyone but you," encapsulates the idea of an intense, tunnel-vision sort of love.
The second verse continues the theme of blindness by asking whether the stars are out tonight, expressing the idea that the singer is so fixated on their love interest that they are oblivious to anything else. The chorus repeats the sentiment, stating that while the moon may be high and the sky full of stars, the singer can only see their beloved.
The final verse adds a touch of mystery to the song, as the singer wonders whether they are in a garden or on a crowded avenue, suggesting that the setting is immaterial compared to the intensity of their love. The closing line, "And I only have eyes for you," vividly conveys the absolute devotion and single-mindedness of the singer's love.
Overall, "I Only Have Eyes For You" is a beautiful and timeless love song that captures the all-consuming nature of love at its purest form.
Line by Line Meaning
My love must be a kind of blind love
My love for you is so strong that it blinds me from seeing anyone else.
I can't see anyone but you
I am so captivated by you that I cannot notice anyone else around me.
Sha bop sha bop
This phrase is purely for rhythmic purposes and does not contribute to the song's meaning.
Are the stars out tonight
I am unaware of the outside world as I am too focused on you.
I don't know if it's cloudy or bright
I have no idea about the weather since my eyes are fixated on you.
I only have eyes for you dear
My attention is solely on you, and I cannot look away.
The moon may be high
The night sky may appear beautiful, but it holds no interest for me compared to you.
But I can't see a thing in the sky
Even the stars and the moon are invisible to me since my eyes can only focus on you.
I don't know if we're in a garden
I am so engrossed in you that I cannot tell if we are in a lovely garden or on a busy street.
Or on a crowded avenue
Even if we were surrounded by a large crowd of people, I could only see you in front of me.
You are here and so am I
I am grateful and hopeful that we are together in this moment.
Maybe millions of people go by
While there may be countless individuals around us, they are irrelevant to me compared to you.
But they all disappear from view
I cannot even see other people around us since you are the only person in my sight.
And I only have eyes for you
I am so fixated on you that I cannot think of anyone else.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Al Dubin, Harry Warren
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind