Tejano and Grupero News
Corpus Christi, Texas
February 6, 2009
The
story below ran in Tejano and Grupero News, a Corpus
Christi, Texas newspaper, on www.ramiroburr.com,
and in the San Antonio Express News.
Friday, 06 February 2009
01:13
Mark Guerrero Enshrined in the Grammy
Museum
Mark Guerrero
may not be a household name but he follows
a legacy established by his late father,
Lalo Guerrero.
In this report, our correspondent
Ramon Hernandez outlines Guerrero's musical
contributions.
The Grammy Museum in Los Angeles was officially
opened on December 6th and among those honored
with an exhibit is Mark Guerrero.
Not only is this an honor, but a great
accomplishment for the singer-songwriter-musician,
who is the youngest son of the legendary Lalo
Guerrero, the acknowledged “Father of
Chicano Music.”
The display features the 59-year-old’s
controversial 45 rpm single “I’m
Brown,” a photo of his band at that
time, and the original manuscript of his lyric
in “Songs of Conscience, Songs of Freedom,”
the first major museum exhibit to explore
the full 200-year history of music and politics
in America. Guerrero’s artifacts can
be seen on the second floor of the four-floor
facility where his peers are Woody Guthrie,
Bob Dylan, Jackson Browne plus many other
musical innovators.
“I wrote ‘I’m Brown’
when I was 21 and in 1972, I recorded it as
a solo artist,” Guerrero said during
an interview at his home in Cathedral City,
California.
“It was sort of a protest
song, but the chorus says, ‘Don’t
you know I’m brown, Can’t you
see my face, but I’m first a member
of the human race.’ I’m proud
of that song because it expresses Chicano
pride, but also says, ‘hey, I’m
first a human being.’ I also love the
music and the magical atmosphere of the recording.
“It came out on Capitol Records,
but they didn’t promote it for probably
a lot of reasons. One reason is that it was
almost five minutes long at a time when records
were normally three minutes. But who knows,
there might have been some other things behind
the scenes, like, ‘Oh, it’s kind
of radical and who’s going to buy that.
So they may have just buried it.
“The next year, when I had a sort
of country-rock group call Tango, I was signed
to A&M Records, ‘I’m Brown’
was included on our album as well, so it came
out twice. However, we didn’t get to
tour, so the album sort of died on the vine.
Nobody knows about that record because it
kind of got buried in these two situations,”
the 59-year-old composer revealed.
In spite of the lack of exposure, airplay
or touring to promote the record, the single
which was practically shelved did not go unnoticed
since it was selected by the Grammy Museum
as an important part of musical history.
For Texans not familiar with Guerrero,
he grew up in East Los Angeles. At 13, he
formed Mark & the Escorts, who often shared
the bill with hit bands such as Cannibal and
the Headhunters, The Premiers, and Thee Midniters.
Mark & the Escorts were also included
on the 1965 album “West Coast Eastside
Revue,” which featured all the top East
L.A. bands of the era.
He was a student at Garfield High School
when at 15, he recorded his first two singles,
“Dance With Me” and “Get
Your Baby.” Many of the popular
musicians who were part of the East L.A. music
scene at the time went to Garfield, including
The Blendells and a couple of future members
of Los Lobos. This is also the high
school that a decade later had on its faculty
the phenomenal math teacher, Jaime Escalane
on whom the movie “Stand and Deliver”
was based.
Next he led “The Men
from S.O.U.N.D.” and at 21, he wrote
and recorded the Chicano equivalent of James
Brown’s “I’m Black and I’m
Proud” and Helen Reddy’s “I
Am Woman,” and which became his most
famous opus.
Guerrero is a musician because he plays
guitar, bass and keyboards, but along the
way, he also became a radio personality as
the host of “Chicano Music Chronicles,”
on crnlive.com based out of Phoenix, Arizona.
“The idea of the show is that I would
pick about a dozen of my favorite songs by
the guest artist and we’d talk about
them, each song and about their career,”
Guerrero explained. “Some of my guests
were Trini Lopez, Chan Romero, Tierra, and
El Chicano.” “Each show
ranged from about an hour to two hours and
you can still hear them on my website.”
That brings us to the living legend’s
latest feather in his cap, that of being webmaster
of his own website. At
www.markguerrero.net, he chronicles
the history of Chicano music. And without
realizing it, he also became a musicologist
and writer since his site features in-depth
interviews with a ‘who’s who in
Chicano music. It is also here that La Prensa’s
readers can receive a detailed crash course
on Guerrero’s illustrious musical career.
Fast forwarding all the way to the present,
the singer-songwriter-musician is also featured
in “Chicano Rock: The Sounds of East
Los Angeles,” a PBS documentary that
aired on December 14, 2008 and will continue
to be intermittently aired throughout the
remainder of this year. Check
www.pbs.org or your local TV Guide
for future airings.
“It’s a great one-hour documentary
that tells the story of particularly the Chicano
rock & rollers out of East L.A. and I’m
in a couple of interview spots and a performance
spot.
“The graphics, the way it’s
put together, the way the story is told –
it touches on the discrimination that we’ve
gone through and it talks about the Chicano
Movement and the radicalization of the music,
the riots in East L.A., the Viet Nam War,
etc.,” Guerrero raved. “It touches
on not just the music, but the sociology and
the history around it. It’s really inspiring.
“I also want to tell you about the
Trini Lopez television special that we just
taped on November 11 at the Orpheum Theater
in downtown Los Angeles. It was a seven high-definition
camera shoot for PBS and it is called ‘Trini
Lopez Presents Latin Music Legends.’
Tierra backed me up on my dad’s ‘Los
Chucos Suaves,’ then Trini came out
and did a few songs with a big band.”
As we were talking, his cell phone rang
and it was Trini Lopez, who almost lives next-door
to Guerrero in Palm Springs. Excusing his
self, without losing his excited state and
without skipping a beat he continued, adding
the other performers on the special; Little
Willie G. & Thee Midniters, El Chicano,
Tierra, and the Gregg Rolie Band. Also, Los
Lobos, Julio Iglesias, and Jose Jose provided
videos which will be inserted into the show.
While Guerrero’s noteworthy achievements
have brought him national recognition and
high prestige, he still has to make a living.
So as he says, “I perform five nights
a week at Las Casuelas Terraza, an outdoor
nightclub in Palm Springs. (Not to be mistaken
with Las Casuelas Nuevas in Rancho Mirage
where his father performed for many years.)
“This is my ‘meat and potatoes,’
‘pay the bills’ gig and we (Hot
Rox) are a great cover band. So I don’t
do any original material because it’s
really a ‘top 40’ kind of gig.
As for the future, Guerrero said, “Chan
Romero and I are planning to go Liverpool
(England) this summer and perform together.
“On February 21st, I’m doing
a re-union concert with Mark and the Escorts.
We haven’t played together since 1966.
I got five of the original members and we’re
going to perform in Van Nuys at a garage rock
’n’ roll blow out kind of concert.
There’s going to be 13 bands and out
of the thirteen, there are two Chicano sixties
bands from East L.A., that’s us and
Thee Ambertones. I’m pretty excited
about the show and am going to video tape
our performance and put it up on ‘you
tube.’
This is a ‘don’t miss’
event and as long as you’re in Los Angeles,
go check out his exhibit in the Grammy Museum.
For its hours and exact location, go to
www.grammymuseum.org.
If this article has sparked your interest
in Guerrero’s repertoire, his recordings
are available at
www.markguerrero.net. In addition,
you may view seventy videos of the Grammy
Museum honoree in action at
www.youtube.com/markguerrero49,
about twenty of those are with his father
Lalo.
Fans can also meet Mark when he comes to
San Antonio for the “American Sabor”
exhibit that will run at Museo Alameda from
June 17 to September 20.
Pop Matters.com
Verse-Chorus-Verse
Monday, February 8, 2010
Artist/producer PC Muņoz mines for gems and grills the greats.
In 2008, the
Grammy Museum featured singer-songwriter Mark
Guerrero’s 1972 watershed Capitol Records single, “I’m Brown”,
in an exhibit called Songs of Conscience, Sounds of Freedom.
A Chicano-pride song with a humanist heart, the song
acknowledges pride in one’s background/ethnicity while also
recognizing, to quote the lyric, “I’m first a member of the
human race.” The nod from the Grammy Museum regarding this
philosophically inclusive song is a fitting crowning achievement
for Guerrero, a unique artist who has largely gone unnoticed by
the masses, though he has been making music, both on major
labels and DIY style, for five decades.
The son of the late, legendary Chicano songwriter
Lalo Guerrero, Mark Guerrero began his career at age
13 with Mark & the Escorts, an East LA band who shared bills
with “Eastside Sound” legends like Cannibal & the Headhunters
and Thee Midniters. After a stint leading a group called The Men
From S.O.U.N.D., Guerrero went on to record two singles for
Capitol (the aforementioned “I’m Brown”, and “Rock & Roll
Queen”) Later, he signed with
A&M Records and released one album in 1973 with his
group Tango (check out the dramatic back-story about Tango,
written by Guerrero himself,
here). Later,
Herb Alpert , the “A” in A&M, Records, would go on to
record Guerrero’s song “Pre-Columbian Dream” on his 1983 album,
Noche de Amor. Guerrero has remained active and prolific
over the past three decades as well, releasing several albums,
lecturing and consulting on various Latino-focused exhibits,
shows, and concerts, and performing regularly with various
groups, including his own.
Listening for the first time to Mark Guerrero’s earlier songs,
especially the stuff from the ‘70s, is like tapping into a
parallel reality; a reality where this East-LA bred Chicano
artist found ready acceptance in the music industry and topped
the charts with his confident, effortless songcraft and vocals.
Mix some Mark Guerrero songs up in your digital player’s shuffle
and I guarantee you’ll end up running to check the artist name
when one of his songs pops up and something about it seems
strangely familiar, yet altogether new at the same time. It’s a
blast from the past you never heard.
My personal favorites of Guerrero’s early work is the B-side to
“I’m Brown”, “Livin’ Off the Land”, a feel-good rocker that
sounds just like the AM radio classic it should have been, and
“Hang On”, a poppy, keyboard-driven tune that was left off of
the Tango album. Both songs are available on the compilation CD
Mark Guerrero Solo and with Tango 1972-1974, which is a
great way to get acquainted with Guerrero’s work (it’s available
on
Guerrero’s website). From there, interested folks can
easily jump back to his rarer earlier recordings and forward to
his more recent work.
What was the first song you fell in love with, and what is your
current relationship to the piece?
“I Want You I Need You I Love You” by Elvis Presley.
When I was about five years old, I had access to my teenage
brother’s record collection. I remember hearing this one over
and over again on my little children’s 45 rpm record player with
Alice and Wonderland characters emblazoned on it. The 6/8
romantic doo-wop ballad is a great sounding record, with
fantastic background vocals (a trio with a pre-Jordanaires
Gordon Stoker), great band (Elvis regulars Scotty Moore on
guitar, DJ Fontana on drums, and Bill Black on bass, along with
Marvin Hughes on piano and Chet Atkins on guitar), and Elvis at
his best on lead vocal, run through a cavernous echo chamber.
The sound and emotion of the music coming off the grooves was
nothing short of magical. I did play the song in a band in
recent years. It was fun playing it and it brought back the
memory of hearing it as a child. Whenever I hear the record now,
it still has the magic.
Who is your favorite “unsung” artist or songwriter, someone who
you feel never gets their due? Talk a little bit about him/her.
Hirth Martinez, a singer/songwriter who happens to be
a friend of mine. He recorded two albums for Warner Brothers in
the mid-‘70s. Hirth got his record deal as a result of Bob Dylan
hearing his songs and hooking him up with Robbie Robertson of
the Band. Robbie took him to Warner Brothers (Records) and
produced his first album
Hirth from Earth,using
the best musicians L.A. had to offer. Hirth’s a phenomenal
songwriter and guitarist. His lyrics are unique, poetic, and
often have humor in them. His songs are in different genres,
ranging from sambas to jazz, blues, and rock, and the melodies
and chord structures can be very sophisticated, yet totally
accessible. In the late ‘90s, he recorded a great album for
release in Japan called I’m Not Like I Was Before, which
is more on the jazzy side, but also still accessible to the pop
listener. I would also put (the author of this column) PC Muņoz
on the list and with all due modesty, yours truly.
Is there an artist, genre, author, filmmaker, etc. who/which has
had a significant impact/influence on you, but that influence
can’t be directly heard in your music?
The late great author
Kurt Vonnegut. His books and short stories are very
imaginative and funny, but at their core very profound and
moralistic. Because of this, he’s been compared to Mark Twain,
even considered by many to be the Mark Twain of the 20th
century. Songs can also get some profound messages across using
humor and other devices that candy-coat them, making the good
medicine go down easy.
Do you view songwriting as a calling, a gig, a hobby, other…?
It’s a calling. It’s also in my DNA since my dad,
Lalo Guerrero (considered the “Father of Chicano
Music”), was a great and prolific songwriter. I’ve been writing
songs since I was 16 years old and continue to do so. I’m a
singer and musician, but I’ve always considered myself
fundamentally a songwriter.
Name one contemporary song that encourages you about the future
of songwriting/pop music.
I don’t think I can name one song that stands out that
dramatically by itself. There are some contemporary artists that
have talent as singer/songwriters such as Norah Jones, Jason
Mraz, John Mayer, and Alicia Keys, but I don’t see talents now
that are in the same class as the greats of the ‘60s and ‘70s;
Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Brian Wilson, Ray
Charles, Stevie Wonder, Jimi Hendrix, James Brown, Joni
Mitchell, Paul Simon, James Taylor, Elton John, Sting, Carole
King, Steely Dan, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, etc. I don’t see
that kind of genius and innovation today, but there’s always
hope for the future.
In addition to his work as a songwriter and musician, Mark
Guerrero maintains an extensive collection of information,
memorabilia, and writings on Chicano music and musicians on his
website (including lots of information about his father),
featuring photos, links, reviews, and interviews. Check out
Mark’s music and much more at
markguerrero.com
With Special Guests: El Chicano and Tierra
Saturday, June 11, 2010 Spotlight 29
Casino Indio,
California
Story and Photos by Allen Lawrence
Friday night, June 11,War, Zoot Suits and brass reigned
at Spotlight 29 Casino in Indio, California. It was
another one of those rare nights were everything came
together to create a perfect evening, at least for
Coachella Valley music fans. Three legendary groups took
the stage and the music was terrific.
El Chicano opened the
evening, and they opened it with a bang. Within minutes,
they brought the audience to a fevered pitch and kept
them there through their entire set. Audience members
came to their feet and were dancing in the isles,
cheering, shouting and singing to the music. The crowd
loved El Chicano, and El Chicano immediately responded
showing that they loved the crowd back. They gave their
performance everything they had, and the people loved
them even more. Special guest singer Mark Guerrero, son
of the late, great Lalo Guerrero, “The Father of Chicano
Music,” came out and sang “Brown Eyed Girl” with El
Chicano and the audience went crazy. The group dedicated
their music to keyboard player Bobby Espinosa, one of
founding members of El Chicano who unfortunately died
recently.
Sitting next to me during the performance were two
friends from Indio, Cathy Garcia and Rita Soriano. Cathy
told me that El Chicano was one of her favorite groups
and that she loved their music. After the set was over,
she confided that she especially loved their rendition
of “Sabor A Mi.” Rita told me that her favorite from the set
was, “Tell Her She’s Lovely.” I agreed with both of
them.
Also in the audience were War fans Rick and Sylvia
Sambrano and Carmen and Filipe Beccerra and dancing in
the isles, were our old Laker Fan buddies, Bonggo and
Jacqueline Beane.
Next up was Tierra, and they took the stage like a line
of musical assassins. They lined up across the stage
and,like a firing squad, blasted out at the crowd
already revved up and made ready to go by El Chicano.
The crowd responded and once again took to their feet,
dancing, singing, shouted and reveling in the isles.
Tierra belted out a list of their greatest hits
including, “Lady in the Moonlight,” “Memories,”
“Together,” “Gonna Find Her” and “Zoot Suit Boogie.” The
music and the energy they created were altogether
shameless, brazen and marvelous. Their Zoot Suited
drummer pranced across the stage and the crowd went
wild. He loved the reaction and bowed and recognized the
adoration of the crowd, and the music deepened and the
crowd loosened up a bit more, and the world was about
music.
By the time War was declared and took the stage, the
audience was ready to rumble and rumble they did when
War opened with their blockbuster hit “Cisco Kid.” What
had been an audience became a mob, and there was
standing room only as a battalion of singing, dancing
and merry makers moved forward, crowed the stage,
danced, sang and simply had a great time. War showed
they still had it as they played their “War Hit List!”
No one was in the least bit unhappy that War had been
unleashed upon the Coachella Valley.
All in all, it was an amazing night. Groups come and go.
Great groups have played at Spotlight 29 before, but
tonight there was music nirvana as three great groups
declared music on the residents and visitors to the
Coachella Valley. There were no survivors, there were
only revelers and the joyful as War, El Chicano and
Tierra were never better.
Thank you, Spotlight29! Just when it gets quiet in the
Coachella Valley, you know how to loose the Dogs of War
and bring our spirits up. I, for one, am looking forward
to next month at 8 p.m., Friday, July 2, when Old School
#5 takes to the stage and the music returns.
The Desert Entertainer
Palm Springs, CA
September 9, 2010
The Desert Sun
Palm Springs, CA
September 14, 2010
The Desert Sun
Palm Springs, CA
September 14, 2010
The Desert Entertainer
Palm Springs, CA
April 7- April 13, 2011
Palm Springs Life Desert Guide
Palm Springs, CA
November 2011
‘American Sabor’ brings Latin ‘flavor’ to Cal State L.A.
Smithsonian exhibit presents musical contributions of U.S. Latinos from
1940s to the present
From cha-cha-cha to rumba, these distinctive musical styles have influenced
American popular music for decades. Bringing with them a diverse array of
rhythms and regional styles, Latino artists have contributed extensively to U.S.
musical history.
Los Angeles is a hub for Latino culture and music, so it’s fitting for the
Smithsonian to bring “American Sabor: Latinos in U.S. Popular Music,” to
California State University, Los Angeles.
The traveling exhibition celebrates the true flavor, or “sabor,” of Latin music
in the United States from the 1940s to the present. And it focuses on Los
Angeles as one of the five major centers of Latino popular music production,
representing the remarkable diversity of this music.
“As a result of the infusion of immigrants in Los Angeles from Mexico and
Central America, the dynamic music scenes in this great city have helped shape
American popular music, such as rock and roll, jazz, punk and hip-hop,”
explained CSULA Professor John Kennedy, one of CSULA’s committee members
organizing the exhibit on campus.
As the world’s entertainment capitol, Los Angeles is home to many Latino
artists. Cal State L.A. is particularly proud of those artists who began their
careers here, and in the surrounding communities.
For example, noted symphony and opera conductor Sonia Marie De Leon de
Vegahoned her talent and
began conducting at CSULA, while pursuing her academic degrees in music.
“Cal State L.A. was a very important aspect of my life. I started out as a music
major with a focus on piano performance, but after taking a class with Professor
David Buck, I was inspired to train as a musical conductor,” said De Leon de
Vega, who grew up listening to pop music in Echo Park but fell in love with
classical music when she first heard Beethoven’s symphony as a little girl. “The CSULA conducting professor was wonderful in helping to develop the skills needed
for me to pursue a professional career in music. I am still in touch with him
and will always consider him my mentor.”
De Leon de Vega was instrumental in forming the Santa Cecilia Orchestra in Los
Angeles in 1992 in an effort to bring classical music to the Latino community.
She has achieved distinction as a creative and consummate musician and as a
leading influence in the growing Latino culture in the United States. Her
musical talents have inspired a large following in Southern California through
live orchestral presentations, as well as an international audience through
televised performances in the United States, Latin America and Europe. De Leon
de Vega has also been a guest conductor for many orchestras and opera companies
and has developed concerts and children’s music workshops for the Cultural
Affairs Department of the City of Los Angeles.
De Leon de Vega, who was the first woman in history to receive a Vatican
invitation to conduct a symphony orchestra at a Papal Mass, is recognized as
part of the “American Sabor” exhibit for her accomplishments and career in
conducting.
“It’s great to be part of such an exhibit. One that is important to our city and
its huge population of Latin Americans,” she said. “This will be a remarkable
way to offer the public a deeper cultural understanding of the history of Latino
art and music.”
Another CSULA alum featured in “American Sabor” is singer, songwriter and
musicianMark Guerrero,
who earned a bachelor’s degree in Chicano studies.
“It is amazing how things work in life,” said Guerrero, who has music in his
blood. He started playing in a band at 13 and was heavily influenced by his
father, the late legendary singer/songwriter Lalo Guerrero.
“I was fascinated to delve into my cultural and family history as a Chicano
studies major at CSULA,” he said. “So, the more I learned about my Mexican and
Chicano heritage, the more it got infused in my music. In order to chronicle and
preserve the rich history of East L.A. and Chicano rock, I developed a website,
markguerrero.com, which is now referenced by colleges and universities around
the world.”
Guerrero, who led the popular East L.A. band Mark & the Escorts, recorded two
singles for GNP Crescendo Records: “Get Your Baby” and “Dance With Me.” He also
recorded as a solo artist for Ode Records (produced by the legendary Lou Adler),
Capitol Records, and with his group, Tango, for A&M Records. He has performed on
stage with a variety of renowned performers, such as Redbone, Eric Burdon, El
Chicano, Tierra, Lalo Guerrero, and many others. Guerrero also has written more
than a hundred articles, hosted an internet radio show called “Chicano Music
Chronicles,” been a guest on numerous radio and television programs, consulted
for museums, and lectured at universities.
For his distinguished musical career and expertise in Chicano and East L.A.
music history, Guerrero was invited from the onset to be part of the advisory
board for the original Experience Music Project (EMP) exhibit on “American Sabor,”
helping to provide artifacts and to conduct oral interviews.
“It is notable of the Smithsonian to take this EMP exhibit further, so others
can explore and appreciate the Latin musical culture and genre of the U.S.,”
said Guerrero. “I am deeply honored to be included among other illustrious
Latino musicians, and to be able to share my life’s experience and contributions
in American music history through the exhibit.”
The exhibit also plays tribute to legendary Latin jazz bassistEdward
Resto, who completed his bachelor’s degree in jazz studies and
performance, and master’s degree in Afro-Latin music at CSULA.
“Here, I found that I had so much to learn,” said Resto. “I had been a
professional, accomplished musician for most of my life, yet I always knew that
the life of a true artist is a never-ending process of growth, knowledge and
creative development. I was able to embrace this educational environment and
re-ignite the passion that lives inside of me as an artist and as an academic.”
Resto, who enjoyed a celebrated career with the Grammy award-winning Eddie
Palmieri Orchestra, is recognized as a first class bassist for his extensive
experience in a broad range of musical styles. He had his start at 15 in New
York, playing bass at a wedding celebration. From there, he began performing,
touring, teaching, and recording around the world. This helped him to develop
rapidly as a versatile bassist and was immediately sought after to perform by
major performers and music groups, such as Rene Touzet, Tito Puente, Chick Corea,
Kenny Burrell, Rita Moreno, Francisco Aguabella, Poncho Sanchez, Paul Simon, Don
Tosti, Shakira, Celia Cruz, Freddie Fender and Flaco Jimenez, Jennifer Lopez,
The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Lalo Guerrero and many others.
Resto is acknowledged in the exhibit at CSULA for his bassist career, which
captured the New York City Afro-Latin music scene of the 1970s and 1980s, and is
still making a major impact to the music of today.
“This exhibition provides a huge Latino melting pot of music that can be
explored, researched, appreciated and enjoyed. Thanks to the Smithsonian, lovers
of this wonderful Latino culture and music can find a place to flourish and grow
in their quest for exploration of this rich music,” said Resto. “I am proud and
excited that the Smithsonian’s ‘American Sabor’ exhibit included my grandfathers
and my own personal Afro Latino genre, demographic and musical contributions,
but also integrated the numerous Latino musical cultures scattered across the
United States.”
“American Sabor: Latinos in U.S. Popular Music” exhibition will be on
display in the Fine Arts Gallery at CSULA from Nov. 16 through Feb. 9, 2014.
“American Sabor” is a 2,500-square-foot learning experience with engaging
bilingual (English and Spanish) text panels, striking graphics and photographs,
a dance floor and compelling listening stations and films. The exhibit’s open
house will take place on Saturday, Nov. 16, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
Developed by EMP Museum and the University of Washington, and organized for
travel by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Services (SITES), the
exhibition, its national tour and related programs are made possible by Ford
Motor Company Fund.
Desert Entertainer
October 31- November 6, 2013
Palm Springs, CA
Text of above article by Claudia McVeigh
Mark Guerrero is an interesting man. Not just an
accomplished musician, singer and songwriter, he is also an
expert on Chicano music and culture, having earned a B.A. in
Chicano Studies. Born and raised in East L.A., Mark came
to the Coachella Valley in the 1980s, and has been playing music
at local venues ever since. Currently he's performing for
patrons at three different restaurants in the valley-
Margarita's in Palm Springs, and in La Quinta, Arnold Palmer's
and Lavedner Bistro.
Mark comes by his musical talent honestly. His father was
famed musician and Coachella Valley icon, Lalo Guerrero, known
as the Father of Chicano Music. Mark started playing music
at a young age- by the age of 14 he was recording singles with
his popular East L.A. band, Mark & the Escorts. He
recorded for major labels in the 1970s, and his music was
recorded by famous musicians such as Herb Alpert, Trini Lopez,
and his own father, Lalo. Mark and his father played
together in Paris, France and were guests at the White House
where Lalo was given a National Medal of Arts from President
Bill Clinton.
Mark recently had the opportunity ot tour with Redbone and
Cannibal & the Headhunters Band. They played different
venues and one of the highlights was backing Denny Laine,
formerly of Wings and Joey Molland from the British band
Bandfinger.
Besides making music, Mark is passionate about Chicano music and
culture. His website, markguerrero.com is dedicated to
promoting Mark's music as well as the history of Chicano music
in general. In late January, he will be teaching a class
on the history of Chicano rock at CSUSB, Palm Desert campus.
Mark recently was a guest at fellow Desert Entertainer columnist
Gary Walker's English class at C.O.D., discussing the soundtrack
to the movie "Zoot Suit," which featured his father's music.
Mark will be giving a concert with his six-piece band at his
alma mater, Cal State L.A. in December.
We've just scratched the surface of the life of Mark Guerrero.
For more, check out his website, visit him in person at one of
the restaurants where he performs, or sign up for his upcoming
class. You're bound to be entertained.
Mark Guerrero
performs at:
Arnold Palmer's on Wednesdays and Thursdays 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.
with Paul Villalobos
Lavender Bistro on Sundays from 6 to 10 p.m.
Margarita's on Fridays and Saturdays from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m.
What: A traveling exhibition that showcases the
influence Latino musicians have had on traditional
genres of music in the U.S., from cha-cha to
reggaeton.
Where: Fine Arts Gallery at Cal State Los Angeles,
5151 State University Drive.
When: Noon to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and
Saturday, until Feb. 9.
Many people know rock
‘n’ roll as the offspring of country-western and blues.
But not many people know Latino rhythms were also present at
the inception.
“In the postwar United
States where you start to have what’s recognized as youth
culture, a lot of the popular music that was going on had
Latino rhythms coursing through it,” says Michelle
Habell-Pallan, co-curator of “American Sabor: Latinos in
U.S. Popular Music,” a traveling exhibition on view through
Feb. 9 at California State University, Los Angeles.
The free, bilingual
exhibition developed by the Explore Music Project Museum and
the University of Washington and organized by the
Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Services,
explores the musical influence and creativity of Latino
artists on popular music genres from the 1940s to the
present. Historic photographs, album covers, video oral
histories from Latin music stars, a mixing board interactive
activity and a jukebox fills the gallery with full-length
songs near a dance floor where visitors can cut loose.
Along the way visitors
learn about key musical figures — including Tito Puente,
Ritchie Valens, Celia Cruz, Carlos Santana, Selena — from
the five major Latino cities, including New York, Miami, San
Antonio, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
“People like me that
are born here, we’re Americans but we create our own music,”
says Mark Guerrero, a Chicano rocker and son of bandleader
Lalo Guerrero, who got his start in the Eastside Sound as a
teen and has since gone on to document the era at www.markguerrero.com.
As part of the
exhibition’s programming, Mark Guerrero will perform both
his and his father’s music at a free concert scheduled for
7:30 p.m. Dec. 7 in the State Playhouse at Cal State L.A.
Guerrero and jazz
musician Don Tosti popularized an early jump blues mixed
with Afro-Carribean and Latino rhythms known as Pachuco
Boogie — the hottest sound coming from L.A. dance halls in
the 1940s. Pachuco Boogie would influence what became the
Eastside Sound of the 1960s.
This mix of rock, R&B
and Latino rhythms and instruments was heard across the
globe. In 1965, The Beatles invited Cannibal and The
Headhunters — best known for its cover of “Land of 1000
Dances” with the “na na-na-na na” hook — to tour with it.
A photograph of
Cannibal frontman Frankie Garcia and Paul McCartney is
featured in the exhibition.
“The Eastside Sound was
so popular that even The Beatles were listening to it,”
Habell-Pallan says. “But the Beatles always connected to
Latin rhythms from their earliest work if you think about
the song ‘And I Love Her.’ Its got the clave in there. In
many ways, we’re showing the hidden history of the Latino
influence and interaction on rock and roll.”
Cal State L.A.’s
exhibition features an additional Los Angeles section
representing the community cultural spaces that gave rise to
new Latino-led sounds from the 1990s on. It includes Zach de
la Rocha’s Public Resource Center/Centro de Regeneracion in
Highland Park as well as downtown L.A.’s Peace and Justic
Center out of which came the Black Eyed Peas and Ozomatli
and Belmont Tunnel graffiti yard to represent Latino rappers
Kid Frost and Mellow Man Ace.
“We wanted to
represent, very specifically, the place that East L.A. has
had not only in the past, which is represented by the
Smithsonian exhibit, but into the present,” says Victor Hugo
Viesca, onsite curator and Cal State L.A. professor, who put
together the L.A. companion portion of the exhibition. “So
no matter what kind of music you like, it’s probably
represented.”
In addition to the
experience, the exhibition is complemented by an interactive
website (www.AmericanSabor.org)
that includes expanded exhibition content. A link called
Share Your Story allows people to upload their stories,
photos and memorabilia.
At the end of the
exhibition, those stories will be downloaded and archived by
the U.S. Library of Congress for posterity.
A companion book is
also in the works.
The Desert Sun
Palm Springs, California
July 14, 2014
As a soloist and leader of his own pop-rock band at Las
Casuelas Terraza in Palm Springs, Mark Guerrero was a
virtual tourist attraction from the late 1980s through much
of the 2000s.
The restaurant enticed him to stay by paying him benefits in
addition to a salary. But when he wasn't covering the hits
at Las Casuelas, he often accompanied his dad — "the father
of Chicano music," Lalo Guerrero — at gigs from Mexico City
to Paris, not to mention the McCallum Theatre.
But a funny thing happened after his father died in 2005.
Guerrero says he was dismissed from Las Casuelas after a
change of management, and he started spending more time
playing outside of the desert.
He performed on two PBS specials — one with long-time family
friend Trini Lopez hosting "Trini Lopez Presents Latin
Legends" and another in Pittsburgh with 56 oldies acts,
including the late Davy Jones of the Monkees, Paul Revere
and the Raiders, Roger McGuinn, The Miracles, Chad & Jeremy
and the Latino band, and ? & the Mysterians.
He recently did a tour called Retro Rock with the remnants
of Cannibal and the Headhunters, an East L.A. band that
toured with The Beatles in 1965 and had a hit with "Land of
A Thousand Dances" before Wilson Pickett. They'd also back
up other oldies artists, including Denny Laine of the Moody
Blues and Wings, Joey Molland of Badfinger and Terry
Sylvester of the Hollies.
Guerrero toured with the Native American band, Redbone,
famous for "Come and Get Your Love," and was featured along
with Little Willie G of Thee Midnighters in a Los Angeles
play by Louie Perez of Los Lobos, titled "Evangeline: The
Queen of Make Believe."
Guerrero still plays Fridays and Saturdays at Margarita's in
Palm Springs and at other clubs during the season, but his
dismissal from Las Casuelas Terrazas also gave him time to
perform solo concerts and participate in Chicano music
lectures.
"It kind of freed me up, so I did a lot more traveling,"
said Guerrero, 65, of Cathedral City. "I got to do these
lectures and shows out of town. They just come up. It's kind
of amazing."
To friends who have known him and benefited from his
scholarly writing on Chicano music, it's not really amazing.
"Mark really deserves the recognition and I think he's
starting to get it," said Chan Romero, a Palm Desert
resident who is best known as the composer of The Beatles'
early hit, "Hippy-Hippy Shake."
"He didn't get the break he should have. He's one of those
guys who has got the talent. He's as good as any of these
guys who have made it big, especially the East L.A. groups.
He worked with a lot of them. He didn't get the recognition,
but he's starting to get mentioned in these books and
they're starting to recognize that he's quite a talent."
In 2009, Guerrero's early '70s Chicano anthem, "I’m Brown,"
was included in an exhibition at the Grammy Hall of Fame in
Los Angeles titled "Songs of Conscience, Sounds of Freedom."
Others in the exhibit included Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger and
Jackson Browne.
Most recently, Guerrero was quoted in two new music books
chronicling much of the Southern California music scene,
including the Beatles' influence on it.
He's identified as a "Chicano rocker and East Los Angeles
music scholar" in "It Was Fifty Years Ago Today: The Beatles
Invade America and Hollywood," by Harvey Kubernik.
In "Turn Up the Radio! Rock, Pop and Roll in Los Angeles,
1956-1972," also by Kubernik, he's quoted about the origins
of the East L.A. Chicano rock scene, Neil Young and the
Beach Boys.
"Mark, in my opinion, is one of the most talented
songwriters in any language," said Manuel Montoya, a Palm
Springs-based record producer and talent manager
specializing in Latino artists. "(He) was part of the artist
roster at Capitol Records and A&M. Herb Alpert recorded
(his) 'Pre-Columbian Dream.' Just listen to 'On the
Boulevard,' 'The Great Mango,' 'Latin Quarter' — lyrically
and musically fantastic. He is definitely a talented dude."
Guerrero's father is one of the most celebrated
singer-songwriters in Latino music history. He received the
National Heritage Award from the National Endowment of the
Arts in 1992 and the National Medal of Arts from President
Bill Clinton in 1996. The street leading to the Cathedral
City city hall is named after him and he has a place on the
Palm Springs Walk of Stars.
Mark Guerrero sang on, performed and arranged six of his
father's "Las Ardillitas" (little squirrels) children's
albums, which are arguably Lalo Guerrero's most lasting
legacy in Mexico. He also compiled his father's 1995 album,
"Early Classic Recordings 1950-1955," and played on many of
his recordings from 1964 on. He wrote and performed "The
Ballad of Lalo Guerrero," which appears on the documentary
produced by his brother, Dan, "Lalo Guerrero: The Original
Chicano."
But Mark Guerrero was enamored by early 1960s rock 'n' roll.
He formed Mark and the Escorts in 1963 and played surf music
inspired by current Twentynine Palms resident Dick Dale.
When The Beatles invaded in 1964, Mark and the Escorts
dressed in Beatles-type attire and began playing British
Invasion-type music with a Chicano twist.
Mark and the Escorts became an integral part of the emerging
East L.A. scene, sharing the same manager as Cannibal and
the Headhunters, the Premiers (who hit with Don & Dewey's
"Farmer John") and the Blendells (who broke out with Stevie
Wonder's "La La La La La"). They had a regional hit with
"Get Your Baby," which has since been featured on six
compilation albums chronicling the revival of what has been
called "the Eastside sound" and the "garage rock exotica"
renaissance.
The band's nucleus, including Guerrero on guitar and vocals,
bassist Richard Rosas and drummer Ernie Hernandez, evolved
into The Men from S.O.U.N.D. and Nineteen Eighty Four and
then supported Guerrero as a solo artist on Capitol Records
and then A&M Records.
But the labels never really grasped that a Mexican-American
like Guerrero could create folk rock sounds as American as,
say, a Canadian like Young.
"When I was with Capitol, I did a few country rock tunes and
the label said, 'Why is this Chicano guy in L.A. doing
country music?' They were like baffled," said Guerrero. "I'm
thinking, 'Well, why not?' But they couldn't think of me as
just an Anglo-American who can do country."
He recorded "I'm Brown" as a single for Capitol. It was
essentially a protest song, said Guerrero. The chorus
asserts that "first I'm a member of the human race." He
proudly wrote in one of his blogs that "I'm Brown" "can
stand alongside James Brown's 'Say It Loud (I'm Black and
I'm Proud)' and Helen Reddy's 'I Am Woman' in that they're
all anthems about positive self-image and identity."
But the 11 songs Guerrero recorded for Capitol never got
released as an album. He concluded, "Capitol didn't think
America was ready for a Chicano band sounding like a country
rock band."
A&M, which was co-owned by Jerry Moss and Herb Alpert,
leader of the Tijuana Brass, bought the masters in 1973 and
had Guerrero record four more songs. But, even though this
was the height of the singer-songwriter era, they decided
Guerrero and his backing musicians should be a Latino band.
"I really kind of regret that I agreed to it," Guerrero
said, "because they said, 'You've got to come up with a name
now.' I said, 'Well, we're the Mudd Brothers.' I thought
that was a cool name. But they said, 'No, no. That's no
good. Come up with something that sounds Latino.'
"What we were doing was very Buffalo Springfieldish —
Southern California country rock. But they insisted, so I
came up with Tango, which is Latin and 'Last Tango In Paris'
was out. But it was one of the biggest mistakes of my life
because, when the album came out, all it said on the cover
was 'Tango.' We weren't even on the cover. So if someone
went to a record bin they'd think it was Argentinian tango
music. Why would you think it was rock 'n' roll? It really
hurt. But, when you're young like that I wasn't strong
enough to say, 'I refuse.' "
In addition to "I'm Brown," Tango's self-titled album
featured the bilingual song, "Allesandro." But it featured
such country rock musicians as John Hartford on banjo and
fiddle, and Sneaky Pete Kleinow of the Flying Burrito
Brothers on pedal steel guitar.
Moss sat down with Guerrero after the album came out and
laid out his marketing plans.
"He said to me, 'How would you describe your music? What
genre would you say it fits into?' " Guerrero recalled. "I
said, 'Kind of like Buffalo Springfield.' He said, 'I
disagree.' " 'Oh, what do you think?' He said, 'Tony
Orlando.' I go, 'Oh my God!'
"That shows you how off they were. Guerrero. Orlando.
Latino? That's the only thing I could think of (connecting
the two artists) because it was nothing like it. So they
didn't understand what I was trying to do."
Chicano rock came to be epitomized by the rhythmic sounds of
El Chicano, Tierra and Los Lobos, who toiled in East L.A.
for most of the 1970s, and later Ozomatli. Today, Montoya
prefers the terms "Latino, Hispanic or rock en Espanol" to
"Chicano bands." He says industry labels placed an obstacle
to Mark that forced him to retreat to the security of local
nightclub gigs.
"Mark has trust issues that have held him back," Montoya
said. "He felt comfortable in his little gig and he was OK
with that. (But) he is a unique talent and deserves to be
heard beyond Palm Springs."
But Guerrero began writing about the history Chicano music
on his website, markguerrero.com, in the late-'90s. He's
written about the East L.A. scene and other Latino artists
such as Lopez and Romero.
Romero says those articles have helped his subjects gain
greater recognition.
"He has helped a lot of musicians," said Romero, who also is
mentioned in Kubernik's new books. "I've had contacts from
people who have called me from overseas who wanted me to do
some concerts overseas through Mark."
Guerrero now frequently lectures about Chicano music at
colleges around the country and always sings some of his
father's music, besides his own. He was recently asked to
collaborate on a book on the Chicano movement after giving a
lecture performance at Ohio State University.
Romero calls him a Chicano culture scholar.
"I went with him to the (California State) university over
here a couple months ago in Palm Desert and he put on quite
a talk and then he performed," he said. "He had some amazing
videos that he showed and a lot of those university students
were really impressed with him and his music and what he's
done. The young people are really starting to realize who he
is."
Same article
below in Desert Post Weekly- July 31-August 6, 2014
Same article-
Scan of Desert Sun newspaper, page one only
Record Collector Magazine
March 21, 2014
Below is
the intro to an interview Record Collector Magazine conducted
with author of "It Was 50 Years Ago Today: The Beatles Invade
America and Hollywood," Harvey Kubernik. Mark is mentioned
as one of the contributors to the book.
March 21, 2014
by Jim Kaplan~
Los Angeles native and pop and rock music historian Harvey
Kubernik has been an active journalist for over 40 years,
published six books, penned over a thousand articles and has
been acknowledged in over 150 books.
For the last few years, Harvey has written just about every
cover story in Record Collector News. I’m constantly
receiving fan letters and emails lauding his work and
praising his diligent and factual research evident in his
interviews and profiles in our pages.
The book company Otherworld Cottage Industries in February
just published Harvey Kubernik’s book It Was Fifty Years Ago
Today: The Beatles Invade America and Hollywood.
In it, Harvey discusses the Beatles and their unquestionable
Southern California bond with Clem Burke, Richard Bosworth,
Roger McGuinn, Dino Danelli, Chris Darrow, Ram Dass, Johnny
Echols, Kim Fowley, Allen Ginsberg, Mark Guerrero, George
Harrison, Rodney Bingenheimer, Gene Aguilera, Jim Keltner,
Dan Kessel, David Kessel, Paul Body, Albert Maysles, D.A.
Pennebaker, Andrew Solt, David Leaf, Ravi Shankar, Don Peake,
Phil Spector, Andrew Loog Oldham, John Van Hamersveld, Ken
Scott, Doug Fieger, Ringo Starr, Sir George Martin, Giles
Martin, Berry Gordy, Jr., James Cushing, and many more
musicians, DJ’s, writers and pundits.
Harvey’s book is a very important look at the Beatles and
the band’s previously unexamined relationship to the musical
heritage of Los Angeles and Hollywood from the late-1950s to
mid-‘70s.
Los Angeles Times
November 8, 2014
Inland Empire Weekly
San Bernardino, California
March 19, 2015
Article also appeared in
El Chicano- Rialto Record- Colton Courier
Guerrero employs various avenues to advance history of East
L.A. music
When Mark
Guerrero delivers
a lecture, performs or teaches at one of the two Cal
State University San Bernardino campuses,
he has some of the best first-hand knowledge to draw from.
At a moments notice, Guerrero can conduct a two-hour,
multi-media presentation about the history of East Los
Angeles music of the 1960’s or about the Beatles.
Guerrero fronted the group, Mark and the Escorts from East
L.A. in the 60’s and was a part of a style of Chicano music
that was heard from Whittier Boulevard to New York City.
Although Guerrero has appeared on many recordings with
fellow chart toppers, he never received the international
notoriety like neighbors, Cannibal & The Headhunters, Thee
Midniters, the Premiers or the Blendells. He did have top
notch producers and managers like Billy Cardenas and rock
and hall of famer Lou Adler.
“It was amazing and exciting to be witness to that huge
music scene coming from such a small, low-middle class area
of unincorporated Los Angeles. It was like the music boom in
Liverpool that was happening simultaneously in the music
hotbed of East L.A,.” said Guerrero. “It promoted our
culture and gave us a sense of pride.” He listed others from
the area like Los Lobos, Tierra, and El Chicano who had
million sellers a few years later. Guerrero named a lot of
others with great talent from the area but who never had big
hits such as “Little Ray” Jimenez.
Guerrero feels that his generation of revolutionary East
L.A. musicians and those just prior had the benefit of
living in a prime location at a prime time. “Rock was still
young in the early 60’s. We were a half hour away from
Hollywood recording studios, TV and radio stations and there
were plenty of places to play. Bands could get gigs at teen
night clubs, parties, or dances. There are hardly any
teenage venues today,” said Guerrero.
He told of a whole new wave of Chicano musicians who are
carrying on the tradition of East L.A music. “There are many
new bands who are representing East L.A. very well such as
Chicano Batman.”
Guerrero is considered the leading historian on the 1960’s
East L.A. sound. It was his famous father, Lalo Guerrero who
created the sounds preceding the East L.A. rock music
explosion.
The late Lalo
Guerrero,
whose career started in 1939 is nationally recognized as the
“Father of Chicano Music.” Lalo Guerrero originated a style
of Chicano music that honored his Mexican heritage through
many styles including ballads, parodies and children
classics. He composed music that used pachuco slang on tunes
like Marihuana Boogie and Los Chucos Suaves.
Much the same, the younger Guerrero performs concerts,
benefits, tributes and lecture/performances. He was in Santa
Cruz last month for a benefit show at the Resource Center
for Non-Violence for the local day worker center. There, he
screened the documentary, “Lalo Guerrero-The Original
Chicano” and performed a concert of his and his father’s
music.
Mark Guerrero feels
there are pros and cons from being the son of an icon to
Chicanos. At first, he never mentioned it because he didn’t
want to use his father’s name to advance his own career. “I
am proud of my father and his talents but I never wanted
people to minimize my accomplishments because of who my
father was. As I got older there was no way to separate us.”
At his lecture on race and racism at Cal State University
San Bernardino, he lets his songs tell some of the story
such as his Capitol Records release, “I’m Brown,” and some
of his father’s like, “No Chicano’s on TV.” At the CSUSB,
Palm Desert Campus he just finished teaching a class on the
History of the Beatles Part 1, for the school’s Osher
Lifelong Learning Institute.
He is preparing to teach Beatles Part II. “The Beatles
revived rock and roll and made it into an art form. They did
everything well,” said Guerrero.
In his bio, it lists that Guerrero had “I’m Brown” included
with songs of Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, and Pete Seeger,
etc. at the Grammy Museum in a 2009 exhibit called Songs of
Conscience, Sounds of Freedom. He earlier consulted and
contributed material to an exhibit for the Smithsonian
Institute entitled American Sabor: Latinos in Popular Music.
Guerrero has been a performer non stop since 1963. Now
approaching an age when most think retirement, he’s got the
stamina to do shows six nights per week at Lavender Bistro
in La Quinta, plus all of his other ventures.
He recommends to younger musicians to play everywhere you
can even if it’s for free. “Never dog it and don’t let your
ego get in the way.”
He said he never liked hard drugs, cigarettes or alcohol and
thinks that is why he’s still going strong. Like other’s who
lived in the 1960’s, he witnessed the already well
documented story of drug abuse. He tells serious musicians
that drugs will hurt their career. “It’s hard to remain
dependable if you become a drug user or an alcoholic. To
keep working you have to be disciplined.”
Record Collector Magazine
September/October 2016
Mark Guerrero is one of the
contributors offering his thoughts on The Beatles' classic
album "Revolver." Other contributors include Michael
McDonald, Burton Cummings, and Steven Van Zandt. Due
to the number of commentators, the article below is edited to
include five of the fifteen.
The
Beatles remain evergreen with this month’s
celebration of the album Revolver on its 50th
anniversary; Eight Days a Week, Ron
Howard’s new documentary about the band’s
touring years; and a new CD release: The
Beatles Live at The Hollywood Bowl
BY HARVEY
KUBERNIK
I first
heard “Love You To” from the Beatles’ Revolver LP
in July 1966 previewed on radio station KRLA
from Pasadena California during deejay Dave
Hull’s shift.
He back announced the album selection and touted
George Harrison’s vocal and sitar instrument on
the Harrison-penned tune, along with referencing
the Indian classical musician Ravi Shankar.
“Love You
To” was very spooky. This was by the Beatles? It
sounded like something from the 1952-1954 black
and white television series Ramar of the
Jungle starring Jon Hall.
The first week of August ‘66 I purchased my
monaural copy of the album at the legendary
Frigate Record shop at the corner of Crescent
Heights Blvd and 3rd Street in L.A.
In 1965,
George Harrison discovered the sitar around the
set of Help! Later that same year, he
would record with it on John Lennon’s “Norwegian
Wood.”
In 1997, I
conducted an interview with Harrison published
in HITS magazine. George recalled his
earliest attempt at playing the sitar with the
Beatles as “Very rudimentary. I didn’t know how
to tune it properly, and it was a very cheap
sitar to begin with. So ‘Norwegian Wood’ was
very much an early experiment. By the time we
recorded ‘Love You To,’ I had made some
strides.”
“More than
any other record of the time, Revolver was
responsible for turning millions of people onto
LSD,” concludes Roger Steffens, author of The
Family Acid and the forthcoming So Much
Things to Say: The Oral History of Bob Marley.
“If you wondered what a trip would be like, all
you had to do was put on earphones and close
your eyes and wonderment abounded. Stunning new
instruments inserted into the pop panorama;
harpsichord and tablas and sitars and tapes spun
backwards into a Delhi rave up. Prompting acidic
reflections, feeling hung up but not knowing
why, who cares as long as we can drift in this
pill-shaped undersea craft and maybe find some
of that Sunshine acid, John closing it all out
in his submarine skipper voice. No doubt this is
their finest most consistent and innovative
work, a quantum leap forward.”
Richard
White, who just published the book, Come
Together: Lennon and McCartney in The Seventies,
summarizes the Revolver period Lennon and
McCartney team.
“While The Beatles clearly had no real interest
in replicating or writing with their live sound
in mind in the studio, the Revolver sessions
began with one eye clearly on the future with
‘Tomorrow Never Knows’ and ended with another
of Lennon’s partly nostalgic ‘She Said She
Said.’ Lennon was still pouring energy and
invention into his music, whilst beginning to
confront or drawing on his pain for the good of
his art. Despite McCartney’s superior
compositional phase of songs of string-laden
astringency nestled beside warm amorous
classicism, the previously strong bond in Lennon
and McCartney’s song writing relationship was
now showing signs
of tension: Revolver would provide a final full
gasp of old-fashioned Beatle unity.”
Rodney
Bingenheimer:Revolver is
my favorite album by the Beatles. ‘And Your Bird
Can Sing’ is the track I love the most. It
reminded me of the Byrds.”
In
re-visiting Revolver 50 years on, I asked
authors, poets, musicians, writers, filmmakers,
engineers, recording artists, and deejays to
comment on it.
Steven
Van Zandt: It
was extra notable by being the first album to
have three George songs while we in America (as
usual) lost three of the coolest tracks (‘I’m
Only Sleeping,’ ‘And Your Bird Can Song,’ and
‘Dr. Robert’-the second coolest after ‘She Said
She Said!’) as the American company continued to
turn every two albums into three. Oh, and one
more thing we should mention, they wouldn’t
decide to stop performing live until the next
disastrous tour a few months later but they may
have had a premonition at that point which
undoubtedly opened their minds to even more
adventurous artistic exploration.”
Burton
Cummings: You’ve
got to remember that Revolver starts with
George’s ‘Taxman.’ The album rocks hard. There
were more ballads on Rubber Soul. We
[Guess Who] did a television show 1966-1968 for
the CBC [Canadian Broadcasting Company] Let’s
Go. Sometimes we had to learn 12 covers in
an adjacent radio studio that were then
broadcast. We did ‘Got to Get You Into My Life.’
Later I sang ‘Yellow Submarine,’ complete with a
megaphone. We later did ‘Hey Jude’ and some of
our originals like ‘No Time.’”
Mark
Guerrero: John
Lennon once said that Rubber Soul was the
pot album and Revolver the acid. Whatever
part the psychedelic substance played it’s
obvious the Beatles’ music and consciousness
took a quantum leap on the latter record.
“Revolver introduced
many sonic and musical innovations such as
Lennon’s voice through a Leslie speaker,
backwards guitars, tape loops, microphones
placed deep into the bells of horns, and a track
using all Indian instruments and musicians on a
pop record. The songs and performances on Revolver are
fantastic and so is the sound of the album. I
love the tone of the guitars and bright
splashing cymbals on ‘She Said She Said,’ as
well as the unorthodox time changes. Some of
McCartney’s greatest songs were on Revolver such
as ‘Here, There, and Everywhere,’ ‘For No One,’
and ‘Eleanor Rigby.’ George Harrison’s harmony
guitar parts on ‘And Your Bird Can Sing’ that
weave their way through the chord changes are
brilliant. George also asserted himself with one
of my favorite Beatle songs, ‘Taxman,’ which
powerfully opens the record.
“It’s
mind-boggling that in a mere three years the
Beatles evolved from the innocence of ‘I Want To
Hold Your Hand’ to mature songs even profoundly
confronting the subject of death. Their previous
album Rubber Soul gave us a first glimpse
of the rock & roll album as an art form. Revolver brought
the concept to fruition.Revolver is the
album that set the stage for Sgt. Pepper widely
regarded as the Beatles’ greatest album. For me Revolver reigns
supreme.”
Gene
Aguilera: So
maybe Eleanor Rigby is really my favorite
Beatles song. McCartney ups the ante on the
meaning of loneliness, which takes me to the
graveyard every time. Ray Charles’ version is
just as good as the original, which is not an
easy thing to do. ‘The Quiet Beatle’ George
Harrison gets a bigger taste this time around —
more vocals and more sitar. And when did the
Beatles ever open up an LP with a George
Harrison song? You can hear the Beatles maturing
lyrically and musically on Revolver,
setting the stage for Sgt. Pepper’s
arrival the following year.”
Harvey Kubernik has been a music journalist for
over 44 years and is the author of 8 books.
During 2014, Harvey’s Kubernik’s Turn Up the
Radio! Rock, Pop, and Roll in Los Angeles
1956—1972 was published by Santa Monica Press.
His 2015 and 2016 titles on BackBeat Books have
chronicled Leonard Cohen and Neil Young.
Select portions of Kubernik's work can be viewed
on www.cavehollywood.com.
Earlier this century Kubernik was a featured
speaker discussing audiotape preservation and
archiving at special hearings called by the
Library of Congress. This decade he has been
seen in BBC-TV music documentaries on Queen,
Bobby Womack and Meat Loaf reaching a worldwide
audience.
Lalo Guerrero Statue Unveiling Event
The Desert Sun
Palm Springs, California
December 18, 2013
Acoustic Magazine
September/October 2017
In December of 2016, an event was held in
Lalo Guerrero's hometown of Tucson, Arizona in honor of the
100th anniversary of his life. It was a sold out affair at
Tucson's historic Casino Ballroom, a venue Lalo often played in
his prime. Many artists performed including Ry Cooder,
Ersi Arvizu, and Dan and Mark Guerrero. Mark was backed by
Tucson's Los Nawdy Dawgs.
Record Collector Magazine
September/October 2018
L.A. Taco
Internet periodical
February 5, 2021
The excerpt below is the
portion of the article with Mark Guerrero's contribution.
The article was quite extensive.
L.A. TACO WHILE HOLLYWOOD HAD THE SUNSET STRIP, EAST L.A.
HAD THE ‘LATIN STRIP’
Musician Mark Guerrero, son of Lalo Guerrero,
recalls similar memories growing up in East L.A. in
the early 1960s. Mark Guerrero remembers “the Strip”
as a place for his father’s generation. He knew the
entire East L.A. club and “Latin music” scene as the East
L.A. Circuit. His teenage band, Mark and the
Escorts, played the circuit and countless
teenage venues and dances, held in church halls,
event halls, and auditoriums spanning from downtown
L.A. throughout East L.A. and further east as far as
Pomona.
A lifelong musician and local music historian in his
own right, Mark Guerrero remembers that the East
L.A. music scene was so vibrant and active that it
created the distinct Eastside
sound. After getting his start
playing East L.A.’s clubs and venues, Mark Guerrero
built a successful music career and is a regular
writer, podcaster, and lecturer on Chicano music.
Today, he continues to interview Chicano musicians
on his podcast and document
their history through interviews, photography
archives, and collaborations like A
Great Day in East L.A. with
videographer/photographer Piero
F Giunti. In
2017, Mark and the Escorts’s music was
included in the feature film Logan
Lucky.
NBC.COM
Dec. 30, 2020, 3:33 AM PST
By Raul A. Reyes
2020 has been a year marked by grief and loss, but it is in the
spirit of remembrance, not sadness, that we highlight the lives
of several Latinos we said goodbye to this year. From Hollywood
to Washington, from academia to the armed forces, these are just
a few of our "familia" who enriched our communities, our lives
and our nation before leaving us.
TRINI LOPEZ, 83,
singer and songwriter. As a young boy in Texas, Lopez was
thrilled when his father bought him an acoustic guitar from a
pawnshop and taught him how to play it. Lopez went on to a
storied career in the 1960s, rubbing elbows with some of the
most famous people of his era. He was discovered by Buddy Holly
and mentored
by Frank Sinatra,
and he developed a friendship with Elvis Presley. He even
co-headlined with The Beatles, in Paris, before their U.S.
debut.
Filmmaker P. David Ebersole, who recently completed a
documentary about Lopez, confirmed to
The Associated Press that
Lopez died from Covid-19 complications in August.
Among his worldwide hits, Lopez was known
for his versions of
"Lemon Tree" and "If I Had a Hammer." "He was one of the first
Mexican Americans to break into the mainstream," singer/songwriter Mark
Guerrero said. "He was huge."
At a time when Latino artists were often pressured to adopt
Anglo names, Lopez embraced his roots. "I'm proud to be a
mexicano," he told The
Seattle Times in
2017.
Lopez acted in TV shows and movies, and his music was used in
many films, as well. "He was able to take the folk music that
was popular during the 1960s and Latin-ize it, spice it up,"
Guerrero said. "He was very charming and had a lot of charisma.
He was a great entertainer."
Raul A. Reyes, a lawyer, is a member of the USA Today Board of
Contributors. He has written for The New York Times, the Los
Angeles Times, The Christian Science Monitor, Texas Monthly and
the Huffington Post.
The Reckless Night Ensemble
with Mark Guerrero
Tucson Weekly
May 5, 2023
Advisory council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) Website
Mark Guerrero written interview on his being a historic preservationist
(2024)
Mark Guerrero, East L.A. and Chicano Rock Music Historian, Musician, Los Angeles, CA
Mark Guerrero began playing in rock & roll bands at age 13 and led the popular East Los Angeles band Mark & the Escorts, who recorded two singles for G.N.P. Crescendo Records in 1965. Their recording “Get Your Baby” has appeared on many compilation albums over the years and appeared in the motion picture Logan Lucky in 2017. He has recorded as a solo artist for Ode Records (produced by Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Lou Adler) in 1971, Capitol Records in 1972, and with his group Tango, for A&M Records in 1973-74. His songs have been recorded by artists such as Herb Alpert, Trini Lopez, Chan Romero, and his late father Lalo Guerrero, known as the Father of Chicano music. In 2009 and again in 2022, his 1972 song and recording of “I’m Brown” was featured in an exhibit at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles “Songs of Conscience, Sounds of Freedom.”
Guerrero has performed on stage with artists such as Eric Burdon, Denny Laine (Wings, Moody Blues), Joey Molland (Badfinger), Los Lobos, El Chicano, Tierra, Redbone, Cannibal & the Headhunters Band, and Lalo Guerrero. He has performed in venues such as the Cavern in Liverpool, England; Cite de la Musique in Paris, France; Gibson Amphitheater in Studio City, CA; and the Roxy, Whiskey a Go Go, and John Anson Ford Amphitheater in Hollywood.
As an East L.A. and Chicano rock music historian he has written many articles, has a website ( markguerrero.com ), hosts a radio podcast (“Chicano Music Chronicles”), a YouTube interview show (“East L.A. Music Stories”), been a guest on radio and television shows, and has lectured at universities. His YouTube channel has more than 300 videos.
What led you to your field?
Since my father, Lalo Guerrero, was a singer/songwriter/musician, I had the example and DNA to become the same three things. I loved music since I was a kid in the 1950s. Two of my favorites were Elvis Presley and the Everly Brothers. I started playing guitar when I was 12 and started my first band at 13. I’ve been performing and making a living with music ever since.
How does what you do relate to historic preservation?
I was part of a music scene in East Los Angeles in the 1960s that was very special. There were countless bands, teenage venues, and fans that flocked to them. There were many great bands and singers, many of whom had national hits such as Cannibal & the Headhunters, The Premiers, The Blendells, and Thee Midniters. Other groups with roots in the '60s later had hits like El Chicano, Tierra, and Los Lobos. I’m very proud of the fact that such a scene with so many successes happened against the odds coming from a barrio. When the Internet came about, I created a website and decided to use it not only to promote myself and my music, but to chronicle the history of East L.A. and Chicano rock, with an emphasis on the period of the ‘50s through the ‘70s. I started by writing articles about the bands and singers of the period. That led to me being invited to speak at universities, museums, and cultural centers. You can see a list of those lectures and lecture/performances with flyers and photos from them on my website at this link: https://markguerrero.com/lecture.php . I eventually taught classes on the History of The Beatles and Bob Dylan for the OSHER program at Cal State San Bernardino (Palm Desert campus) and UC Riverside (Palm Desert campus).
Why do you think historic preservation matters?
I think it’s very important because if no one bothers to chronicle significant events and periods, they will be forgotten. It would be as if they never happened. In my case, I wanted to preserve the music and the stories of a special and seminal period in the history of East L.A. and Chicano music that I happened to be a part of. It is also a part of rock history that deserves to be alongside the other special scenes and periods.
What courses do you recommend for students interested in this field?
I wouldn’t know which courses I would recommend. I would just say that they should pick a major that’s in line with what part of history that inspires their main interest and strongest passion. Also to immerse themselves in the subject in the real world away from academia. There are many ways and careers available to preserve history, such as audio and visual preservation (tapes and film), interviewing and recording people, and writing books and articles.
Do you have a favorite preservation project? What about it made it special?
In 2007, I was involved in a museum exhibit at the Experience Music Project in Seattle, Washington, called “American Sabor: Latinos in U.S. Popular Music.” It ran for a year and then travelled the country ending up at the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. I was a consultant and on the advisory board. I loaned the museum flyers, photos, band cards, and interviewed more than a dozen artists on video tape for their permanent archive. It was special because it showed the world what a big part of American popular music history Latino artists played. It was a 5,000 square foot exhibit with separate sections for the cities with their own Latino music styles that made a major contribution: Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Miami, and San Antonio. Here are links to my website with information on the American Sabor project: https://markguerrero.com/misc_57.php and https://markguerrero.com/misc_61.php .
Can you tell us what you are working on right now?
At present I’m working on an exhibit that will open in June of 2025 at La Plaza de Cultura y Artes in Los Angeles called “A Great Day in East L.A.” It will cover the history of East L.A. rock from the late ‘40s to the present. I’m a curatorial advisor. Here is a link to an article on my website about the project: https://markguerrero.com/misc_83.php .
I’m also working on a recording that celebrates the music of East L.A. in the ‘60s called “The Stars of East L.A." It features many of the musicians and singers of the period. I’m also regularly doing my YouTube Zoom interview show, “Mark Guerrero’s East L.A. Music Stories.” I’ve done 39 episodes in around two years. Here’s a link on my website where you can get to the shows and information on them: https://markguerrero.com/east-la-music-stories.php
How do you think the national historic preservation programs help your community?
Historic preservation programs help my community because learning about the positive aspects of our history instills a sense of pride in the community and culture which can inspire people to achieve great things. It’s also important to tell the negative aspects of history, so present and future generations can learn from it, so it does not repeat itself.
Do you have advice for novice preservationists?
To get all the information on their subject they can from reading, documentaries, and interviewing as many people as they can who have information or lived it. Also work hard and be consistent. It’s stacking a brick at a time over a long period. You’ll find you’ve eventually built a building or even a pyramid.
The ACHP’s mission is “preserving America’s heritage;” can you give us an example of how your community is preserving its heritage?
There are many people who are preserving our community’s heritage. Some are chronicling the history of music, art, the military, and other subjects. I know a man who gives tours of the Boyle Heights district of East L.A. telling stories of the Chicano and Jewish history of the area. Also, many of the colleges have Chicano and Latino studies programs to insure our history is learned and remembered. I graduated from Cal State Los Angeles with a major in Chicano Studies in 1977.
Can you relate the music/culture you are conserving to a physical location? (A building, street or town)?
I’ve been chronicling the history of East L.A. and Chicano rock since 1998 (26 years). The East L.A. music history took place in the unincorporated area just east of downtown Los Angeles. It’s a large area that includes the districts of Boyle Heights, City Terrace, Lincoln Heights, and El Sereno. The area I grew up in is part of the unincorporated East L.A. but was not part of a district. The Chicano rock history is found mostly in the American Southwest: California, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Texas.
Why is it important to save and conserve culture through music? How can you ensure your work will be saved for many years to come?
Music is probably the best way to conserve culture. It’s known as the universal language. All cultures have always had music. It has an emotional component that exceeds art, poetry, and books. It contains words and poetry with the power and beauty of music. Music has inspired political movements and even armies. I was recently part of a documentary called “A Song for Cesar.” It was about the music of Cesar Chavez’ farmworker movement of the '60s and how it inspired the workers and demonstrators who were protesting their incredibly low wages and extremely poor working conditions. Folk songs and corridos have always told stories of people and events that are preserved in the songs that live for generations. I also have provided my archives (records, flyers, interviews, photos, and writings) to the C.E.M.A. (California Ethnic and Multi-Cultural Archive) program at the University of California at Santa Barbara. That ensures that my work will be available after I’m gone.
