that high stage they had and dance while I played this Farfisa organ I had. As I danced, I would rock the organ like I was going to turn it over into the crowd. They would scream with each rock, but I never dropped it. The group quickly became one of the most popular bands in the Memphis area. They recorded their first single "I Tell No Lies" b/w "She's the Kind" at John Fry's home garage studio, which was released on Stan Kessler's Arbet label. The record became a local hit and received airplay all over the south. MGM/Verve Records became interested in the group and picked up the record, re-releasing it on their XL label later that year. The group recorded their follow up "Mad, Mad, Mad" b/w "Try So Hard" at Sun Studios, which was issued on Verve in late 1966 and produced by Stan Kesler. The distinctive fuzz-toned guitar part in "Mad, Mad, Mad" was played by Memphis session man Tommy Cogbill. The band's manager, Johnny Dark, set up a tour of the Southeast accompanying Sam the Sham & the Pharos, the Swinging Medallions, Tommy Roe, and Napoleon the 14th. The second single failed to achieve the success of the first. Following the tour, the group returned to Memphis to play local gigs, but several of the band's members were drafted into the military to fight in Vietnam. Eventually, all of the band's members ended up in the service, except for Ron Gorden. In late 1967 the group broke up. Later events Gorden went on to play with a reconstituted version of the group the late Otis Redding's previous backup group, the Bar-Kays. Later Gorden was hired by Stax Records, working on several projects before eventually becoming their art director. He would go on to design album covers for over a hundred LPs on there and would win a Grammy for his art work on Issac Hayes' Black Moses. In the intervening years, the Escapades work has come to the attention of garage rock enthusiasts and collectors. "I Tell No Lies" is included on Pebbles, Volume 5, issued by AIP Records, and A History of Garage & Frat Bands in Memphis 1960-1975, Vol. 1. "Mad, Mad, Mad" appears on the Destination Frantic, Volume 2 CD, put out by Zone 66 records. Several of their songs appear on the Jesters' anthology "Cadillac Men: The Sun Masters". Membership