by Mark Guerrero
Many bands in East L.A. played surf music at the time. In the early 60s, surf music was extremely popular. Dick Dale & the Deltones were huge. Just about every guitar player in East L.A. was doing his best to play "Miserlou" with Dick Dale's rapid-fire picking style. Songs like "Wipeout" by the Surfaris and "Pipeline" by the Chantays were monster hits. The Ventures were extremely popular with "Walk Don't Run" and many other reverb-laden guitar anthems. My first band, Mark & the Escorts, started with surf songs in 1963. Virtually our entire list was comprised of surf instrumentals. Yet somehow no one has ever referred to my band as "that surf band." There was also an East L.A. band called the Vesuvians, who played surf songs and even dressed the part. Mickey & the Invaders somehow got stuck with the moniker. Mickey & the Invaders definitely had a surf side, no pun intended, but they were much more than that and went beyond as the 60s progressed and their name changed once again.