1968



February/March

Despite playing a few gigs, Mike and Greg were not happy with
the direction the group was taking and decide to leave.

The Lead Guitar position was filled by Mike Gouzie and
the Bass Guitar position was filled by Mike's younger brother Bill.

The group was already booked at St. Hyacinth Church Hall in Westbrook on
May 24, so rehearsals began immediately and the band called themselves
"The New Love, Inc." for the summer of 1968.



March

A key and critical event takes place this month along with
Mike and Billy joining the band. The parents of the band members
have a meeting and decide to financially back the boys,
signing a bank note for them to buy equipment.

Also at this meeting Marc's father, Philip, agrees to become Manager,
and handle all of their bookings and financial affairs.

At this time he is an Accountant with his own practice in Westbrook.
His networking and contacts become increasingly important in the
months ahead as the group continues to hone their craft and play more
venues. The boys now only have to worry about making music.

Rehearsals for the band now take place in the basement
of the Mailhot and Gouzie homes, where "Mom" Gouzie
also takes good care of the boys. Having our parents give
us both moral and financial support was truly a
once-in-a-lifetime gift, and one we'll never forget!

Equipment purchased with the bank loan include two
Fender Bandmaster cabinets and heads for Mike and Mark,
a Gibson ES 335 for Mark, an Ampeg BT15C tubeless amp
and a Mosrite Bass guitar for Bill. A pair of PA horns and
head were also purchased along with 3 Shure microphones.
Marc continues to use his father's 1960 Slingerland drum kit.



May 24, 1968 - Debut of "The New Love, Inc." at St. Hyacinth
Hall in Westbrook. The group was well received.





May 30 - Performance with The Untame Sound at
the Sheraton Eastland Ballroom, Portland, ME.

June 8 - Performance at The Palace Ballroom, Old Orchard Beach,
ME. as the opening act for The Orphans, a very popular group
from Boston with a Single on Epic Records.

June 14 - Performance at the YWCA Portland, ME.

June 29 - Private Wedding, South Portland, ME.



Bill and his Mosrite Bass guitar - June 1968.


Mark and Mike loading the van - July 1968.



July 7 - Performance at Lakeside Pines Campground, Bridgton, ME.

July - Mark Swett produces the first original song for Love, Inc.
"Leave Me Alone in the Morning".

August - Mike and Marc on a short vacation to northern Maine.

August 2 - Performance at St. Hyacinth Hall, Westbrook, ME.

August 9 - Performance at Gray City Hall, Gray, ME.

August 24 - Performance at The Palace Ballroom, Old Orchard Beach, ME.



Love, Inc. at The Palace Ballroom - August 24, 1968.





September

Wayne Sacco becomes a Roadie for the group.

September - Performance at Cheverus High School, Portland, ME. Date unknown.

September 6 - Performance with The Untame Sound at the Sheraton
Eastland Ballroom, Portland, ME. Love, Inc. closes their second show
with The Beatles Hey Jude and both groups play the long ending,
to the amazement of the audience.

September 13 - Performance at Morton's Pavilion, Naples, ME.

September 21 - Performance at St. Joseph's Hall, Biddeford, ME.

September 27 - Performance at St. Hyacinth Hall, Westbrook, ME.



September 28 - During the St. Hyacinth performance the night before,
Marc breaks yet another drum head and develops significant
blistering on his hands, and as a result purchases a new 1968
Ludwig Hollywood drum kit.

Marc also purchases 22" and 20" Medium Ride Zildjian cymbals
to add to his new kit. In 1971 he will add an 18" Zildjian
Medium Crash cymbal to his set up.

The Slingerland kit is sold later in the fall.

It is the beginning of a beautiful musical relationship!

Marc does a major recon job on the drums in 2007,
and continues using his original Zildjians today.
His only new acquisition in almost 50 years are
the 16" Zildjian New Beat Hats he bought in 1984.



October 4 - Performance at Morton's Pavilion, Naples, ME.

October 5 - Performance at St. John's Hall, Biddeford, ME. as the
opening act for Boston's popular group, Ultimate Spinach.

October 11 - Performance at Cheverus High School, Portland, ME.

October 17 - The Boys and Mr. Mailhot travel to Boston to purchase
new uniforms.

October 25 - Performance at Freeport High School, Freeport, ME
(Marc's Pink Flash!)

October 26 - Performance at St. Joseph's Hall, Biddeford, ME.



November - Mike and Mark write "She Don't Care About Me"
in 15 minutes, in the Gouzie living room.

It would be recorded the following April and become
the group's first and most successful Single.



November 1 - Performance at St. Hyacinth Hall, Westbrook, ME.

November 8 - Performance at Windham High School, Windham, ME.

November 23 - Performance at St. John's Hall, Biddeford, ME.

November 29 - Performance at the YWCA, Portland, ME.

December - Rick Record announces he will join Love, Inc. in January.

December - Mark writes "Coming Home", his second song for the band.

December 7 - Love, Inc. places second in the local Battle of the Bands at
South Portland, ME Armory. First goes to The Arbitrators.

December 13 - Performance at the YWCA, Portland, ME.

December 14 - Performance at St. Joseph's Hall, Biddeford, ME.

December 20 - Performance with The Talisman at St. Hyacinth Hall,
Westbrook, ME.



The boys end the year with the first of their annual
Christmas photos - this one taken December 25, 1968.




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