Mark IV (5)

The Mark IV are the Barbershop Harmony Society’s 1969 International Champion. First organized in 1962 in San Antonio, Texas. The quartet consisted of Dale Deiser on tenor, Ben Binford on lead, John McCord on baritone, and Mike McCord on bass. The qualified for their first international contest in the spring of 1963 and placed 40th in Toronto. Mike left the quartet following the international contest and went on to join the Checkmarks. C.O. Crawford joined as the new bass in late 1963. Eventually Ben and John left the quartet and Dale decided to switch to baritone. Charlie Ward of the Checkmarks joined them as tenor. Allan Koberstein, lead of 1964 International finalists, the Journeymen, had recently been stationed at Lackland Air Force Base and he joined the Mark IV as the new lead. In 1966, Franklin Spears of the 1960 SWD champs, the Playboys, joined them as tenor and the quartet went on to win the South Western District Championship that fall. They then set their hopes towards the 1967 international in Los Angeles. They placed a thrilling third place. They released their first album entitled, “Swing Low,” that same year. C.O. worked for the State Department as an English Teacher to foreign pilots and was often sent away on assignments at a short notice. Just a week prior to the 1968 prelims, C.O. returned from an 18-week assignment in Jordan. The Mark IV placed second at the international contest in Cincinnati, Ohio. Immediately following the 1968 international contest, C.O. got the call that he would be spending the next two years in Morocco. Mo Rector of the Gaynotes had moved to San Antonio in late 1966 and had filled in for C.O. in the Mark IV many times, now he replaced him as bass. The Mark IV qualified for the 1969 international with Mo and won it all in St. Louis, MO. During their championship year, they traveled everywhere singing for several chapters and shows. Mo moved back to Tulsa, OK in December of 1969 and Pete Tomseth filled in as bass until C.O. returned in the summer of 1970. They sang their swan set with both Mo and C.O. on bass. The Mark IV released their second album entitled “Anything Goes,” that same year. They sang their final performance on April 20, 1974. They had a reunion performance in 1986 and the AIC released a compilation CD of them in 1999. All 5 members have since passed on. Franklin Spears died in 1996, Mo Rector in 2003, Al Koberstein in 2011, C.O. Crawford in 2012, and Dale Deiser in 2018.