Puppet

This isn't the best shot of the corps but what strikes me is the amount of people in the back stands. It's positively packed back there. Just a reminder that we did back then play to both sides of the field. Puppet

I don't know if I posted this one before. Nunzio. Keep the pics coming. Puppet

I should probably keep my nickel because I was a horn player but The Cadets get my nod. Mucahcos from the seventies and from my era I would have to say the much maligned Cavaliers (circa 1965) Ok four cents worth. Puppet

This is difficult for me on so many levels so… let me preface by saying I played/marched in the sixties and seventies on East Coast. Also, I don't think anyone from back then got into learning who the arranger or music staff of another corps was - I sure didn't. Having said that, I think (at the risk of being booed off the topic) I would choose the extraordinarily lush sound of The Anaheim Kingsmen, the dynamic Madison Scouts and of course for sheer power of the smallest Class "A" horn line of the time arranged and instructed by the Mr. Herman (Hy) Dreitzer; St. Rita's Brassmen. Of course you could choose any of the corps he arranged and instructed among them: Des Plains Vanguard, St. Rocco’s Cadets, St. Joseph Patron Cadets, Carter Cadets, Selden Cadets, the CMCC Warriors, Floyd Bennett Golden Eagles, St. Ignatius All Girls. Oh yeah, he also marched, played and arranged for The Skyliners. Here's a shot from back in the day. Puppet

Two Hall Of Fame Gentlemen if there ever were any. Carmen - Nobody make you think more about every move you made; on or off the field. Tom - Every fiber of his being was in Drum Corps. Love those guys - they should RIP. Respectfully Puppet

That's what I've been saying for years. IMO banning the American Flag from the field of competition affected Drum Corps more than any one other thing. Puppet

Thank you so much. I am awe struck by the depth of your feelings. Puppet

But wait, there's more: I'm digging deep, here! Because the East was really rife with drum corps during those years… Medford Grenadiers, Medford Long Island, NY Pembroke Imperials (?) Our Lady of Lourdes Cadets, Paterson, NJ Marianettes, St. Albans, NY Freelancers, Smithtown, NY Grenadiers, New Britain, CT St. Raphael's Golden Buccaneers, Bridgeport, CT Guelph Royalaires, Guelph, ONT Jesters, Toronto, ONT De La Salle Oaklands, Toronto, ONT Grantham Police Boys, St. Catherine¹s, ONT St. Catherine's Queensmen, St. Albans, NY Our Lady of Lourdes Cadets, Paterson, NJ St. Patrick's Cadets, Jersey City, NJ Belles of St. Mary, Gloucester City, NJ Floyd Bennett Golden Eagles, Brooklyn, NY Vasella Musketeers Philadelphia, PA Carver Gay Blades, Newark, NJ Marksmen, Springfield, MA Troopers, Bridgeport, CT Fitchburg Kingsmen, Fitchburg, MA Bath Buccaneers, Bath, ME Torrington Vagabonds, Torrington, CT St. Raphael's Golden Buccaneers, Bridgeport, CT Smithtown Freelancers, Smithtown, NY St. Ann's Loyalaires, Bridgeport, CT Babylon Islanders, Babylon, NY And if you count Western PA there are dozens more. Puppet

But Mike, although there have only been a few responding to this, you've used the word "Fix." That to me denotes "broken." No one yet has used the word "broken" to describe this particular discussion board. Or have I missed something here? I truly think it's important to have a wide range of people from virtually every era participate. I have found that even the very young people who have expressed there thoughts and emotions within these pages have taught me a few things - and I like to hear new things - because I'm old and I forget. Puppet

Darn! I am getting old! Thanks for having a better memory than me! Puppet

My confession: In 1972 I was 22. I'd been with the Brassmen from the time we'd been kicked out of the St. Joseph parish in Brooklyn. After the '71 season, it was a very tough choice to continue or not because we were after all a Catholic Youth Organization. I went to our Moderator Father Dominic Schiraldi and talked it out with him and his advise was that I should do what was best for myself and for the Corps. Great! And I struggled with it all through winter rehearsals. With the return of one of the great OTL, Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries IMHO to our rep and all the Leonard Bernstein tunes from West Side Story made it even harder - but when Hy introduced us to the Three Blind Mice At Carnegie Hall as our concert piece, I was done. We had, for us, a glorious year (only placed 5th at the CYO Nationals and the only bad thing was that Blue Rock beat us!) I think I was the only overage kid in the corps that year and I would have never been caught because I was still being "carded" when I was in my late twenties! That was really the telling thing: I looked like a baby! Side note to the age thing - NYC had a drinking age of 18 until I turned 18 and then they changed it to 21! Oh, the irony! And speaking of irony … The World Open that year - you must remember this: We came in second just .250 away from the first place Muchachos and just .250 ahead of the third place Kilties during the prelims: The Kilts ran away with the finals by a little under 4 points. But as Lancer Legend has said: My being overage did not change the big picture. We do stupid, dangerous and / or otherwise un-wise things when we're young because we are young. I'm glad I marched that year. I'm even happier I didn't hurt my Corps by my actions - no one knew but Father Schiraldi - and apparently he wasn't telling. I did not march 1973. Puppet

I'm getting more and more confused. 2000 & 1990 I get, but '87? there were no "old school" corps left by then unless you're saying that in name only. I'm OK with '84 but '80 is problematic for me because our drill instruction and director Carmen Cluna had us doing asymmetrical drills (see below) in 1971 and 1972 - others were, too. We even broke ranks, ran into formations and did "theatrical" type shows. Here's Our OTL from 1972, where's the symmetry here? I mean, if I must choose - It's the DCI year - Drum Corps was never the same (not so much in a bad way) Or if you can find out which year DCI decided that the American Flag should no longer be honored - that would be the year for me. That is a particular pet peeve of mine. G to Bb, fifty four valve bugles whatever. Drummers who do not march yeah that's all change for change sake - but the American Flag being snubbed is the worst. Yeah, that year - when DCI decided we should no longer be American. Puppet

Kudos! And as a player for Hy in both St. Joseph Patron Cadets and St. Rita's Brassmen I can attest how great it was to play his charts. Unlike the corps of today, we never had more than 36 horns on the field but because of his ability to arrange and especially his knowledge of inner voicing, we sounded like a much larger horn line. On a personal level, I don't think there was any one who knew how to impart what music can be to the youngsters from every economic strata! The man was amazing! Respectfully, Puppet

More NYC corps: OLPH Ridgemen The Manhattaires The Wynn City Toppers Carter Cadets Staten Island Lawmen The Bronx Kingsmen Thank whomever mentioned St. Joseph Patron Cadets (the Greater NYC Circuit Champions 2 years in a row - '65 / '66) sorry about that. Queens NY had about a half a dozen "B" class corps - among them: the Scarlet Lancers & The Queenaires How could anyone forget the great Saint Rocco's? Or St. Lucy's Cadets (from New Jersey?) Did anyone mention St. Kevin's Emerald Knights? Weren't there also Legionaires from Long Island and the Shoreliners from Connecticut? And yes, there are probably more from then but as mentioned by others - sadly not any more. Puppet

Mike - Gee! You see, right away you can tell I'm prehistoric from that exclamation. My knee jerk would be 1972. Why? Because that was the year I aged out. Everything that came after that is way too current … but here's the caveat: history is linear. Last year is history. Heck, after you've been 60 for a couple of months (my birthday was in April) last week is pretty much history. I think that truly historical drum corps discussions have taken place with at least four or even more generations taking part in wide ranging topics within this forum have proven that the less formulaic this particular space remains the more fun we can have within it. Just look around at the various topics that have stood up the longest. Photos for instance. They go back to the fifties for some of us and as close in time as the early ohs for some others - there have been millions of hits on that thread and you want to put a limit on that?! Ah … what are you thinking?! It seems to me and this is just me - Look a little more closely at how we as a forum discussion group have created topics and sub topics keep each other interested. I certainly might check out a Topic like "Looking for help in getting '73 Muchacho Pictures" but only to see who is asking and who is responding. I don't have any of those pictures, but heck I know where to look so I might even give out some info but I won't hang around that thread long. Did you notice that even the JFK topic dived after about a week and a half. We all know what happens when a thread loses it's flavor. OMG and you thought Lancer Legend's answer was long - LOL! OK I'll stop. Anyway I agree with him. Let it be. (Sound of quarter hitting the floor) Puppet

Whoa! Are you saying that 20 or so is the best you could do from the entire State of California in 1972? Wow! I felt as if I was under representing when I said we had only 13 (Junior) in the City of New York - hate to think of the number if I added the Seniors and then dumped in Long Island. Up State New York was like wall to wall. We could have had as many as 200 that year. I recall one American Legion Championship that went like this: 1 St. Joseph's of Batavia 83.750 2 Magnificent Yankees 80.880 3 Bronx Kingsmen 80.520 4 St. Roccos 74.950 5 St. Joseph Patron Cadets 74.850 6 Emerald Statesmen 69.080 7 OLPH Ridgemen 68.020 8 Appleknockers 62.190 9 Shortsville Shamrocks 60.880 10 Vagabonds (NY) 60.060 11 OLC Ramblers 58.290 12 Purple Lancers 55.480 13 St. Joseph's Islanders 54.780 14 Carter Cadets 54.410 15 St. Ignatius 51.220 16 Kingston Indians 51.150 17 Grenadiers of Broome County 50.450 18 Mello-Dears 46.710 19 Continental Cadets 34.510 20 St. Joe's Peanuts 26.880 DIVISION SR 1 Skyliners 86.810 2 Rochester Crusaders 85.200 3 Syracuse Brigadiers 83.300 4 Sunrisers 80.080 5 Hamburg Kingsmen 76.380 6 Interstatesmen 72.830 7 Wanderers Just saying … bunch of corps out there then. Puppet

You mean like these kids who joined in October and would be on the field by the next summer? Oh yeah, I know what you mean! Puppet

Right you are, Keith. Just off the top of my head I can count at least 13 active competing Drum Corps from NYC alone. But I just googled and came up with an incredible article written in 2006 where the guy lists all the once were drum corps that are now inactive or folded the number is 1241! I was going to paste the list but you can see it for yourself at: http://newsgroups.derkeiler.com/Archive/Re...6/msg01031.html Sorry for going so far off topic. Puppet

You know, I've alluded to this in other topic threads and I can assure you that a) corpsreps, although they have tried their best, do not have the full roster of shows for every year and b) In New York State alone - not even counting the parade corps there were circuit shows for what we then called "Class 'B' Corps" Our season began and April and ran through the end of August but corpsreps only has us down as been in 3 shows that whole year! In July and August - oh wait - it was the CYO Nationals and the World Open prelims and finals - so that's only 2 shows. I said all of that to say this: There were a lot more Drum Corps participating in a lot more shows during the course of four months than most of us could ever imagine. If you count the Friday night shows many corps had has many as 30 competitions during their seasons in the late 60s and and early 70s. And oh yeah there was at least one "Class 'A' Corps" from Delaware - more than that, you think? Puppet

I am so with that. If someone would have even mentioned "top 12" BITD, there probably would have been bus burnings or something. With about 100 plus (and we called them 'class A' corps!) Who the heck would have dared. 'Course now … not so many. I invite any who wish to see some really interesting history to check out the videos (you'll also find audio, too) of some of those East coast corps. Fidelity's not great camera work even worse and I'll admit not the best days for some, but the feeling generated is what gets me. There was passion. Just go to: http://newyorkdrumcorppeople.ning.com/video You can start there and it's easy to navigate - 'course we're all old hacks, now. Puppet

OK - just to add a little outrageous irony to the mix… How about a Gershwin show Porgy & Bess? The CMCC Warrors & The Yankee Rebels Circa early 70's I believe> What a hoot! (so to speak) Puppet

I now reside in the armpit of the universe - that being Fort Lauderdale, FL but I have fond memories from opposite ends of the country: Live Bait and terrific eatery located on 23rd Street just east of Broadway in the shadow of the famous Flatiron building. As you would think - great fish and every thing else plus it's a bar! And perhaps someone can tell me if Barney's Beanery is still there in West Hollywood CA - I think it was on Santa Monica Boulevard. If it's not, it sure would be a shame - it was like 50 years old back in the mid 80's. You might see a trend - but Barney's had a bar, too. So does practically every great eating place I like. Hmmm. I like food and I like booze. Puppet

Thanks for the nod about St. Rita's. Gary. Had we joined DCI we IMHO probably would have been a true contender. Blue Rock, should have been however. Puppet

And the Heart Fund, Danny Thomas Invitational - Evening With the Corps (even If It's in Madison Square Garden!) Oh Yeah! Puppet