1963 "Class Reunion"

[kevingamin]

In about two weeks, I will be recording the first of my "Class Reunion" shows, focusing on the 1963 drum corps season. This show is meant to commemorate and respect those of you who experienced that year, either as a fan, member, instructor, or administrator.

If you have any memories or photos from 1963, you can post them in this thread. I will then add them to my 1963 "Class Reunion" blog at http://1963drumcorps.blogspot.com/. I will also read some of your stories during the Box Center podcast. The more stories, I have, the bigger and better the show and blog will be.

Let's look back on a great year of drum corps!

[ColtFoutz]

In about two weeks, I will be recording the first of my "Class Reunion" shows, focusing on the 1963 drum corps season.

Just checking, Kevin: are you talking DCA or the entire activity back in '63?

[kevingamin]

Just checking, Kevin: are you talking DCA or the entire activity back in '63?

I'm talking the entire activity - junior, senior, parade, standstill, Shriners, AFL, VFW, CYO, US, Canadian, and so on and so forth.

[NYSkyliner]

Just checking, Kevin: are you talking DCA or the entire activity back in '63?

DCA didn't have their first show til 1965.

[dukecornwell]

1963…I was marching with St. Rocco’s, Brooklyn, NY. I believe that this was the year that we wore our new uniforms. If some of you remember, Turquoise, Black & White cadet style that at the time was consider the best looking uniform ever. We changed our name from the Golden Aces to Cadets because of the uniform. I also remember going to the Bronx Armory to watch the Skyliners rehearse. I couldn’t believe how great they were and at that time, I decided that this is the Senior Corps that I will march with. There was many corps from Brooklyn that year. I’m sure that I will miss a few names, but here is the corps that was with-in a 3 mile radius

St. Rocco’s

OLPH Ridgemen

OLC Ramblers

To me, 1963 was the best drum corps year ever because there were so many with many local rivalries. The season seemed to never end. We started around Memorial Day and ended sometime in October. I would love to read some of the other memories that some may have. Of course, you will be considered a TRUE SENIOR in this activity, but what the heck we are all getting older

[Jimbalaya]

No Joe. We are not ALL getting older. Why you young pup, while you were doing your thing with St. Rocco's I was in Archie and had one of the greatest seasons ever for a senior drum corps. Not as much because of winning, but because of the program. When you hear 'Camelot' don't you associate that with Archie???? You know you do Joe.

Joe

1963…I was marching with St. Rocco’s, Brooklyn, NY. I believe that this was the year that we wore our new uniforms. If some of you remember, Turquoise, Black & White cadet style that at the time was consider the best looking uniform ever. We changed our name from the Golden Aces to Cadets because of the uniform. I also remember going to the Bronx Armory to watch the Skyliners rehearse. I couldn’t believe how great they were and at that time, I decided that this is the Senior Corps that I will march with. There was many corps from Brooklyn that year. I’m sure that I will miss a few names, but here is the corps that was with-in a 3 mile radius

St. Rocco’s

OLPH Ridgemen

OLC Ramblers

To me, 1963 was the best drum corps year ever because there were so many with many local rivalries. The season seemed to never end. We started around Memorial Day and ended sometime in October. I would love to read some of the other memories that some may have. Of course, you will be considered a TRUE SENIOR in this activity, but what the heck we are all getting older

[ColtFoutz]

Kevin, sounds like a great topic. I look forward to the podcast.

Here's what I have from that year, loosely excerpted from my book:

After an undefeated 1961 for the Cavaliers, the '62 and '63 campaigns each became “just another year,” said Ken Nolan. The corps lost a handful of shows – going 22-4 and 19-5, respectively – and its members considered those seasons less successful, even with their fourth and fifth VFW national titles capping them. Any losses, particularly to the Chicago Royal Airs, Racine Kilties and Skokie Vanguard, stoked the corps’ competitive fire. Rivals grew weary of fawning encores and focused on making up ground.

The Blessed Sacrament Golden Knights set the bar in the 1950s as precocious champion, beginning their run of three straight national titles from 1954-56 just 26 months after entering competition. The Knights, too, tracked their seasons in wins and losses (with each finish of second place or lower given that designation), and oh, how the trophies multiplied, with records of 20-1, 17-4 and 18-1 routine. The Knights and Cavaliers traded national championships, with the Newark boys claiming Legion titles in 1958, ’59 and ’63; and the VFW crown in '58 and '60. The Cavaliers’ irritation at losing the 1959 Legion title in Minneapolis to the Knights was expressed in a song the Logan Square boys sung to Sousa’s Stars and Stripes Forever:

“Be kind to the Knights dressed in gold, for we’ll soon be punching holes in their armor. / We’ll beat Blessed Sacrament’s fold, like we’ve beaten the Belleville farmers. / Don’t laugh at the boys from the East, for we know that they soon will be defeated. / They’ll moan and they’ll groan to their priest, and Minneapolis revenge will be completed.”

Each season’s first show – the preview – shaped up as pseudo national championship, or at least race for bragging rights, as the Cavaliers and Knights squared off, Ken Nolan said. “It generated such an intense rehearsal schedule. It had a sense of urgency to it, all these guys coming in from the ‘burbs. You had to bond, and you better freaking bond pretty #### quick, (or else) we’re not gonna have a show.”

A great time to be marching. And I loved hearing all the stories. I look forward to reading more on this thread!

Edited October 6, 2007 by ColtFoutz

[Fastone]

1963 was my first year with the Wynn Center Toppers in Brooklyn N.Y. I missed 1962 because I got hit by a car and got banged up pretty good. Being very young at the time (11), I healed up pretty well. I was that pesky kid who if you were a good drummer I was asking you a million questions (lol). That was the first year I saw corps like Blessed Sacrament, Garfield Cadets, St Lucy's, The Caballeros and The New York Skyliners in person at a parade in Newark, NJ. To this day I can still remember the goose bumps and excitement that I felt that day.

[Storkysr]

1963, at the age of 12, was the first year I saw a field competition . Up until then it was only parades. Saw St. Joes, Optimists, Conqueror, Utica Yankees. I was hooked. Started playing tenor in the Albion Grenadiers (a senior field corps) the next year at the age of 13. The rest, as they say, is (very very obscure) history. LOL

Edited October 7, 2007 by Storkysr

[elphaba01]

Kevin, sounds like a great topic. I look forward to the podcast.

Here's what I have from that year, loosely excerpted from my book:

After an undefeated 1961 for the Cavaliers, the '62 and '63 campaigns each became “just another year,” said Ken Nolan. The corps lost a handful of shows – going 22-4 and 19-5, respectively – and its members considered those seasons less successful, even with their fourth and fifth VFW national titles capping them. Any losses, particularly to the Chicago Royal Airs, Racine Kilties and Skokie Vanguard, stoked the corps’ competitive fire. Rivals grew weary of fawning encores and focused on making up ground.

The Blessed Sacrament Golden Knights set the bar in the 1950s as precocious champion, beginning their run of three straight national titles from 1954-56 just 26 months after entering competition. The Knights, too, tracked their seasons in wins and losses (with each finish of second place or lower given that designation), and oh, how the trophies multiplied, with records of 20-1, 17-4 and 18-1 routine. The Knights and Cavaliers traded national championships, with the Newark boys claiming Legion titles in 1958, ’59 and ’63; and the VFW crown in '58 and '60. The Cavaliers’ irritation at losing the 1959 Legion title in Minneapolis to the Knights was expressed in a song the Logan Square boys sung to Sousa’s Stars and Stripes Forever:

“Be kind to the Knights dressed in gold, for we’ll soon be punching holes in their armor. / We’ll beat Blessed Sacrament’s fold, like we’ve beaten the Belleville farmers. / Don’t laugh at the boys from the East, for we know that they soon will be defeated. / They’ll moan and they’ll groan to their priest, and Minneapolis revenge will be completed.”

Each season’s first show – the preview – shaped up as pseudo national championship, or at least race for bragging rights, as the Cavaliers and Knights squared off, Ken Nolan said. “It generated such an intense rehearsal schedule. It had a sense of urgency to it, all these guys coming in from the ‘burbs. You had to bond, and you better freaking bond pretty #### quick, (or else) we’re not gonna have a show.”

A great time to be marching. And I loved hearing all the stories. I look forward to reading more on this thread!

"A Great Time to be Marching":

Yes indeed. No argument there what so ever. Blessed Sacrament was the junior "Corps to beat" in 1963. They lost but a handfull of contests (One to St Kevins Emerald Knights, and another to the Garfield Cadets) and hammered EVERYBODY at the innaugural running of the DCN sponsored World Open Championship, leaving the likes of Garfield, St Kevins, Chicago Royal Airs and Boston Crusaders some five points behind them at Finals. "Sac" also won the Dream Contest and as stated above, the American Legion National Championship. I remember the "Golden Knights" of 1963 all too well...

Elphaba

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