New York Drum Corps

[Paq]

In the late 60s early 70s Mello Dears & Lakeview Shoreliners did a lot of shows in Ontario as well as St. Joe's and the Appleknockers. In fact a friend of mine from the Mello Dears is now married and living in Ontario to a NON drum corps guy. He apparently was part of the crowd who stopped to watch the Mello Dears practice and started a conversation with her when they took a break. All these years later they are married lving in Ontario and we are still friends.

[Donny Drum Corps]

St. Joe's (Batavia), Purple Lancers and both of these corps travelled extensively. St. Joe's usually went on a yearly midwest tour, and usually to US Open, World Open, VFW and AL Nationals. Auburn also went on the DCI tour and US Open at least.

The NYC corps were pretty intense...I can vividly remember 1967 NY (formerly Bronx) Kingsmen at the NYS Championships in Buffalo. They were huge in size and quite good! The was when they went Spanish. They had beaten St. Joes earlier in the year, but we beat them at States. Mind you, I am 12 years old at the time. It got a little scary...

Purple Lancers competed often with the Brassmen, and at that time 1972-73, the Brassmen were the joint. We couldnt beat them, the Muchachos or the Bridgemen.

Donny

[rudidrummer73]

I tried to cast my vote for my corps, Magnificent Yankees, but it wouldn’t register.

Regarding traveling or “touring” corps from the 60s and 70s, most of the Northeast corps didn’t have to go far to get quality competition.

I’M GOING TO START SEVERAL LISTS NOW, APPOLOGIES UPFRONT FOR THE INEVITABLE OMMISSIONS!

There were the great “downstate” corps that only had a short drive to go head to head each weekend:

Muchachos

St. Rita’s/St. Joe’s Patrons

Garfield

Blessed Sac.

St. Andrew’s Bridgemen

Blue Rock

Kickerbockers

OLPH Ridgemen

CMCC Warriors

In New England, same story…many great corps in their own neighborhood:

Boston Crusaders

27th Lancers

I.C. Reveries

Beverly Cardinals

Shoreliners

Emerald Cadets

Pembroke Imperials

In Upstate New York, we had many top corps that did battle locally…less than three hours away from each other. This list did include many Canadian corps. There were several local circuits, Hudson-Berkshire, NY-Canadian and AJrC, that had good corps, great competition, hot rivalries and short trips:

St. Joe’s, Batavia

Magnificent Yankees

Appleknockers

Purple Lancers

Marauders

Squires

Toronto Optimists, Ca

De LaSalle, Ca

La Salle Cadets, Ca

As I say, these corps didn’t have to go far to knock heads with top quality corps and then, late in the year, head out to one of the legion national championships, or the World or US Open.

It was exciting to follow the regions progressions up to the big showdowns. Watching in New England to see who had the edge, BAC or 27th and was anybody sneaking up. Who was hot in the NY/NJ area…Hawthorne, Sac., St. Rita’s, St. Andrew’s and how close was Blue Rock? Who was strong in the Mid West…Troopers, Cavies, Kilties, Madison or one of the long shots from Des Plaines or Belleville? And suddenly, in the 70s, there were the California corps from Anaheim and Santa Clara.

God, that was great!

My corps, the Magnificent Yankees, often get overlooked in these flashbacks. We were one of those upstate NY corps that could be dangerous. We won three NYS American Legion state championships in the early 70s, beating both Auburn and Watkins Glen in those defenses. We were finalists at the A.L. National Champs in ’72 and finished third in drums behind Chicago and Bleu Raiders. We were finalists at the World Open in ’73 and missed the finals of the US Open in ’73 by less than half a point…beating the Blue Devils in those prelims.

I repeat… God, that was great!

[Ray Priester]

I tried to cast my vote for my corps, Magnificent Yankees, but it wouldn’t register.

Regarding traveling or “touring” corps from the 60s and 70s, most of the Northeast corps didn’t have to go far to get quality competition.

I’M GOING TO START SEVERAL LISTS NOW, APPOLOGIES UPFRONT FOR THE INEVITABLE OMMISSIONS!

There were the great “downstate” corps that only had a short drive to go head to head each weekend:

Muchachos

St. Rita’s/St. Joe’s Patrons

Garfield

Blessed Sac.

St. Andrew’s Bridgemen

Blue Rock

Kickerbockers

OLPH Ridgemen

CMCC Warriors

In New England, same story…many great corps in their own neighborhood:

Boston Crusaders

27th Lancers

I.C. Reveries

Beverly Cardinals

Shoreliners

Emerald Cadets

Pembroke Imperials

In Upstate New York, we had many top corps that did battle locally…less than three hours away from each other. This list did include many Canadian corps. There were several local circuits, Hudson-Berkshire, NY-Canadian and AJrC, that had good corps, great competition, hot rivalries and short trips:

St. Joe’s, Batavia

Magnificent Yankees

Appleknockers

Purple Lancers

Marauders

Squires

Toronto Optimists, Ca

De LaSalle, Ca

La Salle Cadets, Ca

As I say, these corps didn’t have to go far to knock heads with top quality corps and then, late in the year, head out to one of the legion national championships, or the World or US Open.

It was exciting to follow the regions progressions up to the big showdowns. Watching in New England to see who had the edge, BAC or 27th and was anybody sneaking up. Who was hot in the NY/NJ area…Hawthorne, Sac., St. Rita’s, St. Andrew’s and how close was Blue Rock? Who was strong in the Mid West…Troopers, Cavies, Kilties, Madison or one of the long shots from Des Plaines or Belleville? And suddenly, in the 70s, there were the California corps from Anaheim and Santa Clara.

God, that was great!

My corps, the Magnificent Yankees, often get overlooked in these flashbacks. We were one of those upstate NY corps that could be dangerous. We won three NYS American Legion state championships in the early 70s, beating both Auburn and Watkins Glen in those defenses. We were finalists at the A.L. National Champs in ’72 and finished third in drums behind Chicago and Bleu Raiders. We were finalists at the World Open in ’73 and missed the finals of the US Open in ’73 by less than half a point…beating the Blue Devils in those prelims.

I repeat… God, that was great!

Also in the mix of up-state corps in the 60s were the Frankfort Starlighters. A good, solid corps.

Ray

[rudidrummer73]

Also in the mix of up-state corps in the 60s were the Frankfort Starlighters. A good, solid corps.

Ray

Absolutely right about the Starlighters. They were a hot corps in the Hudson-Berkshire days.

[KeithHall]

"Hill Where The Lord Hides" was my fav magnificent Yankees tune.

I tried to cast my vote for my corps, Magnificent Yankees, but it wouldn’t register.

Regarding traveling or “touring” corps from the 60s and 70s, most of the Northeast corps didn’t have to go far to get quality competition.

I’M GOING TO START SEVERAL LISTS NOW, APPOLOGIES UPFRONT FOR THE INEVITABLE OMMISSIONS!

There were the great “downstate” corps that only had a short drive to go head to head each weekend:

Muchachos

St. Rita’s/St. Joe’s Patrons

Garfield

Blessed Sac.

St. Andrew’s Bridgemen

Blue Rock

Kickerbockers

OLPH Ridgemen

CMCC Warriors

In New England, same story…many great corps in their own neighborhood:

Boston Crusaders

27th Lancers

I.C. Reveries

Beverly Cardinals

Shoreliners

Emerald Cadets

Pembroke Imperials

In Upstate New York, we had many top corps that did battle locally…less than three hours away from each other. This list did include many Canadian corps. There were several local circuits, Hudson-Berkshire, NY-Canadian and AJrC, that had good corps, great competition, hot rivalries and short trips:

St. Joe’s, Batavia

Magnificent Yankees

Appleknockers

Purple Lancers

Marauders

Squires

Toronto Optimists, Ca

De LaSalle, Ca

La Salle Cadets, Ca

As I say, these corps didn’t have to go far to knock heads with top quality corps and then, late in the year, head out to one of the legion national championships, or the World or US Open.

It was exciting to follow the regions progressions up to the big showdowns. Watching in New England to see who had the edge, BAC or 27th and was anybody sneaking up. Who was hot in the NY/NJ area…Hawthorne, Sac., St. Rita’s, St. Andrew’s and how close was Blue Rock? Who was strong in the Mid West…Troopers, Cavies, Kilties, Madison or one of the long shots from Des Plaines or Belleville? And suddenly, in the 70s, there were the California corps from Anaheim and Santa Clara.

God, that was great!

My corps, the Magnificent Yankees, often get overlooked in these flashbacks. We were one of those upstate NY corps that could be dangerous. We won three NYS American Legion state championships in the early 70s, beating both Auburn and Watkins Glen in those defenses. We were finalists at the A.L. National Champs in ’72 and finished third in drums behind Chicago and Bleu Raiders. We were finalists at the World Open in ’73 and missed the finals of the US Open in ’73 by less than half a point…beating the Blue Devils in those prelims.

I repeat… God, that was great!

[mepot]

"Hill Where The Lord Hides" was my fav magnificent Yankees tune.

what if you marched with more than one...how can you vote...since you can olny vote once

[tradition]

Keith thank you including the Barons of Steuben. I was a charter member of the corps and continued on as staff until the corps folded in 1984. 1963-1984 it was the best 21 years of my life. By the way there is an e in Steuben. Thanks

[Geneva]

Also in the mix of up-state corps in the 60s were the Frankfort Starlighters. A good, solid corps.

Ray

The Starlighters were one of the first drum corps which I ever saw at Auburn in 1965. They beat Blue Rock at that show to win! By 1966 they were history. I never got a chance to compete against them. Did Robilloto (later with the Yankees) do their horns?

[TomPeashey]

for the life of me - I can't figure why you would list one senior corps (Interstatesmen)???

also... the poll is screwed up... I marked Gauchos and it would not accept my vote because I "didn't choose someone to vote against" in the second group...

I think you may have to start over... do strictly junior here and another for senior where it belongs

of course... I marked Gauchos but when I marched Gauchos we were VERY much a senior corps... the junior reincarnation was later on.

did on see my Oswego Black Knights on the list? will have to go check...