History of the Bridgemen

The 1970's – The End of One Era and The Beginning of Another

1970

The winter of 1970 brought Hy Dreitzer, arranger for the New York Skyliners, and lots of hard work. Hy Dreitzer was a renowned arranger/instructor for many hornlines across the northeast "back in the day." He gave tirelessly of himself and received little or no pay with the simple goal of furthering the activity. His influence gave every corps he worked with an edge. Dreitzer wrote difficult music for the Bridgemen which challenged them to work harder. The horn line practiced several nights a week and all day Sunday under Gus Wilke, to learn to play the music. That year St. Andrew's competed in Open Class winning a few shows and marching in many parades. Being a local corps, we picked up several jobs in a few hours notice - especially around Election Day - in Bayonne, Jersey City, Hoboken, anywhere. From Little League parades to political parades, if they had the cash, we had the shoe leather. The previous set of uniforms were worn out so the corps changed over to uniform tops (made locally) in a white & gold gaucho-style with black pants and a shako featuring an American Eagle. The uniforms would only be used for one season. This year was a big step up for the corps, as audiences were taking notice of the ambitious yellow & black corps from Bayonne, NJ. In 1970, St. Andrew's placed tenth in the World Open in Lynn, MA.

1971

During the 1971 season, we had a slightly smaller horn line and corps. Frank Pacillo was brought in as an assistant instructor, helping clean up the horn line. The same year, Larry Kerchner was brought in to arrange for the horn line. Larry had made a name for himself with the famed Blue Rock of Wilmington, Delaware. He was the "wonder child" of the corps who had great playing ability (playing soprano, mellophone, flugel, baritone, and contra) and went on to write many of their arrangements. 1971 was the toughest season yet. Practicing four nights a week and weekends, the corps was brought further, competing in the U.S. Open in Marion, Ohio. The corps was determined to pull themselves up into the thick of things and would not settle for less. The corps was able to raise the money to have the Selden Cadets-style uniform professionally recreated: the pale yellow-beige cadet jacket was now worn by horns, drums, and guard; yet the cymbals continued to wear the 1970 gaucho-style tops. The new uniforms gave them a winning look and made the corps recognizable to audiences again.

1972

In 1972, St. Andrew's competed locally and toured New England. We also competed in the Midwest, visiting Ohio, Wisconsin, Chicago and Minneapolis. That same year, The Bridgemen earned a charter membership into the newly formed Drum Corps International and place 11th at DCI finals at Warhawk Stadium in Whitewater, WI. By virtue of its 12th place position in the prelims, they thus had the distinction of being the first corps to compete in a DCI finals. Jerry Morecraft was promoted to drum major from the baritone line. John Richard also traded in his yellow and black uniform for a white one and stepped up to the podium as drum major. The dynamic opener of "Triumphant March" excited audiences while "Mister Clown" made wide-eyed believers of many with its triple-tonguing passages. Drum Corps World Publisher Steve Vickers recalls,

"I couldn't help thinking back to a steamy night in August 1972, as I walked down a sidewalk separating eight lighted practice fields in Whitewater, WI, at the first Drum Corps International Championships. There were eight corps practicing that evening simultaneously and the last one on the left -- as my friend Orlin Wagner and I strolled along like we were window-shopping, was a corps with triple-tonguing sopranos and checkered flags. It was the St. Andrew's Bridgemen from Bayonne, NJ, a corps I honestly had never heard of before, given my isolated sort of existence from 1965 to 1987. And at the legendary Warhawk Stadium on that Saturday, August 18, the Bridgemen not only made a name for themselves with their melodious and challenging Kerchner arrangements, but earned an eleventh-place spot in the very first international competition the fledgling DCI organization ran right next to farm land at the edge of town."

The summer tour of 1972 was dubbed the "Two Weeks Tour" by corps members, St. Andrew's competed in American Legion and VFW Nationals, finishing up the season by winning the American Legion state championship in Wildwood, NJ.

1973

The Bridgemen enhanced their repertoire for the 1973 season by introducing their trademark opener "William Tell Overture", followed by "Unsquare Dance performed in 5/3 time. "My Favorite Things"and "Free" featuring the golden tone and range of soloist Ed Irwin) and "Summer of '42" capped off a diverse and imaginative musical show that saw them defend their NJ State VFW and American Legion State Championships, secure their first World Open title and earn a 9th place finish at the DCI finals that year. The drum corps rivalries on the field in the East were intense between the corps and the 27th Lancers, Hawthorne Muchachos, Garfield Cadets, St. Rita's Brassmen, Golden Knights, Polish Falcons and Boston Crusaders. It was all too common to have 2-3 competitions every weekend beginning Memorial Day weekend through mid-September, with parades thrown in for good measure as a required source of revenue. The St. Andrew's Bridgemen were at the top of their game and 1973 was likely the strongest year of what's referred to as "The Shako Era". They were gaining the devotion of fans nationwide who knew they would enjoy a demanding show when the Bridgemen took the field. The triple-tounguing sopranos and the clean rifle line (nicknamed the "Dugans" after the popular Dugan girls in the line) could always please an audience. The two week tours were becoming commonplace by then, enticing the involved youth and chaperones to give up their time and vacations to travel the country by bus, sleep on gymnasium floors, exist on meager morsels and rehearse for hours on end and enjoy every minute of the experience. By the end of the 1973 season many of the original members had aged out, and other long term members elected to pursue other interests. There was a change in staff as well, with those original instructors not being rehired. This left the corps with an immediate deficit in talent that was only partially supplemented by those feeder corps additions, as well as new members that joined the ranks from other smaller competing corps in the area.

1974

The 1974 show featured the return of some popular charts plus some new ones: "Triumphant March", "Oye Mama", "I Can Do Anything Better Than You", "My Favorite Things", "Free", and "William Tell Overture". The 1974 season was not as successful as the previous two years. Despite an early season victory at the NJ State VFW Championship, victories that year were few and far between, the level of competitiveness was not as sharp the rest of the season which culminated in a disappointing 26th place finish at the 1974 DCI prelims in Ithaca, NY.

1975  – The End of The Shako Era

The exodus of talent continued into the next season. Changes in staff were continuous to the point that at the end of the season the corps was basically self-taught. The last place finish at the 1975 Dream Contest was the nadir of the corps existence. The Bridgemen elected not to travel to Philadelphia to compete at the DCI preliminaries. Summoning the very last vestiges of pride, the corps conducted a work weekend prior to the September NJ American Legion competition so as to break a score of 70. That was the only goal accomplished in 1975. The winter of 1975-76 was one of intense soul searching for the organization. The demographics in the drum corps activity were changing. No longer was St. Andrew's Parish the lifeline for new members, although the Kidets were doing their best to promote their members into the ranks. Increasingly, the corps membership roster was becoming more reliant on new members from not only "out of town", but out of state. Our affiliation with St. Andrew Church was waning, as financial hard times across the country was taking its toll on arts programs in many forms. The Bridgemen had to scramble to find new avenues of fundraising. Ed Holmes and Father Donovan, along with the support of the Bridgemen Booster organization, decided to roll the dice and give it one more go to secure a competitive corps for 1976. It was decided that the corps would advertise in local newspapers and drum corps publications and hold an Open House for prospective members. Knowing that publicity alone would not be enough to retain those willing enough to join the effort, a change in direction, show design, uniform and attitude was required. Behind the scenes negotiations were under way to hire a Program Director that would not only change the direction and fortunes of the Bridgemen, but that of the activity itself.

1976  – The Beginning of The Coats Era

And so it was that the Bridgemen entered the 1976 season resurrected, redefined and ready to challenge the many skeptics that lay in wait. Bobby Hoffman (a veteran instructor for the Muchachos, Garfield Cadets, and Anaheim Kingsmen) entered the picture as Show Coordinator. Bobby was something of a bohemian who was influenced by Broadway entertainment and wanted to bring that level of showmanship to the activity. He introduced the concept of "Hype!" to the Bridgemen as their new goal: turn up the intensity and max out the show. Bobby also talked about "karma" and said, "You get back what you put out". These hallmark concepts would transform the Bridgemen into performing a demanding show well while "Giving it all ya got". Members would perform with every ounce of energy they could muster so everyone had a good time. You can read an interview with Bobby Hoffman. Under the tutelage of Bobby Hoffman, a major overhaul was completed, discarding the cadet uniform of the past and introducing the look of the future in the guise of the long coats and felt hats with scarves, the only commonality being that the traditional colors of black, white and yellow were maintained. The winter season had yielded dividends in the form of increased interest and new recruits from the NY/NJ metropolitan area, as well as those from as far as Tennessee, Florida and North Carolina. Alumni pitched in by working the Friday night bingo at Charity Hall. The percussion section would be directed by the very capable Dennis DeLucia. Dennis had made a name for himself arranging for and instructing the Hawthorne Muchachos. He had a reputation for arranging & instructing to the best of his ability and was an inspired choice to turn around the drumline's fortunes. The color guard was reborn working under Tom Pratt. The drill instructors, Greg Pych and Jim Messina, worked closely with Hoffman to bring the design on paper to fruition on the field. The wildly abstract "Pollution Flag" made it clear this corps was progressive and breaking with convention. Then color guard Captain Claire Kronenfeld explained the symbolism:

"Hoffman wanted a flag that represented Bayonne. The blue outlined curves were an abstracted Bayonne Bridge while the other shapes represented pollution in the bay!"

Among the guard's innovations was a costume change. During the closer of "One", some girls took off the black coats, to reveal a red & silver costume beneath, and formed a Broadway-style kick line! The discarded coats were hung on a hook, placed at the back of horn players' uniforms, to avoid a penalty in the old judging system. Larry Kerchner, with an influx of renewed talent, had free reign to write a score that offered imagination and modernity to the show that featured a revamped "William Tell Overture", "NYC Medley", "Land of Make Believe" featuring the silky smooth soprano solo of Keith Warfield, plus "What I Did For Love", and "One" from the Broadway hit "A Chorus Line". The corps marched in the local Memorial Day Parade wearing pale yellow member jackets instead of uniforms, choosing to save their new look for the home show in Bayonne. New member jackets proclaimed "Bridgemen" on the back instead of "St. Andrew's". On the first Saturday in June, at the "Tournament of Stars", Veterans Stadium, Bayonne, New Jersey, the 1976 corps made its first appearance in the new attire, entering from the rear sideline with police escort, in front of the home town crowd who were equally shocked at the sight that paraded before them. It took a while for the partisans to adjust to the new visual creation before them, but soon thereafter, it was apparent that the drum corps activity itself had witnessed its own transformation. The corps struggled at first against the solid and strong competition from its rivals during the first half of the season. Early in the 1976 season, many judges resisted giving good scores to the corps, until finally they had to admit that with their talent level, they could not be denied. By early August they had finished ahead of several DCI finalist contenders, and it wasn't until the week before finals, that talk of qualifying could even be discussed. At Franklin Field, the corps performed an energized and emotional prelims performance, which landed them in eighth place, and once again restored the corps to the rank of finalist. For those remaining DCI veterans still in the ranks from the Whitewater days, the wait in the entrance tunnel before the corps 1976 Finals appearance was nothing short of a sense of redemption. On the video of the corps' DCI Finals performance, laughing can be heard from some in the audience who were seeing the outrageous yellow and black uniforms for the first time. The corps was lined up on "Side One" to start the show "Off The Line", in the old drum corps style. As the timing gun went off to begin the show, the corps yelled "Hype!" and let loose a spirited performance of the challenging "William Tell Overture" to show them what the Bridgemen were made of. The sixteenth note runs played at double forte was astounding. At the end of the opener, no one in the crowd was laughing anymore; wild cheers and applaud heralded a new age for the corps from Bayonne as well as the activity! The roar of acceptance permeated the stadium and the corps responded in kind, adding the signature "faint" to cap their sixth place 1976 DCI Finals performance. In the upcoming months Father Donovan would be reassigned from St. Andrew's and be named pastor at St. John the Evangelist, in Bergenfield, NJ. Shortly after the announcement was made, the corps and the parish ended their affiliation. Father Donovan saw the corps that he started return to the national competitive arena, and for the "kids" who grew up with him through the ranks of the Kidets and Bridgemen, we were sorry to see him depart having been our biggest supporter in both good times and bad.

1977

The corps moved away from high leg lifts and snap turns, steering the corps away from the activity's military roots toward a smoother, gliding movement. The "Rainbow Flags" were introduced by the color guard and were later wrapped around the chrome drums for colorful impact. Diane Brady became Color Guard Captain and first donned the white coat. Lower brass member Pat Forker played the part of a traffic-ticket-writing cop with a STOP sign during "NYC Medley". The Bayonne Bridgemen were serious title contenders in 1977. The corps' show started off with "Yes, We Have No Bananas" drum solo, along with "Pagliacci" as the opener, complete with the operatic tragic clown in tow. Jim Brady, arguably one of the finest horn players in drum corps history, was the featured solo soprano. The Bridgemen won the World Open and DCI East titles, before heading out west to tour enroute to Denver. After their announced 3rd place prelims performance, several members were singled out by DCI personnel, with the full support of some DCI member corps directors, where the persons under scrutiny were declared ineligible subjecting the corps to disqualification. The Bridgemen sued DCI to contest the disqualification on the grounds that there was no intent to have an overage member march beyond their 21st birthday, since the corps had replacement members on tour to take the spots of those members in question on the day prior to their birthday. A compromise was reached by which the Bridgemen were allowed to compete in the 1977 DCI finals. The day of DCI finals in Boulder, CO was a painful one for the Bridgemen as no one knew how this would turn out. But lawyers for the Bridgemen found a loophole in DCI rules that allowed the Bridgemen to take the field. The audience's resistance was met with Bayonne tenacity as the corps unleashed a powerful performance in the face of adversity. By show's end the crowd was roaring their approval and the Bridgemen proved they were one of the strongest corps in contention that night. Their score and placement would not be recognized in the DCI annals. But years later, the disqualification was rescinded and the Bridgemen are now listed as finishing in 4th place in 1977.

1978

The stain of disqualification was difficult enough to bear, but it was uncertain if the Bridgemen could recover from such ignominy. The Hawthorne Muchachos could not fully recover from their disqualification in 1975 and never again approached that same level of championship contention. Again the members went back to that endless well of inherent pride, and wanting to prove their critics wrong as well to restore their hard earned good name, the Bridgemen returned in 1978 and finished in 5th place, the highest placement that year for an eastern drum corps. New brass-colored, two valve OLDS bugles were purchased as well as white-shelled Ludwig drums. Jim Jordan stepped up to the podium and donned the all-white uniform for the first of three seasons. The opener of "Ritual Fire Dance/Sabre Dance" demonstrated the power of the hornline as well as the up-and-coming drumline. Jim Brady's golden tone and amazing range in his soprano solos helped make the corps a must-see event. The color guard changed to dance shoes to keep up with the demanding dance moves and choreography; small black tents at the front sideline allowed for a costume change. The color guard blazed a trail in the activity by moving away from militaristic movement in favor of fluid, dance movement. The asymetric drill move during "Hymn to the Last Whale" was one of the first of its kind on the field, opening the door to a new style of visual show. The Bridgemen "Shuffle", a dance move by the hornline and color guard (originated by Tom Pratt and Mike Mercandante) was introduced in the drum solo and became a perennial favorite with audiences for years to come. Spanish Dreams was their trademark number in the repertoire that year, along with the Bridgemen Shuffle, blue cloaked rifle line and endless hyped innovations. At the end of the 1978 season, Ed Holmes retired as Director. Ed had been the only Director the corps had known since its founding in 1965. Although Ed and his wife never had children of their own, he always made it clear to the membership that they claimed 128 children when asked. Jack Dames, another Bayonne native and long time drum corps fan, succeeded Ed as Director and served in that capacity through 1981.

1979

The Bridgemen had a rough start in 1979, but worked hard to climb back into the thick of things. The on-field antics and irreverent attitude of the Bridgemen were showcased at the National Dream Contest in Jersey City when a rainy, mud-soaked day was turned into a fun-filled festival. While some corps elected not to wear their uniforms, the Bridgemen went on without pants, but still wearing their trademark coats, and won over the audience with a spirited performance! 1979 introduced "Gene, Gene The Dancing Machine" and the Andrews Sisters to the field of drums and bugles. That year's tour took the corps south to Birmingham, AL along with the vestiges of the Northern Army of the Potomac to witness a uniquely Bridgemen rendition of the "Civil War Suite", where by chance the "rebels" emerged victorious in the Heart of Dixie and a sixth place finish, moving up three spots from ninth place in prelims. The souvenir table was a great fundraiser for the corps, sporting designs like "Banana Power" and other fan favorites. Unfortunately someone in Birmingham also noticed the Bridgemen's popularity with fans, running out of the stadium with a day's souvie profits.

Continue to: "The 1980's" ⇒