Marauders

Innovative show band from Marshall, Minnesota who toured throughout the upper Midwest area

History

The Marvelous Marauders

1962: In Marshall, Minnesota, Dick Schreier puts together a new three-piece band called The Marauders with the following lineup: Dick Schreier on guitar, bass guitar, and vocals; Mark Neuse on guitar and vocals; and Ron Bauer on bongos. Many bands in this time period are named after cars and Dick’s father owns a Mercury Marauder which provides the source for the band name. Dick and Mark both play lead and rhythm guitar.

Late, 1962: Jerry Cadwell, a senior at Russell High School, joins the band as a drummer. The Marauders are now a four-piece band.

1963: A graduate of Russell High School, Jim Ekse, joins the band on bass guitar, keyboards, and vocals. The Marauders are now a five-piece band.

1964: Ron Bauer and Mark Neuse leave the band. Barry Ufkin from Canby joins the band on rhythm guitar and bass guitar. Barry had played in a band from Canby, Minnesota called The Drifters.

Late, 1964: Steve Livingston, also a former member of The Drifters, joins the band on rhythm and lead guitar. The new lineup is: Dick Schreier on guitar; Barry Ufkin on rhythm guitar, bass guitar; keyboards, and lead vocals; Steve Livingston on lead and rhythm guitar; Jim Ekse on bass guitar and keyboards; and Jerry Cadwell on drums.

1965: The band goes into the recording studio and records two songs that are released on the Studio City label. The A-side is an original song written and sung by Dick Schreier called “She Threw My Love Away.” On the B-side is a surf instrumental written and arranged by Jim Ekse called “Calienta.” Dick Schreier plays lead guitar on the B-side. Because of limited distribution, many people hear the song on the radio but when they go to the record store to but the record they find it is not in stock.

David Anthony Wachter takes an interest in the band and they sign on with David Anthony Productions located in Minneapolis to book the band. David also co-signs for a loan when the band purchases a bus to be used for their band vehicle. At the top sides of the bus it states: “Soul Stirring Sounds” and at the lower sides it states: “The Marvelous Marauders.” There is also an ad for B-Sharp Music painted on the bus.

1965: Jim Ekse leaves the band to pursue a career as a dentist. Barry Ufkin switched from guitars to keyboards and trombone. Dick Larson (from Marshall) joins the band on trumpet, tenor saxophone, and vocals. Randy Geise from The Pilgrims, a band from Pipestone, joins the band on bass guitar, keyboards and vocals. Roger Branson joins the band on trumpet, saxophone, and vocals.

Booked by David Anthony Productions out of Minneapolis, the band performs throughout Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Illinois. The group plays at ballrooms, armories, high schools, colleges, county fairs, teen dance clubs, and appear on numerous local television and radio shows. At Don’s Ballroom in Ghent, Minnesota, they break the prior attendance record.

With David Anthony Wachter’s help (co-signing for a loan), the group purchases large Flex Bus from Chicago that they retro-fit for their own use complete with beds for the guys to sleep in while on the road.

1966: From humble beginnings in 1962 as a three-piece band with two guitars and a bongo player, The Marauders have now evolved into a seven-piece R & B show band, similar to the Southern R & B show acts like James Brown, Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, and Bobby Blue Bland.

The band members learned dance steps for different songs, so the whole show was choreographed.

In addition, the band now has flashing lights, built by Barry, as you could not purchase them at any music store at that time. Before each show, the band sets up two sets of lights on the floor in front of the band and two sets of lights are set up vertically on stands on each side of the stage. The lights are red, yellow, and blue-green and could be used as any one of the colors or as a combination of the three colors. Barry built a foot-pad with buttons that Jerry controlled with his foot while drumming. The lights could be flashed to match the beat of the songs. When the band hit a “big note” the lights would lash red and yellow. If the tempo of the music slowed down, the lights went to blue-green.

At the beginning of each show, the stage is dark and a local DJ would use a microphone to announce: “Ladies and Gentlemen… the soul stirring sounds of the Marvelous Marauders” and the lights would flash on as the organ, guitars, drums, and horns, all hit the first note of “(Turn on Your) Love Light” and the show starts. The members would walk up and back across the stage, swaying to the music, the horn players swinging their horns from side to side. “Love Light” (a national hit for Bobby Blue Bland in 1962) is always the opening song for each show.

The band opens up for many big name acts including: Billy Joe Royal; Lou Christie; The Turtles, The Grassroots; Bobby Goldsboro; Leslie Gore; The McCoys, Kenny Rogers and the First Edition; Eric Burdon and The Animals; and Herman’s Hermits.

At the job with The Turtles (who have a hit with “Happy Together”) the national band takes notice of the Minnesota band rehearsing with dance steps and a light show. The Turtles inform The Marauders that they cannot use their own light show, as they did not have a light show. The Marauders go ahead and play with their light show, ignoring the national band’s instructions.

July, 1967: At Iowa Great Lakes Recording Company in Milford, Iowa, the band records a cover version of the Otis Redding song “634-5789.” Playing on the recording are:

Dick Schreier: Lead vocals and lead guitar.

Barry Ufkin: Organ, trombone, and backing vocals.

Steve Livingston: Rhythm guitar and backing vocals.

Dick Larson: Trumpet and backing vocals.

Roger Branson: Trumpet.

Jerry Cadwell: Drums.

The song is included on a compilation album called “IGL Roof Garden 2^nd Annual Jamboree” (IGL LPM 103). “The Roof Garden” is a popular venue for local, regional, and national bands, located in Arnolds Park, Iowa. “The Roof Garden” is adjacent to an amusement park located on West Lake Okoboji. Numerous bands from Minnesota perform at “The Roof Garden.”

The band goes through numerous changes in personnel as a result of band members getting drafted to fight the war in Vietnam. After Dick Schreier leaves the band to join The More Tishans (out of Stillwater, Minnesota), Thaddeus Tombs becomes the lead singer/front man.

March 1, 1968: The Marvelous Marauders play their final show at a popular club in Robbinsdale, Minnesota called “Someplace Else.”

Written by Tom Campbell

May 15, 2016

The Marvelous Marauders: Band Members, 1962 – 1968

Dick Schreier (1962 – 1966): Guitar, bass guitar, lead vocals.

Mark Neuse (1962 – 1964): Guitar, vocals.

Ron Bauer (1962 – 1963): Bongos.

John Cool (1962): Vocals.

Jim Ekse (1963 – 1965): bass guitar, keyboards, trumpet.

Jerry Cadwell (1963 – 1967): Drums, vocals.

Barry Ufkin (1963 – 1968): Guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, trombone, lead vocals.

Steve Livingston (1964 – 1968): Guitar, trombone, vocals.

Dick Larson (1965 – 1968): Trumpet, saxophone, vocals.

Randy Geise (1965 – 1967): Bass guitar, keyboards, vocals.

Roger Branson (1965 – 1968): Trumpet, saxophone, vocals.

Jim Boucher (1966-1968: Keyboards, lead vocals.

Thaddeus Tombs (1966 – 1968): Lead vocals, front man.

Billy Howell (1966 – 1967): Tenor Saxophone.

Daryl Moon (1966 – 1967): Trumpet.

Dan Munson (1966 – 1967): Drums, vocals.

Larry Cantock (1966 – 1968): Trombone, vocals.

Mike Comer (1967): Trombone.

Dave Hobson (1967 – 1968): Bass guitar.

Scott Fischer (1967 – 1968): Drums.

Partial List of Venues where the Band Performed

Minnesota:

Algon Ballroom, Alexandria.

Avalon Ballroom, Sanborn.

Blazer, Nisswa.

Blue Moon Ballroom, Marshall.

Bobby’s, Mendota Heights.

Coliseum Ballroom, Worthington.

Don’s Ballroom, Ghent.

Fairgrounds Ballroom, Sauk Rapids.

Fox Lake Pavilion, Sherburne.

Funhouse, Pierz.

George’s Ballroom, New Ulm.

Granite City Coliseum, St. Cloud.

Grand Rapids Armory, Grand Rapids.

Kato Ballroom, Mankato.

Lakeside Ballroom, Glenwood.

Lakeside Ballroom, Harris.

Lake Marion Ballroom, Hutchinson.

Litchfield Armory, Litchfield.

LRC Pavilion, Halstead.

Lyndwood Ballroom, Lynd.

Maple Lake Pavilion, Mentor.

Marshall Armory, Marshall.

Medina Ballroom, Hamel.

Minneapolis Auditorium, Minneapolis.

Minnesota State Fairgrounds, St. Paul.

Mr. Lucky’s, Minneapolis.

New Munich Ballroom, New Munich.

Palms Ballroom, Renville.

Paradise Ballroom, Waconia.

Parkway Ballroom, Foley.

Pla-Mor Ballroom, Glencoe.

Playland Ballroom, Kimball.

Prom Center, St. Paul.

Ryan’s Ballroom, Plymouth.

Showboat Ballroom, Lake Benton.

Terp Ballroom, Austin.

Town House Nightclub, Rogers.

Valhalla Ballroom, Currie.

Wadena Armory, Wadena.

Iowa:

Cobblestone Ballroom, Storm Lake.

Matters Ballroom, Decorah.

Pla-Mor Ballroom, Fort Dodge.

Roof Garden, Arnolds Park.

Surf Ballroom, Clear Lake.

Star Ballroom, Dakota City.

Starlite Ballroom, Osage.

Woodcliff Ballroom, Spencer.

South Dakota:

Arkota Ballroom, Sioux Falls.

Blue Dog Ballroom, Waubay.

Casino Ballroom, Kimball.

Dells Ballroom, Dell Rapids.

Flandreau Ballroom, Flandreau.

Wisconsin:

Chinese Gardens, Rice Lake.

Danceland Ballroom, Superior.

Lakeview Ballroom, Merrill.

Lovin’ Roomfull, Telemark.

Pines Ballroom, Bloomer.

Proache’s Popular Ballroom, Ellsworth.

Rainbow Gardens, Rice Lake.

Richardson Pavilion, Clayton

Update:

In 2005, The Marvelous Marauders were inducted into the Minnesota Rock Country Hall. The band performed prior to being inducted and filled the dance floor at The Medina Entertainment Center. Jerry Cadwell stated: “This has been a dream of mine for a long time. I always wanted to play with these guys just one more time.