Tim K Posted May 18, 2012 Share Posted May 18, 2012 The idea brings me back to 1975. I only started marching that year and didn't know the difference between good and bad. One of the "prep" drum corps (mid-level ability and sized corps and bands in Boston's CYO Circuit) added "Love Will Keep Us Together" to their show. It was reaching the top and everyone loved it. By the end of the summer when everyone was Captain and Tennille fatigued, it wasn't as popular. So I guess if you're going to use a Top 40 song, make sure it's not overplayed! Madison, 27th, North Star, and Bridgemen all used current and contemporary music in their shows in the 1970's and the shows were effective, some favorites of all time. Since people knew the music so well, soloists could show off a bit, guards could fascinate, and it worked well, but that was the style of shows at the time and music was selected not to fit a certain theme but to show off a corps' talent. With today's focus on overall show concepts, placing a current Top 40 piece into a show may be a bit rushed. Good shows are thoroughly planned and my guess is, well before practices begin. One poster did mention "Rach Star" as an example of Top 40, but "Freebird" and "Bohemian Rhapsody" were Top 40 Tunes in the 70's and "Paint It Black" in the 60's, so for me this would be classic rock and again, points that the music in shows has to be well integrated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted May 18, 2012 Share Posted May 18, 2012 In addition to all the good objections already raised is this "evergreen" issue in the marching band world: The cool police already have charged us with being uncool. Why would we play less cool versions of their favorites and give them more cause to convict us on the geek count? I don't ordinarily think we should make our decisions based on our worst critics' sensibilities. In this case, however, I think we'd be condeming ourselves to high school purgatory. One time at band camp ... HH I know what you mean. When I was in the Garden State Circuit corps in 68/69, between both years we did Herman's Hermits "Kind of Hush" and Boby Hebb's "Sunny"...came across very lame. OTOH...I do have a lasting memory form Garfield in 1970 that goes the other way. We did "White Rabbit" that year (to the first year of the Peace Sign drill in the field show). We were marching at the Princeton U P-rade...it is the Princeton U annual alumni parade, billed as the "biggest sloppy parade in the world". Remember, this was at the heart of the anti-Viet Nam war hippy movement, and the Ivy League students were defintely on the forefront of THAT (didn't want to lose their student deferments...would have mummy very sad)! Well, we got out of our busses in our Garfield Cadet uniforms looking (to us) very sharp and military; you should have seen the looks and heard the comments from students who looked like Bobby Hoffman and George Tuthill in their sartorial approach! We formed an arc and started to warm up with our opener, Gounod's "Queen of Sheba". Students were making all sorts of comments...our great DM Richie Chirachella (one of the early DM's to use a conductor's baton starting in 1969) had the GREAT foresight to start "White Rabbit"...all of a sudden you could see the student attidudes and comments change, almost a 180 degree change. they started grooving to the tune and gave us a nice cheer at the end....needless to say, that is the ONLY tune we played in the P-rade that year! So...while I agree with Glory in a general sense, it is at least possible to perform a modern pop tune and not come across as lame...but it is not easy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted May 18, 2012 Share Posted May 18, 2012 The idea brings me back to 1975. I only started marching that year and didn't know the difference between good and bad. One of the "prep" drum corps (mid-level ability and sized corps and bands in Boston's CYO Circuit) added "Love Will Keep Us Together" to their show. It was reaching the top and everyone loved it. By the end of the summer when everyone was Captain and Tennille fatigued, it wasn't as popular. So I guess if you're going to use a Top 40 song, make sure it's not overplayed! I know what you mean...back when Mangione was big in corps and band, the late 70's, I decided I would arrange his top-40 chart "Feel's So Good" for my marching band's field show, when I was still a band director. Well...it may have been his one top-40 number, but by the end of band camp I was thinking about cutting off my ears so I never had to hear that lame tune again...and I still had the entire season to go through, rehearsls, games and competitions! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted May 18, 2012 Share Posted May 18, 2012 I know what you mean...back when Mangione was big in corps and band, the late 70's, I decided I would arrange his top-40 chart "Feel's So Good" for my marching band's field show, when I was still a band director. Well...it may have been his one top-40 number, but by the end of band camp I was thinking about cutting off my ears so I never had to hear that lame tune again...and I still had the entire season to go through, rehearsls, games and competitions! oh yes 1979, the year of Chuck overkill. how funny though that King of the Hill found many creative ways to use that song and Chuck 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted May 18, 2012 Share Posted May 18, 2012 Because that's what high school and college marching band are for. If you really tried to break down Top 40 music, you would be appalled at a.) the simplicity, and b.) how repetitive it is. It would not translate at all to the drum corps field. Just my thoughts of course. I understand your point. But being "repetitive" has not stopped Ravel's " Bolero " (for just one example) from not being translated successfully to the Drum Corps field. And if " Bolero " is not considered " repetitive ", than I don't know what is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ibexpercussion Posted May 18, 2012 Share Posted May 18, 2012 At least if a corps did do some Top 40 music, it would finally have some musicality to it, as opposed the crap versions on the radio. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted May 18, 2012 Share Posted May 18, 2012 (edited) So...while I agree with Glory in a general sense, it is at least possible to perform a modern pop tune and not come across as lame...but it is not easy. There has been plenty of pop songs played over the years by Drum Corps that did not come across as "lame ". Crown did Mick Jaggar's of the 'Stones " Paint it Black " ( highly repetitive in chords ) last year, and as near as I could tell, it seemed to go over VERY well with those around me at shows . Also, Freddie Mercury of Queens " Bohemian Rhapsody " seemed to be a hit with crowds too. I can think of 50 other examples in recent years alone, where " pop songs " played by Drum Corps were a hit with audiences. As a matter of fact, I'm trying to come up with a list of " pop songs " played by modern Drum Corps that came out " lame ". I 'm sure there might be a couple, but by and large, my recollection of Drum Corps of late that have done " pop tunes " has beeen one of mostly hits with Drum Corps audiences, not being a bomb with audiences and sounding " lame " at all. I personally think it is much easier for Corps to play recognizable songs with audiences than unfamilar songs... pop songs or otherwise. " Lameness " with audiences tends to flow from music that is unfamiliar than the familiar with audiences. Thats been my experience anyway. But maybe thats not been your experience, and if so, thats ok and cool too, MikeD. Edited May 18, 2012 by BRASSO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted May 18, 2012 Share Posted May 18, 2012 There has been plenty of pop songs played over the years by Drum Corps that did not come across as "lame ". Crown did Mick Jaggar's of the 'Stones " Paint it Black " ( highly repetitive in chords ) last year, and as near as I could tell, it seemed to go over VERY well with those around me at shows . Also, Freddie Mercury of Queens " Bohemian Rhapsody " seemed to be a hit with crowds too. I can think of 50 other examples in recent years alone, where " pop songs " played by Drum Corps were a hit with audiences. As a matter of fact, I'm trying to come up with a list of " pop songs " played by modern Drum Corps that came out " lame ". I 'm sure there might be a couple, but by and large, my recollection of Drum Corps of late that have done " pop tunes " has beeen one of mostly hits with Drum Corps audiences, not being a bomb with audiences and sounding " lame " at all. I personally think it is much easier for Corps to play recognizable songs with audiences than unfamilar songs... pop songs or otherwise. " Lameness " with audiences tends to flow from music that is unfamiliar than the familiar with audiences. Thats been my experience anyway. But maybe thats not been your experience, and if so, thats ok and cool too, MikeD. I think the point of these comments have been not that the music is lame to drum corps audience/fans, but to the "outside world", who have no background in drum corps (or marching band, for that matter). Trying to attract a new audience by playing the latest pop tune by 'name-that-performer' arranged for corps or band is where the problems are, and in general I agree. A non-corps or band analogy...listen to an orchestra, a la Boston Pops, perform some pop tunes...it can be pretty painful, unless you are a fan of the Pops and what they do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted May 18, 2012 Share Posted May 18, 2012 (edited) A non-corps or band analogy...listen to an orchestra, a la Boston Pops, perform some pop tunes...it can be pretty painful, unless you are a fan of the Pops and what they do. Interestingly enough, it was the Boston Pops composer Arthur Fiedler that first proposed taking his Symphony Orchestra out to the masses of " the regular people". About half of his orchestra resisted and would not go out and perform the first year he proposed it. But he was creative and determined. He believed he could reach new audiences by playing " pop tunes " ( thats how it got its name " Boston "Pops" Orchestra " ), and always... always including serious music in the middle and in the closing of the performance. A curious thing happened. And just what he envisioned. His Boston Pops Orchestra on the Boston Esplanade not only became a world wide hit ( played on the 4th of July ) and seen my millions, the Boston Symphony Orchestra interest likwise picked up substantially. Many of the newcomers to the music played by the Boston Symphony Orchestra came from people that simply showed up at the free Boston Pops July 4th concert, and fell in love with the serious new music they had not heard before and moved over to following the more serious musical compositions played at Symphony Hall in Boston. This was precisely what Arthur Fiedler had hoped to accomplish. Today, members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, almost without exception, look to participate in the Boston Pops Orchestra in their annual 4th of July performance. It was the Boston Pops Orhcestra that provided the " hook " to the increased support and love of the works of the Boston Symphony. And it was Arthur Fiedler going out to the masses with his music that was the vanguard for the creation of " Pops Orchestras " in locales all over the world. Edited May 18, 2012 by BRASSO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kamarag Posted May 18, 2012 Share Posted May 18, 2012 Because that's what high school and college marching band are for. If you really tried to break down Top 40 music, you would be appalled at a.) the simplicity, and b.) how repetitive it is. It would not translate at all to the drum corps field. Just my thoughts of course. Teal Sound did it very successfully in 2009 and 2010. 2009 in particular featured Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Christina Agulara, and Coldplay. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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