1976

[KeithHall]

Anybody else think that this might have been the last great year for drum corps in North America? DCI Championship in Philadelphia, return of the Bridgemen, Blue Devils first DCI championship, tons of good "A" Class corps and All-Girl corps.

Your opinions and/or thoughts?

[Northern Thunder]

The '76 season really was a special one, Keith! I've always felt like I saw drum corps history evolve before my eyes when the Blue Devils came into Stillwater, Minnesota for about 3 days of rehearsals. I think I was there the whole time too. I met the legendary Jerry Seawright then, as well as a young soprano player named Dave Gibbs (who, of course went on to be BD drum major and corps director). They performed in ways that hadn't been done previously.

There were those great surprises, like the new Bridgemen, the vastly improved Guardsmen and Freelancers, and the dazzling yellow and black of the brand-new Seneca Optimists. Probably the biggest surprise came early in the season when the Marquis (Fond du Lac, WI) beat Phantom Regiment. (Phantom would finish 4th at DCI, while Marquis was 16th.) That Marquis win was not a fluke, as early in the season they also beat the Blue Stars and Guardsmen, who both made DCI finals.

The '76 PBS broadcast gave us Helen Rayburn (wife of famed game show host Gene Rayburn) making the immortal statement about Phantom Regiment playing the "Theme From Rollerball" (Bach's Toccata & Fugue). Following up with "Raquel Welch would be proud!" I'm sure many viewers had no idea what Helen was talking about with that statement, but it was clear that she mistook the movie "Rollerball" (which Raquel Welch WASN'T in) with the "Kansas City Bomber", another roller skating film that DID feature Raquel Welch.

And then there was that Legionnaires Disease concern.......In Philadelphia, no less......the site of the DCI Championship!