50 Years Ago Today

[Northern Thunder]

One of the most iconic drum & bugle corps contests in history...

the 1965 VFW Nationals finals inside Chicago's McCormick Place.

1. Royal Airs--89.20

2. Cavaliers--87.80

3. Kilties--84.20

4. Troopers--82.70

5. Skokie Vanguard--82.50

6. Boston Crusaders--81.50

7. Blessed Sacrament--81.45

8. St. Joe/Batavia--80.85

9. Garfield Cadets--79.75

10. Norwood Park--77.25

11. St. Kevin's--77.25

12. Cardinals--75.45

13. Magnificent Yankees--73.85

14. Madison Scouts--69.70

15. PAL-Bridgeport--68.50

[ironlips]

Tommy Howell and I had hitchhiked to Chicago after our show in PA the previous Saturday and found ourselves perched atop stacked picnic tables, just behind the GE judges at finals in McCormick Place.

The whole scene was surreal: full field shows "indoors" (now common), numerous top corps we had heard on LP (but never seen live), possibly the greatest junior competition ever held (an opinion shared by many, including the likes of Gail Royer), and the best seats in the house.

When the Beverly Cardinals rotated a full corps company front on the 50 while wailing out "Heat Wave" at high leg-lift, the entire house erupted, and I had to be saved from falling off the table.

This show was the "Woodstock of Drum Corps".

[Ghost]

Can't talk about that great contest without including Tony Schletchta in the conversation. http://www.drumcorpsplanet.com/forums/index.php/topic/88296-1963-tony-schlechta-responds-to-ge-editorial/

He sure did favor the mid West corps during his reign.

Don't recall picnic tables, but my spotty memory remembers:

-waiting in a large show hall nearby waiting to perform with the regular cast of Boston Crusader characters goofing off with fans and other corps.

-when I led the corps into the main hall, each corps had to go through an opening of people behind the starting line. Don't know how far back they were.

-not sure about the finish line area, but the other three sides had people all over the place.

-people were sitting on the floor within a few feet of the side lines; then there were those on card table chairs; then behind them were folks on several chairs; then the standing group

-after El Capitan, I did an about face (militarily back in those days), and as I saluted, a young boy in front of me waved.

http://www.drumcorpsplanet.com/forums/index.php/topic/161797-65-vfw-recordings/

Post #20547 http://www.drumcorpsplanet.com/forums/index.php/topic/62667-some-old-corps-photos/page-2055 has a picture (photo of newspaper picture) of Boston.

[ironlips]

"...people all over the place."

Yes, your Ghost-ness, a very apt description.

If memory serves, there was a driving six-eight intro to El Cap with a thrilling French Horn and Mellophone glissando leading into the standard prelude, then the step-off. It felt like some sort of musical boxing combination - three quick jabs, a right cross and an uppercut.

Whatever it was knocked us all out, and the room exploded.

Edited August 19, 2015 by ironlips

[bill]

..................possibly the greatest junior competition ever held (an opinion shared by many, including the likes of Gail Royer)......

For what it's worth; many think the same way........

Having been there, experienced it, lived it..............imho, it was!

Edited August 19, 2015 by bill

[flamparadiddlediddle1]

I was there. Still remember the Cardinals rotating the company front. I was 13. Had a pretty bad view on the back side. The Vanguard drum line was really big for those days. The Royal Airs - what a horn line! I'm an old time guy. I still love that opener of the Royal Airs. I remember El capitan too - but more so the following year at American Legion prelims 1966- had a great seat there. That was the last time (1966) I sat on the sidelines - we made finals every year after that.