Fran Haring Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 I may as well try and set thnigs up- the picture was a big picture. Not looking at previous history leads to people today not really realizing just how unreral what was happening to Westshore was. Well- said, W. (I didn't quote the entire post to save a bit of space here.) Talk about innovation... I think the Yankee Rebels' "Requiem for an Era" production, circa 1969-1971, might be at the top of my list. The split corps, the different tempos... stuff that literally had never been done before. I'm not quite sure the judges back then knew what to do with the whole thing. In terms of Sun being innovators... the corps sure was. IMO, they and the Buccaneers were the main two corps leading that "out of the box" charge for many years... "knocking on the door" until Sun finally kicked it down in 1977. And many years before that... you had the Cabs coming out in Latin uniforms, using Latin percussion... when everyone else was wearing some sort of military-style uniform and using standard rudimental percussion instruments. And the Skyliners' Hy Dreitzer brass charts, 1960s and forward, were way ahead of their time, IMO. When I listen to the 1963 Dream recording of Sky, I think, "how on Earth did they play those complex charts, with the tinker-toy instruments of that era?" Amazing stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigW Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 I'm unfortunately not as familiar with Y-R. My first DCA show I really got to attend and spectate was one where I saw them as "Southwind", which was not a good time to see them. Truman's arrangements were very forward thinking. True, Sky had been innovative, but they kind of seemed stuck after the big wins. They had their way, and really didn't seem to welcome anything that changed or challanged they way they liked things from that period. The Cabs were one of the first to establish their brand, and it's worked for over 60 years now. There are other things that have kept them dynamic and surviving when others corps have not. -The relationship they have had and will continue to have with the fans. They know how to reach through the 4th wall and involve the fan. It's why they're so loved, and should be. -Again, they have changed and developed the corps very carefully. They kept their look, but fixed the issues they had with the uniforms and the different patterns they had on the field through the years as they replaced worn out ones. Even in the early 80's, they understood clearly what Sun had done to beat them, and were working their cans off to develop their visual program to the level necessary to compete for championships. The Troopers are in my mind a classic example of a corps that hit it big innovatively, then stagnated in many ways when they got fixated on what had made them successful to the point other corps passed them by. In the late 60's they were VERY forward thinking, then they got stuck with a visual package they never quite shook because that was the way things should be to them, and ended up looking pretty dated by the late 70's. granted they had a cult staus with the fans, but that really wasn't putting bread on the Troopers' table. The problem with DCA is that when anything shows up that's too different from the norm, the resistance is huge in certain corners. Less now, thank God. I think you would not have seen Reading run the table like they did recently back in the day because of the resistance that would have been put up back then in certain corners. I welcome the fact that when someone has dominated heavily of late (Brigs and Bucs), the judges and people who run the show haven't meddled and let the nature of competition run it's course and let the corps themselves work to get to the top rather than trying to manipulate things. I think the results of letting the corps decide things has been good for DCA. More corps, better quality, corps aren't walking away in disgust and frustration like what used to happen- and what I ended up doing. I'll talk about that later on when I talk about 1983 and the way I felt about things. I'm thankful Dan Bowman called me to come back to put the corps on the field in 6 weeks in 1984. It took most of the bad taste out of my mouth from '83 and I learned more from that 15th place than I did from 1983 in many aspects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted June 18, 2012 Author Share Posted June 18, 2012 According to the title of the forum, we can only talk about 1992 and earlier, so I have SOME time. So- should I talk about our visit to Post 199 after the Grand Prix or should I wait on trying to post some of my thoughts about DCA and how they dealt with crazy corps that upset the apple carts? talk. weeks worth. and hell, by the time you get there, the date will be changed to 2000 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigW Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 talk. weeks worth. and hell, by the time you get there, the date will be changed to 2000 I think you can tell there's stuff I've been wanting to get out of my system for 30 years to people who UNDERSTAND. This isn't stuff you can explain to a fellow UPS'er.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigW Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 And if people don't think there's still resistance, I still remember readnig one post how all those 'college educated kids' ruined the activity. I happen to be one of those people.... And then you get people who get mad at me when I say the Narration thing the Cadets did and epically failed with was Gawd-aful. All I know is that I was a kid who wanted to be as good as I could be with the corps I could be a part of and afford. I wanted to compete at the highest level, and we did. And we couldn't play the game the same way Sky played the game which is what they seemed to think was the only way to do it. We had to do it our own way. There are people who still believe there is only one way to compete. No. there are many paths to the top of that mountain. Not just the one that's obvious to certain people. Anyhow, I gotta do laundry before the simulcast. I'll have to tell you wnat I think for a laugh. I liked pretty much everything I saw last year, some more than others, one exception. I figrue it to be much the same this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaminbenb Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Speaking of Sun and their innovative ways....I remember when those (cruddy IMHO) Stingray drums came out and everyone was all over the "fiberglass" shells, and how innovative their sound was and all that...most people fail to remember that Sun used Fibes drums for many years! Everyone else was using wood and the chrome plated steel/aluminum drums, but Sun had the fiberglass drums, and made them sound great! (end of commercial) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaminbenb Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 According to the title of the forum, we can only talk about 1992 and earlier, so I have SOME time. So- should I talk about our visit to Post 199 after the Grand Prix or should I wait on trying to post some of my thoughts about DCA and how they dealt with crazy corps that upset the apple carts? Hah....post 199 where I wasn't permitted to drink any beer products that weren't manufactured by Anheuser Busch! In fact I recall walking INTO the legion with a Miller and Bob the contra taking it and telling the bartender that I drink on his tab, but make sure it's "Bud"! ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted June 18, 2012 Author Share Posted June 18, 2012 Speaking of Sun and their innovative ways....I remember when those (cruddy IMHO) Stingray drums came out and everyone was all over the "fiberglass" shells, and how innovative their sound was and all that...most people fail to remember that Sun used Fibes drums for many years! Everyone else was using wood and the chrome plated steel/aluminum drums, but Sun had the fiberglass drums, and made them sound great! (end of commercial) as a guy who used Stingray for 8 years; they sucked Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hairbear Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Hey Ben: did I tell ya about a drummer with a band I played in, that owns a set of those fibes white fiberglass drums? I put a urinal cake in one of the toms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaminbenb Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 Actually...my one local drum shop (Klocks, for Jeff's benefit) sold Fibes, and as far as set drums, they had a decent sound. I loved the bass drum punch, and the toms had a neat overtone to them. When I first encountered the Stingray's (North Hagerstown) I totally hated them! The first day we had the tenors, I BROKE one by tuning it up too high... I was told that I tensioned it too much... I said "BULL! IT's SUPPOSED to be this high!" They sent a new set (all three sets, actually) and the shells were a tad thicker. I hated trying to tune the snares (we didn't have bass drums, thankfully) they never got to where I really wanted them. I also think I broke one during the season (Falams heads..they were known for that)(hated the crap out of those, too) I really think that the sounds that corps try to get these days really sucks..sorry..nothing like the sound of a silver-dot strider on a snare, and thick single ply's on the tenors! (Fibre-skin two's on bass drums were my favorite sound, but Brian never wanted to get them....see Sun's bassline ) The falams/bulletproof heads and the high tension snares are just too artificial sounding for me.. I like a little depth to drums, and I always loved tenors with a little depth to the tom shells themselves (i.e. Phantom) the tone was incredible! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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