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'73 DCI DVD


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I haven't seen the '73 video, but Scott Gordon, who post here on DCP from time to time, digitized it from the original reel-to-reel video tape.

He's always done a great job with past projects. I do know that most of the Argonne Rebels performance was previously erased, and there is nothing at all of the Belleville Black Knights performance. It's frustrating to know that somebody erased things decades ago that may have been the only copy in existence.

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One word about buying the 1973 DCI DVDs- YES!!!!!! For what Scott Gordon had to work with- the video and sound quality is excellent. Watching these DVD's brought back a lot of good memories of DCI in Whitewater- going from practice field to practice field by the stadium and watching all of the big wigs rehearse- sitting with a lot of drum corps nuts in the middle of the Argonne Rebels horn arch between two buildings and watching Sandra Opie bring out that incredible horn sound that they had. Peeled the skin off of our faces. Watching the Blue Stars guard practicing, and then going to the next field and watching the Bridgemen rifles practice their work on the 50 to look like one. I forgot how great the corps were that year. SCV- a monster on excellence on the field. Trooper's rifles were to die for. I forgot about the quality of the Blue Stars show that year (I was sitting with a bunch of Madison alumni at the show- so we were rooting for the Scouts to overtake the Stars.) 1973 Madison- the year they developed that balls to the wall horn line. The Kingsmen opening guard work is worth the price of the DVDs alone- WOW!! Muchachos rifle work was great. And of course- the Commodores- I really miss shows like this that they put out onto the field with JIM Ott's horn line and arrangements, and seeing a young Bonnie Ott and her fantastic solos. I marched with Bonnie in the 2008 Renegades- and that woman is still fantastic. I have watched the 1973 Finals DVDs a lot more than the 2014 Blu-rays.

It is also interesting- as they have the full retreat and scores on the DVDs. The scores seem like an afterthought- corps come on the field- they read the scores quickly- and then get them off the field.

So yes- I say buy the 1973 DVDs- along with the 1972 DCI finals. It is really a miracle that these tapes survived like they did. We have lost a lot of great shows from the past- as we did not think to record them, or the tapes have degenerated or disappeared. It is great that we have someone like Scott Gordon to preserve these fantastic shows from the past so that they can live forever. I can't wait to see what else he and Steve Vickers have in store for us old die-hard fans!

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  • 2 weeks later...

In reading this post and it's reference to the year 1973 I'm reminded that it was the year 1973 that the Boston Crusader's marched a Corp consisting of only 17 Brass players and approximately 40 total members. I would like to point out that 17 total Brass players is only one more than most of the Mellophone sections our current Corps or Teams field today.

What a shame a video of the 1973 Crusader's was never made as it could have been used to inspire all of those Corps from back in the day who are no longer with us. Maybe it could have inspired them to not give up on their Corp and fold like so many of them did. It also could have been used currently as a way of informing or reminding current marching members of our now too few Corps that it isn't all about winning or about the quantity or even quality of the equipment todays Corps have arrayed in their front ensemble. It also could have been used as a possible way of inspiring individuals who have thought about starting a fledgling Corp of their own but feel overwhelmed by the thought of competing against todays mega-Corps with their mega-bucks and mega-talented musicians.

The Boston symphony orchestra does not compete it performs. Having said this I will concede that the BSO does have a lot of amazing equipment as well as a full orchestra whose members consist of some of the greatest musicians from around the world who are pampered and catered to and so I suppose it might not be the best of examples but anyways... a small Corp with a small budget consisting of members who have gobs of tenacity, a will to project their sound, to make their presence known and to own the field can go a very long way in getting the crowd on their feet to give an ovation that would make any manager and staff proud and that's what it's all about.

Their has never been a Corp, so few in number, that got showered with as many thunderous standing ovations as the Boston Crusaders did back in the day. They would rival, if not surpass, any of the ovations the current mega-corps enjoy today. We loved performing in spite of the fact that we would end up coming in umpteenth place. We also enjoyed the chorus of boos that emanated from the crowd when our score was announced. We were always low in the standings so that when our score was announced the crowd would boo and we would smile. I don't think anyone, including ourselves, knew where we should have ended up. Probably, for the sake of honesty, we ended up where we should have. But the point is it was all about the performance and we loved to perform, we loved the standing ovations and those boos put a smile on our face.

Of course any showing of this '73 video could then be followed by a more recent recording of the Corp with a reminder that 2015 is the 75th anniversary of the Boston Crusader's. A statement that could never be made if not for the '73 Corp or all of those small, never say die, Crusader Corps that were to follow.

Edited by Bsader
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