ironlips

Another little known fact about the formerly clean-shaven guy: He's an outstanding drill tech. In 1977, a few days before DCI, he came to Garfield and made many stubborn season-long tics go away. Without that (I am certain), they would have missed finals, as they tied the Kilts in Pre-lims for 11th place. There was no grey in his beard at that point.

This project is very well produced. Taking the "Ken Burns" approach of eye witness narration over still photos brings the entire production to life, and the audio clips are a treasure in themselves. Bravo!

We Americans are such Philistines about music. I long for the day we all grow up and understand that music is music, in all its forms. When the aliens monitor us from deep space they do not make the trivial distinctions we do. To them, all of it is Earth Music.

Mr. Allen is an ace. I will be playing Taps Monday in CA in honor of my father who served with Gen. Patton. We wouldn't have had drum corps without these veterans. We owe them, big time. If you can play the 24 notes of taps, on any horn, join Bugles Across America. Frank D

Mostly true. Actually, it was Tommy Howell, not the late and greatly missed Brian O'Connell. The contest was in Lewisburg, and we thought we'd just stand on the highway with a sign reading "Chicago", having no idea how far that was. The Boston Crusaders busses passed us by and some of them gave us the universal one finger salute. It was that, and not the Babe Ruth curse, that kept the Red Sox from a World Series title for another 40 years. The State Trooper who chased us up to the top of the on-ramp laughed and said, "Fellas, it might as well say, Destination: Moon", but we got there anyway and witnessed what many believe to be the greatest drum corps show in the history of the game. That, of course, was just a bonus. We were really chasing skirts, and what skirts! There is no motivator like young lust, meethinks.

Actually, that nickname was conferred by Uncle Nicky. He had one for everybody: "Shoes" for Bobby Files, "Soupy" for Bob Cephus...etc. He would stand by the gate as you entered the contest field and whisper it in your ear as you marched by. It was like having Angelo Dundee in your corner. Made you feel like Muhammed Ali.

OK. Here's one: That shirt came from the Francis Haring Collection.

My sincere condolences to Carl and his family.

Only that you pretty much nailed it, I think. The interesting thing about vinyl was that, regardless of stylus, the coefficient of sliding friction demanded a wearing away of some of the surface with each play. This would effect high frequency information in greater proportion and result in the disc ultimately "wearing out" to the point where the loss of clarity would become obvious even to the casual listener. That's why we obsessives had to buy multiple copies of the Skyliner and Cabs albums to allow for the countless plays of Martin, Swan, Simpson, D'Amico and Angelica solos required to learn them "off the record".

"Upon further review....", and after chancing upon a YouTube video,...actually, Fish is technically correct. Although I was on the field as a horn player, I never learned a drill and had to masquerade as a "conductor" in spots. The other guy, though, just conducted,... sort of. (We should probably suspend this until/unless Nanci wants to actually post a photo. We do not wish to be thouight of as hijackers. After all, this remains one of thew most interesting forums on the Planet.)

Not. I did march that evening with Fish and the Hurcs, but as a horn player, not DM. The other "guest" is one of my heros who had always wanted to perform with the Hurricanes, but found the commute a bit of an obstacle. Still, he was not daunted. I hope Nanci has that photo. All here would smile, methinks.

Like John, my first "official" drum corps year was 1960.(Being bugler for Cub Scout Pack 333 in Cambria Heights provided some preparation.)That fall I was "recruited" into my high school parade corps at Xavier, in Manhattan. The following year, John Sasso replaced Jim Donnelly as horn instructor and I got "re-recruted" into the Queensmen. http://www.drumcorpsplanet.com/2009/01/off-the-record-remembering-the-1961-queensmen/ The rehearsal John attended was at Green Acres shopping center and I was learning a soprano spot. I also marched that final Queensmen show in '62 at Union City. (Small world.) Garfield was the corps to beat then, too.(It's funny how history repeats.) I spent the next 11 seasons with the Sunrisers, while moving into teaching and arranging which have remained my passions since.

At '77 DCA Finals, the Hurcs had another famous "Guest Major", and I know I've seen a photo somewhere. Perhaps Nanci has a copy.

For the record (and before you move on past the early '80s), my own subjective all-time favorite Westshore musical moment: Standing next to Dave R at DCA finals when the corps laid into the "Stardust" intro to "All the Things". He turned to me and uttered 2 words..."Holy C##P!". And that about summed it up. At that instant, I believe he spoke for everybody in the stadium, all of whom had just been momentarily levitated off the surface of the planet. I know I was.

Amen.

Ah, yes, "Icarus". I felt like I had been waiting forever for the opportunity to arrange this tune. The Blue Devils could have carried it off no doubt, but I had already moved on from there and the Westshoremen had all the right stuff that year. Those cats were musically hip, sophisticated and confident...all the things (you are) that the best DCA corps would become over the next several years. In short, they were ahead of the curve. I positively relished being with them at that time. If the chart was a little too understated, blame me. Robb and I took our best shot, and the visual, well you really couldn't argue with that given the cats involved. They were (still are) superior. My hat is off to the corps who topped us, irrespective of the judges. They also gave their best effort. Westshore, in my opinion, set the tone for the kind of smooth approach which became a standard for the next several seasons and I for one am very proud of having been a part of that.

Mods, Perhaps this should be merged with the item in the Historical Jr. Corps Forum.

Raymond, my old and true buddy, Though I am not on the committee at present, I did see all the submissions for the current cycle. Gus's was not among these, so may have been presented some years ago. These are not carried over. I agree he is a prime candidate and, if no one else does it, I will personally submit his name in the next round. I count on you to remind me. All the best, Frank

Mike was a fine musician, a credit to his instructors and a true drum corps success story.

I'm looking forward to polishing the music for the York show. That promises to be a great night of drum corps.

BigW knows whereof he speaks, and if he or anyone else involved with music for city kids ever needs anything I can provide he need only PM me at DCP. Frank Dorritie St. Catherine's Queensmen 1961-62 (and a few somewhat less significant groups thereafter)

I&E results????????

McCormick Place, 1965 VFW Nationals...some say the greatest drum corps show of all time (Gail Royer, for one)...one rip-roaring performance after another...one moment stands out, right in the middle of the pack...St. Mary's Cardinals with their massive company front wheel beforwe the push in "Heat Wave"...the Enoch Light arrangement, full of intensity and dazzling articulation...and a spot on, straight as an arrow front, whipping around as the audience went totally wild in the moment. The Cardinals were not likely to win that show, not in that company at that time, but believe me, nobody but nobody ever provided a bigger "wow" moment, before or since.

Most readers on this side of the house are probably not familiar with Rip. He probably wouldn't mind that; he was that kind of guy. But the truth is he was as important to the development of drum corps as any person in the activity has ever been, as a soloist in championship lines, instructor of national champions and contenders ( in both music and movement), pioneering arranger (for brass and vocal), administrator, Hall of Famer, and good-will ambassador. His enthusiasm for our beloved activity was infectious and knew no bounds. Drum corps today is what it has become because the current generation "stood on the shoulders of giants". Rip Bernert was one of those giants. Anone who is serious about drum corps will respect its history. Rip Bernert wrote much of that.

Rip was one in a million, an inspiration even to his competitors, and the very definition of "class".