faelivrn

So it's way cool when you pull something off the top of your head (or out of your a**). Thanx for the research, Jim. I picked up on this because I'm a huge (since 1968) Oakland Raiders fan and I remember that prior to the aforementioned AFL allstar game, the Raiders were scheduled to play a game in NO and Al Davis refused to play the game if all his players would not be housed or served together as a team. Regards

Wonder if segregation had something to do with it. If I remember correctly, it was about this time that the old AFL (football) pulled their Allstar game out of N.O. because of problems encountered with housing the nonwhite players. Regards

One of the best shows ever!!! The crowd completely drowns out the Troopers reentry. I was always amazed at how low the scores were for this show. In any case... old school drumcorps at it best rivaled by the 71 VFW and 72 DCI. Call me a dinosaur but I pine for the good ol' days!!! Cheers

In no particular order: Drumcorps World retrospective from the 60's (?"Echoes from the Past") 1969 World Open (Troopers, DP Vanguard, Anaheim Kingsmen, BAC) 1966 Dream (Skyliners, Yankee Rebels, Cabs, Bucs {amazing horn solos across the board}) 1972 DCA (nuff said) 1972 DCI (1st and best) 1973 DCA (Sky, Hurcs, Bucs, Cabs) Thank goodness for old school reel to reels which saved the vinyl. Honorable mention: 1977 DCI which I was able to tape on the aforementioned reel to reel (in stereo no less) off the PBS broadcast. I was one of the the few that actually had a recording of Bayonne prior to the money making DCI forgiveness and release on the Legacy Series. Regards

1969 World Open Des Plaines: Coming off the line with sirens screaming Anaheim Kingsmen: First look at what would become an outrageous drum line (see '72 DCI champs) BAC: pure ###### And finally... Troopers: the tightest show ever performed in that era (IMHO). A crowd response that completely drowned out the Corps' exit and reentry. Although I grew up a drumcorps brat and undoubtedly had been to shows before this... that was the first show that I can remember ever attending. A gorgeous day, the best corps in the country, the Manning Bowl. My old man saying before each corps entered the field " Wait until you get a load of these guys". I don't know if any show could ever recreate the magic that was in the air that day. (Honorable mention 1977 DCI Finals) On the Senior side: Fresh Air Fanfare (1973 I think) Skyliners semi chaotic Traffic Jam culminating in the rip your face off Company Front, Les Diplomates OTL and the Hurcs' "Impossible Dream" fantasia. Regards

I assume that the Carver Gay Blades, The Interstatesmen and LT Norman Princemen just missed Finals

Man... I wish The Skyliners were in that list...

Their 1969 OTL with the upper brass as sirens was mind boggling. One of my earliest memories of drumcorps. Faelivrn

As per the US Flag Code, the National Standard must ALWAYS be covered to the right. It makes no difference whether or what the/a weapon. I agree, whoever put that kid out there with an uncovered American Flag made an egregious error. This post is very similar to the one a couple of weeks ago regarding flag etiquette at parades and retreats.

While we are talking old school, how about Les Diplomates and Archer Epler? Faelivrn

I think it was Boston (down year) and Blessed Sacrement and Blue Rock (the new concept of national touring literally drove them out of business). I know that Sac and the Rock were considered founding members of DCI. Anyway, for a throwback shout out, Im going with 73 Troop. The only corps to beat Vanguard that year. By my recollection, it was the last of a 60's style show to do well, unfortunately for them they ran across the "next big thing" in Vanguard. Any year before 73 and it would been an historic show. Faelivrn

What about Mr. Jones putting all his kids on a bus(es) and driving all over creation "so we can play against the best"? Faelivrn

Actually, the "1970" clip is excerpted from the the 1970 documentary/short film "The Troopers are Coming!". The video performance is a late 1969/early 1970 Broncos/Jets game (remember the old AFL?). Most interesting, the audio component is an overdub from the Troopers World Championship (and my personal all time favorite) performance at the 1969 World Open in Lynn MA. Thinking about the technology of the day, it is an amazing synch job but if you pay real close attention to that section in it's entirety, you will notice a couple of out of phase sections. Being an East Coast guy, I remember, to this day, my dad bringing me to see the Troopers and saying after you see this corps, everything you ever thought about drumcorps will change. He was right!

Actually, if I'm not mistaken, it was at this show or one shortly thereafter that the Cavaliers lent their plastic headed drums to the Reilly Raiders who had suffered a weather related catastrophe to their set of drums, thus enabling them to win a national championship. I vaguely remember reading an old Drum Corps News article detailing the new found relationship between the two "powerhouse green corps" of the time.

Interestingly enough, the Old Guard in it's present form doesn't even recruit fifers and drummers from the old school. When I was young, they would hold annual recruiting drives/auditions at the one or two large national level musters. This changed mostly because many fifers and drummers, no matter how talented tended to be slow music readers or even rote musicians. Today, the vast majority of Old Guard fifers are actually converted reed musicians and the drummers tend to come from drum and bugle corps or high level marching bands. Musically speaking, you are partially right regarding the 10 and eleven hole "concert" fife. Often the term "concert" actually reflects what key the instrument is pitched to (D), the classic is Bflat but can be pitched anywhere usually D or Csharp. However, an astute musician/technician can get as true of a sound out of the classic six hole fife with good embochure and finger coordination. Unlike the early era single valve/valve rotor horns, the fife is a truly 3 octave chromatic instrument that requires no "cheating" to be musically true. That being said, I would rather wail away on a horn anyday (although I spend most of my time playing Irish flute right now). In the heyday of standstill modern combination corps there were a number of groups that made good use of fife and brass together. (often "hijacking" classic D&B standards from the Cabs, Hurcs, Troopers etc). As I stated in my previous post this form of corps has waned nearly to extinction although St. Peters drum corps from Torrington, Ct. still puts on a great show.

No offense taken, besides you would be amazed at how well us fifers and drummers can drink (amongst other things). As an aside, the percussion ensemble, LEGENDS, which cleaned house at this years DCA I&E was comprised solely of ancient style rudimental drummers. I forgot to add that in my original post.

I don't know about that, I've been a state and national champion fifer as well as an all state and college football player

Allow me to add a little perspective as someone who has been active in both the Drum & Bugle and Fife & Drum arenas. The switch from Fife/Bugle and Drum to either purely Drum & Bugle or Fife & Drum started in the 1940's and continued steadily throughout the 50's and 60's. First, one must consider a couple of historic facts. During the 1st part of the century, drum corps as a whole was primarily an East Coast phenomenon; more specifically fifing was truly (and for the most part still is) East Coast based. Also consider this, unknown to most, there are two distinct classes of fifing, the modern type as with the historical versions of early era drum and bugle corps which tended to play brass/military band type arrangements and ancient fifing which is by far the most prevalent (the classic fife and drum corps in revolutionary or civil war persona). Secondly, many junior corps were school and/or (in some cases both) church based where the fife was an inexpensive and easy instrument to provide and instruct. As time progressed, the veterans returned and VFW/AL posts started expanding memberships and sponsoring more senior corps. As well, the interest amongst their children also increased as such. Finally, (ironic as it may sound given todays issues) the fife and piccolo/flute wasn't found to lend itself to the big sound/ M&M effect that was becoming popular. As a result many corps just dropped the fife altogether. (The CT. Hurricanes were actually a true FIFE & DRUM CORPS at their founding). This trend picked up momentum as the schools and churches stopped sponsoring corps' and the VFW/AL increased their involvement. However. as many corps also just dropped the brass components and converted to fife and drum corps. Interestingly, until recently, the state of Connecticut had more Fife, Brass and Drum Corps then it had Drum and Bugle corps, even during the state's Drum and Bugle heydays of the 60's and early 70's. As a matter of fact, The Connecticut Fifers and Drummers Association, founded in 1885, would routinely hold contests including it's state championship that would attract 50+ corps from Connecticut alone. These would include ancient and modern fife and drum as well as fife/brass and drum corps (commonly called Combination corps). Sadly, the modern incarnation has since waned although the ancient fife and drum corps still thrive. The one constant throughout the entire story was percussion. Many of the early national and world champions of the 30's, 40's and 50's were actually ancient rudimental drummers. Many of the pioneers of the first great evolution of drum and bugle corps in the 50's and 60's were ancient drummers. Look into the history of the Cavaliers and find Frank Arsenault for example. It wasn't uncommon to go to Ancient Fife and Drum musters and competitions and seeing guys with Reilly Raiders and Reading Buccaneer etc. jackets holding notebooks and portable tape recorders checking out the drum lines. More on this issue can be found throughout the great wealth of information on the internet regarding drum corps and marching percussion. Finally, I must add, that although there were never any Ancient Fife and Drum corps that could approach the sheer size and impact of today's or yesterday's great Drum and Bugle Corps; there were a number of corps that should never be taken lightly as far as musical performance is concerned. If one is truly interested, I would suggest that you find a recording of Fife and Drum Corps such as the N.Y. Regementals, the Connecticut Yanks (led by none other than Charlie Poole Jr.), the Connecticut Blues or Connecticut Patriots. I think you would be surprised at what you heard. After years of lurking this is my first post. Regards, Faelivrn