Puppet

I must preface this by saying that the loss of the Color Pre in Drum Corps has broken my heart. I came up during the late sixties and early seventies when there were a lot of young people (right or wrong) who were detractors of America in so many ways. Drum Corps to me transcended all that - especially being a New York City kid. Ok - 1971 West Point Alma Mater The last notes of which looked like this - And I wish I had a color shot of this. Puppet

I know I use the Brassmen logo on my signature but here's what our button looked like. This was circa 1972 Puppet

Wasn't it: Intro - Off The Line - Drum Solo - Color Pre - Drum Solo - Pre Concert - Concert - Out of Concert - Drum Solo and Exit? It certainly was during our '71 season. 1971 Repertoire Ride Of The Valkeries West Point Alma Mater Fistful Of Dollars Three Blind Mice In Symphony Hall Clementine Woodstock! West Point Alma Mater Reprise Puppet

To all my new friends here at DCP. Remember, I've got the ear of the big fella! Best of the season to you all. Puppet

There are some really great "walking down memory lane" pics! Not to blow my own horn, but maybe some of you could post more of pics like these (rehearsals and "look how young we were!") shots to the OMG Could We Have Been So Young thread. Please Puppet

Blush! Thank you. Puppet

Ahh… Fluglehorns. Puppet

And, in a virtually identical shot… And this was from 1969! And here's what I'm thinking: DCD may have published those shots in 1970 but maybe they weren't from 1970. I know the stage set was different at Madison Square Garden's Felt Forum from year to year. Puppet

I just found this thread and saw my old friend George and if you haven't yet heard, Raymond, his brother (Contra extraordinaire!) has joined George in that big retreat in the sky! I loved those men! Puppet

Hey Frank - remember that great story about the Bronx Kingsmen? During every one of their rehearsals for about three months, this guy who lived across the street from the park would call the police. Finally the cop told the guy "c'mon, which would you rather have, music in the night or your car stolen?" The guy stopped calling. And I don't know about now, but who the heck were we traveling up to two hours on the NYC transit system to rehearsals, and then after AT LIKE 10 OR 11 PM, travel back home again? Try to find that kind of dedication in some 12 to 15 year olds now? Puppet

But then again, there was this guy! He was even kinda scary when he smiled! LOL Puppet

OMG they downgraded it to a Ramada. You know, I live in Fort Lauderdale and I never go to Miami! Although I just saw another shot of the Fountainebleau and while it's tall I'd bet the opulence of those days in the late sixties and early seventies is long gone. Puppet

Dude, it was like next door. Puppet

Here's one of our Drill Instructor, Mr. Carmen Cluna. Many stories have been told about this great man. But for my part he was simply an inspirational icon in my young life. His command of the English language was phenomenal and to his credit it didn't matter what your economic status, education level or age, he never spoke down to you. If you made a mistake he would lambaste you with alacrity. I don't know what was going on in this shot but from the look on his face and the reaction of the Baritone players behind him, someone was about to get an ear full. Puppet

How about; The Manual Of Arms was an instruction book for handling and using weapons in formation, whether in the field or on parade. Such manuals were especially important in the matchlock and flintlock eras, when loading and firing was a complex and lengthy process typically carried out in close order. When capitalized, the term has reference to one of several important manuals, such as the British Army manual of 1764, the manual of Frederick the Great or Von Steuben's manual, adopted by the Continental Army in 1777. The positions and evolutions contained in such manuals have become the standard for parade drill throughout most of the world. Really Puppet

Ah, it took a while, but I knew I had at least a couple of shots of that Miami trip in 1970. This is the Marco Polo Hotel right on Collins Avenue in swank Miami Beach. And oh, yeah, check out the little American flag on the car in the foreground. And, of course the opulent interior that us bad boys from New York didn't really know how to act in. I don' t know who that is with the smoke, but there's Sully from the rifle section, Mike from the Mellophone line and Mario soprano chillin in the AC. Puppet

And, uhh, in 1966 St. Joseph Patron Cadets Won The World Championships… See? right there in the newspaper clipping it says Ahh, re-writing history is fun! Puppet

I say, "there were boots, and there were BOOTS!" Our young women kept theirs military gleaming. Puppet

What's really odd about that show is that when we first introduced it on the field we were wildly penalized - for running, for dropping the "tear gas" canister on the field - all sorts of things the judges could not understand - but those smoke bombs were the worst when you had to breathe them in while playing. We (the horn line) always hoped for lots of wind because it was the Drum Majors' job (both of them) to spread the smoke around as much as possible. And they did! Puppet

I just gotta say that our rifle section always had the big guns. No. Really. Puppet

True, that Frank. But did you say Woodstock? Probably the only time in corps history you'd see a rifle section "arresting" a contra bass section! The offense? The gear? And the aftermath… What a show! Puppet

Speaking of drama… Knife Fight scene from West Side Story Puppet

Jane Fonda Puppet

Sure. It's probably really good stuff. But have you anything PRE-DCI? Corps Rep has published some of the historical scores - but I always see like omissions - Corps missing from shows I know I saw. If you know what I mean. Puppet

One reason we sounded bigger than we looked. Or four. Puppet