Puppet

Also: Is there any better reason to learn French when you're 16 years old? I ask you? Puppet

Vos excuses sont acceptées mon compatriote de DCP. Je pourrais ajouter que bien que nous ayons eu les cravates étroites avec la rue Ignatius, j'ai toujours eu une tache chaude à mon coeur pour ce que j'ai toujours pensé à en tant que femmes les plus belles de Les Châtelaines de Laval. Mais j'étais jeune et impressionnable. Maintenant que j'ai un nouvel ordinateur, j'essayerai de signaler plus de projectiles dans ce fil merveilleusement historique. Un pain grillé à nos mémoires!

Thank you. I totally understand about the look and it probably made a big sound difference, too. I remember when our baritone line got the new Olds Euphoniums and they were so big and heavy they had to develop and new way to hold them - very uncomfortable to look at but all the guys played them with ease. Remember, our corps was all about innovation. Glad to be able to share again. and thanks again. "Nemesis?!" AHhhh, you shouldn't have Puppet

I don't know which recording you are referring to in '65 but if it's the VFW Nationals recording by Fleetwood in McCormick Place, then you've got my vote. Cavaliers were awesome and given the technology of almost 50 years ago) my favorite of all time. I don't care which year you choose - ANY Evening with the corps recording has to be mentioned if you are a certain age. I forgive you if you weren't alive during those years and I gotta say that if DCI really wants to build a following a night of indoor playing at Madison Square Garden's Felt Forum would do a lot to bring Drum Corp back to the East where it belongs. (sorry for the editorial) World Open: '71 for sure but the Kilties and (yes!) the Brassmen in '72 pretty much kicked it up a notch. '91 & 93 both Phantom and Star Of Indiana made some of the best sounding shows ever recorded (taped / digitally captured) I've said it before but it bares repeating on this thread Star's The Music of Barber and Bartok show will never be topped for it's in your face verve and technical executional superiority ... any time, any where, by anybody ... and I've been waiting Oh yeah, there are many, many Dream shows that are darn good - something about that place made good better and great even greater! Puppet

I gotta agree with Tommy about the quality of the '85 Argos but (and forgive me but I was a mere Mello player so what do I know?!) what's up with the sticks? I never noticed - and admittedly I never really paid much attention to stick handling and all that - that many drum lines starting banging their drums with that hammer grip in both hands instead of traditional. Don't get me wrong it's kinda cool looking but wrong somehow. Uncomfortable, too. Puppet

Michael, you (Frank D notwithstanding because he is more of a audio guy to me than a writer no disrespect intended!) are among my favorite wordsmiths in just about any genre. You are the Jimmy Breslin of Drum Corps but I must say just for real historic sake Frank's memory of "high fives" during that time has to be a great deal license. Maybe a bunch of "gimme fives" were exchanged, perhaps even some kind of "highs" were given or even had but not those that we now know of as "high fives." As a kid who wore one of the cast off uniforms of St. Catherine's (as a Queenaire - another name which pretty much wouldn't go over big now days especially in the homophopic borough that once bore those names) I enjoy that story every time I hear it. There are so few real storytellers from back in the day when we were young and Drum Corps was virtually our social focus. It is sad to note that with the advent of social networks and the web (this site among them) that the stories related are encapsulated in mere bits. Little off topic but notice I did stick in the Queenaires reference, but have to give you your props along with the great pounder Billy C., Frank D. and not leave out HOF player Ray Fallon (who I shared air space with and whose brother I marched with) and I'm sure Sunriser has some kind of double meaning ,,, somewhere. Puppet

Of course, it's the details that always make a funny story even funnier. And 'Pequa Squaws'? Betcha that's not a name that would go over big here in the 21st Century. Which got me to thinking. Then I stopped. Puppet

Likewise I;m sure St, Catherine's Queensmen would have just a tad of a problem these days and some really great players marched there, too Puppet

I guess this is the point where the obvious must be stated. It's no coincidence that all the corps from Roman Catholic Parishes were named "Saint" something or other. All the moderators got together in the early fifties and over a couple of thousand gallons of red wine came to the conclusion that all their corps' names would begin with the name of their respective church. All but one who dodged the ruling in a very creative way. They used initials instead. No, really. All the above really happened ... I'm told. Puppet

Yep. You said it mostly. We did the same thing all winter on Sundays at the Armory. Technique, drill and on and on. It was also when we broke the newbies in. Mark time leg left was essential for the horn line. Learning how to point those toes and "dig in" while playing cleanly was certainly the chore during those many cold hours. I'll tell you though ... at 60 I've got no knee problems, ankles fine and legs still strong as a horse. Hope those who march now can say that when they get to be - you know, of a certain age. Just saying, Puppet

I know I've been gone too long but just a note to say I played with both George and His brother in the Brassmen ... Just had a bit of a reunion with some of the guys and gals from St. Joes and St. Rita's yesterday - yes I'm back in NYC feeling good and ready to join the Brassmen Alum Corps in just a little while if I can get my chops back ... Spent the last couple of hours laughing my butt off at the all the goings-on here and had to stop when I saw that picture of George. Anyway, I'll try to get back into the Who Of Things - Howdy everybody! Puppet

Apology accepted. Puppet

Let me please try not to gush. The Star '93 show was indeed ahead of it's time. The Music of Barber and Bartok did step outside the lines not just because it was totally original and that the visuals meshed so well with the music but (as a horn player and a lover of music!) was played with the unabashed anger the composers intended. It clashed with conformity, it was brash and intense and while I anticipate that it will grow on a lot of people down the line, I just do not see that verve with this year's SVC show so far. I, like everybody else do want to be entertained but I look for the 3 "c" aspect of a show: Change, Choice, Chaos and Courage. Next time I see those again, I will gush - believe me. Puppet.

Ok, I could have sworn that I put my wooden nickle on this subject long ago but: For all you who didn't know, The Cadet Styles worn by dozens of corps back in my era - and that includes, Blue Rock, Garfield, St. Joseph Cadets and Mighty St. Joes, St. Kevin's, O.L.P.H. Ridgemen, St. Rocco's Cadets, Our Lady of Loretta, St. Catherine's Queensmen (are you seeing a trend, here?) and please forgive me because I always spell this wrong: The Royal-Aires and believe me there were many,many more wore that style throughout the sixties and seventies some with even prettier blue than Anaheim and one corps from Long Island that were sponsored by 7-Up and wore Orange, Green & White (Babylon Islanders?) and even those unis looked great! ... then there were the non Cadet styles that stood out: The Muchachos, The Kilties, Blessed Sacrament, Troopers, Cavaliers, Madison, Blue Stars (Hot pants?) But to me, Cadet style with the chrome buttons and the buckle cross belt and drop sash ... that says drum corps to me! Puppet

I think I said what needed to be said way back on page 4 of this thread but then the thought came into my mind after reading all these posts. Fran is right - Mello charts from hell played like nobody's business. Respighi / Zingali - seamless, shameless, breathtaking! But then I got to the "politics" thing. HeH-HeH! I thought we all gave up smoking that stuff years ago! If anything, (and only IMHO, BTW) it was politics that kept Star from sweeping '90 through '93! I mean, if I needed an excuse, that is. Back to topic: Star's show in '91 was the one that won because: "My God, man, they were total! Puppet

My favorite subject - Star! I don't know why nobody has mentioned this about 1991: 33 Shows - 2 second place (1 to the Cavies and 1 to Madison) all the rest 1st. First time in my life I ever saw a "modern" Drum Corps merge music and fieldmanship to such a degree of cohesiveness as to leave me drooling show after show. Ottorino Respighi - 'nuff said! And if nobody else noticed, they just got better and better every show! Yeah, they had their swerve on that night, by then they'd deserved it. I wasn't until the '93 show that I would ever see and hear anything better. Barber & Bartok - can't beat that - (and they gave that show to the Cadets) Sorry for the editorial. Puppet

Not to belabor the point but I do remember vividly August 1972 - a grueling two days of competition World Open in Lynn, MA. 56 Drum Corps in two classes ("A" & "B") for the prelims on Friday. Saturday, it went like this - 20 Corps in 3 classes: All-Girl 1 Mello-Dears 61.250 2 Chatelaines De Laval 59.450 3 St. Ignatius 58.900 4 Capitol Aires 50.100 5 Norwood Debonaires 48.550 Class A 1 Kilties 81.100 2 St. Rita's Brassmen 77.700 3 Muchachos 77.350 4 Des Plaines Vanguard 75.250 5 Bridgemen 74.150 6 Bleu Raeders 71.950 7 Pembroke Imperials 70.750 8 CMCC Warriors 69.650 9 Cadets Lasalle 68.550 10 Emerald Cadets 67.950 Class B 1 Squires 70.600 2 Royales 68.750 3 Keystone Regiment 64.550 4 Vagabonds 63.450 5 Kingston Indians 55.850 And I don't have the numbers in front of me but I'm sure there were more than 65 Corps marching from New York There were probably more than that in the 5 Boroughs of New York City. Puppet

Always great threads from you, Keith ... and from my perspective, Mike D is making the most sense. As some may already know St. Rita's in the early seventies was hugely funded (probably the first drum corps with a dedicated Bingo Night in a real bingo hall) but the parish backed us, too. Our corps officers didn't want to participate with what they thought was a fairly evil group of men (not from the East, mind you so apparently not to be trusted) wanting to take over the happy-go-lucky world of drum corps and destroy every life of every young boy and girl in America and make it impossible for any human under the age of 18 to ever attend a championship drum corps show - at least that's what I think they thought. I think, on the other hand, that we didn't know DCI joining and participation would become necessary for a corps continued success. I think. Puppet

Row 8 in 138 wasn't too bad - there seemed to be a lot of return especially from the amplified section (felt like I was hearing things like 3 times!) the sound would wash back down on you ... I'm an old guy so I only go to hear to see whatever little designs are being made. Sound 0 / LOS 10! But when the crowd went crazy it was pure audio mayhem! So go figure. Puppet

Nothing out side of perhaps opening the dome will improve the sound of LOS ... especially after an entire season outside. That said, it is, with practice, possible to gear up for an indoor performance. It would take time and that's just something current corps don't have. BITD - and I'm sure Mike D will agree, we had time to prepare for venues like Evening With The Corps at The Mosque Theater and Madison Square Garden and our instructors knew the perimeters of those places - thenwe worked on our outdoor show. Do not tell me that there are no indoor rehearsals during this current era and that the current electronic engineering crew don't think about these things. IMO, LOS is just a bad place to have a Drum Corps Competition ... there is just no way to get all those horns to rein it in after trying to blow the doors off the cars in the parking lot all season. But there ya go! We're contractually stuck with it. Allentown is the place to be to hear and even see real drum corps near the end of the season. One last thing ... if you can find the Fleetwood recordings of the VFW Nationals in McCormick Place (indoors!) You will hear what it can sound like indoors (given the time and technology of the time) and those recordings are awesome. Puppet

What a shot! 26 in the guard just in the frame! Reminds me of another guard from BITD - from Connecticut. Lots 'o guard: Trumbull! Puppet

I know we always wore ours right to left ... like everybody who ever wore a cadet style. Puppet

Yeah, I know lots of corps wears green, son! But the sign says Cavaliers!

Funny, when Frank Dorritie uses the term "Groove" he's mostly talking percussion. "Bop" is more like jazz as played by guys like Chet Baker, Dave Brubeck, John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, Charles Mingus, Thelonius Monk, Mulligan, Charlie Parker, Hal Roach among others. That Drum Corps from Concorde, CA (Home of the great Jazz label) probably comes the closest to having played Bop of any kind. Puppet

That was my first thought. Puppet