Rudy Wiedoeft

Oh yes, and they had their own RADIO STATION the week of the Open!

Marion US Open! - Great community support - most of the corps (including some big names) were housed within the City, which made it easy to go watch practice. - "In your face" stadium seating, close to the field - It was late enough in the season that the corps were really cranking up their performances. - "Open Seating" at prelims, which means you could plant yourself 50 yard line center with the rest of the serious fans! - RAIN at finals. Wait, I guess was not really a good thing, though I remember the exhausted energy waiting for the 1977 finals clash between Seneca & Crossman. I don't even remember what time that actually ended. Well after midnight.

OMG, I remember this! Someone painted "On a Mission From God!" on the back of the bus. Absolutely laughed my butt off!

I would imagine one of the biggest challenges that corps would face are housing sites. Setting up corps housing was getting more difficult before Covid. I can't imagine what corps may face landing housing this summer.

I would hope DCI is putting together a Chick Corea retrospect for their website. Until then, what was your favorite drum corps performance of Chick Corea Music in the 70s & 80s? Here is a very small sample! Celebration Suite Oakland Crusaders 77 Royal Brigade 77 Royal Crusaders 80 Blue Stars 82 Cavaliers 83 Central Park Troopers 80 Cheshire Cat Walk Anaheim Kingsmen 76 La Fiesta Muchachos 75 Blue Stars 79 Blue Devils 84 Music Magic Suncoast Sound 82 Night Streets Sky Ryders 81 Rumble Crossmen 87 Spain Northstar 81 Spanish Fantasy Blue Devils 77 Boston Crusaders 77 Crossmen 80 Blue Devils 86 The Musician Avant Garde 84

First, let me say that this would not seem to be a practical suggestion in today's activity. BUT... I love drum corps for the sound of the brass ensemble. Today's level of brass performance is exceptional but it seems that many corps have increased the amount of emphasis on percussion (especially front ensemble) and visual/guard, while significantly reducing brass playing time. WGI has a rule mandating the minimum amount of equipment time color guard performers must have: "Each color guard must accumulate a minimum of three and one half (3 1/2) minutes of authorized equipment time during their performance" This is a great way for WGI to protect the historical integrity of the activity without limiting the creative designs. How great would it be to see a minimum accumulated time for brass performance during a field show? I would be curious to time the amount of brass performance in some of the shows over the past 10 years to see how it has changed.

1975 US Open Class A/All Girl prelims had 44 corps (2 no shows) and started at 7:30am on Thursday. 1975 US Open also had 26 open (World class) corps in prelims including that year's DCI Champion Madison Scouts. Other than DCI Championship Prelims (76 corps), this was by far the largest Drum Corps show (70 corps) in the US or Canada in 1975. Three full days of drum corps performances. I consider 1975-1986 to be the Golden Age of drum corps. 1987-2000 would be the Silver Age of Drum Corps. I base this on the activity's health, innovations, and popularity. The US Open was a bellwether for the growth and wane of the Drum Corps activity.

Some Non-Finalist Favorites in no particular order! 1970s & 1980s Boston Crusaders (it is stunning to think they did not make finals until 1999!) New Jersey Saints 1977 - not like they were going to make finals but it is a spirited and enjoyable performance( I was surprised to see that the 1977 UOEC Championships audio is not on YouTube) Avante Garde NY - some quality entertaining performances in late 70s early 80s 1980 Long Island Kingsmen - So I never actually saw this group but heard from many of my drum corps friends that they were a strong up and coming corps. I went on YouTube and there is a 7 second clip !!?? Not much to go on, but I will throw them on here by reputation. Memphis Blues Brass Band - a group that had a lot of potential and played some great music! Royal Brigade - another group from the East Coast that had some strong performances. Offensive Lions - a great Canadian corps that had their own flair with show design. Check out their 1978 opener of American Overture. Ventures & Les Chatelaines - If you ever thought girls were not as tough as boys then you clearly never saw these All-Girl groups. I remember walking through the parking lot after a show and hearing the gnashing of teeth and expletives of some top 20 corps that lost to them in brass. Impressive! Mighty Liberators - I saw this group at the 1977 US Open Class A prelims and I know it may not have been the most polished performance, but those performers cranked out as much energy as some top 12 corps. They definitely left it all on the field and I remember the early afternoon crowd going crazy. Academie Muscale - some eye opening impressive moments in brass playing with this group. I remember hearing them play John Williams Olympic Fanfare and my jaw dropping when they hit the double tongue section. Cool stuff!

Lancers at the 1980 Olympics gets my vote! I marched in 27th Lancers in 1981 and heard many veterans of 1980 talk about their performance at the 1980 Olympics. Including teflon mouthpieces and anti-freeze valve oil. It would be interesting to hear from those lancers that could recount the challenges of playing in those frigid temperatures. This would seem to be the hands-down winner of the coldest show performance!

Not sure which was the more bonehead 1981 decision, summer sHow in Vegas or Championships in Montreal.

Looks like you are correct. Grant MS is on the location of the former HS. The AstroTurf stadium Is in the same location.

It’s been a way long time but I seem to recall the HS being on a bend in a side street. It was old at that time.

Not sure if this counts but 1985 or 86 Blue Devils cut 2 snare drummers about a week before finals. Not certain why it was done

yeah, I vaguely remember that. Wasn’t that held at Franklin Stadium in Philly? If you were ever in that stadium you know what I’m talking about.

That’s an easy one...DCI Finals 1981. My age-out year with 27, which no video exists. Great top 12 show.

Actually I heard Marion was permanently flooded from all of the rain they got during The US Open. All of the local residents obsconded a drum corps bus and retrofitted it as an Ark. they were last seen floating off into the sunset using old color guard flags as sails.

I just have to say that two of my all-time favorite iconic drum corps selections we’re by Bridgemen - Land of Make Believe & In The Stone. There is no doubt in my mind that Bridgemen were a big part of the popularity of drum corps 1976 - To the early 1980s.

Here is a Corona learning moment for you. Vincent DeRosa, one of the greatest Brass Players you have listened to but never heard of. He played principle french horn on practically EVERY major motion picture soundtrack and TV theme from the 1940s all the way to the 1990s. Yes, over 50 years!!! From John Williams to the Beatles, he was also the 1st call horn for many Rock, Pop, Easy Listening, and Jazz recordings. Check out his Wiki page for more info. He will be celebrating his 100th Birthday in October. Here are a few of his many big name films - Spartacus (1960), The Magnificent Seven, How the West Was Won, Patton, Tora! Tora! Tora!, Towering Inferno, Jaws, Rocky, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T., Robin Hook: Prince of Thieves (1991)

Love to hear some top shelf brass playing that is off the beaten path. The more obscure, the better. Here's a start: Example #1. The stratospheric trumpet obbligato on Bobby Sherman's Julie, do you love me. If you hold your nose on the pop song and focus on the trumpet, it is pretty impressive! Example #2. The Chuck Mangione style flugelhorn playing on a few tasty moments of "Bye Bye Life" with Ben Verneen at the end of the movie ALL THAT JAZZ. Caution, I am not sure of this movie's rating, it has been a while since I have seen it. What do ya got? "keep calm and carry a tune"

I came across some cool historical drum corps relics. DCI Contest Guild issues from 1977-1981 that you can read on a website, Pubhtml5.com. I finally was able to read more info about why the PBS Championship broadcast was cancelled in 1981 (huge jump in production budget). Grrr, my age out year with 27. If you go to the site you can search “contest guild”, and walk through memory lane with these old Contest Guilds. enjoy and happy sequestering. "keep calm and carry a tune"

I came across some cool historical drum corps relics. DCI Contest Guild issues from 1977-1981. I finally was able to read more info about why the PBS broadcast was cancelled in 1981 (huge jump in production budget). Grrr, my age out year with 27. Go to the link, search “contest guild”, and walk through memory lane with these old Contest Guilds. Pubhtml5.com This made my Shelter in Place experience pass a little quicker. Enjoy!