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When Drum Corps Ruled the World!


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1971 Santa Clara Vanguard. Definitive opener, Wayne Downey as a soloist...

Very competitive year :rolleyes:

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"Very Competitive Year":

1964. Numerous National Champions:

CYO: Boston Crusaders

VFW: Racine Kilties

World's Fair: Chicago Royal Airs

Dream Contest: St Kevins Emerald Knights

World Open: Chicago Cavaliers

Legion: Garfield Cadets

Comeback corps of the year: St Kevins Emerald Knights. Started the season in a shambles and powered their way back to top five finishes in all the major contests. I still feel they should have won the World Open.

Elphaba

WWW

Edited by elphaba01
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1975 for sure!!!! With 74 right behind it.... I was reintroduced to drum corps at the Key To The Sea in 74, & I marched Glassmen in 75.... :)

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1971.

The year that changed drum corps.

You had Don Warren, Jim Jones, Gail Royer, Bill Howard and Dave Kampschroer stirring up a hornet's nest with their Midwest Combine, organizing for, of all things, the right to: be adequately compensated for keeping kids on the road and fed all summer, give fans a spitting chance to see several top corps at a show other than the national championships, spare kids inspections and focus on the artistry and competition of the actual performance, and consolidate rules so everyone could play -- and try to win -- by them.

The Cavies' Larry McCormick was pushing (more like bucking) convention with the Circus Show, and Howard's Madison Scouts were doing the same with Alice in Wonderland (starring Howard's daughter, Bonnie).

Corps out East had organized as the UJOC. A little outfit called DCI would be formed with their marriage to the Combine.

And how much did it cost to attend a show that summer? A couple bucks?

Golden days.

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Without drum corps, I wouldn't exist. My dad marched Norwood Park Imperials, my mom marched Des Plaines Vanguard, where they met each other. ( On a side note, my uncle marched Norwood Park, and then The Kilties, and my aunt marched Chicago Royal-Airs, where they met). So drum corps not only ruled my world since before I was even a possibility, but I became a possibility because of drum corps! :)

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Ok. After careful consideration, the year is absolutely 1971 - Our "Woodstock" year. We got to compete against all of the great eastern corps and many mid and western organizations. The only contest that gave us grief was the World Open that year. Over 3 points in penalties due to an exit miscue kept us out of the finals. That was ok, though because the very next day against many of the same corps at the Danny Thomas Invitational we placed fifth a half a tenth behind the Cavaliers. 27th won that show BTW. We marched in 9 shows that year from as far west as Marion, Ohio to Troy, NY. The shows were legend. CYO Nationals, U.S. Open, Blue Rock's show in Wilmington, Delaware. What a great year. Our 1971 Repertoire: Ride Of The Valkyries, West Point Alma Mater, Fistful Of Dollars, Three Blind Mice In Symphony Hall, Clementine, Woodstock, West Point Alma Mater.

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"When Contras Attack!"

Puppet

Edited by Puppet
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1971.

The year that changed drum corps.

...

Golden days.

I'll go with 1971

You had had the new style themsed shows like Garfield, Madison, Cavies...a new style of performance by SCV that led the way for the rest of the 70's, IMO...the peak of the older style with the Troopers and Blue Rock. 27th Lancers moving to the top group of corps...an amazing hornline with Argonne...Anaheim doing what they did so well....

I know I am missing some greatness..but these thnigs spring to mind..

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