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1979 Blue Stars


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Wasn't Russ Mikkelson with them? He was my band director at SUNY Fredonia in 1997 then went on to Ohio State...he and I were the same age too

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OK, I've been listening to the old cassettes again...

1979 Blue Stars. WOW! If I had to pick a show that represented DCI in the mid-late '70s this would be it. A couple of "signature" tunes (St. Louis Blues and Strike up the Band, you knew it was the Blue Stars), Birdland, La Fiesta (sorry Sam, I know you love the '84 BD version best, but when I first heard you guys on tour, it almost felt like a tribute to the '79 Blue Stars version!), and ending with one of the best of like 11 versions of Children of Sanchez heard that year.

Honestly, if space aliens abducted me and wanted to find out about drum corps from that era, '79 blue stars is what I would play for them. Give it a listen!

BTW, that is the last year Blue Stars made DCI finals!

:thumbup:

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I marched with a guy in the Kingsmen Alumni that aged out with the Blue Stars in '79. He told me of the tortuous exercises and "windbag" preparation that went into that ###### hornline. Those boys could blow! :thumbup:

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Wasn't Russ Mickelson with them that year?

OK, I've been listening to the old cassettes again...

1979 Blue Stars. WOW! If I had to pick a show that represented DCI in the mid-late '70s this would be it. A couple of "signature" tunes (St. Louis Blues and Strike up the Band, you knew it was the Blue Stars), Birdland, La Fiesta (sorry Sam, I know you love the '84 BD version best, but when I first heard you guys on tour, it almost felt like a tribute to the '79 Blue Stars version!), and ending with one of the best of like 11 versions of Children of Sanchez heard that year.

Honestly, if space aliens abducted me and wanted to find out about drum corps from that era, '79 blue stars is what I would play for them. Give it a listen!

BTW, that is the last year Blue Stars made DCI finals!

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Wasn't Russ Mickelson with them that year?

Actually 1978 was his last year marching with them. I believe he was the guy who stood on the podium at the start of the show with the sop solo before the Jewish medley. Great player...I had the honor of playing with him at the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire.

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A couple of quick corrections....just because I was there. :worthy:

The fist pump run on was in 78.

Russ marched one year in 1977. He was the sop soloist that opened up the show when we did the the Jewish medley for the opener. He also was the sop in the Backwoods Sideman duet.

For any of you BoA fans, one of the sop soloists in 78 was Brett Johnson. He is better known for being the band director at The Woodlands High School for many many years.

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