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Thoughts and Questions on 1976


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Polish Falcon Cadets went from 17th at DCI prelims in '75 to 47th at DCI prelims in '76.

Does anybody have the story behind THAT epic tumble?? :tongue:

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I beg to differ, here's a roster from '76:

http://my.execpc.com/~thbolt/thbolthist.html

I didn't know execpc still existed!

From 1971:

Marquette, Mich, Aug. 7th, 1st

Menominee, Wis., Aug. 8th, 1st

Hurley, Wis., Aug. 10th, 3rd

Ishpeming, Wis., Aug. 13th, 2nd

Crystal Falls, Wis., Aug. 14th,1st

All these cities are in Michigan...

This was the first ever UP tour....it was Phantom, Guardsmen, Long Island Kingsmen, Thunderbolts and the some of the UP corps.

Anyway...from 1972 Thunderbolts' schedule:

Cedarburg Music Festival, Cedarburg, June 25th,

We were in that show...this is where the Ironwood Blue Knights played themselves off the field with "Latina." Blue Stars were laughing their butts off when they heard their arrangement! This was also where I passed a Blue Star guy and said "good show" to which he replied "f you!"

At state solo/ensemble in Oshkosh in 73, we got to see Cedarburg HS's stage band. The trumpet section were all lead sops from Thunderbolts. Those guys were wailing!!

And now, we return to 1976..............

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The fact that Madison changed virtually their entire show on the fly is also remarkable, given that they almost repeated. Anyone who marched Madison that year care to comment? You must have rehearsed 24/7. :tongue:

It was a loooooooooong summer thats for sure. Not what I had envisioned for my age out year.

The Blue Devils and SCV were both incredible that year but BD's 1976 show at the time seemed like something from the future, truly a drum corps classic.

If you've watched "1977 on the starting line" on fan network all the footage is from 1976. The shots of Madison rehearsing are from the 2 weeks of every days

(and long days at that) we did in July learning the new show. If you haven't watched it check it out, its a documentary of drum corps at the time with footage of Madison, Phantom, SCV, Blue Devils, 27, Bridgemen, and the Kilts (sorry if I missed any). You can find it under the Scouts fan network clips under the "off the field" tab, 1977.

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My twenty seven cents ....

The fact that Madison changed virtually their entire show on the fly is also remarkable, given that they almost repeated. Anyone who marched Madison that year care to comment? You must have rehearsed 24/7. :tongue:

This story has been told before, but by mid-June it was painfully evident that we had a real lemon on our hands--the "disco" show--that needed to be discarded ASAP. However, we couldn't back out of our 3-week western tour, which began around June 21: we took the disco show on the road, including our new vestalite "jelly bean" drums. While we were in California (around June 30), the corps was offically told that the disco show was to be scrapped. For the remainder of the western tour, we learned the music to "1975 Redux" by day on the bus or during daytime practices, while performing the disco show at night. We got back to Madison around July 10 and pulled out of all our mid-season shows, which were were small local shows. We went into a 2-week marathon camp in which we learned the new drill and new music to "Stars and Stripes" and "Ease on Down the Road" drum solo. If I recall, we came out with the new show at Stillwater, MN around July 31/August 1. Luckily, we were able to salvage second place at DCI. Yet, we paid a high price in that many vets didn't return in 1977.

We had the performers to repeat, but the corps didn't have its act together prorgam wise. It was a frustrating season to say the least.

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That 12th place spot could have gone to Troopers, Royal Crusaders, Garfield Cadets (remember them), Marquis or Squires. You could have added Argonne and Anaheim too. BYW, that was a great prelim to watch. Even watching some of the "A" Class corps was entertaining with Wausau, Gauchos, Emerald Buccanners (whatever happened to them), Charioteers, etc.

I believe that was the year that has the record for most corps participating at DCI.

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.......we took the disco show on the road, including our new vestalite "jelly bean" drums...

Dan - I remember our first contest against each other. Vistalite was very popular (was SCV the only Slingerland endorser that year). When I saw your drums - was it red, yellow, green?), I said to myself - what has Fred Sanford done? My dear friend is Eric Reasoner - played FH. It is always great to hear the details he went through as a rookie - and literally - Madison salvaged a season to a phenominal finish.

On the 2-7 side, 1976 wasn't all that bad. We were touring with SCV - we started to falter, they were starting to gain momentum. But, I got to compete against Bubba - sop soloist of SCV fame - in the first "hairy man" contest. If it was not a tie - then I won because I am almost a foot taller than Bubba. More height equals more surface area for folicles !!!!

In our 1976 yearbook, (with thanks to tgk2779 and A27lancer), my "will" said I was leaving behind my natural fur coat :tongue:

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Age outs! Alot from what their history states. They tried a merger with OLPH but that didn't work.

Polish Falcon Cadets went from 17th at DCI prelims in '75 to 47th at DCI prelims in '76.

Does anybody have the story behind THAT epic tumble?? :tongue:

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Here's a list of corps that competed at DCI in 1976. A "Where Are They Now" list

27th Lancers

Oakland Crusaders

Bridgemen

Seneca Optimists

Freelancers

Guardsmen

Royal Crusaders

Marquis

Squires

Argonne Rebels

Anaheim Kingsmen

Muchachos

Precisionaires

Argonauts

Commodores

Saints

North Star

Des Plaines Vanguard

General Butler Vagabonds

Geneseo Knights

Audobon Bon Bons

LI Kingsmen

Sancians

Belvederes

Royal Knights

Avant Garde

San Jose Raiders

Bleu Raders

Black Knights

Floridians

Greece Cadets

OLPH Ridgemen

CMCC Warriors

Polish Falcon Cadets

Wasau Story

Gauchos

Emerald Buccaneers

Bengal Lancers

Charioteers

Emerald KnightsPembroke Imperials

Valiant Knights

Offensive Lions

Meadowlarks

Imperial Regiment

Ct. Classics

76ers

Northern Aurora

Canadian Royalaires

Surfers

Mighty Liberators

Royal Coachmen

PAL Cadets

NY Lancers

Yankee Marauders

Silver Sabres

Black Watch

Rose City Guardsmen

Renegades (MA)

St. Ignatius Girls

Capitolaires

Firettes

Ventures

Jeanettes

St. John's Girls

Mello Dears

Socialites

Belles of St. Mary's

Those were just the corps that competed at DCI Championships in Philly

Edited by KeithHall
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The Blackhawk Voyageurs were actually a Wisconsin corps.....I'ma add them to my list. :tongue:

Was Nisei still around in '76??

I don't think they were, or if they were, they would have been doing parades only.

Are you sure Blackhawk was a Wis corps? I coulda sworn the first time I ever saw their busses was as a VFW or AL state prelims.

And yeah, '76 was a pretty good year for Vaqueros. We got beaten by them a few times, which hadn't happened before. Their parents were up in the stands borrowing the Schlitz Malt Liquor tag line about "watch our for the bull!".

Speaking of Schlitz, it's available in the Chicago market again, using the original recipe. Had some just last week ; it tastes a lot like chicken...

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