Thoughts about your 1970's DC Days

[Fastone]

My favorite instructor had to be Gus Wilkie that man could clean a horn line. William Tell tough number to play. Worst show any in 74 & 75 how we got thru those years I will never know. My best drum Corps year had to be 76 getting the corps back into finals was a great feeling. Favorite stadium had to be the Manning Bowl my first big show and we get on the field and the place is packed all around the stadium. Winning the 73 World Open and making finals in 76 had to be the best shows.

Not only was Gus a great horn instructor, he was a person that always had a kind word and a smile. He is definitely missed

[overthehillDM]

THE TIME: The early '70's was an exciting time for Drum Corps. You saw the end of the VFW/AL control of Drum Corps and the start of Drum Corps International or DCI which allowed Drum Corps to blossom to much of what you see today. New exciting shows like Madison Scouts (Alice in Wonderland) and Santa Clara Vanguard (Fiddler on the Roof) started to appear and that changed the face of strictly military bearing drum corps shows to new entertaining productions. Entertaining shows that wowed the audience that were complete productions versus a bunch of known songs thrown together to make up a show. Pre-show inspections became a thing of the past (remember spit shined shoes and boots!). Crowds started to get more excited about Drum Corps - they quickly adapted to the new changes.

BEST PLACE: In the early '70's (IMHO) Racine, WI seemed to be the defacto mecca for Drum Corps as the crowds there were like none I'd ever seen before (or since). The Racine crowd either loved you or they hated you and they didn't hide their feelings in the least bit. If your Corps was on that night the crowd would go absolutely berserk. I'm talking standing on your seat spilling beer screaming at the top of your lungs nuts! Close on the heels of Racine, WI was the World Open in Mass. It was a great time to be in Drum Corps!

-Jesse

I agree! Racine went berserk for us in 77! And the World Open, (Manning Bowl/Lynn, Mass.) was right up there, as well!!!

Absolutely LOVED performing/competing in both locales!!!

[john2780]

Best Instructor: Zingali, many were great but George was in a league of his own

Favorite Music: 1975 SCV's Chava Ballet

Besides having the time of my life, meeting some of the best people on God's green earth ( including but not limited to

all with whom I marched, Tansea, OvertheHilllDM, Hydrodrill ( Hi Rick)) , being blessed enough to have great parents and surrounded by the caring and nurturing adults in my corps. learning that hard work does pay, the 1970's were GREAT ...Ok skip DISCO

1975 was my first year in a DCI level corps and I will still never forget when we won DCI West in Boise, Idaho. I just kept saying to people we can't beat Santa Clara, this has to be a dream. Yes 1975 was a great year althougth my last year in the corps (1980) wasn't too bad either

Lasting memories:

1975 Nationals

1977 CYO

an improptu party behind the high school in Edmonton, Alberta Canada with SCV.

Virginia Beach

1980 DCI EAST

GREAT TIMES

Thansk to all,

John

Edited November 23, 2008 by john2780

[MikeD]

Two dates come to mind that you, Mike might recall of 1971. June 5th and 6th.

The first could have been your 3rd or 4th show of the year - it was our first.

It was the day we introduced our full Woodstock Show. The second I believe was Blue Rock's home show. From your rep of that year which included many Americana pieces, I vividly recall Charles Ives' Variations On America and (although I can't remember which night) a horrific lightning storm which began just as we were going into our "riot" sequence.

For you historians - Garfield took 1st, we took 2nd at both shows.

I always loved watching St Rita's. You folks had great shows...not to pander to you, but I always admired your mello section...you had such great parts and played the heck out of them. The gas masks...the siren...great stuff. Given your uni colors and brass style, I always compared you folks to The Skyliners in sound...which at that time was a good thing!

Loved the Woodstock show...we both had VERY innovative show that year. The Ives piece was our concert number as part of the Revolutionary War show....it transitioned into "Battle Hymn" segment which was our Peace Sign music in 71.

Just prior to the Ives was or own 'War' sequence where the sops played the colonists and the rest of the brass the British. The end of that number was "Taps" played by the single sop player who remained standing after the battle.

What sticks in my head is later that year at the CYO Nationals in Lynn we came in 10th & 12th with virtually the same scores as at that 2nd show in Wilmington.

Confession: There were a few corps we were really gunning for that year: Garfield, The Crusaders, Blue Rock and Blessed Sacrament were the Eastern corps on that list. Corps who had beaten us from our St. Joseph Patron Cadet days.

BS had tailed off by 1971, I was sad to see. They were my personal favorite corps growing up through the 60's, but the 1971 "King and I" show was a far cry from their peak years. I think the folding ot St Lucy's after 1969 helped keep them strong in 1970; they did VERY well by the end of the season.

Blue Rock was the top of the East in 71; that was a magical year for them. I read a post once from a person in Blue Rock that they had sort of focussed on 1971 as being "their year", as they had a lot of age-outs who had been with them for a bunch of years. I know they looked old to us...we were VERY young as compared to them. We used to joke about their members bringing their wives and kids to the shows. We only beat them once, I think, at the Shriners, because they had received penalties for something or other.

27th was number 2 in the East...my favorite corps after my own. A great bunch of members...they housed us and we housed them when we visited each others area.

Those of us in the Mellophone section - my very best friends those years, Joe Luginsland, Reginald Henry and Michael Arato, really wanted to see you guys at the World Open but somehow we fell apart with massive penalties and never got to the finals and a couple of days later we thought we would pull it together at the Danny Thomas but I think you guys headed to the Midwest for the U.S. Open (could be wrong there!)

I forget why we did not attend the Danny Thmas, but you might be right on that. That WO was a very good show for us....we ended up 6th.

And I told that story to say there were very close revelries up and down the east coast. But in a good way.

Nothing like the early 70's and that takes car of 1971.

Yes, there were great rivalries back then...but for most of us all in a good way.

[KeithHall]

Here's another...

We did this show in Hammondsport, NY. We get to the field and the back line (where we started from) is on the edge of one of the Finger Lakes (maybe Seneca, I don't know). The judges sat on top of a fire truck and we beat Imperial Regiment and win the show. I don't remember who else was there, maybe Barons of Stueben, but I am not sure.

Our rivalry was always with Lakeview Shoreliners/Imperial Regiment back then and it was a healthy rivalry too.

We had an instructor the lasted a short time who kept saying, "I want to win!" One day someone hands him the horn and says, "then here you play and show us how to do it!" I don't think the guy was a brass player.

Finally, early 70's the corps hires this guy who was winning championships with a local drill team. He was to write our drill and he starts placing people in spots...problem....he doesn't have any drill charts! Then we hear, "I wanna do a Troopers sunburst!" We break for lunch and return to find that he was fired and our brass instructor wrote the drill.

[dc oldtimer]

OK, I'll bite, what was the Muchacho incident?

The short version:

Several corps knew Muchachos were marching overaged members. Cavaliers had the proof. We provided the proof after their 75 prelim performance, and they were disqualified. Lets just say that we were not very welcome on the east coast for many years after that. Urban myth says they won prelims that year but the score sheets were destroyed. Other rumors had them in 4th.

The Long version:

http://www.drumcorpsplanet.com/forums/inde...pic=15292&h

Edited November 21, 2008 by dc oldtimer

[cavies79]

My favorite year 1979- Year I marched with Cavaliers.

Favorite Instructor(s)- Dallas Niermeyer (when he was with us), Gus Barbaro (drumline instructor/ writer), and Steve Brubaker (guard). Even though I wasn't taught by Gus or Steve, I remember them very fondly. Steve started his magic that year with the guard and eventually drill. Both Gus and Dallas were very involved in getting the corps back into finals. The rest is history. Even though Jeff Fiedler was DM, he was very much like an instructor to us. He was already involved with marching fundamentals and recruitment. As we all know, he went on to help the corps develop to what they are today.

Place to be- I enjoyed competing in my hometown (Canton, Illinois). For me, it was a very neat thing to march in my hometown.

Memorable event- One in particular was the state VFW Championships. We were announced in second place and I remember another corps (Guardsmen) celebrating and exciting about defeating us. As it turned out, the scores were wrong. We actually won and we were congratulated by the guard. I don't remember if the brass or drums congratulated us. About a week later, Guardsmen actually defeated us and never looked back.

[Hydrodrill]

I agree! Racine went berserk for us in 77! And the World Open, (Manning Bowl/Lynn, Mass.) was right up there, as well!!!

Absolutely LOVED performing/competing in both locales!!!

I agree with you Jim !!!!!! and after the competetion relaxing and enjoying a cold frostee (beer) with friends in our corp and other corps.

I do remember this day like it was yesterday..... We (the Bridgemen) traveled all night to get to this show hehe i forgot where it was...

we were late and they held the show for us so we could compete....we aside that it was a day show and about a zillion degrees out, I remember gettting off the bus feeling like crap......had to dress fast, warm up fast and get on the field......well by this time i was getting dizzy and really feeling like crap.....the year was 1978 and we set up in the arc's in the opener, Jimmy (DM) said mark time march and thats all i remember......I passed out like a 6-4 250lb _________ !!!!!! you guys can fill the blank in LOL....

Next thing i know im in a building with cold AC with ice all over me and i started to feel good and who do i see walking past ? well that would be my pal from the 27th lancers John Mauro (sp) and in his Boston accent said to me that when i was done laying around in here he has some cold beers waiting ........ needless to say i was up and out for sure lolol i dont remember who won that show, but I do remember who my friends are !!!!!

Drumcorps..........if i had to do my life all over, I would do it all over again !!!!!!

For all you youngsters out there legal drinking age in 1978 was 18

Rick Tabor #3

Edited November 21, 2008 by Hydrodrill

[dc oldtimer]

Memorable event- One in particular was the state VFW Championships. We were announced in second place and I remember another corps (Guardsmen) celebrating and exciting about defeating us. As it turned out, the scores were wrong. We actually won and we were congratulated by the guard. I don't remember if the brass or drums congratulated us. About a week later, Guardsmen actually defeated us and never looked back.

Ya, but where are they now???? I have a little bit of a grudge against The Guardsmen. They kicked me out a bunch of their practices. I guess I shouldn't have worn my corps jacket when hitting on their women.

[Puppet]

OK - I've probably done this before but if you'd like to see our OTL from 1971 here's a link to my photobucket.

http://s198.photobucket.com/albums/aa24/gr...heValkeries.flv

Not the greatest quality but the sound's pretty good. Remember this was 1971 technology.

Puppet