Questions for the Dinos!

[sax1210]

Watched a few 70's shows today and I have some questions that I'm sure many members of the helpful DCP community can answer (not sarcasm)

1. Why did the judge shoot a pistol into the air during the Scouts 75 show? (1 minute warning???)

2. What is a color pre?

3. When did the mark time go "out of fashion"?

4. What was the first year pit was on the sideline?

5. What type of horn was used in the 70's?

6. What was the horn line size (on average)?

7. How are most of the hornlines and marching percussion so darn loud?

Most of these questions are pertaining to 70's drum corps.

Please help edumacate me.

Edited September 4, 2010 by sax1210

[monoemono]

Watched a few 70's shows today and I have some questions that I'm sure many members of the helpful DCP community can answer (not sarcasm)

1. Why did the judge shoot a pistol into the air during the Scouts 75 show? (1 minute warning???)

2. What is a color pre?

3. When did the mark time go "out of fashion"?

4. What was the first year pit was on the sideline?

5. What type of horn was used in the 70's?

6. What was the horn line size (on average)?

7. How are most of the hornlines and marching percussion so darn loud?

Most of these questions are pertaining to 70's drum corps.

I'm sure you'll get some good responses in this forum, but there may be others in the historical forum that can help that don't venture over here. Might not want to call them "dinos" over there in their hood, though!

[sax1210]

I'm sure you'll get some good responses in this forum, but there may be others in the historical forum that can help that don't venture over here. Might not want to call them "dinos" over there in their hood, though!

I meant absolutely no offense by calling them dinos. As noted by emoticon.

[wvu80]

Watched a few 70's shows today and I have some questions that I'm sure many members of the helpful DCP community can answer (not sarcasm)

1. Why did the judge shoot a pistol into the air during the Scouts 75 show? (1 minute warning???)

The gun shot signaled the end of the on-field judging. If you look carefully you will see judges hold their clipboards straight up in the air and they immediately leave the field.

2. What is a color pre?

3. When did the mark time go "out of fashion"?

About 1980.

4. What was the first year pit was on the sideline?

I'm going to say about 1978. At that time pit equipment had to be carried onto the field by a marching member and carried off, but for the first time they could ground their instrument. It was loudly denounced by some fans as "the end of drum corps."

5. What type of horn was used in the 70's?

Two valve horns in the key of G. One piston valve and one rotary valve. The traditional two-valve piston bugle became legal in 1977. This newer 2 valve horn was widely acclaimed by all who heard them.

6. What was the horn line size (on average)?

62 to 66 for a full-sized corps of 128.

7. How are most of the hornlines and marching percussion so darn loud?

The emphasis musically was on volume, so hornlines overblew a LOT producing a very crass sound. Also, not all of the corps were that loud. Just a few of the top corps and some noteable exceptions produced a rip your ears off sound. The 1981 champion Santa Clara Vanguard was probably about the 4th loudest corps that year. The 2nd place 1980 27th Lancers were probably about 5th or 6th most loud.

Actually, I remember drum lines playing clean, NOT loud. The exception was the early 80's Bridgemen who did both.

Most of these questions are pertaining to 70's drum corps.

[/quote

I bet you get a lot of responses to your questions, from people who have fading memories about how good the "good 'ol days" really were. Not every corps was a Blue Devils or Spirit of Atlanta in terms of sheer power.

Edited September 4, 2010 by wvu80

[Abbevillekid26]

I'm a youngster as well but from what my caption head told me back in the day they shot a pistol when just GE was being judged so corps would blow their balls off, or something to that effect.

[jimwolf359]

Watched a few 70's shows today and I have some questions that I'm sure many members of the helpful DCP community can answer (not sarcasm)

1. Why did the judge shoot a pistol into the air during the Scouts 75 show? (1 minute warning???)

2. What is a color pre?

3. When did the mark time go "out of fashion"?

4. What was the first year pit was on the sideline?

5. What type of horn was used in the 70's?

6. What was the horn line size (on average)?

7. How are most of the hornlines and marching percussion so darn loud?

Most of these questions are pertaining to 70's drum corps.

1. Pistol Double Shot at 11:30 mark is end of execution judging. Show length was 11:30-13:00 minutes.

2-Color Presentation was, literally presenting the US Flag. Up thru 1972 it was a required element in a Corp's show.

3-See Garfield Cadets, 1983 (I kid, I kid) It happened as show design and music became more complex.

4-Pits began to appear about 1978 with just the Tympani being grounded on the Field. Not everyone did this at first, by 1982 (?) it was written into the rules.

5-G bugles. When I marched, they were a two valve instrument, horizontal piston valve, rotary valve, starting in 1977 two piston vertical valve.

6-Horn line size in what was then Open Class was probably around 60-68. There were smaller lines that I remember. Smallest one I ever saw was Freelancers in 1976 when they made finals the first time. I think I counted 44 Brass.

7-Show design was simpler and the design of the instruments, especially brass really allowed for it. As for Percussion, they basically marched up and down the middle of the field in formation and "parked it" for the Perc. Feature.

Hope this helps.

[Blackstar]

As far as the low mark time it Bobby Hoffmen and the Bridgemen were the first to use it. I think around 77 or 78. When they changed to the Yellow raincoats and pimp hats.....

And the gun during the 75 Madison show was to singal surrunder by the other corps because they blew everyone away...

[lindap]

I'm a youngster as well but from what my caption head told me back in the day they shot a pistol when just GE was being judged so corps would blow their balls off, or something to that effect.

wvu80 had good answers including 'The gun shot signaled the end of the on-field judging. If you look carefully you will see judges hold their clipboards straight up in the air and they immediately leave the field.'

On-field judges were done judging after the last starters pistol but GE judges got the lions share of post show wow which lasted about a minute! Makes the modern day pre-show seem like a little kitten, meow ;-)

[LSU GRAD 82]

7. How are most of the hornlines and marching percussion so darn loud?

G Bugles, snare drums with mylar heads and real BASS drums. (Not 16, 18 and 20 inch vertical tenor drums)

BTW, T-Rex's and Raptors didn't play nice. They didn't care about the feelings of other dinosaurs. When they were hungry, they killed whatever they wanted and ate it. Lots of Drum Corps "Dinos" are hungry for real D & BC again. I think it's way past time for a "Dino" drum corps feeding frenzy if you get my drift. Old School people are TR's and R's. Current "Marching musical theater/marching band on Steroids" people are Barney and Dino. (From the Flinstones).........

[Tim Coffey]

Watched a few 70's shows today and I have some questions that I'm sure many members of the helpful DCP community can answer (not sarcasm)

1. Why did the judge shoot a pistol into the air during the Scouts 75 show? (1 minute warning???)

The gun shot signaled the end of the on-field judging. If you look carefully you will see judges hold their clipboards straight up in the air and they immediately leave the field.

..and Bridgemen 1981 worked it into their show "West Side Story" so that the judge pistol was the sound effect for Tony being shot.

2. What is a color pre?

Presentation of the colors, ie, American Flag

3. When did the mark time go "out of fashion"?

About 1980.

I would say sometime after that

4. What was the first year pit was on the sideline?

I'm going to say about 1978. At that time pit equipment had to be carried onto the field by a marching member and carried off, but for the first time they could ground their instrument. It was loudly denounced by some fans as "the end of drum corps."

Try 1982. Full decked out pits weren't until about 1985 though

5. What type of horn was used in the 70's?

Two valve horns in the key of G. One piston valve and one rotary valve. The traditional two-valve piston bugle became legal in 1977. This newer 2 valve horn was widely acclaimed by all who heard them.

6. What was the horn line size (on average)?

62 to 66 for a full-sized corps of 128.

7. How are most of the hornlines and marching percussion so darn loud?

The emphasis musically was on volume, so hornlines overblew a LOT producing a very crass sound. Also, not all of the corps were that loud. Just a few of the top corps and some noteable exceptions produced a rip your ears off sound. The 1981 champion Santa Clara Vanguard was probably about the 4th loudest corps that year. The 2nd place 1980 27th Lancers were probably about 5th or 6th most loud.

Actually, I remember drum lines playing clean, NOT loud. The exception was the early 80's Bridgemen who did both.

The drums, and specifically the snares, were louder due to a 14 or 15 inch drum (not 13) - plus the heads were not so tight such that it rebounded the stick so much. Less rebound = more power from the arm goes into producing actual drum sound

Most of these questions are pertaining to 70's drum corps.

I bet you get a lot of responses to your questions, from people who have fading memories about how good the "good 'ol days" really were. Not every corps was a Blue Devils or Spirit of Atlanta in terms of sheer power.