Best "Production Number" ever!

[TomPeashey]

I see they've added choices available for voting... makes me feel much better...

As one of the French Horns at the Brigadier rehearsal when Brad Longdo taught it to us... I obviously have a soft spot for Saddle... Its importance though (not just as a French Horn feature) was really brought out by Corky Fabrizio who did two things... First, he expanded the arrangement and made it a lot more interesting and second, he marketed the heck out of it to high school bands everywhere... (and gave it to Casper too)

But that was the importance.... one tune became a bridge over troubled waters that was the draw that brought many bands people into drum corps.... It was one of the most important happenings in drum corps and set the stage for the early success of DCI... during a period when 7 or 8 out of 10 high school band directors would tell their kids to avoid drum corps at all costs because it'll "screw up your embroucher and teach you all kinds of bad habits"... Saddle brought drum corps into main stream competitive bands... within a few short years, they were imitating drum corps... and doors opened... that had been closed...

[fecontra]

I see they've added choices available for voting... makes me feel much better...

Sorry about the snafu Tom , I mistakingly thought from the instructions that others could add poll choices.

My first drum corps contest was the 1964 Dream , and although not a traditional in your face production number, IMHO " Black Saddle " had the same effect but done in a subtle manner ( compare the french horns rhythm in Black Saddle with Sky's Miserlou ). The brass and percussion arrangement was entrancing ( another way of overwhelming )!

1964 was not a very memorible year for the senior activity , and I was told not to expect much by the folks I was with - three memories i came away with that day 0- 1 Sac warming up under the stands 2 St Kevins - OMG and 3 Black Saddle becoming a lifetime earworm and also - Cabs were unbelievingly good!

[K2SMA]

While I found myself voting for Y-R's Requium, a favorite I didn't see was Crusaders' The Lord's Prayer from '71, which could also be considered a color pre, though I remember it being used as a closer. Perhaps Tom can comment. Was that Corky's chart or something that Dr. Jack had done?

Edited March 4, 2011 by K2SMA

[TomPeashey]

If we're thinking of the same piece - the Australian nun's version that was a #1 hit on the charts - it was 74 and 75 definitely Jack Bullock's arrangement... the color pre in 71 I believe was Battle Hymn... then they kept it for 72 and 73... Corky was 71 and 72 when Vince got him the band director's job at Aquinas Institute...

Were you still in Brigs with me in 71 or had you already left? I of course, was back with Cru for 72 and the rest of that decade...

[Ray Priester]

Interesting, 4 of the selections were arranged and taught by alumni of the SKYLINERS!

Flamenco Cha Cha and Walk on the Wild Side - were done by Jumpin' Joe himself, Joe Genero

Miserlou and Elks - were from the pen of the Master Himself, Hy Dreitzer.

All of the selections in the poll are very good examples of music that gets the crowd on its feet and going wild. There should be a vote for "All of the above".

Just sayin'.

[Fran Haring]

All of the selections in the poll are very good examples of music that gets the crowd on its feet and going wild. There should be a vote for "All of the above".

Great point, Ray.

Different music, different styles, different corps... but all of those tunes were crowd-pleasers.

[Fossil50]

Great point, Ray.

Different music, different styles, different corps... but all of those tunes were crowd-pleasers.

If you factor in the "test of time" Flamenco and Elks are still played today.

[Fran Haring]

If you factor in the "test of time" Flamenco and Elks are still played today.

And the Sun Reunion Ensemble has revived The Joker.

[fecontra]

.

All of the selections in the poll are very good examples of music that gets the crowd on its feet and going wild. There should be a vote for "All of the above".

Just sayin'.

An Outstanding choice - All of the above added to poll!

[K2SMA]

Were you still in Brigs with me in 71 or had you already left? I of course, was back with Cru for 72 and the rest of that decade...

No, sorry to say I was not. '71 was my first year in the activity, shortly after my graduation. Was working at a small radio station in, of all places, Reading, PA, when I heard about the DCA contest there in August. That was my first show. My only other exposure had been seeing the Caballeros playing at a Jets' game at Shea in the fall of '70. I vaguely remember the Cabs were featured at halftime with Doc Severinsen, which would make sense since the AFL/AFC games were on NBC at the time.

I didn't join the Brigs until their re-organization in 1991.