Northern Thunder Posted October 1, 2014 Share Posted October 1, 2014 Are you implying that Tony may have had too much to drink on ocassion? All we need to know was the year that Tony made the infamous introduction..... "From Trooper, Wyoming.......The Caspers!" 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 All we need to know was the year that Tony made the infamous introduction..... "From Trooper, Wyoming.......The Caspers!" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jNNFqQODKE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajlisko Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 ... and check out his announcement of Blessed Sacrament at the 61 VFW in Miami ... sounds like he's falling asleep as he introduces them ... hilarious ... :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuStu Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 (edited) There were on and off rumors about 27th folding when staff members began leaving in the 1980's, but the rumors were squelched when Avant Guard and Memphis Blues folded and the members of these corps entered 27th's ranks. I think fans believed that if 27th did not make finals a second year in a row it would be the end, but it looked somewhat likely 27th would sneak in finals in 1986 since they had previously placed ahead of Troopers, Star, and VK, but late season bus failures led to a lack of practice time which in turn led to a close, but not high enough score in semi's. It was after semi's they heard they would disband which is why the had the signs for finals. People I knew who marched in 86 who claimed to have been surprised by the news said the bus ride home from finals was like a funeral, outside of the corps people were not surprised though I think we all hoped that this corps which survived all kinds of challenges would survive. Sadly it did not. A spot-on summary. One additional point - 27th gained several members from Pride of Cincinnati as well. The collapse at the end of the season was even more bitter when compared to the high hopes we had the prior winter. Having come in 13th, the corps was very hungry to regain a spot in finals. And, this was the era when Star's epic debut made corporate sponsorship a hot topic. During the winter the story was the corps found a benefactor called Gibbs Oil Company (IIRC). We were going to have all new equipment, new buses, etc. Add to that the change to the "Broadway" style, with a horn book by Frank Dorritie, drums with Charlie Poole, drill by Marc Sylvester, and visual consulting with George Zingali, and we were psyched for the return of the Beast of the East. Needless to say, the funds never materialized and we were back to struggling to make it down the road. The worst of it came when we had to make the drive from Pittsburgh to Bloomington, In, with the members crammed into two buses. We had no staff and no food, and arrived at the show late thus incurring a penalty. We got ourselves ready, warmed up and made it to the field all on our own. It was not our best performance, but #### it we made it. Ending up in 13th for the second year in a row was bad enough. However, after we returned to our housing we learned the future of the organization was in question. That was crushing. One of our props that year was a large curtain that stretched out over the corps. (White ... a blank page of canvas. His favorite. So many ... possibilities) I was one of the two members who gathered the curtain and carried it off after each performance. On Saturday before finals, we went nuts on the curtain with spray paint, signing our names and wishing the world goodbye. It said something like "We've given all we have ... we have nothing left to give." Some members propped it up backfield during the show. I'll have to find my pictures. Geeze, now I'm all depressed again. (The one redeeming grace from finals that year is the drinking age in Wisconsin was still 18, and thus I was able to buy beer legally for the first time.) It was a tough, tough experience but I wouldn't trade a minute of it for anything. Amazing people. Edited October 2, 2014 by StuStu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elphaba01 Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 (edited) Hard to imagine anybody messin' with the Big Green Band at VFW's, but by 61 they didn't have the strangle hold on that contest they were accustomed to in the 40's and 50's. "Big Green Band": Yes, St Vinnie's was the "Big Green Band, and also the Big Green Wave". By 1961 the corps was slipping from their exhalted National Champion editions of the 1950's and suffering scores and placements far behind rivals Blessed Sacrament and the Garfield Cadets. The corps was disbanded in the Fall of 1961 with a large chunk of their membership (Along with director/drill instructor Mickey Petrone) to the Newark Woodsiders. Their upset of the Garfield Cadets at Bergenfield NJ in September of that year was pretty much their "Parting Shot" 1. 88.30 Blessed Sacrament 1. 88.30 St Catherine's Queensmen 3. 85.20 St Vincents Cadets 4. 85.10 Garfield Cadets 5. 81.90 Bracken Cavaliers Elphaba WWW Edited October 2, 2014 by elphaba01 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajlisko Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 >>The corps was disbanded in the Fall of 1961 with a large chunk of their membership (Along with director/drill instructor Mickey Petrone) to the Newark Woodsiders.<< ... including snare drummer extraordinaire Charlie Aikens (RIP) who then went onto the Ballentine Brewers and eventually spent a year with the Cabs in 69 ... he was a mainstay of the NY Metro I&E shows in the early/mid 60's ... played left hand independents like nobody's business in those days ... :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHRISP Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 There were on and off rumors about 27th folding when staff members began leaving in the 1980's, but the rumors were squelched when Avant Guard and Memphis Blues folded and the members of these corps entered 27th's ranks. I think fans believed that if 27th did not make finals a second year in a row it would be the end, but it looked somewhat likely 27th would sneak in finals in 1986 since they had previously placed ahead of Troopers, Star, and VK, but late season bus failures led to a lack of practice time which in turn led to a close, but not high enough score in semi's. It was after semi's they heard they would disband which is why the had the signs for finals. People I knew who marched in 86 who claimed to have been surprised by the news said the bus ride home from finals was like a funeral, outside of the corps people were not surprised though I think we all hoped that this corps which survived all kinds of challenges would survive. Sadly it did not. True. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHRISP Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 A spot-on summary. One additional point - 27th gained several members from Pride of Cincinnati as well. The collapse at the end of the season was even more bitter when compared to the high hopes we had the prior winter. Having come in 13th, the corps was very hungry to regain a spot in finals. And, this was the era when Star's epic debut made corporate sponsorship a hot topic. During the winter the story was the corps found a benefactor called Gibbs Oil Company (IIRC). We were going to have all new equipment, new buses, etc. Add to that the change to the "Broadway" style, with a horn book by Frank Dorritie, drums with Charlie Poole, drill by Marc Sylvester, and visual consulting with George Zingali, and we were psyched for the return of the Beast of the East. Needless to say, the funds never materialized and we were back to struggling to make it down the road. The worst of it came when we had to make the drive from Pittsburgh to Bloomington, In, with the members crammed into two buses. We had no staff and no food, and arrived at the show late thus incurring a penalty. We got ourselves ready, warmed up and made it to the field all on our own. It was not our best performance, but #### it we made it. Ending up in 13th for the second year in a row was bad enough. However, after we returned to our housing we learned the future of the organization was in question. That was crushing. One of our props that year was a large curtain that stretched out over the corps. (White ... a blank page of canvas. His favorite. So many ... possibilities) I was one of the two members who gathered the curtain and carried it off after each performance. On Saturday before finals, we went nuts on the curtain with spray paint, signing our names and wishing the world goodbye. It said something like "We've given all we have ... we have nothing left to give." Some members propped it up backfield during the show. I'll have to find my pictures. Geeze, now I'm all depressed again. (The one redeeming grace from finals that year is the drinking age in Wisconsin was still 18, and thus I was able to buy beer legally for the first time.) It was a tough, tough experience but I wouldn't trade a minute of it for anything. Amazing people. One of the saddest days of my life. There were also several members from Long Island Kingsmen in 27th in 85 and 86. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Florida Sun Posted October 3, 2014 Share Posted October 3, 2014 Chris, whats the true story of why the L.I ,Kingsmen Folded?I 've heard many but who know's if there for real Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gsksun4 Posted October 3, 2014 Share Posted October 3, 2014 (edited) "Big Green Band": Yes, St Vinnie's was the "Big Green Band, and also the Big Green Wave". By 1961 the corps was slipping from their exhalted National Champion editions of the 1950's and suffering scores and placements far behind rivals Blessed Sacrament and the Garfield Cadets. The corps was disbanded in the Fall of 1961 with a large chunk of their membership (Along with director/drill instructor Mickey Petrone) to the Newark Woodsiders. This is for Elphaba01 and Andy L. The Woodsiders, a most powerful corps with great uniforms and members. It was fall, either 63 or 64 and The Penn-Jersey Championship at Newark Schools Stadium had just ended, with corps milling about. Bob Bunce was working brass for both Woodsiders and Selden Cadets. Bunce gave the Woodsiders Fantasy Fanfare and we were already using it for out of concert. He gathered both horn lines (I'll say maybe 60 horns if it was 1964, whatever) and conducted the loudest fanfare I've ever heard. Ears were ringing throughout the land of Newark and smiles were everywhere. Those were great times, I loved that stadium. Edited October 6, 2014 by gsksun4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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