Didn't the entire Top 12 used to be live?

[elphaba01]

"DCI Telecasts":

The "Pay Per View" was a disater. We went to a restuarant in Philly for this one. The broadcast was interupted by "Bad Weather" so frequently that at "Mid Point" (when NJN picked up the top 6), the management switched over to the PBS channel for the rest of the night.

This was the year of the Championships being held in Mississippi, with Madison being rained on.

The 1975 broadcast was the first, and carried live performances of all the Fianlists. The question of the Hawthorne Muchachos DQ (and subsequent absence from Finals & the telecast) was dodged all evening by the 'Broadcast team" and was not addressed until the booing for the Chicago Cavaliers drowned out their commentary.

The cheers for Muchacho Jeff Kievet accepting his first place trophy for indy soprano bugle were the loudest of the night. There is a great picture of this on his website.

Elphaba

[mistertoo]

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Edited July 14, 2006 by mistertoo

[FrankBeMe]

Well, I don't remember watching the top 12 live but I do remember seeing highlights of the top 12 in '82. I'm trying to remember if the '81 Whitewater broadcast ("That was cool" Carmine Apiece) were highlights or the whole show.

I know sometime in the mid to late 80s they started showing the top 5 live.

Whitewater 81 was taped....but it was the entire show. It was broadcast instead of the championships.

Before, from 75 through 80 it was live with the entire top 12 full shows

[SaraNYC]

OK, but I'm asking about before '82. Specifically, 1979 and and '80, and any years before that. The point being that at one time, the PBS telecast featured every single corps' performance in its entirety. Then, in the early '80s, they began whittling away at that, gradually easing into more of a "highlights" format.

Can any old-timers remember back that far? I'd like to think I'm not making all this up.

I remember watching the entire DCI top 12 on PBS, specifically 1979 and 1980.

My first exposure to DCI was a SCV promo by one of my jr high band directors in 1976/77. I was hooked at a young age, but being down in Southern Indiana, had no corps to march with.

Then one time when I was at band camp... No, seriously - my freshman year at band camp in 1979 they reminded us to watch the drum corps show on PBS because of some alum and a current band member might be performing if they made top 12. That current band member was a female trombone player/flag girl who would have been my "senior" and initiating me at band camp had she been there instead of at DCI. "Thank god for drum corps", I thought, "Better check it out". For the next few years everytime Drum Corps was on PBS, I would settle down for the night in front of the TV and not let anyone change the channel.

BTW, the corps that person was with? Oakland Crusaders. No, she wasn't Sue our topic starter, but I'm sure she was someone Sue drug along to the corps with her.

And LancerFi says:

I believe from 1975 to 1980 it was telecast live. Of 79 & 80 I am sure. In 80 in live time I did that interview with Zingali right after coming off the field and indeed our fans, friends and family members, etc. who did not make the trip saw the whole show. As well, our very sick rifle watched it from her hospital bed in Birmigham just prior to her surgery.

Was that when he was in his plaid suit jacket? That is my most enduring memory of George Z. I remember that interview I think. A little off topic, but in Feb at our first Star Alumni camp, when the drums and horns got together for the first time in the gym and played, a friend of mine and fellow 1985er came over and said "Can't you just hear George now? Jesus, Mary and Bobby!! Are you sh!tting me?!?!?!

[byline]

[quote name='SaraNYC' date='May 7 2004, 02:37 PM']BTW, the corps that person was with?  Oakland Crusaders.  No, she wasn't Sue our topic starter, but I'm sure she was someone Sue drug along to the corps with her.[/quote]
Actually, if I'm thinking of the right person, this would have been [b]1978[/b], my first year in Oakland. And the person you're talking about is Joanne, right? Honestly, it wasn't me who dragged her up there. Actually, she and I were dragged--well, coaxed is really a better word--north of the border by Beth Linn, a talented musician and guard person. (Beth is a year older than me, and we were all in high school band together, so that's how we knew each other. Both Beth and I were university students by that time, but Joanne, who I believe is a year younger than me, was still in high school.)

Here's how it went: Beth made Phantom's guard in '78, but as time went by, she found she couldn't swing the expenses of traveling to camp, plus university tuition and expenses, plus car payments, so she had to quit. Not a happy decision for her, believe me. But right around the time she left Phantom, she got a call from Joel Alleyne asking if she was still interested in marching guard in Oakland. It would just be a matter of driving up in May, after classes were over, and staying for the summer. That was a much more manageable situation for her, in terms of finances. There were still several guard spots open, so Joel asked Beth to bring anyone else with her she could think of. And that's how I ended up marching drum corps . . . and guard, for the first time in my life. So I owe all my drum corps/guard experiences to Beth. Of the three of us, I was the only one who went back to Oakland until I aged out. And, as a result of that experience, I ended up teaching guard for 14 years. I don't know what Joanne is doing these days, but I believe Beth is still teaching guard.

Edited May 7, 2004 by byline

[SaraNYC]

Oh yeah!!! You're right Sue. Joanne was class of '79, so my freshman year was 1978-79. Band camp would have been August 1978. Duh.

So 1978 was the first year I watched finals on PBS.

[JeromeyBush]

Was that when he was in his plaid suit jacket? That is my most enduring memory of George Z. I remember that interview I think. A little off topic, but in Feb at our first Star Alumni camp, when the drums and horns got together for the first time in the gym and played, a friend of mine and fellow 1985er came over and said "Can't you just hear George now? Jesus, Mary and Bobby!! Are you sh!tting me?!?!?!

I remember that jacket too,but that quote is SO on the money. :lolhit:

I miss that guy.

[SaraNYC]

I miss that guy.

Yes, me too. :(

On another note, Jeromey - I'm looking at your signature and I know people that you've marched with in every group except for the Bayonne Kidets. And it wouldn't surprise me if I didn't know someone who marched that group too, but I just don't know it yet.

Drum Corps - it's such a small world after all. (no pun intended)

[Walter]

We would probably still be watching the entire top 12 live had we done one thing!!!

Had EVERYONE donated at least $25.00 to PBS. What's that approximately

40,000 (at Least) times $25.00 = $1,000,000.00, don't you think PBS would keep

the finals on for that kind of money?

Maybe. Maybe not! Probably. <_<

[Kansan]

We need a Drum Corps station on cable. And a national radio show.