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Besides DCI Championships........


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....In the 1970's what was the BEST National Championship Contest? US Open? American-International Open? World Open?

 

And WHY?

I will say, in my opinion, Marion, Ohio US Open. Hometown feel. The city made it a special event for everyone. Parade was large. Stands were jammed. Plenty of corps and comraderie!

 

 

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12 hours ago, KeithHall said:

....In the 1970's what was the BEST National Championship Contest? US Open? American-International Open? World Open?

 

And WHY?

 

 

 

 None of these, imo.

 The BEST National Championships in " the 1970's " would have to be the 1970 VFW Nationals Championships, in my view. If we are talking the sheer volume of top rated Corps, one would be hard pressed to find a better line up than this ( non DCI ) in the 70's :

 Cavaliers

 Boston Crusaders

 27th Lancers

 Blessed Sacrament Golden Knights

 The Troopers

  Madison Scouts

 Blue Stars

  Belleville Black Knights

  Racine Scouts

  And many others.

 

Edited by BRASSO
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1970 and 1971 VFW Nationals were great shows.

Keith, I'm with you on the U.S. Open. Marched there a couple of times and was a spectator for part of another one. 

Not always a "best of the best" lineup... but the atmosphere in Marion was awesome!!! The town rolled out the red carpet for the corps, and the crowd was always fired up.

The World Open in 1971... my first year marching junior corps, my corps missed finals (by a lot... LOL) so we got to see the night show as fans. A great night for drum corps... all the big guns from that year were there. It was the first time I had seen corps like Santa Clara Vanguard, Anaheim Kingsmen, Cavaliers, Madison Scouts, Blue Stars, Argonne Rebels, among others... and I was blown away.

 

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Shriners International 1968, 1969, 1970. Why? I took a bus or subway home after seeing cool drum corps in a cool stadium.

I also remember Marion, Watkins Glen, Altoona, Butler and more. Glad I joined drum corps. Good times. Good memories :)

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16 hours ago, Fran Haring said:

1970 and 1971 VFW Nationals were great shows.

Keith, I'm with you on the U.S. Open. Marched there a couple of times and was a spectator for part of another one. 

Not always a "best of the best" lineup... but the atmosphere in Marion was awesome!!! The town rolled out the red carpet for the corps, and the crowd was always fired up.

The World Open in 1971... my first year marching junior corps, my corps missed finals (by a lot... LOL) so we got to see the night show as fans. A great night for drum corps... all the big guns from that year were there. It was the first time I had seen corps like Santa Clara Vanguard, Anaheim Kingsmen, Cavaliers, Madison Scouts, Blue Stars, Argonne Rebels, among others... and I was blown away.

 

"Boston Drum Corps Weekend 1971":

CYO Nationals, the World Open and the Danny Thomas Invitational.  ALL the major junior players in that last year of "Pre DCI" Championships" went head to head for three slugfests in a row.

Blue Rock marched off with the CYO flag and the 27th Lancers out pointed the fields at the World Open and the Danny Thomas.

The two days of 1978 DCI Prelims in Boulder Colorado get our "Honorable Mention", primarily for the number of excellent corps that did NOT make it into the night show.

Great memories.    :guinesssmilie:

Elphaba   :flower:

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20 hours ago, BRASSO said:

 None of these, imo.

 The BEST National Championships in " the 1970's " would have to be the 1970 VFW Nationals Championships, in my view. If we are talking the sheer volume of top rated Corps, one would be hard pressed to find a better line up than this ( non DCI ) in the 70's :

 Cavaliers

 Boston Crusaders

 27th Lancers

 Blessed Sacrament Golden Knights

 The Troopers

  Madison Scouts

 Blue Stars

  Belleville Black Knights

  Racine Scouts

  And many others.

 

"Veterans Best":

Pretty much concur, although VFW Dallas 1971 comes mighty close with Santa Clara Vanguard, Troopers, 27th Lancers, Blue Rock, Anahiem Kingsmen, Argonne Rebels, Garfield Cadets, Madison Scouts, Blue Stars, Boston Crusaders, St Paul Scouts and Bellville Black Knights.

End of a great era.      :worthy:

Raise a glass!!!!  Bottoms up.  :guinesssmilie:

Elphaba    :flower:

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There were many "championships" and champions in those days. One I recall very clearly was the 1970 Miami show.

While warming up the Garfield horn line, I kept hearing some pretty fine sounds from just out of sight around the other side of the stadium. When we finished I began to walk in that direction and the sound just got better and better.

It was a corps from Kansas I had never even heard of, the Argonne Rebels! And half the horn line seemed to be populated by 12 year-old girls!

When I finally got around in front of them the drum major gave a downbeat and they tore into Barnum and Bailey's like it was raw meat. I was totally gob-smacked.

When they finished I asked one of the kids who their horn instructor was. "That lady over there", he replied, "Mrs. Opie."

Sandra Opie. She sure took me to school that day.

Then, that evening, Boston wailed Mancini's Conquest, complete with young Jimmy Centorino's scorching solo, and I stood on the back sideline as the Troopers blew open the circle while every flashbulb in the universe went off in my face.

I get high even now, just thinking about this stuff. The '70s? Yeah. What a trip.

Edited by ironlips
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16 hours ago, ironlips said:

There were many "championships" and champions in those days. One I recall very clearly was the 1970 Miami show.

While warming up the Garfield horn line, I kept hearing some pretty fine sounds from just out of sight around the other side of the stadium. When we finished I began to walk in that direction and the sound just got better and better.

It was a corps from Kansas I had never even heard of, the Argonne Rebels! And half the horn line seemed to be populated by 12 year-old girls!

When I finally got around in front of them the drum major gave a downbeat and they tore into Barnum and Bailey's like it was raw meat. I was totally gob-smacked.

When they finished I asked one of the kids, who taught their horns. "That lady over there", he replied, "Mrs. Opie."

Sandra Opie. She sure took me to school that day.

Then, that evening, Boston wailed Mancini's Conquest, complete with young Jimmy Centorino's scorching solo, and I stood on the back sideline as the Troopers blew open the circle while every flashbulb in the universe went off in my face.

I get high even now, just thinking about this stuff. The '70s? Yeah. What a trip.

"Girls in the Line":

Argonne wasn't alone in the co-ed hornline biz.  BOTH the corps I marched in way back in the "60's", the Parish unit and the Lancers had "Girls" in the hornline, (Myself included), as did the Troopers (From day one I believe), and St Mathias Cadets.

Love the articles you post here.

Great memories.    :guinesssmilie:

Elphaba:flower:

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I had never made it to Lynn, Mass till 1982 with Renegades (NY). I was saddened to see Bridgemen march their Christmas in July show. Still have the pictures. I returned in mid 80's with the Rochester Patriots but the World Open wasn't the same as US Open. Not saying Lynn was bad, just didn't compare to Marion in the 70's.

Argonne was always a favorite of mine!

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  • 4 months later...

CYO Nationals - 1975 - Boston College - one week before DCI in Philly - Hawthorne Muchachos and Madison Scouts head to head - a hot summer night if there ever was one.  I was there.......

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