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The 1983 Thread


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2 hours ago, mfrontz said:

Of course, the biggest deal of the season was the migration of the DCI World Championship trophy to the East. The Garfield Cadets, powered by George Zingali's path-breaking drill, jumped from 3rd at Semis to 1st at finals. Perhaps the greater miracle is they did it in the last year of the tick system. 

I think I heard a story that Boston Crusaders mixed it up with some Miami toughs before/after prelims? 

If you were there in 1983, or know someone who was there, please share. If not, listen, watch, and learn, as I will be doing!

 

 

OK, that made me happy.

- My HS band director LOVED PR.  We did the streamer thing at the end of our show in 1984

- How can you not love that Buick-led PR sound?  You are not welcome in this country if you don't.

- Flag exchanges!  Bring them back!

- It's good to see that missing every major visual hit on the video is a historical tradition.  Let's watch a french horn march backward while he's tacit.  Let's look at a bell.  Let's not see company fronts and other major visual formations.

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I think 83 was the last year that corps or most corps stopped using some music that was used the prior year. BD had the same opener in 83 from 82. AND...83 was the last year of the old judging system. The old tick system that was deducting from 100 to the build up system from zero.

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1 hour ago, troopers1 said:

- It's good to see that missing every major visual hit on the video is a historical tradition.  Let's watch a french horn march backward while he's tacit.  Let's look at a bell.  Let's not see company fronts and other major visual formations.

Don't get me going on THAT bit of camera shot selection ####ery!

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1 hour ago, DFA1970 said:

I think 83 was the last year that corps or most corps stopped using some music that was used the prior year.

Not entirely....Crossmen reused Shoshana, for example....I think VK reused Centurion Sunfire...and of course, 27th an Danny Boy.

But yeah...i think the vast majority chose not to repeat a chart.  In fact, 84 BD was the first time in the corps' competitive history that they didn't repeat a full chart...although we DID repeat the NY Fantasy tag ending -- 84 being the last year for that.

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1983 was an interesting year. Looking back:

Garfield’s first championship was not a surprise. They started strong and finished strong. There may have been a few nerves when they tied for second at semifinals, but they delivered. What I do not recall at the time was whether I thought it was the beginning of a dynasty or just a very good year. 

Suncoast Sound certainly caught everyone’s attention. Suncoast came to Boston that year. I will admit, I was as much of a Suncoast fan as others, but there was no denying their talent.

I thought Santa Clara had it over Blue Devils, Madison over Phantom, though all were excellent. I would have had Cavaliers over Freelancers and Spirit.

In some ways it was a bittersweet year. Though North Star and Guardsmen had not made finals since 1980, Blue Stars since 1979, they did not compete in 1983. It was the last year Bridgemen made finals and the last year 27th performed “Danny Boy” at finals. 

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i didnt go to finals, but so much good stuff...I know i was at Allentown and the show listed as New Cumberland on the FTPB

 

early on you knew the Cadets were it, different and still great. I mean they wont Allentown by almost 11 points over Spirit...yet SCV won semi finals!

 

That Classic Cadets show. yes 82 set the table, but 83 cleaned it. BD still great with killer jazz, and SCV just class top to bottom.Phantom and that wall of sound and of course 1812....then Madison...Colas, Soup and Cats 1! Suncoast showing they belonged with a great show and Spirit no slouch either. Freelancers were fun and cavies starting to make a move towards getting out of the 9-12 mix..27th slipping, Bayonne holding on mainly due to that incredible drumline ( find the Len Carey judges tape online) and Sky Ryders!

 

but just out of finals...Troop, Crossmen and Alliance all great shows too. a real turning point year. cadets zigged, and others were starting to.

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3 hours ago, Cptcastile said:

Ah 1983, one of my favorite years of the activity.  Do not make the mistake to only focus on the finalist corps this year.  There were some outstanding corps from 13-25!  Avant Garde, Troopers, Les Eclipes, Valley Fever and more!!  I really liked Alliance from Boston as well.  Crossmen and Geneseo did Russlan and Ludmilla, a very challenging classical piece as their opener.

The top 12, well they were fantastic and some of the best musical shows IMHO.  Variety is the spice of life and this year did not disappoint.  Freelancers, 27th, Bridgemen, Sky Ryders...all excellent.  I love Spirit this year.  Suncoast tore then house down!!!  Cavies did Pines of Rome making me fall in love with this great work.  Phantom Regiment was pure power in 1983!  Madison did an amazing classical opener and then jumped right into Strawberry Soup!  Blue Devils were classic Devils, power, clean and amazing.  SCV was on fire!  One of my favorite years for SCV IMHO.  And then the champions... What a great show.  They set a new standard in the activity and would go on to pave the way for a truly new world in drum corps land.

Yes, Boston did have an issue with some of the locals outside the stadium.  I have always imagined that those locals had NO IDEA who they were dealing with!!  LOL

I do remember watching my brother play his baritone solo for solo and ensemble competition INSIDE the stadium.  Yeah one guy standing on the turf inside this massive football stadium.  Surely there was a better venue for this somewhere in Miami???

This was also the year Dagenham Crusaders from England made the journey to perform at DCI.  It was a welcome addition to the international flavor of the activity.

Troopers brought down the house at Whitewater prelims. After they were done there were no more babies left to be thrown. It was their 25th(?) anniversary & they did a greatest hits show

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On 7/30/2020 at 9:52 AM, mfrontz said:

Of course, the biggest deal of the season was the migration of the DCI World Championship trophy to the East. The Garfield Cadets, powered by George Zingali's path-breaking drill, jumped from 3rd at Semis to 1st at finals. Perhaps the greater miracle is they did it in the last year of the tick system. 

I think I heard a story that Boston Crusaders mixed it up with some Miami toughs before/after prelims? 

If you were there in 1983, or know someone who was there, please share. If not, listen, watch, and learn, as I will be doing!

Sadly I only saw one show in 1983. I spent the summer at the Chautauqua Institute (upstate NY) playing trombone in the youth orchestra for the summer. My only show was in the Dayton, OH area in early June. Pretty sure we saw Madison and Spirit of Atlanta but forget the others. Will have to check. I had seen Garfield in 1982 at Finals so I was not surprised to hear that they were in the hunt for the title from friends back home. But as was the case back in those days, keeping up-to-date with DCI and scores was not so easy. Unless you saw a show live or had a chance to get DCW news at shows where it was sold you were usually out of the loop. 

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