That was a gutsy move!

[Continental]

17 hours ago, Ghost said:

From the Boston Crusaders D&BC Friends & Alumni FB page.

"The BOSTON CRUSADERS have been true Innovators of the Drum Corps World.  BAC was the the first to create Marching Bells, Marimbas and Tympanis. To eventually having the very first Stationary Pit. In 1985 the Boston Crusaders shocked the DCI Judges and Fans. In being the first corps to use an Electric Synthesizer. To play none other than "AXEL F."

From a BAC mm.  "At the beginning of the 1977 drum corps season (I was 13 yrs old), Danny Pitts (our BAC drum instructor) made me into a one man marching percussion accessory member. I carried a variety of instruments “borrowed” by Paul (Pitts) from the BSO and other places. I carried bongos, a gong, wood blocks, triangle, claves, sleigh bells, tambourine, & castanets. I did this for a number of shows until there was a need to fill in at bass drum. I have no photos of me in this unique role. I am pretty confident that no other drum corps at the time had this marching position. 

Here is the portion of their '85 show where they used the synthesizer.

 

[MikeD]

On 11/30/2020 at 12:39 AM, Ghost said:

From the Boston Crusaders D&BC Friends & Alumni FB page.

"The BOSTON CRUSADERS have been true Innovators of the Drum Corps World.  BAC was the the first to create Marching Bells, 

 

1969 BAC used bells in their show, except at VFW Nats when they were forced to remove them, ruining a GREAT percussion section. I was in the stands at finals in Philly; it was very sad to me. I had seen them a few times with the bells over the summer, when my GSC corps was not competing.

"Pop Goes the Weasel" and "Unsquare Dance" were their percussion features; they were ruined with no bells.

Also gutsy in 69 was the corps marching to "Unsquare Dance", a piece in 7/8. They basically marched 4/4 time, to not get hit on the Cadence sheet that was used back then. So every other measure of 7, they were marching to upbeats.

 

 

Edited December 2, 2020 by MikeD

[JimF-LowBari]

23 minutes ago, MikeD said:

Also gutsy in 69 was the corps marching to "Unsquare Dance", a piece in 7/8. They basically marched 4/4 time, to not get hit on the Cadence sheet that was used back then. So every other measure of 7, they were marching to upbeats.

 

Wondered how they did the marching to 7/8. 1977 Westshoremen had drum solo to ending tune of Channel I (III?) Suite. One measure was in 5/4 then went back to 4/4. Drum line had been working on it so used to marching rest of drum solo “on the wrong foot”. Horn line.... oh hell no we couldn’t do it. So for the 5/4 measure horn line marked time to left, right, left, right, left, and then LEFT, right etc... and rest of drum solo horns and drums were out of step between sections 😳. Think another John Flowers creation... lol first time in DCA Finals in about 10 years and we did that 🤪

[Continental]

1 hour ago, MikeD said:

1969 BAC used bells in their show, except at VFW Nats when they were forced to remove them, ruining a GREAT percussion section. I was in the stands at finals in Philly; it was very sad to me. I had seen them a few times with the bells over the summer, when my GSC corps was not competing.

"Pop Goes the Weasel" and "Unsquare Dance" were their percussion features; they were ruined with no bells.

Also gutsy in 69 was the corps marching to "Unsquare Dance", a piece in 7/8. They basically marched 4/4 time, to not get hit on the Cadence sheet that was used back then. So every other measure of 7, they were marching to upbeats.

I have heard that BAC borrowed the bells from the Sunrisers DCA corps, as both had John Flowers as drum instructor. Seems odd, as I would think both would have needed them at the same time, but I have heard that.

 

Here's some video of '69 Boston from VFW Nats clearly showing they aren't using bells.  

The soundtrack is from their show with the bells still in it so it's not from VFW Nats.

Sorry that the sound and video are not in synch.  

 

[greg_orangecounty]

I’m biased but 1974 Kingsmen.  We played “Dream of a witches Sabbath,” “March to the Scaffold” (both from Symphohonie Fantastique) and Tubular Bells (Exorcist) drum solo.  It was a “dark show” for the time and some GE judges criticized us for it.

Almost pulled it off as we scored higher in 74 than when we won in 72.

[Ghost]

1 hour ago, MikeD said:

1969 BAC used bells in their show, except at VFW Nats when they were forced to remove them, ruining a GREAT percussion section. I was in the stands at finals in Philly; it was very sad to me. I had seen them a few times with the bells over the summer, when my GSC corps was not competing.

"Pop Goes the Weasel" and "Unsquare Dance" were their percussion features; they were ruined with no bells. 

Maybe the wrath of Tony S. against the East corps struck again.

[Sutasaurus]

1 hour ago, greg_orangecounty said:

I’m biased but 1974 Kingsmen.  We played “Dream of a witches Sabbath,” “March to the Scaffold” (both from Symphohonie Fantastique) and Tubular Bells (Exorcist) drum solo.  It was a “dark show” for the time and some GE judges criticized us for it.

Almost pulled it off as we scored higher in 74 than when we won in 72.

That show rocked our world Greg! Can I humbly offer the original Spartacus in 1981? Told a complete story.

Edited December 1, 2020 by Sutasaurus

[ironlips]

Re: Sunrisers and BAC "bells"

"...both had John Flowers as drum instructor. "

Close. Both had the incomparable Gerry Shellmer as percussion instructor.

When the VFW decreed that Boston would be DQ'ed if they used the bells horizontally (they had been legal since the 30's if played upright, like a glockenspiel, with one mallet), Gerry said: "They put the bells IN JAIL, the a..holes."

He was never one to mince words.

 

 

[Ghost]

13 minutes ago, ironlips said:

He was never one to mince words.

Neither did Ed Denon or Joe Dowling’s wife Felicia.

[Jeff Ream]

Bostons synth for Axel F in 85