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I was looking over old DCI Championship recaps on From the Pressbox and came across this amazing stat...

Freelancers finished 3rd in percussion in 77, ahead of SCV, Phantom, 27th, Bridgemen and Cavaliers! Who taught the percussion section back then?

Don Silva was in charge of the drum line. I think he wrote all the parts too. There was a tremendous amount of talented musicians in the drum line that year (and in '76 too).

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I also really miss that intense sound of metal on metal whenever you guys went to parade rest.

As bad as that is for the horns, it's still a cool hype.

Some of my funniest memories from tours came from standing near Troopers in the retreat line and listen to their ripples go CLANK CLANK CLANK all the way down the line.

I never had the opportunity to see Freelancers live, but I've seen some of their shows on tape, I really like '90, '93, '89 and '85, particularly the opening music.

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I loved the Freelancers from the first time that I saw them at Whitewater in '79. I used to love hearing "Play Ball!" after their warmup. There was a style in the Freelancers that hasn't really been replaced in drum corps since they left the field. There were so many daring, fun things in their shows, from the vocal introduction "Live from Sacramento...", the guard marching and then TOSSING sopranos, ramps, uniform flaps, etc.

They always mixed great style and substance. Wonderful music, energetic marching, talented guard and a tasty classic uniform in the corps proper (still one of my favorites).

Meeting up with them on tour in '85 was fun for me. We met up late in the season and we had heard rumours about each other since mid-tour. We had a few chances during and after retreats to swap stories and make friends.

All good times, I miss the Freelancers.

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It warms my heart to see y'all showin SAC some love!

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I'm a relative newbie to drum corps (didn't start going to shows until 1988) and being a Midwesterner, I didn't get to see the Freelancers that much.

However, one of my all-time favorite ballads was "The Kiss" from Freelancers' 1991 show. So gorgeously and simply stated, with a wonderful soprano solo and nice drill that ended in the form of a heart. If you ever watch "Back to the Future Part III," you really have to tune in to hear that music; how great that the Freelancers staff was able to find that hidden gem and put it on the field.

And then there was the corps' towheaded drum major who could look so stern but was so wonderfully evocative on the podium. I apologize for not knowing his name.

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Thanks mate. I loved The Kiss. The DM by the way was Chad Humpal

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Eat your cranberries.

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March or Die.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I marched Freelancers from 91-93. I watched a bunch of others on tape when I was dating Scott Steward but don't remember them. So I have to say 91 was my favororite show. The Kiss was my favorite ballad. I loved Bells. And the guard uniforms in 91.

Some other memories:

Bus 7 always breaking down.

Bus surfing in 93.

Bus surfing not on the drum bus.

The huge cockroaches in Tenn that could carry your luggage.

The Pinkie Girls.

Underwear runthrough.

Those ugly yellow guard uniforms.

Swimming at the high school in Utah in 91.

Edited by Pinkie Girl
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