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The Crossmen Silver horns with brass bells.


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I too was there in 1981 and can give you some ensight to how and why they were Brass. You can also hear a very funny interview with Jerry Kelsey and Frank Dorrite on The DCI broadcast from Whitewater . Truly a classic kelsey interview after just returning from the PInes of whitewater.

Any way....... Jerry and Frank wanted them for 2 reasons. One was to get a little darker sound and yes it looked cool and different. Part 2 is the best reason---We were only to get high Brass replaced in 81 due to funds but because they looked so different. Every camp, Robbie would come in see the Great looking horns and the really crappy horns in the same arc and get upset at the look. SO every couple of camps more sections were replaced until we got all new ones!!!!

Had they just been silver it would have only been high brass.Jerry and frank were so confident they would get a complete set they actually wrote for Flugels and Euphs that we didnt have in the old set. I always thought this was a classic story .

Frank wrote the opener and Jerry the rest but used the flugels to bridge the sound gap from lower sop to mellos sometimes mid, sometimes 4th sop and the Euphs would have a "bass trombone part" they bridged to the contra.Classic way to get a whole set of new horns that they had already written for.

Jeff Bridges

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I'm pretty sure it was white lacquer.

I played one of those leftover mellos with the white bells last year. It was an old horn anyways, obviously, but it played like crud. Sorry Xmen , but im glad i didnt have to march a year with that thing...props to you guys for putting up with it!

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What was that white coating? :rolleyes: Looks bad. :sshh:

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I too was there in 1981 and can give you some ensight to how and why they were Brass. You can also hear a very funny interview with Jerry Kelsey and Frank Dorrite on The DCI broadcast from Whitewater . Truly a classic kelsey interview after just returning from the PInes of whitewater.

Any way....... Jerry and Frank wanted them for 2 reasons. One was to get a little darker sound and yes it looked cool and different. Part 2 is the best reason---We were only to get high Brass replaced in 81 due to funds but because they looked so different. Every camp, Robbie would come in see the Great looking horns and the really crappy horns in the same arc and get upset at the look. SO every couple of camps more sections were replaced until we got all new ones!!!!

Had they just been silver it would have only been high brass.Jerry and frank were so confident they would get a complete set they actually wrote for Flugels and Euphs that we didnt have in the old set. I always thought this was a classic story .

Frank wrote the opener and Jerry the rest but used the flugels to bridge the sound gap from lower sop to mellos sometimes mid, sometimes 4th sop and the Euphs would have a "bass trombone part" they bridged to the contra.Classic way to get a whole set of new horns that they had already written for.

Jeff Bridges

Jeff,

As one of your Euph commrades in '81, I can attest to the fact that they certainly seemed to have a darker sound from the driver's side. They also looked good and we used to get a lot of attention because of them. I do remember the euph's being unusually "bell heavy" (maybe it was just me being unusually wussy).

I never heard the story behind the overhaul, but it sounds classic Robbie. I'd love to hear that Kelsey interview too. He's an exceptional arranger and I loved playing those charts (didn't we march about 40 of those flugels?).

I think there was probably 8-10 segments where we actually played bass lines, while we got split between the rest of the baritone voicing for the balance.

It's great to see Gerry and Frank still around and active.

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Barry great to see you here-----My Eupho counter volume buddy----IT is very classic Robbie and vintage staff -vs-admin crossmen style of the old days!!!!!

See Frank and Jerry at least once a summer it seems and is always a good laugh !!

As far as bell heavy --you were not a wussy ---the #### things were heavy !!!!!!!! all over!!!!! STill never forgave Jerry for putting me on that #### thing !!! But got my revenge when i was keyed from the press box in Houston's Rice stadium --A proud day for a volume man!!

He told me I could never over blow that eupho---No horn made that cant be turned into a weapon of volume !! HA !!!

Jeff

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Barry great to see you here-----

He told me I could never over blow

I heard different Jeff....

Jeff

ahhhh... Jeff, Barry... all we need now is the rest of the original housemates... Mark, Jim, John The the crew from Washington... good to see you guys here as well...

Charlie Brown...

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