Your Favorite Drum Line - 1970's

[Snapettes Mom]

SCV '78 in between tours the snare line got a brand new set of 10 red Slingerlands. Nobody had drums like these yet. Most drums around then were 6 ply and these were a very thin and soft 9 ply. They had just an incrediblly sweet sound. You could scratch the paint off shell with your fingernail if you weren't extra carefull. By DCI finals in Denver the new equipment was barely 3 weeks old.

Mom

[Blue Devil Legend]

-'76 Blue Devils were one of my favorite shows of all time...They had a  very good drumline but I didn't think their book was as difficult as some of the other top lines that year

Not sure what you were watching, but Channel One in itself, with all the notes and such, would bring some of todays drummers to their knees.

[dc oldtimer]

Mitch, maybe you should just stick to the hornline threads. Now Leo needs a trip to the therapist too!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Please. Just giving you drummers crap..... you certainly can give it back. I know. Most of the people who gave this horn player a hard time in 76, my new guy year, were drummers..... including Paul. Just giving some back

Besides, I didn't know this was a Drummers Only tread.

Edited December 7, 2004 by dc oldtimer

[oaklandcrusader]

Actually, the drum line was incredible for a number of reasons.  First, the rudimental difficulty of the parts was off the charts for the entire battery.  Second, the stick heights on the snare drumming (VERY high style) made playing these difficult parts even harder (hence, not quite as clean as the low-style, less difficult part-playing lines).  Third, the ensemble intracacies of the parts, and the overall musicality (listen to the second "Clock" drum solo, for instance), while not quite where BD and SCV were, were also outstanding.  Throw in some ridiculous drill moves (snares playing a forty-count roll to begin the show, with the snare line split four guys on each side of the 50-yard line, about 30 yards apart!!) - and well, the insanity never seemed to start. 

All in all, a truly remarkable line.  It was, as you heard, the "comparative" lack of cleanliness that did them in that year (though they were in second place at prelims).  It was just impossible to sound like BD and SCV when playing those rudimental parts at the high sticking heights.  Alas, it was fun, and gratifying to try!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

you make some very good points which i can appreciate...however, maybe if they would have adjusted their style a little (found a balance between high style and low style) they could have had the best of both worlds -- juicy parts along with better execution...don't get me wrong, i like to watch old school drumming as well, but when you play a very high style you're prone to drag a little bit more and not be as crisp or tight on your attacks ...believe me, we learned that the hard way with Tom Float instructing us...

Edited December 7, 2004 by oaklandcrusader

[oaklandcrusader]

Not sure what you were watching, but Channel One in itself, with all the notes and such, would bring some of todays drummers to their knees.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

hey legend, was not my intention to downplay the ability or accomplishments of your line that year because you guys were a very, very good line...just trying to put up an arguement to a couple of posts who considered you guys "gods" or basically head and shoulders above everyone else that year, which in my totally biased opinion i disagree with because we were virtually toe to toe with you guys the entire year...actually, '75-77 not much to choose between both our lines, we were that close to each other...

[Paul Milano]

you make some very good points which i can appreciate...however, maybe if they would have adjusted their style a little (found a balance between high style and low style) they could have had the best of both worlds -- juicy parts along with better execution...don't get me wrong, i like to watch old school drumming as well, but when you play a very high style you're prone to drag a little bit more and not be as crisp or tight on your attacks ...believe me, we learned that the hard way with Tom Float instructing us...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You're more right than I ever would have been able to admit years ago. Coincidentally, I later became the Manager for Spirit of Atlanta when we hired Float to come teach the corps ('78-'81). I got a great first-hand knowledge of Float's style vs. our "old-fashioned" Cavies style. And Randy Wickstrom was my roomate for several years down in Atlanta, so he and I practiced together a lot and often discussed the differences and merits of each style. And, Bob Shreffler, who was in the '74-'76 Cavie lines, aged out with Spirit's '80 line, so I spent a lot of time talking with him about the two different styles.

There is no doubt that a compromised style by the Cavaliers would have borne much competitive fruit. For us, however, it became almost a "moral crusade" to continue the traditional approach to playing. We thought that the lack of arm movement and the "correct interpretation" of the diddles, etc., made the style look and sound a bit "sterile" to us. We liked the sound, the dynamic range, and the visual aspects of the old style much better. But, it's all just personal preference. Then I thought we were drumming the "right way," and everyone else was playing watered-down drumming. But in hindsight that wasn't really that true. It's just different.

And, quite frankly, we became a bit quioxtic in our zeal to preserve the traditional approach to drumming. It led to a bitter, sad end to that three-year era for us (most of the same drummers and the entire staff was on this "crusade" from '74-'76, and virtually all of us left after the '76 season). Several of the judges told us flat out, "If you guys win with this style, it'll take years for everyone else to catch up. It's just too hard to execute and most kids won't practice as long or stay in the same corps long enough to master it."

So, we just faded away . . . until 1996 when 40 of the 51 guys in those lines got together for a reunion. All but two guys could still drum their ###es off, even though most had put away their sticks forever.

Interestingly, Float always played matched grip when he and I would jam together, and he didn't play the "no arms" style when he was just ramming notes for fun. He was a "old-fashioned" drummer himself - and one of the best I've ever seen - in any style.

[Blue Devil Legend]

hey legend, was not my intention to downplay the ability or accomplishments of your line that year because you guys were a very, very good line...just trying to put up an arguement to a couple of posts who considered you guys "gods" or basically head and shoulders above everyone else that year, which in my totally biased opinion i disagree with because we were virtually toe to toe with you guys the entire year...actually, '75-77 not much to choose between both our lines, we were that close to each other...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

cool, lemme give you some friendly advice.........next time you want to prop your own line, than do it........don't try to downplay another line to accomplish whatever point you are trying to make.

[oaklandcrusader]

cool, lemme give you some friendly advice.........next time you want to prop your own line, than do it........don't try to downplay another line to accomplish whatever point you are trying to make.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

you're right, i guess my competitive juices got the best of me... again lol

[PJS53]

Please. Just giving you drummers crap..... you certainly can give it back. I know. Most of the people who gave this horn player a hard time in 76, my new guy year, were drummers..... including Paul.  Just giving some back 

Besides, I didn't know this was a Drummers Only tread.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hey buddy, just screwing around with you. Leo hasn't needed a therapist appointment in a long time with advent of new meds!

[dc oldtimer]

Hey buddy, just screwing around with you. Leo hasn't needed a therapist appointment in a long time with advent of new meds!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Pete,

I know. LOL! I have always thought that it is too bad that that had to have happened to one of the nicest guys I know. That's probably why he took it so hard.