JimF-LowBari Posted May 30, 2006 Share Posted May 30, 2006 1976 Westshoremen were a non-DCA member corps thanks to coming in 15th in 1975. We were either the last or next to last (I think) corps at Prelims and came in 11th. Instead of having #12 (Guelph) and #11 (us) do a pre-show exhibition, DCA decided to have us play in concert formation in front of the mics. Make that, play in front of the mics before the gates opened up... AKA ####### NOW!!!! Guelph played first while we stood around tryin to catch our breath. Let's just say the better performance was at Prelims and thank goodness we didn't have only an hour or so between Prelims and a exhibition. The recording makes me cringe for a few reasons..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted May 30, 2006 Share Posted May 30, 2006 but Jim, we made the albums...we hadn't for a few years prior Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loujaue Posted May 30, 2006 Share Posted May 30, 2006 I think thats right.Someone will correct me if I am wrong.Its also my understanding that if you do not declare Class A status that you will be lumped in with the open class corps. Again,,someone will correct me if that is wrong. You are correct. That IS how it works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K2SMA Posted May 30, 2006 Share Posted May 30, 2006 Tom, first of thanks for clearing my memory! I had forgotten about same-day prelims and finals and remember first hand from '93, when prelims were delayed a day due to rain. Think we suffered a 2-day delay one year in Hershey (finals ran Labor Day evening) , but save that for another time. I remember Phoenix' performance at prelims, it was nearly as far off the senior corps beaten path as Renegades (who you mention) are today (that's intended as a compliment). But you sent me scrambling for some of the boxes in the garage. Didn't Phoenix place 4th at prelims and drop to 5th in finals, or was it the following year that they dropped a spot in the night show? You're right. Corky did his magic with the charts, Billy McGrath, Jr. did the percussion, but I don't remember who wrote their drill. Do you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donny Drum Corps Posted May 30, 2006 Share Posted May 30, 2006 Phoenix drill was written and taught extremely well by a man named Jack Daley. Jack was a former Brigadier and a great baritone player. He also wrote and taught at West Genesee HS Wildcat Marching Band...whom one may have heard of. Jack was also a drum major for Phoenix. Donny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donny Drum Corps Posted May 30, 2006 Share Posted May 30, 2006 And yes 4th at prelims...5th at finals. Tom said it...possibly the BEST corps in prelims. I know it was 30 years ago, LOL. Donny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CozyChopsCom Posted May 30, 2006 Share Posted May 30, 2006 early on... the draw for positions was done at the meeting the day before the championships... and you're right... members, then associates, then others... BUTit was backwards... Prelims and finals was on the same day... so - members went on FIRST, followed by Associates and then everyone else... and each block was a straight draw... It lasted this way for many years... <snip>Funny story (well... poignant if not funny) about the one day championship... 1975 was the year of PHOENIX - the corps that came from no where. I was one of Vince Bruni's right hands in Crusaders... Cru had an early draw and left for their practice prior to finals... However, we figured Phoenix (also from Rochester and mostly x Cru members or Brig members) would make finals and were concerned... I drew the enviable (?) job of staying behind - skipping drill rehearsal - and watching Phoenix who were going on at the end of the day - I was charged with bringing their score to the corps at rehearsal and our actual performance time. If you know your history, you know that with a sudden surge negotiated by the master - Corky Fabrizio - Phoenix went on that day at Holleder Stadium and left little grass on the field for the finals show... they burned it up... and me???? well about 30 seconds into their show I was just about sick to my stomach as I knew that our alter ego had not only beat us... but darn well may have been the best corps in prelims... their 5th place, first appearance ever score was a shock to everyone and put me in a "please don't shoot the messenger" situation back with my corps... Having seen them, I knew it was no fluke but not having been there everyone simply reacted with a big ... "What the ................" You have to understand that they had NEVER performed anywhere near this level at prior shows or RCA... Their feat remained unequaled in DCA until the likes of Renegades and Inspires.... I go off for a few days to bartend while watching cars go ccw and return to find Tom, Donny, Jeff, Jim, Jay, Sam et al., giving bodacious history lessons. I recall how honored, even slightly embarrassed, Inspires was to have placed higher than their idols, the Cabs. (Cabs seem to be firing on all cylinders for '06!) All sections of Inspires were phenomenal, but that was as clean a horn line as one will encounter. All other knowing corps look over their shoulders every year to see if Inspires are bringing their Ninjas back to DCA. Got lotsa e-mail 'n PMs to respond to. Stubbornly, working a waste-of-time salvage. Teach me more here DCPers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topsops Posted May 30, 2006 Share Posted May 30, 2006 [ T. Peashey wrote that the Phoenix show in 75 "feat remained unequaled until the likes of Renegades or Inspires".......no offense Mr. Peashey, but the Phoenix 'feat' has still NOT been equaled by anyone. WOW, what a show! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigmyq Posted May 30, 2006 Share Posted May 30, 2006 Doesn't sound to me like RCR is gonna make the trip this season, but don't consider this post an 'official' announcement... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomPeashey Posted May 31, 2006 Share Posted May 31, 2006 funny how all these things tie together... and yes, 4th place in prelims it was... and that feat was not equaled by Inspires or Renegades in their first appearances... I was of course referring to the successful finals placement of a "first time appearing" corps at DCA prelims - in general. Jack Daley was a great baritone player with Brigadiers and a well learned student of Fred Gebhardt's... and he made a pretty fair DM although he never quite mastered Corky Fabrizio's "swagger" :-) Of course having the white ghost around to say "put them here and put them there" probably made Jack's job much easier... I always thought that few realized how good Corky was at visual too... Jack actually led the large contingent of Brigadiers who left the '71 Brigs to join Corky at Crusaders in 1972 creating another Legion Championship Corps... Of course I was one of those involved along with a long list of my friends... The closest of which were Gabe Fabrizio, a baritone who introduced me to my wife and Contra Dave Morris (forever known by Gebby as "Canastota") who is my daughter's Godfather... I believe the figure was something like 23 guys who had marched in '71 Brigs who marched in '72 Cru... this was certainly a significant contribution to that great corps and a tragedy for Brigs. I took much of the blame for this as I was the only one who had previously been in Cru... truth is... Jack Daley talked me into it after all the others had agreed to switch corps. So anyone still blaming me... now knows the truth... blame Jack... It was no surprise that Jack agreed to work with Corky again in Phoenix... and yes, Billy McGrath's percussion line had a lot to do with their score that day... Phoenix's only slight weakness was a small but good color guard. A little more visual contribution by the guard and they might have been even higher... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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