ravedodger Posted October 14, 2006 Share Posted October 14, 2006 (edited) Last week, I was at home cataloging all my drum corps recordings in my media player so I figured it would help to visit corpsreps so I could remind myself what I have. Toward the bottom of the screen I see an ad for a book called The Lorin Solo. So I click on the link and it takes me to Amazon. Ooh cool. It turns out that it's a novel about drum corps, namely a story centered around '86 BD. OK. So I have to have it. I finally received the book this afternoon. I immediately tore it open and started reading. It's about a rookie learning of and joining a corps with a healthy dose of romance. The story line begins in the fall of '85 and leads us through the '86 Championship. Along the way, we get to meet Mike Moxley, former director of the Blue Devils and Wayne Downey, including a number of fictional characters who could be any corps mom or dad who happen to be running a souvie booth, an equipment truck, or cooking on Devil's Food. We even get to read a little about SCV's pants change and Garfield's "82" member hornline--though I think it was really 72, I can't remember. The beginning of the book drew me in right away, with Lorin (the hero)giving an impromptu audition for Wayne Downey, on Wayne's own trumpet at the corps hall. While on the starting line for BD's first show of the season, Lorin puts-into-words the first show "nerves" a rookie gets as only a person who has actually performed would be able. We follow Lorin across the country with the Blue Devils on the road to Championships, all the while wondering if he'll get the girl, a veteran soprano soloist, named Tracy... From here, you're on your own. I would hate to ruin it for you guys. I think I spent a whopping four hours reading the book cover-to-cover, compleatly enthralled with the story. I found myself smirking, laughing and even crying a couple of times(just a little of course). The most incredible part is how the author, Chuck Edwards, accurately portrays the drum corps family and usual happenings of a touring drum corps through the eyes of a member. Although it is a very short book, it will take you back to your early days of corps--I think I even smelled wool uniforms and bus fumes a couple of times. The book is well worth the price at just under $20 after shipping through Amazon. Last, but not least, this book was dedicated to Founder and the first director the Blue Devils, Jerry Seawright. No. This is truly not a solicited review. In fact, I haven't done a book review since college. I don't know the author and do not work for the publisher. I just happened to 'luck out' seeing it advertised on corpsreps. Editted for spelling...oops! Edited October 14, 2006 by ravedodger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northern Thunder Posted October 14, 2006 Share Posted October 14, 2006 I never knew this came out in regular book form. I have an original Lorin Solo script from the Lorin Solo stage musical which was presented in the Los Angeles area back in 1982-1983. Quite a number of Blue Devils, Anaheim Kingsmen and other members were involved with the show. I've never seen anybody else have a script for it, but I assume they simply put it into book form from the stage script. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ravedodger Posted October 14, 2006 Author Share Posted October 14, 2006 (edited) According to the back cover, it originally began as a screenplay in 80-81, with the book's author working with Jerry Seawright. Director, Marvin Chomsky, who is known for the other movies such as Roots and Holocaust was already lined-up to begin production. The problem was that the Hollywood illuminati felt that the movie would have more universal appeal if he corps was changed to a marching band. With this the production only met half of the funding it needed. In 1982, Chuck Edwards decided to take the screenplay in another direction. This is when he turned it into a musical for stage. Editted to include: In 2005, the author adapted the musical production into this novel after the passing of Jerry Seawright in 2004, and has only recently become available--inside the title page reads "first printing, October 2006." I wonder if a recording of the musical production exists. Edited October 14, 2006 by ravedodger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt21 Posted October 14, 2006 Share Posted October 14, 2006 i actually ordered this book about a week ago when i saw it on corps reps but amazon says it still hasnt shipped :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ravedodger Posted October 14, 2006 Author Share Posted October 14, 2006 Yeah, I had some reservations about Amazon myself, but surprisingly, I received my book in about a week--maybe a little more. Maybe you could contact them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ravedodger Posted October 14, 2006 Author Share Posted October 14, 2006 Wow! Have only three peoplpe heard of this book??? I find it hard to believe! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevingamin Posted October 15, 2006 Share Posted October 15, 2006 Wow! Have only three peoplpe heard of this book??? I find it hard to believe! I've never heard of it. Heck, I didn't even know there WERE any fiction stories related to drum corps out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted October 15, 2006 Share Posted October 15, 2006 I read the screenplay a few years ago and thought it was a very nice story. Of course, the fact that it was about the Blue Devils made it only better for me. I've had some recent correspondence with the author, Chuck Edwards ..... and hope he does well with the book. My understanding is that a portion of the proceeds from the book's sale benefit the Blue Devils organization. -john Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted October 15, 2006 Share Posted October 15, 2006 (edited) Veeeery hazy memory of reading that someone was writing or casting or producing or thinking about doing or ???? a play about drum corps..... Love story something, maybe.... But nothing about it in book form. Must have read about it in Drum Corps News and I left my subscription lapse in the early 1980s. Edited October 15, 2006 by JimF-xWSMBari Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocketman Posted October 17, 2006 Share Posted October 17, 2006 I met Chuck and had a copy of the play for stage. After reading it I came to the realization that it was less about drum corps, and more about a love story. Never did attend the play though. RM - take 2 ampssuck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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