84BDsop Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 I actually liked the 87 Star show, Scooter....I thought the fanfare was awesome (used it on my first answering machine as background, in fact!), the ballad version on Thunder and Blazes was very nice, and the story about Denny Giles learning to do the jiggling (on the other guy's website) was also good. Was it 86 or 87 that the Star folks don't like to discuss? I think it was 87....funny how in the same year 2 corps had shows they didn;t really like (Suncoast being the other one) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkyRyder_FMM Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 I saw Suncoast on tour in July '87 and they were very small. Someone from the corps can confirm this, but I don't think they had many more than 40 horns until August. Their ability to get everything together by season's end for a finals appearance was a spectacular feat. If you recall, the corps was almost ready to close its doors in '86 (didn't they lose their bingo in the spring of that year?), but managed to put together a great show and one of the best hornlines ever. Didn't they eclipse Blue Devils in field brass at Finals in '86? I don't think their first show that year was until July 2 in Atlanta. Scary to think what that unit could have done with two more weeks. I don't recall Suncoast being small at all in 87. Perhaps it is 89 you are thinking of, when they started out very low score wise, then managed to make Finals with something like 46 horns (and an amazing horn line too). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooter Pirtle Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 I don't recall Suncoast being small at all in 87. Perhaps it is 89 you are thinking of, when they started out very low score wise, then managed to make Finals with something like 46 horns (and an amazing horn line too). Doh! You're right. We didn't see Suncoast until they were warming up in the parking lot in '87 for finals. I do remember now that the reprisal of the '85 show in '89 was with the smaller hornline. Blame it on the sunscreen. Thanks for the correction! Was it 86 or 87 that the Star folks don't like to discuss? I think it was 87....funny how in the same year 2 corps had shows they didn;t really like (Suncoast being the other one) Personally, I think the members recall '86 with fondness, if not a little soreness and dehydration. It was a great show design that the members tried their best to perform. We were very much still "rich, stupid bandos" as Zingali eloquently put it. The '87 season has always been the red-headed step-mule of Star's history. There are still many people who have to be under deep hypnosis to recall any details from that season. I had a chance to visit the staff area at the original Star Base in Bloomington in the fall of '03. Corps photos from each of the seasons were displayed on the wall along with DCI Championship Trophy and numerous other awards. Befittingly, the corps photo from the '87 season was proudly displayed in the small staff privy that was in the office. There were some great folks who had their only season with that corps in '87. I wish those they could have received an exemption from DCI and a chance to participate another season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gellio Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 Doh! You're right. We didn't see Suncoast until they were warming up in the parking lot in '87 for finals. I do remember now that the reprisal of the '85 show in '89 was with the smaller hornline. Blame it on the sunscreen. Thanks for the correction!Personally, I think the members recall '86 with fondness, if not a little soreness and dehydration. It was a great show design that the members tried their best to perform. We were very much still "rich, stupid bandos" as Zingali eloquently put it. The '87 season has always been the red-headed step-mule of Star's history. There are still many people who have to be under deep hypnosis to recall any details from that season. I had a chance to visit the staff area at the original Star Base in Bloomington in the fall of '03. Corps photos from each of the seasons were displayed on the wall along with DCI Championship Trophy and numerous other awards. Befittingly, the corps photo from the '87 season was proudly displayed in the small staff privy that was in the office. There were some great folks who had their only season with that corps in '87. I wish those they could have received an exemption from DCI and a chance to participate another season. Really? I quite liked your show in 1987. I remember the beginning of the season was a fun battle between you and Regiment. I did like '86 better, but my least favorite Star show was '88. Kind of boring compared to other years, and I love Porgy & Bess. I just don't think it worked well. The corps was better performance wise in '88, but I liked the '87 show better. Great opener. However, the pink elephants were cheesey! The guard wigs in '86 were a hoot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supersop Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 I don't recall Suncoast being small at all in 87. Perhaps it is 89 you are thinking of, when they started out very low score wise, then managed to make Finals with something like 46 horns (and an amazing horn line too). I talked to Frank about that in 90 .... if I remember correctly, most of the people they picked up didn't even play. So, that's one of the best 37-38 member hornline to make finals (didn't Bridgemen field around that many a couple of times?) I heard a judges tape from Semis and the judge was BLOWN away. It's not often you find a sop line that small that plays in 3 octave splits (or any size line). I believe they took 2nd in field brass that night and 7th overall. I did like '86 better, but my least favorite Star show was '88. HUH? I could listen to that show ALL DAY LONG. The arranging in that book from a brass perspective was trademark, and the beginning of the rise of Star. IMHO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gellio Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 HUH? I could listen to that show ALL DAY LONG. The arranging in that book from a brass perspective was trademark, and the beginning of the rise of Star. IMHO Don't know. Just didn't do it for me. I think '89 was the beginning of the rise of Star. That was a 4th place show IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkyRyder_FMM Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 (edited) I talked to Frank about that in 90 .... if I remember correctly, most of the people they picked up didn't even play. So, that's one of the best 37-38 member hornline to make finals (didn't Bridgemen field around that many a couple of times?) I heard a judges tape from Semis and the judge was BLOWN away. It's not often you find a sop line that small that plays in 3 octave splits (or any size line). I believe they took 2nd in field brass that night and 7th overall. That's what I recall. I didn't see Suncoast until Championships that year. My first impression was WTF? They were so small. Then I heard them play. OMG were they good. And LOUD. Just listen to the last chord of that opener. Man, oh man was that unreal. They were as loud as anyone on the field. The improvement to their performance each night at Championships was incredible as well. But that was 89. So to get back on topic for this thread, I'm gonna give some love to Bluecoats. At Championships in 85 to 87, we shared a housing site with Bluecoats. Our practice fields were right next to the other, so we had the opportunity to watch and listen to the rehearse all week. 87 was a gas - I loved listening to them practice Autumn Leaves. That was a great tune, and they played the snot out of it. Each year at this site, we would take turns performing our show for each other. That was awesome, since we never had the chance to see them perform at Championships. It was also pretty cool to see them vault up the ranks from not making top 25 in 85 to making Finals in 87. Great memories. Gotta wonder if Bluecoats are praying Sky Ryders never return and make Finals. Every time the two corps have both been in Finals, Sky Ryders were 12th, and Bluecoats were 11th. Edited February 5, 2007 by SkyRyder_FMM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzycat1 Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 Sounds like SkyRyders and Suncoast ought to get some last minute votes for the CC 2007! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManchesterMuchacho Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 (edited) I just wanted to say how much I'm enjoying lurking on this thread. 1987 was my first year in Div I (at least that's what they call it now). I marched in the Boston Crusaders. Unfortunately paying attention to other corps wasn't well recieved at least until we did a concert with Madison Scouts in 1989 & then some of the old die-hards realized we weren't all that different and I think we finally enjoyed having friends in other corps. As for the Suncoast Sound discussions. It's ironic that I was talking with an Alumnus about a month ago at Bridgemen rehearsal about the adventures we had those years 87, 88, 89. I remember Suncoast always having an awesome hornline. He was saying that 87 was just a mistake and that those last few years the corps was cheating death the whole time and came close to folding every off season. My favorite show for them was 88. I remember us and Crossmen having quite the rivalry that season (1987). We were pretty happy that they had made it into finals by 1990. It's to bad we couldn't pull one off at the last minute in 1990 like we did in 1987. We only marched 37 horns in '87 and came in 14th. That's all for now. Dave Edited February 5, 2007 by ManchesterMuchacho Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cainan Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 Does anyone remember that the Marauders had a chick in their guard who was in Playboy? We in the Freelancers certainly did :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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