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Post by boahistorybuff on Aug 11, 2020 4:50:45 GMT -6
The First Fall Grand National - Two Awesome Performances Shrouded in a Judging Controversy During an Unusually Cold Night in Jacksonville
During the 1970s and early 1980s, judging in marching band and drum corps competitions involved a lot of deductions for mistakes. Adherence to the rules was also heavily enforced and penalties were dished out often. During the course of the 1980s, judging become more focused on awarding achievement rather than adding up the mistakes. Penalties were (and still are) given out but were less frequent and not nearly so costly. In 1977, at Grand National finals, Live Oak HS sustained a penalty (I am not sure how large or what it was for) that cost them the Grand National title. A marching judge also took points off for a section in their show in which he thought the band was out of step. Turns out Live Oak had intentionally had different sections of the band marching in different time steps during a portion of their show, during the song 'Young Person's guide to the Orchestra". Back in those early years, there was no chief judge to oversee things and note any possible judging error. Judges are human after all and can make mistakes. 1980, the very first Grand Nationals held in the fall, had a similar situation that cost a band the Grand National title. These two instances, in my opinion, are the most controversial judging decisions ever in BOA (or MBA as it was known then). I will detail the 1980 situation as it was told to me by those who were at the competition. The two bands involved were the JM Tate HS 'Showband of the South', from Gonzalez, FL and the Flushing HS 'Raider Marching Band', from Flushing, MI. I was a member of Flushing, but was in the band several years after this occurred. I will try to be as impartial as possible.
In 1980, likely sensing that it was the fall competitive marching circuits and not the summer ones that were going to become standard, Marching Bands of America (as Bands of America was known then) moved the Grand Nationals from early summer to late fall (they kept those summer competitions going through the end of the decade and renamed them the summer nationals). Holding Grand Nationals in late fall also meant that the participating bands would be at the end of their competitive season so as to better the chances of having a much cleaner show. In 1980, the first fall Grand Nationals was held at the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, FL. This was the only time the fall Grand Nationals were not held in an indoor stadium. They were also held the last weekend of November, much later than any other Grand National. Despite it being so late, the judges were extremely stingy on the scores. Based on the performances, the scores should have been several points higher across the board. Pictures I have seen of this event have shown bands practicing in the sun, posing for full band pictures and marching in a parade. They had a parade for this event where all participating bands marched through the streets of Jacksonville (the number of participating bands I think numbered less than 40). From what I understand, prelims went off without a hitch. A strong cold front did move through at some point during the two day Grand National event. By the time finals began in the evening, the temperature in Jacksonville dropped into the 30s and 40s. There were a lot of bands and parents/spectators from southern bands at this event, including from south Florida. They were not used to sitting in such cold conditions (and probably did not have enough warm clothing). Throughout the finals competition, there were a lot of empty seats because people were fleeing to the cars periodically to warm up. Even the Michigan spectators were cold as they did not bring their Michigan gear to Florida. I suspect some of the bands from the south found it challenging to play in such cold weather. I am sure this is what prompted MBA to choose the indoor stadium at ETSU for the 1981 Grand Nationals.
After an early season loss to Chesterton at the Toledo, OH MBA regional (the first competition Flushing lost since being runner-up at the 1979 June Grand Nationals), Flushing practiced their butts off for this competition. Their goal was to win the Grand National title. Just about all of their practice sessions in the cold Michigan November weather went late, despite some complaints by parents. Tate, who had won the Pensacola, FL MBA regional that fall was also determined to win, especially since the competition was being held in their back yard. I am sure Tate endured some pretty intense practice sessions as well. Upon conclusion of Grand National Prelims (no semi finals back then), Flushing had placed first and were several points ahead of the next highest scoring band (I think they were around 4 or 5 points ahead). Tate had actually placed 4th behind Sprayberry (GA) and Hanover (PA). I never saw their prelims performance so not sure what the issues may have been. During the frigid cold finals, Flushing delivered a stronger performance than what they had done in prelims; the best show Flushing has ever put forth on the field. Tate also delivered a strong show in finals. In fact, I believe it may have been the best show Tate has ever put forth on the field. After Flushing's performance, the drum line played the band off the field as was typical in Michigan but not allowed in MBA. A judge warned an instructor at Flushing that they would get a penalty if they continued. The instructor ignored the warning (yes big mistake). A pistol shot was fired, announcing the penalty. It turned out that the penalty was a whopping (and controversial) 1.6 points. The sentiment was that yes Flushing deserved a penalty but not that big of one. The penalty was only a part of the controversy. Every single judge had Flushing in 1st except for one music effect judge. That judge put them a huge two points behind Tate. I can understand maybe choosing Tate for first, but not by two whole points. That judge's score allowed Tate to get the General Effect award and narrowed the point spread between Flushing and Tate (Flushing still had the higher raw score). The 1.6 point penalty, however, doomed Flushing. It dropped them from 1st to 2nd, costing them the Grand National title. They were stunned by the loss. From what I understand, there were several MBA staff members who could not believe what had just happened. That said, I will say that Tate did have a great show and certainly delivered one of the biggest upsets in BOA/MBA history.
I will include the videos of the finals performances of both Tate and Flushing. This is not so that we can decide who should have won, that was settled 40 years ago. I think both shows give an excellent example of the style that had emerged during the 1970s. Drill was no longer modified parade formations on the football field, but instead complex formations centered on an axis of symmetry (usually the 50 yard line). All percussion instruments were still carried. The guard (still very military) had much greater visual interest with more challenging routines. The music was also much more complex. These two performances also gave a look at what was to come in future fall Grand Nationals, in other words, the bands had stronger performances late in the fall than what they did early in the summer. In a comparison of the style; Flushing was a more formal military style whereas Tate had a little more informal Spanish influenced look to their band and guard. Tate also had a baton twirler, common for many bands of the era. Tate seemed to play more to the crowd and had a really good amount of energy in their performance. On the visual front, Tate used a lot of strait lines in their drill and they executed them very well. They also had a lot of visual interest overall. At the time, Tate also had one of the best rifle lines in the country. Flushing had a more controlled performance. Their music was considered very difficult at the time. Flushing also had one of the best drum lines in the country at the time. Flushing's drill used more abstract curve linear formations. The difficulty in that came in executing them so that one side of the field matched perfectly to the other.
So here are these two performances; again the best shows these two bands ever put forth on the field. The Flushing video is taken off the PBS broadcast and includes opening commentary. I think the Tate video is taken off the MBA VHS tape, which unfortunately cut out the PBS commentary.
1980 Tate
1980 Flushing
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Post by LeanderMomma on Aug 11, 2020 6:26:10 GMT -6
I know I’m dating myself but this was the time period that I was in high school marching band and these videos sure bring back memories of how it was back then. Imagine my shock the first time I saw Leander perform a halftime show. I was like, what the heck is this?!?! 😁
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Post by thewho on Aug 11, 2020 12:09:43 GMT -6
Super interesting to read your recap of the 1980 championships! Had no idea it was that cold in Florida that year.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Aug 11, 2020 13:26:29 GMT -6
Super interesting to read your recap of the 1980 championships! Had no idea it was that cold in Florida that year. I looked through the climate records for Nov 29th, 1980 in Jacksonville, FL. The early morning had a low of 32, just a couple degrees shy of a record low. In the afternoon, it warmed up to a high of 68. After the sun set in the evening, the temps dropped from the upper 40s at the start of finals to the upper 30s by the end of finals. They ended with a low of 33 the morning of the 30th. Most of the bands in finals were from the south and had uniforms made of of a light material. So they were quite cold standing in the awards ceremony. Flushing's uniforms (we still had those uniforms when I was in the band) were made of wool and polyester; nice for cold weather but a bit sweaty on those warm early season competitions.
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Post by LeanderMomma on Aug 12, 2020 6:47:22 GMT -6
Interesting about the uniforms. Ours were quite heavy! (I grew up in Memphis). I’m glad I was in colorguard, but still we wore long sleeves.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Aug 17, 2020 7:49:11 GMT -6
Another corps gone but not forgotten - The Bridgemen
The Bridgemen Drum Corps, who were from Bayonne New Jersey, were finalists at the first two DCI World Championsips in 1972 and 1973 when they were known as the 'St Andrews Bridgemen'. They had a couple rocky years in 1974 and 1975 before they returned to DCI finals again in 1976, known then as simply the Bridgemen or as they were often referred 'The Bayonne Bridgemen'. Their come back in 1976 signaled a major change in the look and style of this drum corps. They wore long bright yellow jackets, which became their signature look. They also played a little loose with the rules. Their intent in most instances was to put an emphasis on audience entertainment. From what I understand, there was always a bit of early season excitement with this corps as DCI fans were very eager to see what kind of things they would be pulling off in their show. One things that they usually did right after the end of their shows was have a brief mock football game among some their members on the front of the field. In 1977, the Bridgeman went a little too far in bending the rules. They did compete in the 1977 DCI finals (there were actually 13 bands in finals that year because there was a tie for 12th leading into finals). It was found that the Bridgemen had marched a few over age members. They ended up being disqualified. Had they not had the disqualification, they would have placed 4th. They shrugged off this controversy and remained a very successful corps for several more years. Their last appearance in DCI finals was in 1983. The corps then folded a few years later.
The Bridgemen's highest finish at DCI World Finals came in 1980, where they finished 3rd. Their 1980 show featured a lot of innovative things for the time. There was a pretty extensive dance segment among some of the guard, which included a costume change. The band brought some characters onto the field at times. The ending of this show took on a Civil War twist and used a level of theatrics that was probably years ahead of its time. Below is the video of a six minute segment of this show. You can see how they really enjoyed bringing a new level of entertainment to the audience. If any of you DCI History Buffs have the whole show, please post.
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Post by OldSchoolTrumpet on Aug 17, 2020 7:57:16 GMT -6
The thing about The Bridgemen, and you use the phrase here when you say they were innovative for the time...they weren't trying to be innovative. They were satirical, a parody, almost mocking. The dancing, body movement, knee marching, making fun of the traditions...they were the weird Al Yankovic of DCI. And it was great fun. Everyone loved it. I guess the real question is now that we look back and see them as "innovative," what does that suggest about DCI today?
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Post by boahistorybuff on Aug 17, 2020 8:10:22 GMT -6
The thing about The Bridgemen, and you use the phrase here when you say they were innovative for the time...they weren't trying to be innovative. They were satirical, a parody, almost mocking. The dancing, body movement, knee marching, making fun of the traditions...they were the weird Al Yankovic of DCI. And it was great fun. Everyone loved it. I guess the real question is now that we look back and see them as "innovative," what does that suggest about DCI today? Yes I agree, they were using a lot of satire in their shows. I should have pointed out that there was a lot of comical moments. I do agree they were probably not trying to be innovative at the time. I think by 'poking fun' at some of the traditions of the rigid drum corps style of the early years they may have actually opened the door for more corps to 'push the envelope' so to speak. That in my mind makes what they did back then innovative, whether that was their intent or not. I should also point out that in 1984 the Velvet Knights made finals for the first time and seemed to pick up right where the Bridgemen left off. The Velvet Knights 1992 show did have a lot of satire in it as well. On the BOA circuit, I would probably say that the closest Grand National finals caliber band during the mid to late 1980s that had a bit of Bridgemen/Velvet Knight level of entertainment to their shows was the Centerville Jazz Band. In terms of viewing them as innovative and what that says about DCI today; Well, I guess look how far DCI and competitive marching band has veered from the strict rules and regulations of the early years. It has become so theatrical and all the corps and marching bands try to do things that no one else has done. Perhaps by poking fun at the level of strict rules and 'conformity' of those early years, the Bridgemen may have inspired other corps/marching bands to try things no one else had done or even thought possible, even if it means bending or breaking what was considered 'normal'. As much as the audience loved the Bridgemen, I bet there were a lot of people that thought "you can't or you should not do that". A final thought, perhaps the Bridgemen were making an unintentional point; by poking fun at how things were done, maybe they were saying that drum corps can be even more entertaining if we free ourselves a bit from the strict rules of how things should be done. A bit of a 'let's not conform' mentality perhaps. Look at drum corps and marching band shows today compared to those early years. In my mind, they have gone from what looked like a branch of the military to what resembles a Broadway production on the field. That would not have happened unless you had corps or marching bands willing to poke fun of, bend or break the rules/norms of competitive drum corps/marching band.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Aug 19, 2020 4:27:51 GMT -6
So I am going to jump back to 1978 with a couple more DCI videos. Now in 1978 I was not paying attention to DCI. I was much more involved with pre school and keeping up with what was happening on Sesame Street. Years later, when I saw the 1978 DCI World Finals video, I thought that perhaps the placing at the top may have been a bit controversial. I am not sure if it was or not. Looking over the results from the entire 1978 competitive season, it looked as though SCV, Phantom Regiment and Blue Devils (with Madison thrown in there at times) were at the top of the drum corps competitions. When it came down to the DCI World Championship Prelims, SCV and Phantom Regiment actually tied for 1st, with the Blue Devils closely trailing in 3rd. When I watched the finals video, I would have thought that Phantom Regiment would have won. Phantom actually lost to Santa Clara Vanguard by one tenth of a point. This was the slimmest margin to win a DCI title of the decade. I am not sure what it was for, but Phantom Regiment sustained a tenth of a point penalty. So they would have tied SCV for 1st had it not been for that penalty. Since there were no rules for a tie break, Phantom Regiment would have shared the DCI title with Santa Clara Vanguard if it were not for that penalty. Phantom Regiment would have to wait 18 years before they finally won the DCI World Title, ironically they won it in a tie.
I will post the finals performances from Santa Clara Vanguard and Phantom Regiment. They both offer excellent examples of the late 70s style. There were no themes. The corps played a collection of songs. In fact, many of the songs they played that year were very common selections for high school marching bands from the late 70s through the 1980s (and in some cases beyond). Drill was very linear and symmetrical (mostly to the 50 yard line). All percussion instruments were marched. Phantom Regiment had the highest brass scores (the brass scores were actually among Santa Clara's weakest). It was Santa Clara's percussion scores that offset their lower brass scores and certainly helped them clinch the title (SCV has long had an amazing percussion section). There were a couple things of note about Santa Clara Vanguard color guard. At one point in the show, they used hoops. I am not sure if they were the first corps to do this but earlier in the decade a guard using anything other than flags, rifles or sabers was probably unheard of. Santa Clara also closed with Bottle Dance, a signature closer for this corps during that era. The guard did a dance to this song, they actually debuted it several years earlier. That dance became a signature of the SCV guard for years. Having the guard break out of the military style for a moment was probably something that was unthinkable during the years when the American Legion and VFW set the rules for drum corps. It was an early first step in the guard veering away from its military roots and toward a more artistic style. I should also point out that Phantom Regiment had one of the best guards in the business, which is illustrated in the video.
1978 Santa Clara Vanguard
1978 Phantom Regiment
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Post by OldSchoolTrumpet on Aug 19, 2020 6:07:22 GMT -6
1978 was such a fantastic year. Of course, I say that because it falls into what I consider the best years since they were the years of my youth. I was a high school student in 1978. Three of my classmates marched in the Kilties in 1978, their last year in Finals. (I could have also, but...my parents.) I had this season on vinyl LP (no videos for sale back then) and played them endlessly. Of course back then the visual was secondary to the music so you could listen to the audio all day long. Not sure that would be so satisfying today. These corps had such an identity. The Blue Devils with the cool Jazz. Phantom with the Classical. And the uniforms. Phantom's helmets. SCV's aussies. Not to turn this into a lament, but I do miss those days. A note about these old recordings. People sometimes use these as evidence that the old G Bugles sounded terrible, out of balance, etc. It's important to note that these recordings were made with very primitive equipment. Usually just a couple of sideline mics. So they picked up whoever happened to be close by. You'll have to take my word when I say that nothing sounded so glorious as a field filled with G bugles. Would it score well on a modern sheet? No. But it'd bring you to your feet. Thank you for posting these.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Aug 19, 2020 8:11:25 GMT -6
1978 was such a fantastic year. Of course, I say that because it falls into what I consider the best years since they were the years of my youth. I was a high school student in 1978. Three of my classmates marched in the Kilties in 1978, their last year in Finals. (I could have also, but...my parents.) I had this season on vinyl LP (no videos for sale back then) and played them endlessly. Of course back then the visual was secondary to the music so you could listen to the audio all day long. Not sure that would be so satisfying today. These corps had such an identity. The Blue Devils with the cool Jazz. Phantom with the Classical. And the uniforms. Phantom's helmets. SCV's aussies. Not to turn this into a lament, but I do miss those days. A note about these old recordings. People sometimes use these as evidence that the old G Bugles sounded terrible, out of balance, etc. It's important to note that these recordings were made with very primitive equipment. Usually just a couple of sideline mics. So they picked up whoever happened to be close by. You'll have to take my word when I say that nothing sounded so glorious as a field filled with G bugles. Would it score well on a modern sheet? No. But it'd bring you to your feet. Thank you for posting these. Thanks for the comments. A good point about the G Bugles and the sound. I also heard from those that attended these competitions back in the day that the sound quality was much better in person than what it sounds on the videos. The sound quality in recording got much better in the 1980s. A lot of the old high school marching band performances that were recorded back in the 70s were done on very early style recording systems, many of which were 8 mm. The state of the visual and audio quality and sound distortions should always be taken into consideration when watching these vintage videos. On a final note, I believe the early DCI World Championship performances were recorded as part of a PBS broadcast, using state of the art recording equipment at the time. That is why the video quality is much better than other early DCI and marching band videos. When I was in high school (late 80s and early 90s), I could not attend the DCI World Championships. We would however record the broadcast on PBS. PBS would rebroadcast it at later dates, but they would cut out parts of the performances to make it shorter. Back when I was in high school the idea of paying a subscription service to watch the competitions live from a home PC would have been considered science fiction. LOL
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Post by OldSchoolTrumpet on Aug 19, 2020 9:09:29 GMT -6
1978 was such a fantastic year. Of course, I say that because it falls into what I consider the best years since they were the years of my youth. I was a high school student in 1978. Three of my classmates marched in the Kilties in 1978, their last year in Finals. (I could have also, but...my parents.) I had this season on vinyl LP (no videos for sale back then) and played them endlessly. Of course back then the visual was secondary to the music so you could listen to the audio all day long. Not sure that would be so satisfying today. These corps had such an identity. The Blue Devils with the cool Jazz. Phantom with the Classical. And the uniforms. Phantom's helmets. SCV's aussies. Not to turn this into a lament, but I do miss those days. A note about these old recordings. People sometimes use these as evidence that the old G Bugles sounded terrible, out of balance, etc. It's important to note that these recordings were made with very primitive equipment. Usually just a couple of sideline mics. So they picked up whoever happened to be close by. You'll have to take my word when I say that nothing sounded so glorious as a field filled with G bugles. Would it score well on a modern sheet? No. But it'd bring you to your feet. Thank you for posting these. Thanks for the comments. A good point about the G Bugles and the sound. I also heard from those that attended these competitions back in the day that the sound quality was much better in person than what it sounds on the videos. The sound quality in recording got much better in the 1980s. A lot of the old high school marching band performances that were recorded back in the 70s were done on very early style recording systems, many of which were 8 mm. The state of the visual and audio quality and sound distortions should always be taken into consideration when watching these vintage videos. On a final note, I believe the early DCI World Championship performances were recorded as part of a PBS broadcast, using state of the art recording equipment at the time. That is why the video quality is much better than other early DCI and marching band videos. When I was in high school (late 80s and early 90s), I could not attend the DCI World Championships. We would however record the broadcast on PBS. PBS would rebroadcast it at later dates, but they would cut out parts of the performances to make it shorter. Back when I was in high school the idea of paying a subscription service to watch the competitions live from a home PC would have been considered science fiction. LOL Here's what I happen to know about the early DCI DVD's, since I bought them when they were first released in the early 1990's. Obviously they were not recorded as such in the 70's since the concept of distributing video recordings didn't exist. They did record audio for release as vinyl records, and they broadcast the event live on PBS. But the audio for PBS wasn't really important in the 1970's. Televisions then were just a basic speaker. So the PBS video recordings had lousy sound. When they went to produce these DVD's years later as "The Legacy Series" they matched the video from the PBS broadcast with the audio from the LP's. The videos here were undoubtedly ripped from those DVD's. Of course in later years the shows were recorded/broadcast with both audio/video in mind. Back in the 1990's I bought the 1975-1980 Legacy Series DVD's. Of course, later when one could get a subscription and stream all the shows, some of the later years (maybe all?) in NO WAY found a permanent home on my hard drive. That would be wrong.
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Post by OldSchoolTrumpet on Aug 19, 2020 11:08:44 GMT -6
1978 Santa Clara Vanguard 1978 Phantom Regiment Oh, and just a random bit of trivia regarding Phantom for you youngsters. During the drum solo, starting around the 9:50 mark (yes, shows were much longer in those days) the guard begins a routine which would vary by year but would be known as the "Rockford File." Partially because Phantom was from Rockford, but also the name was a play off of a popular TV show from the 70's starring James Garner titled...The Rockford Files. Other corps did similar moves of course, but only Phantom could do a Rockford File.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Aug 21, 2020 16:19:41 GMT -6
When the Guard Takes Center Stage
So I am going to thank LeanderMomma for this next post. I know she and many others of you are very into winter guard. To be honest, I have really not followed winter guard or its history much. I know that there have been a lot of things done on the WGI circuit over the years that have crept their way into drum corps and marching bands. When looking over some of the available past videos and such, I have come to realize that winter guards' influence on drum corps and marching band is probably much more extensive than I had ever imagined.
To recap an earlier post, the reason flags were initially used in drum corps (I think it is self explanatory why weapons like rifles were used) was because of the purpose they served on the battlefield. During the smokey confusion of battle, a flag bearer would stand tall with their flag in the air marking where the regiment was positioned. That way a soldier who became disorientated on the battlefield could look for the flag and find their way back to their regiment. Makes sense right? During the first couple decades of the post World War II era, drum corps and drum corps competitions became very popular. In the early field shows of the 1950s and 1960s, the flags really did not do much. While there was some twirling and tossing of rifles, it seemed that the flags were just there to add a little color. I don't think they really knew how to incorporate them into the field show. It was more or less flag bearers marching around the field and waving them and moving them up and down from time to time. During the course of the 1970s, the guard routines (including that of the flags) became significantly more complex. It turns out that it added a ton of visual interest to the field show. So what exactly happened in the 1970s? enter WGI.
From what I understand, color guard workshops and camps emerged in the 1960s and eventually evolved into competitions. So as not to interfere with the drum corps competitive season, winter guard competitions were held in the late winter/early spring. They were also designed to be done on a gym floor. In the early to mid 1970s, Winter Guard International was formed and became the main governing body of winter guard. From the available videos and articles I have found, those early guards still were very military in style. They often played the same type of music as what the marching bands and drum corps were playing on the field. I suspect that WGI realized that indoor color guard was more effective or interesting if it was viewed as a performance art. Who wants to sit in a gym and watch flag bearers march around doing nothing but waving flags back and forth or moving them up and down? So over just a few short years, the color guard routines in WGI got significantly more complex and difficult. They also added some pretty fancy drill routines to boot. This in turn filtered into drum corps and marching band shows as there was a notable increase in the use of the color guard (especially in the mid to late 70s).
It seemed that over the span of just a few years in the mid to late 1970s, there was a huge influx in the number of winter guards that emerged. Rather than just perform to music that you would hear in a field show, they incorporated the use of all types of music, including rock, pop and in later years electronic. There was also the emergence of independent winter guards that were not associated with a high school or drum corps. The winter guards that were associated with either a high school or drum corps wore the same uniforms that they wore with their band or corps, yes the same military style uniform. I noticed that the independent corps had much simpler attire. I am speculating here, but my thinking is that it must have been a cost issue. Winter guards that were a part of a marching band or drum corps already had elaborate uniforms. I am sure that it would have been too costly for a small independent guard to purchase full blown military attire like what was worn by a full band/corps. So they used a more simple (probably homemade) type of uniform. Given the emphasis on artistry, these independent guards quickly began to dress in more stylish (less military) attire. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, winter guard routines (at least those of the top guards) were becoming increasingly more physically demanding. So I have to imagine that the guards that were in full military garb were looking at the guards who were wearing lighter outfits that were probably cooler and allowed for easier motion and thinking to themselves, why can't we wear something like that? So in the early 1980s, the guard started ditching the military attire. This was not only in WGI but it quickly took hold in DCI and in high school marching band circuits. By the time I was a freshman in high school in 1988, I did not see one band's guard wearing military style attire.
Although I think they had some affiliation to the 27th Lancers, Quasar did not wear military attire in the late 1970s, which is what got me thinking and exploring this topic. I also stumbled across a video of the 1979 Phantom Regiment winter guard (yes their guard wore the same uniforms as the guard in the corps wore at the time). I was really surprised when I saw the video. Note: the video is poor quality so I do not have it linked. Anyway, their show featured a narrator who walked us through a museum, with each art piece represented by a new song selection performed by the guard. (Their 1980 show was very similar). So I was looking at a show that had a centralized theme in 1979, years before that really took hold in drum corps and marching band. I was also hearing recorded narration. This was well over a decade (almost two) before that became common in BOA (yes even longer in DCI). So was the idea of having a drum corps or marching band show built around a centralized theme something that was actually taken from winter guard? How about the use of a narrator to walk us through a storyline? Yes, both of these things were first done in winter guard.
I stumbled across what looks to be the WGI finalists for the independent class equivalent for 1980. I originally was not going to post them all, but I will. I know there are some WGI enthusiasts who will enjoy. A few things to note: Looking through these performances, there are a lot of things (attire and guard work) that found their way into drum corps and marching band performances in subsequent years. A lot of the dancing that was done in WGI in 1980 also trickled into the summer/fall activities. Now some of the outfits have not stood the test of time (that is probably true for a lot of the stuff we wore in the 70s and 80s). On a personal note, I actually kind of liked the more formal look of the Phantom Regiment, Cavaliers and Guardsmen. Just my opinion.
1980 WGI (in 4 videos)
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Post by LeanderMomma on Aug 22, 2020 8:02:31 GMT -6
Thanks for that one boahistorybuff! Great history there and I didn’t know that about flags!
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Post by LeanderMomma on Aug 22, 2020 8:11:40 GMT -6
I wish that the Memphis Blues Brass Band had managed to take off. They were a drum corp based in my hometown from 1980-1983. My best friend was in their colorguard and I always wished I had tried out as well. Too bad they never gained much ground. Memphis needs a good drum corp!
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Post by boahistorybuff on Aug 24, 2020 4:58:04 GMT -6
Found one more interesting video for LeanderMomma and other color guard buffs. This is an intimate look at winter guard in 1977.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Aug 26, 2020 8:53:28 GMT -6
McCormick How To Series
So another color guard series (yes I will post more marching band and drum corps videos soon). This video series does an excellent job at describing the rules that governed the use of the color guard in a competitive drum corps style show. These rules were in place during the 1970s and in the years/decades preceding them. The rules got relaxed in the 1980s. I wonder what those guards would have thought back then if you had showed them what color guard would be doing 40 years into the future.
This series was produced by Larry McCormick and his company, the founder of Marching Bands of America in the mid 1970s. I think anyone with an interest in color guard should find these videos fascinating. It is such a treat that they managed to not get lost in time.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Aug 27, 2020 7:33:35 GMT -6
A Kentucky Legend - Lafayette HS from Lexington, KY
Every competitive marching band that has been around for decades has gone through their share of ups and downs. That certainly is the case for Lafayette. Perhaps some of you new to the marching arts world who saw Lafayette's 2019 show and their win at BOA Johnson City may not realize the legacy of this band. Overall, Lafayette has been a very good band for a very long time; 5 decades. During the 1970s, they won multiple Middle Tennessee State University Contest of Champions titles. That competition was a very big deal, especially for Kentucky and Tennessee bands. Here is a performance from Lafayette at the 1978 MTSU Contest of Champions; yes they won. The video is from the actual Contest of Champions but the audio was dubbed from another competition. The full PBS broadcast is also on line but the video quality is very poor.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Aug 28, 2020 8:58:35 GMT -6
Another 1970s McCormick Series - Percussion
These videos are more 1970s era videos produced by Larry McCormick and his company. The focus is on percussion. Again, it is so great that these old videos never got lost in time. I could only find two videos from the three part series.
This video is from 2000. It gives a bit of a history lesson as to why drums were so important to the military back in the days before modern communications.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Aug 29, 2020 8:05:42 GMT -6
Came across this 1976 clip from the television talent show "The Gong Show" and just had to post it. This was the 1970s version of America's Got Talent. The contestant was obviously a member of the Kingsmen rifle line.
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Post by LeanderMomma on Aug 30, 2020 19:17:06 GMT -6
Oh my goodness I remember that show! 🤣🤣🤣
That’s so awesome that a drum and bugle Corp kid felt confident enough to go on The Gong Show!
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Post by boahistorybuff on Sept 2, 2020 11:01:28 GMT -6
They Came Determined To Make Finals; They Left As Grand National Champions
The 1979 June Whitewater, WI Grand Nationals was notable for not only being the 4th Grand Nationals, it was the fourth and last Grand Nationals to be held in the summer. Again in 1980 the Grand Nationals was moved to November with the June Whitewater Competition continuing as the Summer Nationals. This was also the last year with just two classes; Open and Class A. Grand National finals for the first four years consisted of the top 6 Open Class bands from Prelims and the top 6 Class A (small school) bands from Prelims. The highest score in finals regardless of class was named Grand National Champion. There were also several bands who attended this competition for the first time. One of those bands was the Sylva-Webster 'Golden Eagle' band from Sylva, North Carolina under the direction of BOA Hall of Fame Member Bob Buckner. They were a small school marching band who had become quite well renown in the mountain region of western North Carolina/Western Virginia and eastern Tennessee. This was their first (and only trip) to Grand Nationals. Since they had never attended before and this was well before the days of online video sharing, they really did not know how they would stack up with the rest of the competition. Their main goal was to make finals. Well they made finals and won the Class A title. In fact, they had the highest overall score in finals, meaning they were crowned the Grand National Champion. What was also so impressive is that they beat six very strong Open Class bands in finals. Also of note; this was the last time that a band won the Grand National Title in their first trip until 2019 when Vandegrift did it.
Shortly after 1979, Mr Buckner left Sylva-Webster and they did not compete in BOA through the entire 1980s; at least I do not think they did (not sure if they competed in the western North Carolina regionals in 82 and 83). In the late 1980s, nearby Cullowhee HS closed and was merged into Sylva-Webster with their name then changing to Smoky Mountain High School. Smokey Mountain HS did participate in severe BOA regionals in the southeast in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
This video is the finals performance of Sylva-Webster at the 1979 Grand National finals. 1979 was the first year that video recordings were made available for sale of the finals performances; prior to that audio only recordings were available. The Class A bands performed before the Open Class bands, so it is still daylight in Sylva-Webster's performance. Obviously the use of woodwinds differentiated the marching bands from drum corps. Back in the late 1970s and into the 80s, several high school bands also used auxiliary lines (like baton twirlers). Another thing that was used in some high school bands that was not used in drum corps was an electric bass guitar. The electric bass was hooked up to a large amplifier on a cart. Someone actually had to march with the cart next to the bass player; back then everything still had to be marched. During the mid/late 1980s, with the use of the pit and technological advancements, electronics and amplifiers were mainly placed in the pit. You will see an electric bass with a large amplifier being marched on a cart in this Sylva-Webster performance. There is a lot of audience noise in the background. It took them a few years to perfect the audio/visuals in these recordings.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Sept 3, 2020 7:49:08 GMT -6
SCV What Are You Doing?
That may have been the question asked during the summer of 1980 when people saw Santa Clara Vanguard's show for the first time. The answer to what they were doing; asymmetrical drill. From what I read, the drum corps community was surprised by what they were seeing.
To recap the evolution of drill design up to that point; in the 1960s and early 70s, corps and corps style marching bands began their show on the left end zone, marched to the middle of the field in somewhat parade style formations, then did a segment of the show centered on the 50 yard line with somewhat rudimentary drill designs, then they marched off to the right end zone as they ended their show. During the 1970s, drill designs become more complex but they were written to be symmetrical with the axis of symmetry usually centered on the 50 yard line and most of the show took place in the middle of the field. In 1980, Santa Clara Vanguard introduced drill designs that were asymmetrical. Their 1980 show started with symmetrical designs, with the axis of symmetry at an angle to the 50 yard line. Then the corps held a formation as they rotated the axis of symmetry to align with the 50 yard line (a common drill move during that era). After minute three, during the percussion feature, the drill design slowly formed into something completely asymmetrical. They held the asymmetry through their concert piece to Evita. When they started moving again, they did drill sets that were still asymmetric. After roughly ten minutes (yes shows were longer back then) the corp transitioned back to a symmetrical drill set, with the axis of symmetry at an angle to the 50 yard line. To close the show, they rotated the axis of symmetry back to the 50 yard line.
During the 1981 and 1982 seasons, there were corps and bands that began to incorporate segments of asymmetry into their shows. In 1983, the Garfield Cadets took asymmetry to a whole new level. During the fall of 1983, the use of asymmetry really started taking off in high school marching band shows. During the remainder of the 1980s, asymmetry became common and really revolutionized drill design. It also allowed for a lot more variability in visual designs between the various corps and marching bands.
This is a video of the 1980 Santa Clara Vanguard at the DCI World Championship Finals. A few other notable things about 1980 SCV is that they placed 7th. This was the only time they did not finish in the top three in DCI finals between 1972 and 1989. I suspect their show may have been so innovative that the visual effect judges did not know how to really judge asymmetry yet. Of course, I also don't think this show was as strong musically as the other years during that period. Santa Clara Vanguard also made history this year when the Blue Stars failed to make finals. SCV became the only corps to be a finalist at the World Championships every year of DCI's existence; a distinction they still hold to this day.
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Post by OldSchoolTrumpet on Sept 3, 2020 9:03:16 GMT -6
I saw this show in person at least three times. Once at DCI East in Allentown, and twice in Birmingham. My recollection was that while the show was very different, there was no...what I would call...outrage...at the departure by SCV. Of course this was well before the Internet and forums, so people couldn't get together and whine the way they can today. But people in the stands and whatnot, no one was shocked by what they were seeing. It was interesting and different, for sure. There wasn't necessarily an inkling that this would be the beginning of something new, however. (If DCP had existed then it would have melted down over this show.)
I think people were surprised by their placement because they were SCV and they were, you know...SCV. But honestly even watching this video you can see that they really aren't that clean by the day's standard. I would imagine that with a design so dramatically different that it was tough to learn and clean in the way the were accustomed to. It just feels like, one bite too big. Loved the Holst though.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Sept 4, 2020 22:38:02 GMT -6
See the YouTube account that had the 1978 SCV, 1978 Phantom Regiment and 1980 SCV has been terminated. If anyone has those videos, please post.
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Post by LeanderMomma on Sept 5, 2020 21:46:50 GMT -6
See the YouTube account that had the 1978 SCV, 1978 Phantom Regiment and 1980 SCV has been terminated. If anyone has those videos, please post. That’s a shame. Truth be told, they (MFA/DCI folks) are probably keeping a close eye on posts in this forum for just this sort of thing so they can quickly remove those videos.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Sept 6, 2020 5:00:04 GMT -6
See the YouTube account that had the 1978 SCV, 1978 Phantom Regiment and 1980 SCV has been terminated. If anyone has those videos, please post. That’s a shame. Truth be told, they (MFA/DCI folks) are probably keeping a close eye on posts in this forum for just this sort of thing so they can quickly remove those videos. Yea you are probably right. I will have to limit what is posted or just end this thread.
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Post by OldSchoolTrumpet on Sept 6, 2020 9:17:21 GMT -6
See the YouTube account that had the 1978 SCV, 1978 Phantom Regiment and 1980 SCV has been terminated. If anyone has those videos, please post. Many years ago I had a YouTube account with snippets of old school clips, from the '70's. I received take down notices from both the Blue Devils and SCV. Odd how some channels seem to stay up a long time and some get hit. I deleted mine. Not worth it.
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Post by Subito Fortissimo on Sept 6, 2020 19:27:09 GMT -6
That’s a shame. Truth be told, they (MFA/DCI folks) are probably keeping a close eye on posts in this forum for just this sort of thing so they can quickly remove those videos. Yea you are probably right. I will have to limit what is posted or just end this thread. It really sucks since more often than not these videos aren't even available for purchase. If there was physical media or downloads available to buy I wouldn't have much of a problem with channels getting taken down, but they've pretty much made piracy the only option.
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