1978 Madison Scouts

[@grg-mpgmusic7247]

1978 was my first year of junior drum corps in New England. We saw Madison at Boston College Stadium. As a contrabass player I was floored by the power of their contra line in the opener and learned the part at 1:50 from memory by our next practice....totally blown away. Thanks, Paul for posting.

[@grov75er]

It's nice to know someone still cares! Thank you. ~Perry Smith 1978 Madison Baritone Soloist

[@85Newbs]

Perry, you were an awesome soloist. Glad I got to march with you. Mark Newberry

[@brakedrummerz]

You, sir, have my deepest respect and envy. I go back in time a little further than you, I marched for the St. Matthias Cadets out of Milwaukee. Our top three favorite corps were, in this order: (1) The Men of Madison, (2) Phantom, and (3) Blue Stars. I'll NEVER get enough of seeing the Men of Madison. Carpe diem, and YOU ROCK!

[@viewfromwilmington]

Nice solo. I miss this style of drum and bugle corps.

[@bigmamascouter]

Madison Scouts has been my favorite corps since my drum corps days in the 1960s (well, besides my own corps. I was in the color guard and rifle was my fav position.). I come here to get my "fix" of drum corps....back in the day when it WAS drum corps and not the current "theatrical" shows.

[@LLUEVE]

2018 - and we still care Perry! MadCity!!!!

[@ScoutMad]

Loved it!!! Thanks for posting:)

[@jeannahicks7251]

Wow, this brings back so many memories. Love the Scouts!

[@romanweis3166]

always a crowd favorite

[@paulbuzzmccarthy5621]

I covered DCI and DCA for Drum Corps News and always loved this show. Scouts horn line was a monster, and the screamers were awesome.

[@roberthoffhines5419]

Significant show, you can still see the visceral, raw old DCI, but see the beginnings of the refinements that would eventually take it to where it is today in this show. I followed DCI in those wonderful in-between 80s.

[@TheDundeeScots]

What a great era!!

[@DennisJohnsonDrummer]

Back when there were full length drum solos. 😁

[@radarice2]

Great performance. I competed against this corps in the early 1950s when they were one of the top corps in the nation. We (the Appleton Wisconsin Scouts) never could come close to beating them. In 1957, while I was at the U of Wisconsin, they played at halftime at a Wisconsin/Ohio State basketball game. I convinced my dorm buddies to skip going to the concession stand so they could hear the Scouts play. They stayed and were blown away by the group -- none had heard a really good corps before. The Scouts played indoors in their stocking feet to protect the court floor. Jerry T

[@BlueStarDrumBum]

Not the Americanos?

[@oldschooldrumcorps]

For all those who like to downplay the power of the G bugle. Madison was all about power projection into the stands...no MIcs, no amplification, just dudes with some serious lung capacity and chops. Like God Intended.

[@jesuspectre9883]

Did God intend for it to sound like out of tune ass?

[@skippyjunior2744]

BLOW THE DAMN HORN!!!!! YEEEE HAAAAAAA

[@FoxSleeping]

oldschooldrumcorps They won’t get it. DCI is summer band camp.

[@FoxSleeping]

Jesu Spectre From someone who never played a bugle.

[@stevecagle2317]

BYFBO!!!!

[@tucker.84]

9:32 Holy mother of god that 5th bass drum is giant!!!!!

[@jonathantherose303]

Cheiftain 19 I think it's a size 6 because that 1st is a 2nd

[@drbcrb]

That's because bass drums were bass drums. The modern groups top 3 or so look more like tenor drums.

[@debimarci829]

I was in 27th this year! It was thrilling to see the Scouts-always loved them!

[@sciencenerd4302]

Trumpet/Bugle solo at about 2:40 was spot on! Who ever that was did great!

[@williamcooke2765]

Nothing like G bugle. When drum corps was drum corps.

[@grandpadavid45]

💯👍

[@mikebridges7294]

That note at 5:53....that is a Maynard note if I ever heard 1 lol. Interesting our HS Marching Band (200 musicians plus a huge Guard and Dance Drill Team) in '78 (I was Head Drum Major then) played the Star Wars theme in our HT show. We had 200 musicians and were only a 3A school with about 800 total students!

[@Texray1]

The first two songs are freaking incredible. God, I miss screamers like this. And a badass rifle line.

[@MrPhillipABurns]

in a real sense, it is amazing anyone in the crowd can actually stand, after getting hit in the face with a sound like that. GO SCOUTS ! ! !

[@DahEnforcer]

Thanks! Love the compliment

[@skippyjunior2744]

The best years of DCI

[@moreyday5480]

And the tenor line was said to be "ticless,"

[@jakebaker1051]

0:41 that dude does a literal squat

[@Harley-gn7hl]

😂😂😂

[@steveherro3661]

I was in this show at Mile High Stadium (one of my two years in guard - flag) We had an amazing horn section that year. I think it was the first year the song Malaguana that has become a standard for the MS since. I like watching the staff go nuts on the sidelines. Took 4th.

[@21cmiles]

Was Chase Mullins in the rifle line that year? He was my guard instructor in high school in the mid to late 80s.

[@tycobb8974]

That's cool Perry. I have no idea when this song waa written. We performed it at LA Tech in 92 and I just assumed it was new. By far in my top 3 favorite marching band songs.

[@1johncabs]

John Williams music before the stringent copywrite requirements.

[@Philsy]

Now THIS is drum corps, Not the dancing, prancing and electronics of today. Well done.

[@americanspirit8932]

I agree with you 100%

[@rondanakamura2655]

I LOVED DCI in the 80’s. Went solo to a show/competition in about 2010. What an utter disappointment! No sound power, very little lyricism. Just lots of unwarranted swagger. Let’s hope the musicality makes a return!! Bravo to all those people in this video.

[@bobareebop]

Outstanding show and performance. NOT Ken Kobold's greatest finals recording.

[@Mark-sj3xb]

Agreed. Terrible placement of mics and bad mixing

[@MicahtheDrumCorpsPseudoboomer]

At least the horns sound more balanced than in 1979 and 1980, and the drums sound clean at all times, unlike 1985-1999 and 2001-present recordings.

[@daved.8697]

OMG! They R marching with Tympani's On!!! Go Madison Scouts(DRUM LINE)!!!

[@drbcrb]

I think everyone did at that time. Yes, there were marching timp lines. Marching keyboards also existed.

[@jamess8566]

It wasn't until about '81 when they put the tympanis and keyboards in the pit.

[@jamesjennings6869]

Mad respect.

[@Mark-sj3xb]

The corps this year contained a who’s who of future DCI leaders, some of which are still in the activity today. Scott Chandler , program coordinator of the Blue Devils was on the rifle line here. Todd Ryan, visual caption head for Blue Devils was a mellophone here. Dan Acheson, former director of DCI

[@americanspirit8932]

I'm sure some of them are the ones that killed the drum and bugle Corps activity, turning it into a band competition and there's nothing wrong with marching bands but certainly not a drum and bugle Corps

[@candyheartreacts8053]

Omg loving drum Corp for life

[@tsan3796]

When Ludwig ruled the field only other choice slingerland - Fresh At time StarWars on a field

[@tommcconville4270]

Luwigs were great drums absolutely, and quite a few corps were using Pearl, Rogers and Yamaha as well.

[@americanspirit8932]

@@tommcconville4270 I purchased a slingerland snare drum in 1958 April of 1958 its stance on the inside, I still have it to this very day, July 2021. Ludwig Drum company is in Monroe North Carolina, I went to that factory a few years back they still make great promise. I attended DCI championship in Texas I forgot the year off the top of my head, but right next to me was Bill Ludwig Junior, a great conversation with him for about two-and-a-half 3 hours maybe longer he was a real gentleman I enjoyed meeting you and speaking with him.

[@MichaelPuterbaugh]

Bass 5 has got to be at least a 36" drum. RIP his back.

[@holton345]

It is a 40, which was not all that uncommon back then. When I marched (six years later) in DCI many groups still carried 36s and at least four I can think of hauled around the big 40.

[@arfshesaid4325]

snare lick at 4:25 is pure smoke

[@arfshesaid4325]

6:07 rocks too , u guys were great with a great book.

[@missioncreekstyle3814]

Soloist at 5:57 is killing it. A little too much. He almost fell over. LOL.

[@DahEnforcer]

I believe that was Scott Barella

[@DanS24106]

Perry! He emerges from his 35 year slumber! (Dan Scerpella)

[@skippyjunior2744]

When Drum Corps was about teaching....not something for music majors to put on their resume. See 4:40 kid couldnt be a day over 14.

[@DahEnforcer]

Yep, he was one of the 14 year olds.

[@Mark-sj3xb]

Back in the day, a significant number of members of drum corps didn’t have any musical experience before joining. It was predominantly a local civic organization and were taught how to play a bugle upon joining.

[@americanspirit8932]

@@Mark-sj3xb and they did not import members from all over the country and for that matter throughout the world period for the most part we were all neighborhood kids. It was a great youth activity. Sponsors were mainly VFW, American Legion, and Catholic organizations for the most part. One time and United States and Canada there were approximately 7000 drum and bugle Corps. Some of them were parade course, others were standstill competition corpse, then we had competing Junior drum and bugle Corps as well as senior competing drum and bugle Corps. Also in the off-season we would have individual and quartet competition. And many quarts had their own Color Guard competition, members of those color guards were comprised of Bugler's drummers Color Guard personnel. Offseason besides practicing those were our other interest in Outlets. Great memories plenty to do on the offseason. By the way these competitions took place in different states every state pretty much do the same thing as far as individual and quartet and colorguard competitions

[@paulsuttie213]

Anyone have their 1973 slaughter on tenth avenue....

[@jimeiden2360]

Holy Mother of God!!!!

[@tperk]

Sound = Pure

[@estebangonzales139]

The colorguard at 1:28 though

[@hughdunbar9823]

thank god I came into Dci right as the high mark time went away...looks exhausting!

[@1049berkeley]

Mile High in Denver

[@tonyy6841]

Madison may have been the first corp to have the guard dance......?

[@omfgacceptmyname]

that was wild

[@Jesusfreak3378]

wow we did this in drumcorp and in our marching band... o the confusion....

[@skippyjunior2744]

Just remember that marching bands copy drum corps, not visa versa

[@delanebe]

i'm soooooooooo glad I marched "99 when the flags could do "things"... MYNWA...

[@longfade]

+delanebe "Do things". Like what? Get costumed up and over-emote?

[@delanebe]

no slam their asses on the ground like mad, then spin at wrap speeds and still hold up our brotherhood> Are you a Scout? MYNWA

[@skippyjunior2744]

Drum Corps was about BUGLES and DRUMS....color guard is always and forever an afterthought??? What VALUE are they anyway???

[@americanspirit8932]

@@longfade today they wear costumes back then we what wearing uniforms.

[@jeffreydancinger2875]

Looks like the Bugles are Olds Ultratone IIs

[@johnlaverty9217]

DEG Bugles

[@tommcconville4270]

Olds bugles were the best ever made, I would have loved to play one of their baritones. As a baritone player in New Jersey dtum corps, we started with Getzens, and in 1971 we upgraded to Smith horns. I finished my corps tenure with the Sunrisers playing a Smith baritone. By the way, Madison Scouts rendition of God Bless the Child is outtasight! One of the greatest corps all time. Their Star Wars performance great as well.

[@blakeremmers1505]

11:55 and 12:36 the pepole at bottom left

[@chippy010205]

Great screamers. The bells are way too loud, though.

[@jdavis57]

Yeah but, there's only 2 of them. So why are pits being mic'd today when they have 10-12 keyboards? Can't be because the horn line are too loud because, they aren't nearly as loud as this.

[@DahEnforcer]

The recordings only used sideline mics to capture the sound. With only two keyboard instruments corps had to put them near the side line to be heard in the stands. So when these two factors align the recording you hear seems heavy on the bells.

[@DahEnforcer]

If you listen about 2:05 you get the same effect with one of the lead Sops who was in front of the sideline mic.

[@Mark-sj3xb]

The recordings for 78 were not very good. They did not do a good job capturing the full ensemble sound and captured individual instruments as they passed in front.

[@Jack61]

Great show!

[@scottalberta6541]

Please learn to tune

[@philburns9049]

Hey Al Bertha, what are your credentials ? are you a college professor ? ? professional musician (wannabee) of some sort ? play in a symphony ? do you even play a brass instrument ? for that matter do you even play anything ? Just curious how someone gave you the right to criticize these fine horn players. For those beloved Scouts alumni and other corps alums, Phantom, Garfield, Blue Devils, the list goes on, you have my respect. Unlike this mouthy individual making this asinine statement. You need to apologize and learn some manners because somewhere between home and your public school you missed a few lessons. . .. . So in closing response to your post, "please learn to shut your mouth."