1984 Blue Devils

[@officialnoslenj]

This is the stuff that made me fall in love with drum corps. Nowadays, I wouldn’t go to a show even if the tickets were free. I don’t blame the kids. I blame DCI.

[@builderphil13]

What a strange thing to say .I started in 1977 and I still go to finals every year. It is better than ever.

[@baridaddy]

TOTALLY AGREE!! WGI OUTDOOR!!

[@FoCoBuzz]

Yep. And I just saw the video that today they approved the use of a single ANY instrument starting this summer. Here come woodwinds. This is the death knell. Drum corps is dead though they will still keep calling it drum corps. It was effectively already dead with the costumes and field theater. I barely cared last year. Still went to one show but I am not sure I will this summer. Given that, glad this video popped up in my feed. I love classic BD, we played Bacchanalia in high school, and I went to Georgia Tech. This show ticks all my boxes.

[@builderphil13]

@@FoCoBuzz no ones cares what you think gramps

[@earlviney5212]

I remember back in these days we would go to a show. Even without looking or knowing we would hear a corps practicing and we would no instantly it was BD. We would follow that sound and it was them. Nobody had that sound only they did.

[@rocinante0293]

Nowadays that's Crown lol

[@rjminar1980]

@@rocinante0293 nowadays that doesn’t exist.

[@rocinante0293]

@@rjminar1980 I'm pretty sure it does with the average talent level today being one million percent higher

[@samsignorelli]

Absolutely the 2nd best day of my life (even if we'd won) -- surpassed ONLY by my wedding day 30 years ago.

[@bringndaruckus6956]

I think the 1984 'BD finals night' performance was just as good if not better than '82 and '86. The difference in my opinion was that BD put any chances, for any corps, away, in '82 and '86 before even going to finals.

[@samsignorelli]

@@bringndaruckus6956 Yeah....SCV beat us pretty consistently until after Whitewater. But taking 3rd that night really lit a fire under us.

[@keithcoleman4537]

At least on your wedding day you got a ring, right? ;-)

[@samsignorelli]

@@keithcoleman4537 I'M HIT! MEDIC!!! :)

[@ImVee10]

@@keithcoleman4537 That… was the greatest DCI-related burn in the history of Earth. 🔥🔥🔥

[@christopherrazze6884]

I would just like to say that's my Dad playing the Drums on that first song, Ralph Razze, the Original Steve Spiegel recording. He's really getting a kick out of hearing the Devils version of it.

[@rdlcbrown]

Nice!! We loved playing that tune and listened to the original quite a bit in 84. So --- your Dad had fans from the Blue Devils.

[@ikshields]

By FAR one of the finest musical performances by any drum corps, ever. This is the big, glossy, sparkly, swinging ‘80s Blue Devils, at the very peak of their mountain. I remember when the LP vinyl recording of the ‘84 Championships came out, and being absolutely FLOORED by the sound of this show. Every department of the ensemble and arranging team had achieved something that had finally transcended any connection to “marching” music, and was now flying freely on its own out there - a true, 100+ member modern-Jazz big band, swinging and thrilling just like a Buddy Rich concert. Unbelievable. All without any intrusive and unnecessary electronics - just the particular glory of pure acoustic sound. And what a relief to hear not only the richness and horsepower of the G bugles again, but also the full-spectrum, colorful variety of sideline percussion that was once unleashed, but for some sad reason now seems locked in an unimaginative drone of mid-frequency massed marimbas. (And how about a bonafide 10-player snare line? Yeah baby!!! THAT IS DRUM CORPS.) Too bad the atrocious video direction rarely lets us see it, even during the powerhouse drum feature. 🙄🤬 I wish today’s DCI big-thinkers and show planners could take more of a cue from the great stuff of these earlier years, and realize they’ve lost stuff that didn’t need or want to be lost, on the way to their other perfectly cool innovations.

[@johns3106]

Nailed it!!

[@slotcargene1]

YEAH BABY! I still have a recording I made of the show in Clifton, NJ at Garfield's show using stereo mics.

[@rdlcbrown]

@@slotcargene1 Are you going to post that anywhere? [84 BD Alumn here]

[@samsignorelli]

@@slotcargene1 Another 84 alum here...POST IT!! We have very few recordings or vids of this show.

[@Chickboom34]

Well stated.

[@officialnoslenj]

I love this closer (ballad) too. Listen to those flugals

[@KarenHolden-d7y]

La Fiesta...goosebumps to this day:)

[@raymondfallon7429]

1984 Blue Devils - best show (and performance) ever not to win DCI. Man they were on fire that night! Garfield was not to be denied, and I agree with the outcome, but BD... whoo!

[@samsignorelli]

Thanks....we certainly TRIED!

[@raymondfallon7429]

@@samsignorelli dude...you didn't "try"... you almost set the field on fire... but just as BD reset the paradigm for DCI in 76, Garfield recalibrated it again in 83/84... actually moreso in 84, with visual coordination never seen before. But just for hot writing and playing? BD was still King (as witnessed by your 100 or so Jim Ott awards... won without amplified front sideline covering bass and providing additional presence, while masking flaws). My wife, who was not a drum corps chick, but had earned an MMus in Composition, used to break my balls about drum corps being perpetually out of tune until I brought her to DCI East and to a BD rehearsal when my son was playing trumpet. She listened for a while and then said "Okay... THAT'S in tune! Why doesn't everyone play like that...?" Nobody ever played better (especially in the Downey decades... just my opinion).

[@johno7564]

82 got my eye, 83 got me 84, west coast for life....

[@earlviney5212]

1980 27th lancers should be considered too.

[@TheSoulcraft]

Karn evil! ! My hs instructor was in 83 & 84 & brought us both Paradox & Karn Evil as our percussion solos. And course we totally used the ending as a tag on whatever our closer was be it 'Surrise Lady' or 'One more Night...'Forever grateful. Grew our hs line from 15-30 & created a 20yr dynasty!🙏

[@samsignorelli]

Who was your instructor?

[@srtyler]

Latin Implosion is beautiful. What a great sound!

[@karylyon1132]

That soprano line is incredible!

[@rdlcbrown]

...if only the rest of the hornline was as good....the hornline as an ensemble was incredible. And the power of that line. They had a powerful punch - especially the one special moment in Latin Implosion designed to break speakers..

[@samsignorelli]

@@rdlcbrown ???? I thought the rest of our line was great! After all it was you flugels who took the feature in La Fiesta when us sops could't pull it off.

[@rdlcbrown]

@@samsignorelli My subtle sarcasm didn't quite come through.

[@officialnoslenj]

The flugles definitely made La Fiesta.

[@rbill9181]

I was there. 40 yard line. Blue Devil's , my favorite corps!

[@earlviney5212]

I was there too.

[@samsignorelli]

I was there....sop with the glasses and full beard at 0:52!

[@bradberry1083]

Did you know my friend Duane the soloist?

[@samsignorelli]

@@bradberry1083 Haven't seen Schimmel since that night. Duane had the ultimate BD soloist drill...after stepping out of the line during Karn Evil 9, he only marched 16 counts for the rest of the show....back for 8 and forward for 8 in the duet in the closer! We'd work on closer drill at Mars and Duane and Gino would head up to the GE box! He also had a solo or feature of some sort in all four brass charts...scream at the end of the opener, solo in Latin Implosion (which was a duet until after DAtR, hence Tim Morning standing back to back with him), opening trio in La Fiesta, duet in Like a Lover.

[@jamesmccaughey5604]

2:11. One of the most beautiful brass sounds in all of drum corps. 😎

[@draeke8080]

I still think it’s one of the greatest horn shows of all time. PR and Magic/Suncoast

[@tjbiker49]

Amazing Talent, Power and Precision . . . .

[@Chickboom34]

I marched 84 Bridgemen and got spoiled seeing Garfield so frequently. Only once or twice came across BD and remember thinking, ok, we’ll that’s a whole other level.

[@bobareebop]

Oh how I miss this style of drum corps.

[@officialnoslenj]

Me too

[@JeffLivingston-zl6oh]

Now, it's Broadway with props, cirque du Soleil, etc, no what it was... Marching, playing. Go back people, you've gone too far

[@adamchurvis1]

@@JeffLivingston-zl6oh Preach, brother! I was beginning to wonder if DCI stood for "Drama Class Inductees" and was an extension program of some high school acting program in New York City.

[@JeffLivingston-zl6oh]

@@adamchurvis1 where are you, can I visit

[@JeffLivingston-zl6oh]

Thanks. What happened

[@DennisJohnsonDrummer]

Another great drum solo by the master- Tom Float. R.I.P. Tom (Spirit snare 1980)

[@burdrchitect1680]

Love me some ole school BD

[@percussionfreak8201]

Listen to that crowd applause at the end 12:36. Says it all. What a great show.

[@samsignorelli]

Gotta be honest...standing there with my arms in the air and being downrange of that crowd....I felt like an absolute GOD!

[@slotcargene1]

@@samsignorelli Awesome! I know the feeling - I was in Bayonne's drumline in '82, the house came down when we did New York, New York, and then fainted after the last note, LOL! I had to pick up my head just so I could see the crowd! I Saw you guys at the Clifton, NJ show that year, '84. Made a tape with a stereo dual mike on my little Sony recorder. Still have the tape! I marched with the Bushwackers that year, and we followed you in exhibition at the West Chester PA. show. You finished with Santos by Louis Bellson, and that was our opener, LOL! Then in '85you closed with Pat Metheny's First Circle, and again, our opener was... First Circle. We played a whole Pat Metheny show that year.

[@samsignorelli]

@@slotcargene1 You need to digitize and upload that tape! There are very few recordings of our show other than prelims and finals. Would love to hear it.

[@2010bigpapi]

I’m diehard SCV, but I do miss those jazzy Blue Devils from back in the day.

[@itiambibi]

That second song, whew. It doesn't get any better than that.

[@samsignorelli]

latin implosion was the first time i'd ever marched in 5/4 time.

[@raymondfallon7429]

​@@samsignorelli I've marched in 5/4 a few times. Unfortunately the rest of the Corps was in 4/4.

[@samsignorelli]

@@raymondfallon7429 HAHAHAHAHAAA!!

[@brentbrownjr.5303]

One of BDs best musical books… ever!

[@samsignorelli]

Thanks! It was a fun one to play.

[@georgesetzer5283]

My best bud from Sunrisers did his rookout year with BD in 84. RIP Andy you were a great contra player and a great friend.

[@samsignorelli]

Sorry to tell you, but there was no Andy in our contra line in 84. Additionally, only 2 members from that year have passed, euph Dalyn Barner and contra Gary Brattin. The only Andys in the corps were fellow sop Andy Johnson and tenor Andy Heidin.

[@georgesetzer5283]

@@samsignorelli Must have been 85 then Sam...I was marching in Reading in 84 and 85 and ran into Andy at East's

[@samsignorelli]

@@georgesetzer5283 Andrew Felice? That's the name on the 85 member list for contra and he DID pass in 2005.

[@georgesetzer5283]

@@samsignorelli That's him. Chalk it up to Old Farts disease. Andy was a great friend and a damn good horn player.

[@rdlcbrown]

@@stevelenane9771 Wow Steve. I had no idea that's how that came about. Cool story.

[@danielcrawford4134]

Okay, another comment: I've always thought that solo at 5:20 just defines screaming. I heard it the first time in Ogden echoed back off the mountains. Just great.

[@samsignorelli]

And it wasn't something Wayne wrote. We were in the practice arc -- probably around April or May, and Stymie did it as a joke on one runthru. Wayne cocked his head, thought about it, and said "Y'know what? Let's keep that." Also, RIP, Daylen Barner -- the euph on screen at that time stamp.

[@DisabusingTheLeft]

Latin Implosion just hits you right in your musical soul. One of my favorite DCI moments of ALL time!!!

[@settinitstraight8332]

to borrow a phrase from 1984, this is totally awesome

[@raymondfallon7429]

If I remember correctly, the adjective that year was "excellent" and/or "most excellent." Awesome is very 21st Century.

[@alfiocco8380]

Loved every moment

[@slotcargene1]

Always Loved how they stuck that reference to La Suerte de Los Tontos in the park and blow ending!

[@samsignorelli]

The "New York Fantasy" tag ending was a thing from 80-84, although part of the battery book made it into a couple of later shows. There were elements of La Suerte, New York Fantasy, Legend of a One-Eyed Sailor, and a smattering of other past charts in there...the TUG (Thumbs up Guy) pose at the end also came from earlier years. The original ending on first tour was just a reprise of the end of the opener. It wasn't until 2nd tour that we put the classic tag ending in.

[@bringndaruckus6956]

BLUE jackets in 1984! Nice.

[@earlviney5212]

No overbearing pit sound. Nice balance. Todays activity the pit is overbearing the hornline

[@samsignorelli]

Keep in mind that fully grounded pits were only a couple of years old at the time.

[@tommytimp]

@@samsignorelli Pits only overbalance a hornline when they're poorly miked. Nowadays every damn hand drum has to be miked, and that's only because Yamaha is trying to sell more sound systems to band programs. It's all a stupid arms race.

[@ikshields]

And it’s reduced to a dull sameness of marimbas and vibraphones now, besides. Sad.

[@bobareebop]

Uniforms, an appropriately sized pit, G horns(which sound better outside), complete pieces of music, GE off the charts, emotion off the charts, drill movement that stirs the imagination, beauty, and intense power. One of the best shows ever. 40 years later and it still brings me to tears.

[@adamchurvis1]

Were you there, too? I was in the audience, down front, to the right side facing the front of the formations. Almost exactly 40 years ago today.

[@earlviney5212]

Real charts. Real music. None of this overly technical crap that their playing today.

[@DSA1298]

I wish it was like when I marched, 78-80. None of this artistic crap running around field.

[@raymondfallon7429]

IMO, the real difference (much of the music back then was pretty technical too) was that the charts were more fully developed, fleshed out, where the current day charts (again in my opinion) are snippets built around impact points, interspersed with long transitions of synth and pit music (with or without narration). For me it's not the technical part, or the "crap".

[@raymondfallon7429]

Plus, dare I add... Wayne Downey... which says a lot by itself.

[@draeke99]

@@raymondfallon7429 I can tell you're a music teacher lol Phantom 88 Magic 89

[@earlviney5212]

Duane schimmel I marched with him finleyville royal crusaders before he went out to BD.

[@stevenplunkett1597]

It’s hard to imagine the reaction back then compared to now. They are clearly fantastic technically these days but in my last few visits to Indy, they just leave you….in your seat. Every corps in 2022 got a standing ovation apart from BD. I’d love to go back and have some of this…..it’s just brilliant!

[@alfiocco8380]

Brass crazy love it

[@Zacthephotographer]

5:19 I'd forgotten how good this sounded back in the day, wow!

[@earlviney5212]

The one and only Downey sound.

[@Nigelrathbone1]

Opener is an endless series of blow away moments...actually, the whole show is

[@awesomeboxlord]

the la fiesta recording convinced me to get a dynasty 3 valve g sop and its nice to see the full show, the blue devils site only has the audio

[@michaelwenhold8117]

La Fiesta!! Made Maynard proud!!

[@Fryzers]

I'd give my right arm for BD to bring out an 80's show again.

[@Oaktreealley]

The best!

[@earlviney5212]

Love the French horn sound. It is really missed in todays activity

[@samsignorelli]

Modern drill wouldn't allow for marching Frenchies...far too easy to miss the partials. Hell, they were fading in favor of mellos onlh a few years later.

[@Mark-sj3xb]

I marched French Horn in Madison in the 70s. These were the long flat ones, rotor/piston versions. They were fun to play and free blowing but man, they were a frack machine when in motion. My age out year was ‘78 and was the first year we used mellos. We only bought 4 used ones because we weren’t sure we wanted to commit to them yet, AND the next year was the conversion to two-piston alto voice instruments. Mellos definitely gave an enhanced sound element and were easier to maneuver around the quick passages.

[@earlviney5212]

I like the French horn sound its darker and deeper than the mellophone a truer alto sound to me.

[@rdlcbrown]

We killed it that night

[@samsignorelli]

Yes we did!

[@bringndaruckus6956]

BLue Devils '84 was incredible. It is possible to blow speakers listening to BD '84 and '85.

[@bradleybender5344]

Hey Rob! Can you believe we are this old? And BD just won #21?

[@rdlcbrown]

@@bradleybender5344 BRAD!! Hey man! Hope all is well!!

[@johno7564]

The West coast, typically didn’t see the DCI final until PBS made it available. If I recall the 80’s we didn’t see this until September.

[@johno7564]

My POV, if you’re a musician and don’t have to work the summer, why wouldn’t you join a corp for the summer season?

[@xsiunnu]

I'm still amazed that Baccinallia (opener) isn't a DCI standard nearly everyone takes a stab at? Steve Speigl!!!

[@ronaldmacdonald938]

Thank goodness for Tom Blair!

[@samsignorelli]

not sure if it was blair back then...and the camera shot selections in 83 and 84 were sometimes god-awful.

[@shawnbryan8177]

@@samsignorelli Nothing like swirling streamers during the first accelarondo in DCI's history.

[@shawnbryan8177]

@@samsignorelli Weber and Blair

[@samsignorelli]

@@shawnbryan8177 I'm STILL amazed I got the camera pass I did in our opener. You got a couple of almost-closeups from the back a few times,

[@2010bigpapi]

Wow. A drum feature and not one shot of the battery. In the words of Spock, “Most impressive”.

[@tomshea8382]

It's a good thing that BD pit was so good, bcs they showed a LOT of them.

[@samsignorelli]

@@tomshea8382 Mostly Jeff V on tymp.

[@tomshea8382]

@@samsignorelli Go where the quality is...

[@mconfive2nine]

One of the greatest BD shows of the 80s and the absolute worst camera work of all time.

[@Mark-sj3xb]

I miss a big cymbal line toting and marching

[@TheAKIMELLO]

11:48 Santos by Louie Bellson

[@samsignorelli]

@@stevelenane9771 Remember hearing Bushwackers playing the full Santos chart during their exhibition the night we beat Garfield, Stymie?

[@doncarter7552]

On the short list of greatest corps ever that didn’t win. Garfield was transcendent, it took all of that to beat Big Blue that season.

[@mpmcd81]

And a lot better than some who have won, that’s for sure. This was just greatness. The difference in them and Cadets, who were also nothing short of greatness, largely personal preference and nothing objective as far as I am concerned.

[@danielcrawford4134]

I miss a pretty closer and then the re-entry. It was a formula, but it worked!

[@LarryAnders]

Nice read, marched BD 78,79

[@alfiocco8380]

West is Best

[@ImVee10]

Not to be crude, but 9:41 Who’s your mother fucking DADDY!

[@samsignorelli]

"The Look" from Stymie!

[@samsignorelli]

@@stevelenane9771 STYMIE!!!

[@bringndaruckus6956]

@@stevelenane9771 Legend. Loved Blue devils in the 80's

[@awesomeboxlord]

would anyone happen to still have the sheet music for this show?

[@samsignorelli]

i DID have my parts....but they were destroyed when my storage unit was flooded a few years back.

[@awesomeboxlord]

@@samsignorelli dang i guess i could still learn it by ear

[@RB..1]

Who was on camera duty during the Drum Line solo? Ugh.

[@Mark-sj3xb]

For goodness sakes, put the cameras on a side view of the snare line during the drum break! Terrible! Missed the accelerondo

[@samsignorelli]

Do NOT get me going on camera shot selection in 83-84....absolutely awful at times.

[@ikshields]

Director in the booth must’ve either been stone drunk, or his kid was playing the sideline timbales.

[@DrJAFox]

It is too bad that kind of sound has left DCI.

[@realsteviem]

The bloke on the thumbnail is a Brit!

[@stevenlee5138]

The camera work in 1984 was horrible

[@samsignorelli]

83 also -- horrid.

[@bryandeutsch285]

Lol! Agreed. The drum solo never highlights the battery. All pit and guard with a couple high cam shots of the actual drum line. Wtf?

[@brianhale2977]

Well done. But gerrymandered jazz does not beat creatively coordinated West Side Story drama -- not by a long shot.

[@samsignorelli]

We beat Garfield at the last regular season show...we only lost THIS run by 1/10th...Garfield members THEMSELVES thought they'd lost -- that semis was their golden show. Hardly a long shot....care to try again?

[@bringndaruckus6956]

I was there that weekend. Garfield won prelims. Did not win Finals. IMO. Ask anyone from the Cadets that was waiting in the tunnel at the end of the BD show. West Side Story was great.

[@Ingram-bn2up]

Matched with a drum corps back than in 1984 I'm so happy to be alive today is my birthday I was born 1963 oct color guard flags is what I did god u all