Longview High School Band 1979

This is the 1979-80 Longview High School "Lobo" Band (Texas) at UIL Marching contest. The band is under the direction of John "Pete" Kunkel

[@ctmerchant3641]

Whoosh! I was in the big green marching machine from 1976-1979. Mr Kunkel demanded excellence from you - and you gave it. Best memories from high school. Shaped a lot of who I am today. Discipline and hard work.

[@927drummerboy]

Amazing how Mr. Kunkel marched at 132 bpm opposed to the standard military marking of 120 bpm. The band handled the faster marking very well.

[@jhancock1575]

What a blast from the past. I was in a competing high school band during this time in the same region and remember their contest shows. They were considered the best with a high bar for music and marching that was difficult to compete against. We often used their examples when we tried to improve our own marching drill.

[@KeyPoulanMusic]

Yes! This band is just as powerful as I remembered them when I competed against them. Thank you for sharing this with us! - Key Poulan (Marshall HS Band: 1977-1980)

[@wardfam07]

This would be one of my "time machine" experiences if I could move through time and see/hear this live, in person. Simply incredible...no other way to put it.

[@Acker997]

I'm on this field somewhere with a bass clarinet. The feeling of excellence was incredible and I am forever indebted to Pete Kunkel for instilling that in me! I still get chills when I see this video. Mark's right. The commitment, teamwork, and pride lasts forever!

[@SuperChuckRaney]

It could have been worse, you could have gone to Pinetree.

[@excalibur1812]

Boy, I could watch these videos ALL day.. What an absolutely FABULOUS band!!! Precision, quick, sharp. Wonderful playing style-nobody in the cracks!!! Terrific playing and marching. One word comes to mind- WOW!!!! What an inspiration.

[@johntatum1951]

Great marching and love the selection of marches...good band!

[@AllisonPeacock]

Goosebumps. I'm in this video! Thanks for posting it.

[@SuperChuckRaney]

I love how it sounds. RECORDED you know, on one of the first kind of camcorders. Allison, you were a majorette in this 79 band, yea?

[@slpeery1]

The Big Green Marching Machine reigns! I was there, too!! Boy, the good ol' days!

[@kmills62]

This was a super dynamo band....love this performance

[@jpeanrkode]

It's a shame this sort of excellence isn't demanded more today. Maybe someday the importance of straight lines will again be emphasized. This was beautiful.

[@davidingram8734]

Thanks. I’ve always been proud to find these and post them. Longview has changed a lot since then. There are bands of this caliber and better today, they just aren’t always marching this style. But, in assure you they work just as hard and excellence is expected, taught and drilled over and over.

[@sylvesterjohns7968]

WOW!! And that's an under statement!

[@shelby1942]

Thanks so much for posting!

[@jameswillk]

Great precision and playing!! You are so right, there was a special pride in doing one of these shows. Everyone marching in step. No 'sideways or backwards" marching that looks more like a mistake that part of the drill. This was alos the day when the director himself charted out the entire show on paper and taught his band the drill. None of this using computerized generated shows. Just great 6 to 5 precision playing and marching. I love the countermarching and pinwheels

[@excalibur1812]

Maybe more of the kids should see these videos to see what kind of an awesome legacy and tradition their school has and what a profound impact Longview had on the WHOLE state of military-style marching bands. I'm from Killeen and graduated in 1979. Our directors used to drive 3 hours to East Texas just to tape this band so we could watch the tapes and emulate them. They were a real inspiration to MANY band kids across the state. We had a sign in our Band Hall. Band is 1% talent 99% hard work.

[@DavidAIngram]

it was used as the "Olympic Fanfare" for the '68 (?) Olympics but is formally called "The Bugler's Dream"

[@DavidAIngram]

I have the '76 and '77 on video...also great performances.

[@ibleedorange2007]

@wutangwoo I was in the band, and you're right, the directors always demanded more of us. I wasn't a very good player, but I gave it my all, but that's the problem. Most of the less than stellar players didn't care enough to try hard. Every year we thought we didn't deserve the 1st division. You have to remember, even your best try, can always be better. If you say, " well that's good enough", you'll never get any better. I'm sure Mr. Kunkel said this performance here wasn't good enough.

[@CrossingtheChasm]

David, could you post the '76 and '77 videos? I was on one of those ('77-'78).

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

Oh! If only the video quality were better. I just watched the recent Longview video. This puts that one to shame. UIL standards have gone lax over the years.

[@SuperChuckRaney]

@wardfam07 if you can believe it, the Lobo 76 or 77 band is considered better. I ahve been unable to find video of it as it was before camcorders as it would be on Super 8 or something like it

[@SuperChuckRaney]

One kid from Pinetree voted it down cause they lost the football game between the bands, both times it was played. AND the fight at McWhorter Park.

[@michaelwright6124]

The most recent bands in East Texas surely do not play with this superiority of musical articulation and dynamic power of the 70s and 80s.....sorry but any of the best recent military marching bands would receive 2s and 3s if they had to follow these 70s and 80s bands......I often think about this when I go to marching contests and observe some of the last 20 years of performances.....they don't compare.....the proof is right here. Agreed?

[@diamondgrizzly1oc359]

Compared to us now its kinda sad

[@davidingram8734]

Communities, teachers and times change. The best bands in Texas used to be in East and West Texas, now they are in the central...Dallas, Houston, Austin, San Antonio. It’s no ones fault, it’s just a natural evolution of things.

[@davidingram8734]

Olympic Theme--Arnuad Battle of Shiloh--Barnhouse Under the Double Eagle--Wagner March Independentia--Hall Battle Hymn of the Republic--Anonymous