People who never heard the G bugles will never understand how different the sound quality was. This was a sound that created a different sense of space. It has never been equalled.
@@trulinegraphics I wasn't a soloist in drum corps. Did not have that high range. Since I did play the soprano G bugle, I loved the power. I think a little harder to control than my trumpet. I never rode a horse, but I guess the bugle was a wilder to tame. But once tamed those soloists wowed the crowd. Madison Scouts seemed to always have great soloists.
I often felt, having played the G-bugle, that when drum corps switched to the B-flat and F horns, the sound warmed up. But horn lines lost their energy and sparkle, and by extension, their identity. The G-bugle made drum corps what it was.
@@demzerocool7475 really just sprinkling of 80s and moreso 90s corps, some writing didn't really lend itself to strong intonation like Crown. It really seemed just inconsistent at the top end, let alone bottom of top 12 back then. Not saying they were bad musicians but some of writing and definitely the instruments didn't lend itself to perfect blend and balance. Strong constenders all around the top 6 but 80s cadets and late 80s to 90s star seemed pretty damn consistent. Some vanguard years as well, 97-99 come to mind as strong.
Thank you, i agree :) Playing very loud (as well as extremely soft) was my specialty. Too bad playing extremely high notes on a baritone bugle was not appreciated much, i kept hearing 'we have soprano's for that' 😂 I loved creeping up to soprano players trying to play high notes and then outplay their high notes on my two valve bari.
I marched 1996-2000, the end of the G bugle era, without knowing it was the end. It's difficult to explain to people who didn't grow up hearing G bugles what they sounded like, because us old-timers sound like "old men yelling at clouds" when we say that the recordings don't accurately capture it, but as a PhD in Music Composition, I can tell you that there's a timbral dimension that's missing from the Bb/F/C instruments. Part of it is that they were designed *only* for outdoor performance, so they were built like tanks. Another part was that they were in G, which meant they were bigger and thus heavier on the whole, contributing to the loudness and fullness of the sound -- a soprano bugle has a lot more in common with a cornet than a trumpet, for instance, from a wrap perspective. Pedagogically, we were all fighting to keep these monsters in tune, but also aiming for a very specific type of highly-focused sound that only works for outdoor performance. I don't know if that's still taught amongst modern corps, as the need to project isn't such a priority anymore now that they're supported by synth pads et al.
@@jmgerraughty Man I remember one time in 2001, we were in Philadelphia and a couple of us in BAC were in the stands with one of our brass staff after performing. I remember the Cavies were on, and…. polite? was their volume level. Even in big hits. This was their first year on Bb. And then the Crossmen came on, and it was a slap in the face the sound they had in comparison - our brass staff member literally said “Well hello! That’s the difference between Bb and G in volume”. It was like cranking a receiver to 10 from having it at 6, and the audience around us noted it too.
@@davidlee7758 it’s a shame Cavies didn’t stick with the G’s for that show ‘Four Corners’ wasn’t it? I consider that one of the best overall shows in Drum Corps history. Imagine what that would have sounded like with the G’s. The difference is staggering! I still and never will get used to synthesizers in Drum Corps. Hell I still struggle with a full kit in the pit.
G-Bugles were the best. Recordings just can't capture the power of these lines. You not only heard it, you felt it when they torched off those power cords. Thanks for showing the love towards to Golden age of G horn lines.
These kids will never know. Even a 12th place finals corps would belt your ears. These B-flat horns are a piercing blaring sound. The melos and baris just don't have that rich butter sound like Gs did.
I remember when Spirit of Atlanta (the 1980 version) had a sign behind their drum major's podium saying "Warning: High Noise Level"! That should tell you all you need to know about the G-bugle!
Several men of culture in the comments section, I see. This is clearly a safe space for us old heads. You mention G Bugles on other drum corps videos and you get shamed for living in the past. These were the good ole days.
I love the screams SCV had in the subtle parts of the show in 92-94. My first show I saw was 94 and SCV was my favorite. The level of class was noted even from me as a 14 yr old.
I was watching from the endzone when you "debuted" the bottle dance in Bloomington and the crowd jumped to their feet like they were on a string. What a moment.
Yep. G Bugles... Power! I marched in 1975 and 76 with Guardsmen from Illinois. Flugle Bugle in 75 and soprano Bugle in 76. I played trumpet in high school, but loved playing that soprano Bugle in drum corps. Thanks for this post, and all my best to all past and present drum corps performers!😊🎉❤
@@EveryDayaCleanSlateyep! Great Guardsmen show. I did not march with them that year. (My family moved to Tucson, Arizona) I have this in my VHS tape collection. Don't laugh, it was all we could get in the early 1980's. I miss Guardsmen. Love that colorguard. Thanks for liking Guardsmen! 🎉😊❤❤
When I was in drum corps mid 1970's, the marching bands were moving to drum corps style. Later when the tick system of strict judging of corps went away, the two activities started looking more alike. I like Phantom Regiment who still did some straight up drum corps moves. Drum corps is still a hard activity, so I root for all eras to do a great show.
@@rifle2563 yep two valves. After I left corps in 1976, the transition to two valves happened. It was a valve played with your right thumb and a rotor (like a regular french horn) played with your left index finger. Due to costs, it was phased in to two valves starting with the sopranos, then to the other instruments.
Unfortunately we have drum corps that dance and twerk now?WTH has the world of drum corps come to? Drum corps shows remind me of music with ballet. I think it’s terrible. The 90’s were the best for drum corps
Good all including 1991 Bluecoats in there. That line was wicked good. The tonality and 'openness' of the horns was really something to behold. Intonation was a challenge, yes, but when it was on it was just astoundingly powerful, ie 90 and 92 Star of Indiana. The King 2V horns had something to fo with that. Those horns were an absolute set of deadly weapons in the right hands
I marched 1975 and 76 with Guardsmen. We did not make finals in 75, so saw your fantastic finals show in the stands! Many fine Midwest corps then. Too many (like my Guardsmen) are gone now. I'm glad Scouts, Phantom, and Cavaliers still around.
G what a sound. If you never experienced G in person you don’t understand. When they say the POWER of the hornline they weren’t joking. Fortunate enough to see 95 scouts in person, they were electric!
As mentioned below if you never heard the "G" era, it's tough to explain. I marched back in 1970 and 71, what convinced me to start was the absolute power of the horn line. The first rehearsal I attended, just to observe, the first full horn line chord they played damn near brought me to tears. There was no way I wasn't going to be a part of this. I played soprano, a nickle plated Olds Untratone, one piston, one rotor. I still have one (picked it up on Ebay really cheap a number of years ago) one of the differences between the Olds and any of my other Bb trumpets is the shape of the bell profile. It's bigger with a taper that starts further back and gets larger faster. We were taught to play to the top row, project, project, project! We did breathing exercises every rehearsal and at home before practice. Basically inflate a large bag as fast as you could with as few breaths. MAn could you put a lot of air through the old Ultratones. It's been a while since I've been to a DCI show, I loved it the last time I went but felt it was missing something. Makes sense now. (That and the "pit", not a big fan of that either.)
Another of people seem to go back to how powerful the sopranos were which i cant argue against. as a modern contra player I have to say that we probably have it better now. The Bb contras have a lot more focused and rounded sound. The old g contras weighed a ton or so I've been told but those sopranos are something else
In 21 when they had the non-competitive year many had throw back style shows and I loved it. Was hoping that would stick but it's gone even farther the other way. Oh well, we have memories.
G-bugle mellophone (the piston-rotor variety), Southwind '81 and '82... I never will forget the first time I picked one up and began to play it and was AMAZED at the level of sound and projection it produced (I actually played a mellophonium in high school marching band, the one with the rounded body and flared bell,) and from that moment, I was hooked! God rest the soul of the sound of the G-bugles (and shame on the brass manufacturers that stopped making them!)... their sound won't be easily forgotten by those of us who had the privilege to play them! P.S. THANK YOU for including the '98 Crossmen's rendition of Pat Metheny's "The First Circle"; their "Metheny Stuie" has always been one of my personal all-time favorite DCI shows!
The G bugle in the outdoor venue only made sense. All these clips are recorded from the big NFL or D1 college stadiums, but whenever this sound was unleashed on a high school field it was absolutely overwhelming.
Most NFL stadiums (particularly Buffalo) actually had great sound simply because you were closer to the corps - college and high school stadiums usually have a track between the field and the stands.
For me a "Welcome to the Summer" was the first time you played a show that Madison was there. They probably weren't going to win but that wall of sound that could be heard for miles during warm ups was something to behold.
I appreciate what DCI has done to stay relevant and engaging for the youth - unfortunately “we” (old guys) haven’t been the target market for a long time. Despite the demise of some big corps, it’s amazing that the show is still going on. All that said, this shit rocks. Let’s get LOUD
It’s actually physics as much as musicianship Todays Bb brass are mostly cylindrical bore and small Vs G bugles conical bore and larger More air…more of those blessed OVERTONES!!!!
I'm honestly not much of a horn player but you could really hear the baris, euph and contras had a more raw and open blaring sound. Madison and Phantom were the groups where I always noticed this from the stands.
1st and foremost to the person or group of people who comprised this THANK YOU so much. Thank you.. I marched for 18 years with that passion in Jr & Sr corps that it means a lot to me and the fans, you restored that feeling
Whoa. The last segment with Madison Scouts. Full power drum corps horns at their best! Great color guard and drill too! I was in the stands at 1975 dci finals when they won in Philly that year. Since I marched corps too, I know the hard work and effort it takes. Style and rules change, but the effort remains the same in all eras!😊❤🎉
Saw ‘93 Phantom in Nashville at Vanderbilt Stadium for the Preview of Champions or DCI South. Can’t remember which it was. I was sitting on the 50 for prelims. Good times….
my first Bugle Corps sound I have heard was BD and Spirit of Atlanta late 70s and early 80s. I recall George Hopkins of Cadets and others like him were the big push for DCI to use more HS band instruments college instruments, look what happened to him and Cadets and YEA company went bankrupt this year I heard.
G-Bugle Contrabass here....76-84. Those days will never be matched. Look at the number of Bb marching tubas they use today. What we could do in my days and days of old with 6 or 8 contrabasses in G....
@@davidwarner3326 I played BBb tuba (marching and symphony) from 76-87 and I could never get the throaty power of my g-contrabass (76-84). That minor 3rd meant something.
@@grg-mpgmusic7247, I've MARCHED 2 and 3 valve G and 3 valve Bb. Yeah, it takes some extra umph, but it can be done. My point, though, is that Star's 16 G horns made little to no sound. It ain't the horn.
@@davidwarner3326 I hear you. My last DCI show the 1985 Finals. I did not see anything DCI again until the Finals in 2023. So there is a big gap for me and I will not fill that gap. I like my era.
No need for amplification.. ever.. I have related the story before, but, because I am an old guy who shakes his fist at the passing clouds, here goes. DCI Finals, 1979. We were inactive that year, so many Bluecoats families cancelled their trips to Birmingham. A bunch of my buddies and I piled into a car with a tent and headed to Finals with a few of those tickets in hand. Top deck center back rows. Great seats. Outdoor finals in the heat of the Alabama summer. Couldn't really see or hear the Bottle dance Santa Clara had thrown in for finals because of the absolute lunatic fanatic fan screaming his lungs out that this is what they were doing.. thanks captain obvious.. we wanted to see and hear it for ourselves. Anyway. Madison had high hopes after their finals show having been sitting in fifth place. Retreat. Scores announced. A precipitous drop from fifth to eighth place. Shock ran through the crowd as well as through their ranks, I am quite sure. Devils (no surprise, really?? I mean, even with Lee gaining the upper hand over Grant in finals, Bridgemen were really only there for entertainment.. right? and that upstart Spirit group.. can't let them climb too high too fast) were crowned champions and it was time for corps to exit by marching in review passing the newly crowned DCI champions. Madison's turn. They start towards the sideline and .... turn the other way. They plant themselves square on the fifty, lift their horns.. and that hornline UNLEASHES their closer. I'm top dead center as high up as you can get. The wall of sound absolutely pins my ears back. I've never heard anything like that before or since. But I kept showing up hoping to either hear that again or be a part of it once my Bluecoats got back on their feet the following season. Only thing that comes close now is the Military corps still marching with G bugles. No need for mics there. Long live G bugles.. even if it's just in memories and video that doesn't come anywhere close to conveying what that was like in the open air, great acoustic environments, no amplification necessary.
What's so amazing is can hear 5 to 8 counts of all these shows I can sing a long or tap but shows like re metamorphosis or exogenesis I can't remember a 60 second piece
Sorely missed from this list is the opening statement of Star of Indiana's 1990 show. Good god, the volume they produced during that opening statement of their show.......
Madison is in here a bunch. I was at retreat when they shocked everyone with the win on finals night. We had no chance ( BD ) just hoping for the top 3. We started holding hands at 7th place that year. 😮😮
The struggles with the shortcomings of the G bugles is what made DCI so unique and appealing. Now, sadly, I'd rather hear a concert indoors or go to a football game.
91’ was a fantastic year for hornlines in general in the activity. The G bugle has a distinct sound for sure. Today, Crown and Bluecoats consistently emulate a clear, powerful sound
As a modern marching member who, on the whole, much prefers the modern approach, these are some really great clips that show a very particular kind of sound that’s rare even in championship winning shows from any era, you need a less controlled, more wild kind of fire to make that happen.
i definitley get why old heads like their bugles so much but one of the main reasons they moved to Bb instruments is that they are much easier to keep in tune on top of being lighter and have more range really its just a trade off from projection to ease of use also with the use of amplification it just takes even more strain off the players i personally think it would be cool to see a crossover of modern horns and bugles to make the legendary drum corp brass instrumemt have the projection of a bugle with the ease of a horn along with less amplification i personally think to much amplification takes away brass power and makes it sound computerized i think the perfect blend of brass power and amplification is the 2010's
Great show selections!!! I was fortunate to play on both. G bugles the partials seemed closer together so it was easier to crack notes and they were harder to play in tune at higher volumes. But they had a big sound and rich in the upper register. The Bb were just better all around, but traded a little character for intonation. The early years of Bb was a little weaker (my last years), but I think breathing gym, perfect tuning, and amazing brass arrangements make modern Bb just as powerful and loud as old G bugles (Crown ‘13). …but just not the same.
I don’t understand the compulsive need for old dci vets to put down modern drum corps in order to make themselves feel good about old drum corps. It’s all good. ALL of it. Every moment of drum corps is special. Please stop trying to diminish the experience of the young just because drum corps has changed. Kids nowadays are sweating , bleeding, and crying for every second of their show just like you did. You look at those kids faces at the end of their final run and tell me it isn’t the same as yours was.
I have an idea, why don’t you stop whining on every video where someone mentions that they love the old school unplugged sound of drum corps rather than the new aged homogenized generic speaker driven “sound” of today? The coolest thing about pre-amplified DCI is that every single sound you hear coming from that field was from the kids. Nowadays half the sound is programmed, recorded and triggered by adults for their own edification. You are the one who needs to “ThinkHarder”. Drum corps has ceased to be its own unique sound thanks to all of this “modernization”. We also would most assuredly NOT be bored by now if rules weren’t so drastically changed. There’s physics behind this G Bugle sound that makes the point true. Orchestration and overtones are different on these horns and it indeed gave the activity a truly one of a kind sound. Do I miss teaching members how to play on a G Bugle? hell no. Do I miss that O.G. power of drum corps with drum lines that actually played clean and that one of a kind ability for nearly every competent brass player to reach a double C on those bugles, leading to some sick arrangements? Hell yes. Just because people here are saying they prefer something doesn’t mean we are detracting from something else. Drum Corps used to be drum corps. Now it’s just one of three seasons of highly produced and adult-intervened vegan field/floor band product. Just a fact. Don’t cry when it gets pointed out.
I remember all of these and was there in person for many of them. People who never heard G bugles can never understand what they are missing, the pure, ear-filling sound of a g bugle line is like nothing else in this world. That being said, I have come to terms with modern-day drumcorps and this year (2024) was the best year for drumcorps in a looonng time for me.
Agreed, though I thought last year was better overall. If you want the 18 yr olds to support DCI it has to be modern and get them to pay to do this every summer. Just glad we get to hear great horn lines still and that the activity is alive and well.
The G bugle sound was amazing. But after standing in front of 2013 Crown brass live I don’t think G bugles would’ve made them sound any better. That was the loudest, best brass line I’ve ever heard, and I marched DCI in the 80s and 90s and personally witnessed all the great Cadets, Star, BD, PR, and Suncoast brass lines. A great horn line is a great horn line whether on G or B-flat instruments.
Think about the overall activity and the inability of ALL the corps competing on the same level. That's the difference. I marched in those early 90s and the difference is the size of the hornlines and what they put out. It is NOT the same.
I get why g bugles were phased out. But I would give almost anything to hear BD, SCV, Atlanta, Phantom etc play again! I wish my 5 sons could have heard it. I wish my students could stand in front of those bugles!
No. Bb is easier to play then G, but when you practiced hard on a G bugle you could not just play louder but had more control of tone. It took years to become a masterful player on a G bugle.
When I win the Powerball, I'm forming a corps that'll play those horns. And we'll call them sops and contras and baris, not trumpets, tubas, and euphs. We may never win, but we'll be loud.
I thought this was about great hornlines. Can't ever go wrong with Wayne, Larry, and all hose other Bad SOMB's.... Really though, SCV played on our Best rejects. So did everyone else in 1992.
97 BD is one of my favorites. The drum book was amazing and there's nobody else that could have made that brass book so fun. I would have to make 15 of these videos to include all the greats lol
Because of the eventual merge of Drum Corps and Marching Bands. All that’s left is bringing woodwinds. All the changes made were leading to the eventual demise of Drum Corps. Once known as Drum & Bugle Corps. There is no denying this. All you have to do is follow the progression of the activity. The reason I joined Drum Corps is because of the distinction between the Corps and the Marching Band. I could enjoy both though I preferred Drum Corps. I’m on the fence through the final steps of this metamorphosis. I will no doubt mourn the end of Drum Corps. I wonder what DCI will change its title to…MMI
Not sure why, but longer brass instruments have that power. You see the same thing with high Eb vs C vs Bb trumpets (there's a reason all the high screaming commercial and film guys in LA are using the lowest key of modern trumpet!) and also with piccolo vs natural/baroque horns (Check out Julian Zimmerman's rendition of the Ablassen fanfare vs Wynton Marsalis' rendition on pic. Marsalis is clean, but the valveless horn is special). In some ways the g bugles (and specifically the G/D one valvers) were the last hurrah of the old school of trumpet design dating back hundreds of years. Listen to Zimmerman honking on a low C or D trumpet almost as long as a trombone, for example. It's a very different sound, but you can extrapolate. Also the horns had huge bell tapers, heavy construction so the sound didn't break up, and the hardness of nickel plate can add brightness and strength. I could have some things wrong here, I never played in DCI, and have never seen or heard these in person.
Someone further down the comments explained that the bores of modern brass lines are cylindrical where as G bugles are conical allowing for greater projection, this along with bigger bores allowed for more air to move through them giving them a real powerful edge over modern horns. 👍
2 most likely reasons, the ease of bringing kids into the sport that had only used B-flat horns in HS and college/orchestra. But the companies making the G-bugles were almost exclusively making them for DCI groups and I'm sure they wanted to sell millions of horns versus the 1000 they'd sell to corps.
let's say the quiet part out loud - the reason DCI switched away from obscure "bugles" to standard Bb brass instruments was to help the sponsors sell more brass instruments, front line equipment and amplification equipment. Increase the size of the pit so the HS marching band market spends much much more money on front line mallet instruments. With the increased pit, they can also amplify the pit and since the pit is so extremely loud the soloists need to be miked too, right? Riddle me this Batman - Are hornlines any better today than they were back then? Yes - they play more musically and they play more difficult parts. Does the audience enjoy the product on the field as much today as they did back then? Yes. Extra credit questions who might have marched A-60 - Is the audience larger today than it was back then? Are there more students marching drum corps today than back then?
Full transparency, the purpose of the video was not to say one is better than the other. But I will always maintain the sopranos and baris sounded WAY better on the G bugles. My complaint is how expensive tickets have become. How is a school supposed to send 100+ kids to a show when nose bleed seats are over $35 at many events? I'd rather take them to an open practice or the lot. Money is ruining everything, even drum corps. Major Div1 groups have had to leave the tour. Sad state of events. Inflation sucks!
Playoffs!?! Who's talking about Playoffs!!!??? good points @@trulinegraphics but how about just normal kids affording to march? what was once a youth activity for middle class and lower middle class kids is now limited to the elite. The Bluecoats and Blue Stars were once organizations that just wanted to get local juvenile delinquents off the streets - I wonder if there is a single kid from the town of Canton OH or La Crosse WI in their membership for the upcoming 8 week season?. I agree - Lots are the best way to experience the activity now - at least you get to see and appreciate the musicianship fairly up close.
That's not very fair, I would never say modern DCI sucks. I'll defend the 90s era as my favorite but the musicianship today is much more advanced. Horns are easier to play but kids also practice harder and are pushed to new levels.
@@wyattmurphree6651 Because it's in bad taste now. The music and execution are good, better than ever, but the visual aesthetics veer from cheesy to campy. The sequined costumes replacing uniforms look silly except from a distance, the ballet replacing marching looks silly, and there are too many props and electronic enhancements that should impress no one and that are not about young kids putting on a show, rather adult directors being masturbatory and trying to impress each other.
