hype of the week: 1979 spirit of atlanta, "let it be me"

Hype time returns with a blast from an era When Amplification Was Not Required In Drum Corps.

Last year's Hype of the Week fans will remember another clip from Spirit, owners of The Loudest Horn Line On Earth from the late 1970's up through around 1990. This year, Sprit returns to the Hype lineup with one of the most memorable closers in DCI history, from the 1979 Finals. People actually left the stadium humming this tune!

There's some nice close-up footage of the rifle line (was 1979 their first year with a co-ed guard? Not sure), a few good shots of the timp line (this was before grounded percussion, back when we carried our timpani -- this is the SOLE reason Yours Truly is round-shouldered and sway-backed today), and some wide shots of the drill -- dig the full company front at around 2:16. (Park-It-And-Blow commences at around 2:51).

If you want something approximating the danger element of this hornline, it's probably best to plug in the headphones before you turn up the volume.
Enjoy, and I'll see you at the races.