This is great! The band sounds straight up really good...intonation, precision, balance, great overall sound. I was in the band from 1998 to 2001, and there was unfortunately little if any emphasis placed on those musical aspects. You can tell by the way the band sounds nowadays compared to this. I also love the flower drill... I wonder if it became impossible as the band became larger.
You will NEVER hear a sound like again from any marching band (This is in the classic key of G) all instruments are now in the key of B :(. It got to hard to make the instruments in the G key unfortunately but this proformance is just a classic :)
Yeah, I was there in 1978. Not in the band, though. I remember all the Sunnyside bars and pinball machines. College Inn, Choosie Mothers, Finnerty's, Redbeard's.
I was in the band in 1978. This is just awesome to watch. It certainly brought back a lot of old and good memories. I loved that old stadium and the tunnel.
and how hard it is to blend sound and project from formations like this. their sound glistens across all sides of the stadium. There's no one best place to view a show like this. It's 360 degrees of sheer power.
It's also important to remember how hard it is to hold drill and music together with no percussion, especially when the winds are facing every different direction. This ain't easy, but they made it look like a breeze. That makes a damn good band.
Notice the old logo...............the flying WV wasn't adopted until the 80s............i have season tickets and we go into the stadium half an hour early just so we have no chance of missing the pregame show............AWESOME!!!!!!!!
I was in the WVU marching band from '75 to '77, and we studied film of the Tennessee band's circle drills to see how they were done. Sharp of you to notice the similarity.
Thanks for posting this!! It was fun to see it!! What great memories and special times! I am so thankful for the years I had in the WVU, "The Pride of West Virginia", band.
This is my senior year!! I loved the moving flower drill! Yes, the old stadium was great! I played flute and we sat behind the football team bench...the bleachers were much closer to the field than they are now. (A different experience than the current stadium). The 220 was a sprint that you attempted to keep in step ... and when you ran out of the tunnel...WOW! I wish I could see some film clips of some of our other shows...like "Star Wars" or "Pippin".
Nothing like it in college football. My favorite (and I'm dating myself I know) was the in the mid 70's in the old stadium. The band would form under the closed end of the stadium - which was solid cement - and literally rock the stands with a massive drum boogie cadence and then run (and I mean a sprint) onto the field out of the tunnel. This is briefly seen on a YouTube video covering the '75 Pitt game.
Talk about goose bumps! WVU may loose a few on the field but the band NEVER loses!
Hey I was in the student section for that game, freshman year (I know because I was at all of them). The band was the highlight of every game day.
I knew Don Wilcox tweaked the arrangement, but I couldn't remember what the old one was. Thanks for posting this. Brought back some great old memories.
Wilcox didn't "tweak" the musical arrangement. His graduate assistant Dave Williams rewrote the ending. Dave McCullough did the original arrangement based off of an old Norwin High School arrangement done by someone else.
The funniest thing is when Don Wilcox attempted to change some of the "tradmark" things in pre-game, he actually got death threats..... so he changed it back and it has been this way ever since. How about that OSU?
Hey! My hubby is in there somewhere! Although I still love today's version and get goosebumps when I see it, I agree that this flower/circle version is more interesting and aesthetically pleasing.
This is great! The band sounds straight up really good...intonation, precision, balance, great overall sound. I was in the band from 1998 to 2001, and there was unfortunately little if any emphasis placed on those musical aspects. You can tell by the way the band sounds nowadays compared to this. I also love the flower drill... I wonder if it became impossible as the band became larger.
bri13wvu1 2 months ago
You will NEVER hear a sound like again from any marching band (This is in the classic key of G) all instruments are now in the key of B :(. It got to hard to make the instruments in the G key unfortunately but this proformance is just a classic :)
announcerguydrew 1 year ago
Yeah, I was there in 1978. Not in the band, though. I remember all the Sunnyside bars and pinball machines. College Inn, Choosie Mothers, Finnerty's, Redbeard's.
fruticetum 1 year ago
I was in the band in 1978. This is just awesome to watch. It certainly brought back a lot of old and good memories. I loved that old stadium and the tunnel.
unicornmamarox 2 years ago
and how hard it is to blend sound and project from formations like this. their sound glistens across all sides of the stadium. There's no one best place to view a show like this. It's 360 degrees of sheer power.
amanfromaplace 2 years ago
It's also important to remember how hard it is to hold drill and music together with no percussion, especially when the winds are facing every different direction. This ain't easy, but they made it look like a breeze. That makes a damn good band.
amanfromaplace 2 years ago
I was in the band 78 - 81. This was just awesome to watch. Thanks so much for posting it!
mayoi1960 2 years ago
we play this as our show
Alamo Heights Marching Show 09-10'
GO HEIGHTS!
soccerdeffense10 2 years ago
The Pride of West Virginia. <3
MusicOfAdam 2 years ago
awesome video!
dtoneywvu 2 years ago
Notice the old logo...............the flying WV wasn't adopted until the 80s............i have season tickets and we go into the stadium half an hour early just so we have no chance of missing the pregame show............AWESOME!!!!!!!!
ibleedorange9786 2 years ago
Old film, but it'a amazing. The flower drill is beyond phenomenal.
BeLiEvEr312 2 years ago 2
they had video back then
sonnielicious 3 years ago
Yep. One's with sound, too. XD
MusicOfAdam 2 years ago
This reminds me of Tennessee's famous circle drill. Best circle drill out of any college marching band but this is good too.
cpatter4 3 years ago
I was in the WVU marching band from '75 to '77, and we studied film of the Tennessee band's circle drills to see how they were done. Sharp of you to notice the similarity.
ShroomKeppie 2 years ago
Thanks for posting this. Awesome!
diggs59 3 years ago
Thanks for posting this!! It was fun to see it!! What great memories and special times! I am so thankful for the years I had in the WVU, "The Pride of West Virginia", band.
wvscorchy 3 years ago
This is my senior year!! I loved the moving flower drill! Yes, the old stadium was great! I played flute and we sat behind the football team bench...the bleachers were much closer to the field than they are now. (A different experience than the current stadium). The 220 was a sprint that you attempted to keep in step ... and when you ran out of the tunnel...WOW! I wish I could see some film clips of some of our other shows...like "Star Wars" or "Pippin".
wvscorchy 3 years ago
I'd love to see those too, but the only stuff I have from before 2001 is already posted
WVUsax27 3 years ago
Nothing like it in college football. My favorite (and I'm dating myself I know) was the in the mid 70's in the old stadium. The band would form under the closed end of the stadium - which was solid cement - and literally rock the stands with a massive drum boogie cadence and then run (and I mean a sprint) onto the field out of the tunnel. This is briefly seen on a YouTube video covering the '75 Pitt game.
Talk about goose bumps! WVU may loose a few on the field but the band NEVER loses!
planebill1 4 years ago
Was this at the old stadium? What game was this for?
I'd go to the ball games just to see the pregame show. Man, when that walking WV marched off the field ... chillbumps, as my kids used to say.
obxbaby54 4 years ago
yes it was, but I have no idea the game. It was before my time
WVUsax27 4 years ago
the flower part of that drill is phenomenal...too bad they couldn't reinsert that into the current drill.
rollback133 4 years ago
They should try doing old school like this next year, really amazing patterns.
lskin1 4 years ago
wish we could still look that amazing...the 81 or 82 video of my favorite things is really impressive as well, i think.
tboneguy 4 years ago
Hey I was in the student section for that game, freshman year (I know because I was at all of them). The band was the highlight of every game day.
I knew Don Wilcox tweaked the arrangement, but I couldn't remember what the old one was. Thanks for posting this. Brought back some great old memories.
(BTW, post more drumline)
razscal2 4 years ago
Wilcox didn't "tweak" the musical arrangement. His graduate assistant Dave Williams rewrote the ending. Dave McCullough did the original arrangement based off of an old Norwin High School arrangement done by someone else.
traugh 4 years ago
So THAT'S what a flower drill looks like...
Can't wait to run out of those tunnels again ;)
Triysle 4 years ago
The funniest thing is when Don Wilcox attempted to change some of the "tradmark" things in pre-game, he actually got death threats..... so he changed it back and it has been this way ever since. How about that OSU?
hankwvu 4 years ago
Hey! My hubby is in there somewhere! Although I still love today's version and get goosebumps when I see it, I agree that this flower/circle version is more interesting and aesthetically pleasing.
tmcd1965 4 years ago
nearly 30 years have passed since then and its nearly the same today as it was then...thats what I call tradition
EerFoolWVU 4 years ago
The circle/flower design was much better then versus what they've done lately.
dceers 4 years ago
we now do a circle/flower drill in Country Roads.
WVUsax27 4 years ago
Waiting for you to come up with some of the older film - say 1972-75?????
traugh 4 years ago
don't have any more
WVUsax27 4 years ago