Band and Cheer Stuff

[Chop]

OK so top 10 fight songs:

Texas Fight
Michigan
Notre Dame
Ohio State
USC
Wisconsin
UCLA
Texas Tech (yeah I know... it's still good.)
Georgia
(tie) U of Houston
(tie) Arkansas (That one really hurts...)

Those are the main ones that jump out. I'm sure I'm missing some that should be on that list.

Pretty solid list there. Glad UH made it--I give their fair weather fans a hard time sometimes, but they have a catchy fight song.

I think more high schools and Jr. highs in America use the Wisconsin fight song (On Wisconsin!) than any other--it sure seems like it. As far as I've heard, UCLA is the only one that leans on the trombones as much as UT. I'd replace Ark with TCU. Some other good ones: Auburn, Illinois, Tennessee (love it or hate it...), Iowa, Ga Tech, the Washington Redskins (I know it doesn't count, and they're a big "enemy", but I like their song).

 

[Sangre Naranjada]

I don't think I would recognize the Arky fight song if I heard it, so that's the only one I would drop out, and I would install LSU's in its place.

 

[SabreHorn]

If you put the Redskins on there, then I HAVE to add PNG's version of "Cherokee"

When 30,000+ plus coonasses stand and start singing in a closed stadium, it's pretty damn intimidating.

As the former president of the FSU fan club told me, "I have a guy on a horse that plants a flaming spear, and a bunch of people respond with a golf clap. This HS kid raises a spear in the air, and it becomes a religious experience with 30,000 people singing and chanting".

As for Third Ward, does anyone remember Art Madrono's (sp) old comedy routine? Every time I hear their fight song, I think about his satirical magic routine.

 

[ProdigalHorn]

I don't think I would recognize the Arky fight song if I heard it

You clearly didn't go to the SWC basketball tournament very much. That song is drummed into my head... And I will say, they had hands-down the best basketball band of any school around. (Not sure if they still do, a big part was that their director was really good and really creative.)

 

[ProdigalHorn]

When 30,000+ plus coonasses stand and start singing in a closed stadium

Side note: I had no idea what "coonass" actually meant until I had a boss from Louisiana who explained it. (I assumed it had some kind of literal and probably dirty meaning. )

 

[SabreHorn]

As my daughter said when we were in Virginia many years ago watching A&M play somebody on TV, "Daddy, I'm not sure people in Virginia understand that worthless piece of **** coonass is really a term of endearment or that you and RC are friends".

 

[WorsterMan]

Arky in the top 10, seriously?

Other than ou, I've ALWAYS thought Arkansas had THE most rinky-dink, uninspiring & lame fight song in college football

 

[Chop]

If you put the Redskins on there, then I HAVE to add PNG's version of "Cherokee"

When 30,000+ plus coonasses stand and start singing in a closed stadium, it's pretty damn intimidating.

As the former president of the FSU fan club told me, "I have a guy on a horse that plants a flaming spear, and a bunch of people respond with a golf clap. This HS kid raises a spear in the air, and it becomes a religious experience with 30,000 people singing and chanting".

As for Third Ward, does anyone remember Art Madrono's (sp) old comedy routine? Every time I hear their fight song, I think about his satirical magic routine.

With that in mind...I'm going to go way out on a limb here and venture a wild guess that PNG won't be bowing to politically correct gripes and changing their mascot from the Indians any time soon...

 

[SabreHorn]

Chop,

Adidas offered to re-brand PNG with new mascot, new uniforms, new equipment, etc at Adidas expense.

The superintendent grew up with my two cousins in Deer Park, knew my grandmother very well, and knew my mother.

He told them in not so flowery language that we have history, we have pride, we have tradition, and we have a treaty with the Cherokee Nation, and they needed to get out of his office, out of his school, out of town, out of the county, & out of the state. He said by the time they got to the city limits, there would be a Texas Ranger to "safely escort" them across the Sabine for their own safety. Thinking being that when word got out, it was not a good idea for them to be driving close to Anahuac.

In honor of my grandmother and mother, I shall never own anything made by or featuring the Adidas logo.

 

[ProdigalHorn]

I'll add a couple: Penn State and Florida. Auburn's is good, too, I'd forgotten that one.

 

[Chop]

Since this thread is now Band and Cheer Stuff, I cross-posted the below classic UT cheerleader photos from another thread:

Some classic UT cheerleader photos:

1963-64:

UT vs Cal 1961. Picture of the hired nightclub dancer / cheerleaders from this humorous episode below (note the high heels):

To put this in today's context, this would be like if our cheerleaders couldn't make the trip, and some fans hired a bunch of scantily-clad strippers from a local gentlemens club to be our cheerleaders for the game. And at Cal moreover!

 

[Chop]

Anyone: in all our history, has Bevo ever been brought to a basketball game or any other sporting event besides football?

 

[Giovanni Jones]

SabreHorn, this is especially for you -

Drum Majors of the PNG Band (one of several photos I took at the Waller Band Festival, 10/25/2014. My daughter's high school band was also performing that day). I think it's interesting that the PNG Band does the BOA/Corps style show (same as the overwhelming majority of high school bands in Texas since 2000) but neighboring Nederland still does the old-fashioned military band show (training for being in the FTAB, I guess).

 

[Giovanni Jones]

And since Chop brought up the subject of mascots

Another pic from the family album. Chief Illiniwek at University of Illinois, circa 1941 (this is probably Glen Holthaus as the Chief). My dad was drum major of the band for the 1942 season before going active duty in the Army in 1943.

 

[SabreHorn]

Never thought I see the day they would have a male drum major

more like this

 

[Chop]

This may fall under the master of the obvious category, but a good band, esp at the HS level, is largely dependent on the quality of the band director. I've seen a high school go from the best band in the district with 150 or so members to a rag tag band of 30-40 in a short time span. Old band director left, new guy came in that the band kids hated. Also the overall level of concern for the football team, school, and band in the community matters--boosterism! I can't see a Permian or an Allen ever having a rag tag lousy band.

 

[Chop]

And since Chop brought up the subject of mascots

Another pic from the family album. Chief Illiniwek at University of Illinois, circa 1941 (this is probably Glen Holthaus as the Chief). My dad was drum major of the band for the 1942 season before going active duty in the Army in 1943.

IMHO, U of I has an excellent school, student body, alumni (known more than a few--all solid folks), pageantry, fight song, and band--but.... with a historically woefully underperforming football program. This is the college of Dick Butkus and Ray Nitschke, I'd expect better things on the field. They sit in the largest population state in the Midwest, and their only in-state big conference competition for recruits is Northwestern--basically a larger and slightly dumber version of Rice. Tough sitting in the shadows cast by Michigan and Ohio State (and even Wisconsin in recent decades--that one in particular has to hurt the sensibilities of the 'flat landers').

Ironically (to a Longhorn fan), U of I also probably remembers Mackovic as a good coach.

Oh yeah, almost forgot...

They (U of I folks) also seem to think REO Speedwagon is on par with the Stones, Led Zeppelin, etc.

 

[Ajo Macho]

...the overall level of concern for the football team, school, and band in the community matters--boosterism! I can't see a Permian or an Allen ever having a rag tag lousy band.

I was always a music-lover, of all kinds. In elementary school, your only option was choir (at least at my elementary school), so I did that, and was good enough to make the all-city choir. My older brother was exceptional at choir (much better than I was) and always told me how great the choir program at the high school was.

I chose band instead because I went to a few high school games, loved the experience, and wanted to be a part of it. And our high school also had an excellent band program. Even 10-year-old me could tell.

Eventually, I wound up in LHB. Part of my brother probably still thinks it would've been cool if I'd followed in his footsteps, but I imagine the pride in seeing his little brother march in DKR makes up for that.

 

[BevoJoe]

Ironically (to a Longhorn fan), U of I also probably remembers Mackovic as a good coach.

Oh yeah, almost forgot...

They (U of I folks) also seem to think REO Speedwagon is on par with the Stones, Led Zeppelin, etc.

 

[Chop]

I was always a music-lover, of all kinds. In elementary school, your only option was choir (at least at my elementary school), so I did that, and was good enough to make the all-city choir. My older brother was exceptional at choir (much better than I was) and always told me how great the choir program at the high school was.

I chose band instead because I went to a few high school games, loved the experience, and wanted to be a part of it. And our high school also had an excellent band program. Even 10-year-old me could tell.

Eventually, I wound up in LHB. Part of my brother probably still thinks it would've been cool if I'd followed in his footsteps, but I imagine the pride in seeing his little brother march in DKR makes up for that.

On behalf of myself, and anyone else who gives a flip, I want to thank you and all the other current and former Longhorn Band members, cheerleaders, pom squad, TX Cowboys, Silver Spurs, etc.

Year after year, and without fail, we have a truly awesome display of pageantry and school pride second-to-none on display every game. It's a 5 star feast for the eyes and ears! It adds so much to the game atmosphere and school experience. And you folks responsible: (i) devote a huge amount of your spare time doing it, and (ii) usually aren't getting a scholarship for it either--(and certainly not a full boat/free ride).

 

[Ajo Macho]

And you folks responsible: (i) devote a huge amount of your spare time doing it, and (ii) usually aren't getting a scholarship for it either--(and certainly not a full boat/free ride).

This is why I think players shouldn't be played. Go up to 80% of the male students at UT, and you could have this conversation:

"Say kid, wanna play for the Longhorns?"
"Yeah!!"
"We're not gonna pay you or anything, but you'll get to be on the team."
"I don't care! That sounds awesome!"

The fact that walk-ons exist at all proves we don't need to pay the players; there are plenty of people that would play for the love of the game, and for their school.

On top of that, there are 400 people in the band that don't get paid for their daily two-hours rehearsals and their entire Saturday spent in a silly-looking uniform. They know it'll never lead to a lucrative pro career, and they probably won't appear on TV at all. But it's fun!

Cheer, Pom, Sliver Spurs, Texas Cowboys, same thing.

 

[SabreHorn]

None of the groups you mention spend four days a week, six months a year playing blocking and tackling dummies for people that may outweigh them by a hundred pounds. They endure a lot of bruises and injuries to get a T ring and get recognized on Senior Day. It requires an extraordinary individual, for whom I have great admiration and appreciation.

I also exclude the Cowboys and Spurs for obvious, but unspoken reasons.

 

[Chop]

Yes, Many kudos and great respect also to the practice team/squad and walk ons. Getting beat up repeatedly by very big, very strong athletes in order to better the Longhorn team takes a special kind of devotion. Didn't mean to leave anyone off. (although they're not exactly "Band and Cheer Stuff")

 

[Ajo Macho]

four days a week, six months a year

If only. Musicianship has no offseason. If you want to sound like a seventh-grader, sure, practice one out of every three days.

But this wasn't supposed to be a chest-beating contest. I'm only trying to point out that many people would love to be a part of Texas football solely for the experience. In their own way, that's what band and cheer do, and they do it for free.

If we're going to pay the players, pay everyone who's a part of the gameday experience: band, cheer, pom, etc. A lot of people wouldn't bother going if a game were all it was. People go because they like seeing Bevo, singing The Eyes, stuff like that.

And Title IX would say we have to pay everyone the same, so we'd also be paying the golf team, track team, swim team, rowing team and so on. This wouldn't be such a problem at Texas, but few athletic departments could afford this, on top of facilities and operational and travel costs.

 

[Chop]

The Longhorn Band Cotton Bowl Halftime Show (1969)

The Richard S. “Cactus” Pryor Collection, no. 5 - The Longhorn Band Cotton Bowl Halftime Show (1973)

The 1969 band video has some focus on the kettle drummer, and one of the lady twirlers.

 

[SabreHorn]

Chop,

Any videos or Don Hart?

 

[Chop]

Chop,

Any videos or Don Hart?

The 2 links I just posted have videos of the UT Longhorn band performances at the 69 and 73 Cotton Bowls that I easily found.

But here's Don Hart hurling the baton in the LHAB:

 

[SabreHorn]

Thanks. Met him at OU several years ago and then at El Patio about ten years ago. I believe he was originally from Leander and was drum major in the early 60s, which made him beyond Medicare eligible in those videos. My daughter would always ask, "is he back" every year. I could always spot him by those Puma shoes he wore until about 7-8 years ago.

He hasn't been with the LHAB the last two years. I have asked, but no one seems to know how he is doing, but quite frankly the latest generation acts like they resent his entertaining the crowd.

 

[Chop]

I used to really enjoy watching him hurl the baton half way to the stratosphere and almost always catching it every time the Longhorn Alumni Band played. I think he needs a young protege.

 

[TEXnSEATTLE]

Dawg,

We wouldn't want to do that because the Aggies do it, which means all the out of state jackasses in our administration have never heard of a "State Song". It appears that the current band director plays something that sounds a little like "Texas, Our Texas", but since the band plays it to the east side, who knows what it is. If it is intended to be "Texas, Our Texas", it does not provide the State Song the dignity and honor it deserves.

With a coonass for a band director and a Berkerkley reject for a president wannabe, not sure you'll get your wish any time soon.

EXACTLY, they play this very fast, very muffled version...not doing the song justice....