David Rose and a fun story about my high school marching band.

[JohnnyRingo]

It was 1965 and I played bass horn in the high school marching band. One fall during football season our band director had us rehearsing "The Stripper" by David Rose and his orchestra. First released in 1962 it charted at #5 on Billboard, which was pretty unusual in those prudish days. For those who may not be familiar check the first few bars in the video below and come back. You'll remember it.

Anyway, the director ordered a top secret on us learning that song. No one was to know except the majorette mothers. You probably see this coming by now, but on game day halftime we did some standard fight song kind or routines before assembling in front of the bleachers. The majorettes (4) lined up along our front line fully dressed for the cool fall weather.

Upon the first brass riffs of The Stripper they began shedding clothes. Slowly, with burlesque kicks and hip bumps, until they were down to their sparkly uni-tards with piles of clothing around them. I couldn't see the crowd but word was many people were aghast and the routine got a smattering applause from everyone but the teens. America was still pretty much a virgin in '65 so it was a daring play. I'm not sure why, but the band director soon embarked on a very successful real estate agency from which he recently retired.

David Rose also wrote the scores for TV shows Bonanza, Highway To Heaven, and Little House On The Prairie.

[Diamond_Dog]

1. I remember this.

When I was in the East Jr. Hi band, everything the high school marching band did was a big deal for us. We knew about every piece of music and performance they did. Really, it’s a great piece for a brass band! I’m trying to think of the director’s name.

[JohnnyRingo]

5. I was at Champion.

There must have been more than a few daring high school conductors

[The Roux Comes First]

2. Great Story! I Was Playing Trombone in HS Marching Band at That Same Time, But Our Leader Was Quite a Prude

He'd never have approved of that wild frivolity!

The jazz instructor was a whole 'nother story. He owned a car I'd never heard of in my non-auto-centered family - a 442. I later heard tales of wild parties and perhaps some hitting on single (or maybe not) teachers as well.

Fun and games were a bit more common I guess in the creative side of HS, versus the math, science, and language regimes!

[highplainsdem]

3. Love your story!

And that's a great instrumental...

[sdfernando]

4. By the time I hit high school

The Stripper was a standard piece played at all the games. Don't know how many times I played it.....easily into the hundreds.

[JohnnyRingo]

6. When was that?

I can see how it would be popular. It's a great instrumental. Did your majorettes also strip down?

[sdfernando]

7. I started high school in 1977.