Been looking at eBay for 1960s bugles. Came across a Smith Music Sales Mellophone. Has a horizontal piston and what looks like a Getzen rotor--those rotors had a lever.

Got me to thinking about Glen Smith who owned Smith Music Sales and was primary sales person for drums and bugles for various manufacturers. Recollect he was always at contests and also deal with repairs but I don't know if he was involved in manufacture of mellophones that first came out in the 1964 season and everyone (except maybe Cavaliers and Kilties) had them in 1965.

Does anyone remember him? Think he had something to do with the old Austin Grenadiers.

My search on eBay is for a a bass baritone similar to what Norwood bought in the fall of 1964 (first chrome set of horns). My recollection is those horns were Ludwig rather than Getzen which was the most popular at that time. The Getzen's I've found have a different tubing arrangement around the valve and the rotor has a lever like the set of horns Norwood had prior to fall of 1964.

What years were you a Corps member? Cadets 59-61 Imperials 62 - 66

John, yes, I remember Glen Smith. He was an instructor (maybe even the founder?) of the Austin Grenadiers. Have to do some research on that.

He opened a music / equipment supply company and the Imperials used him as a supplier. Not sure of the timing, but I think he left that business and became a Catholic priest. (?) Again, more research needed there too

What did you do in the Corps? drummer; later- quartermaster 1964-66; asst. drum instr. 1964-70

What years were you a Corps member? 1958-63

One of the people interviewed on "When Drum Corps was Really Drum Corps" mentions something about "Father" Glenn Smith, so I think he did become a priest. When the Grenadiers folded, didn't they sell their uniforms to the Royal Airs?

Glenn Smith did write the arrangements for the Grenadiers, and he apparently was a practical joker who enjoyed starting their numbers with imitations of other corps' songs!

What did you do in the Corps? Snare; Drum Major; Drum Instructor/Arranger

What years were you a Corps member? 1970-73; 78-79

yes, the RA ended up with the Granadiers uniforms.

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What did you do in the Corps? drummer; later- quartermaster 1964-66; asst. drum instr. 1964-70

What years were you a Corps member? 1958-63

I remember Glenn Smith very well. He was the band director at Weber HS. We marched like a corps, played like a corps. We had a lot of corps kids in the band - Greg Pacer, Tom Jamrozek, Lenny Solak from the Cavies; Mike Romelli, Joe Kazmerski (played baritone in the band, tenor drum in corps), & Bobby Mujica from RA and others I can't remember. Smitty did stop teaching and become a priest.

The first time I ever heard about Glenn Smith was a year before I joined the corps. My brother was in the Cadets and had a very old baritone. State was at Hansen Park (was this 59 or 60?). Paul was walking by the Smith's stand and Glenn asked to see his old horn. Trying to get the mouthpiece out of the horn, Glenn broke the welding on the tubing. He told Paul to wait there. He went to his truck and brought out a new baritone and gave it to Paul. Of course when Paul got back to the corps, the Manager wanted to know where he got the horn. Paul said a man gave it to him. Not believing him, the Manager said "Show me this man." So back they go to Smith Music Sales - story confirmed and new horn kept!

Great story John! Yes, that was the kind of person Glen Smith was!
And, the Imperials used him for products and services as long as he was in business.

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What did you do in the Corps? drummer; later- quartermaster 1964-66; asst. drum instr. 1964-70

What years were you a Corps member? 1958-63

I remember the episode with Paul's horn. Believe it occurred his first year in the Cadets (1960). I'd gotten a refurbished horn at the start of season because the first horn they gave me was falling apart. It had a lacquer finish which meant I didn't have to polish it. I thing they might have given Paul my old horn. Anyway, Paul's horn was brand new and probably the only new horn the Cadets ever got. I also recollect that it had a slide which meant one could get the other notes (the rest of the Cadet's horns only had a tuning slide) although we didn't make use of that feature.

In early 1961 I competed in a few individual contests and I borrowed Paul's horn. I recollect that Roman Blenski was competing in one contest. After he saw the horn I was playing he said the Cadets had better horns than the Imperials. Moving up to the Imperials in the fall of 1961, I'd say Paul's horn was better than any of the baritone horns the Imperials had until we got a complete set of Ludwig horns in the fall of 1964 and replaced the baritones with the Ludwig (Holton made) bass baritones.

At the time Paul joined the Cadets, the baritone was almost as big as he was. He grew a bit more before he started playing the Ludwig bass baritones in Imperials in 1965 (last photo in the 1960s album has picture of Paul from VFW Nationals 1966).

What did you do in the Corps? Baritone

What years were you a Corps member? 59-61 Cadets 62-66 Imperials