This is for everyone who remembers the Los Angeles Rams, our previous football team. Their games were played at the Coliseum.
The Rams were not LA's first football team--we had the Hollywood Bears and the LA Bulldogs before them. The Rams were here from 1946 to 1980, when they moved to Anaheim--close enough, though not LA. In 1994, they rode away from the sunset, east to St.Louis.
They had an official band while in LA (long before the Embraceable Ewes) and thanks to Joe Hill, I have a picture of the band at a concert given in 1953, at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Culver City (the place with the giant film strip in the fountain).
Johnny Boudreau was the Band Director, and they worked all home games from 1946 to 1980. They played before the game and at half time.
Joe is in the top row, far left. No idea who the little majorette and cohort are at bottom right, nor do I know if there's a story behind these piebald uniforms. Maybe Joe will comment--what colors were they, and why the two-tone design?
8 comments:
I think John is in the bottom row with the Baton?
Having a been a Ram fan my entire life--LA, Anaheim, and St. Louis and back in LA, I remember Johnny Bodreau and the Ram Band. They would play Big Band Music from the 1940s, 1950s and pop standards from the 1960s. And of course they would play the Rams' KMPC Theme Song. KMPC was the Rams' Flagship Radio Station. For my tastes they were on the corny side but I guess they were good musicians much like Lawerence Welk and the Champange Music Makers were good musicians.
They sat in the right corner of the closed end of the End Zone.
Thank you for your comments and memories. I don't suppose we'll see anything like them near the End Zone today ....
Yes, that's John with the director's baton. The uniforms were the Rams' colors: blue and "gold." Later we changed to black pants with "gold" coats, then white coats, then blue coats. The musicians were some of the world's greatest musicians from movie and TV studios and several big bands. Through the years we had players whom you might like to look up on the internet: Maynard Ferguson, Manny Klein, Cappy Lewis, Cat Anderson, George Boujie, Ethmer Roten, Skeets Herfurt, Art Depew, Plas Johnson, Mahlon Clark, and SO many others ! Sorry I don't have enough time to name them all ! I still like the old "big band" music better than any other; better beats and better harmony (arrangements) for my taste. But - I''m Old ! LOL !!
Great memories growing up as a kid. My Grandfather was Johnny Boudreau I went every home game until 1976 when he passed. I was lucky to have on the field passes to hang out next to the players and my grandfather band. I am so glad that the Ram are back in OLD LA
We're they the musicians that accompanied "When the Rams go down that field?" The song I still sing every game day imagining myself in my Merlin Olsen jersey on my way to the Coliseum.
Wasn't Doc Severinsen the band leader in the 60s? It's what I remember but I only went to about 3 games in the 60s.
I don't remember that one but I do remember this one that we are the Loyola U. Glee Club would sing at the Rams games at the request of Johnny B. who was also the Bank Director at Loyola U. and composed and wrote the lyrics to this song:
"The Rams are in their fighting.
trying all the way.
With their colors flying,
they won't give in.
their going to win today.
Every Alma Mater
down there in the fray.
All American, all American,
the Rams of Olde L.A."
Now that they are back in LA, I wonder why they don't go back to that song?
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