It was in late August 1984 that I packed my Ford Maverick full of clothes, vinyl, and a brand spanking new stereo system before making the 350 mile drive from the scenic Gulf Coast of Texas to the not-so-scenic environs of East Texas State University, the only university to offer me a music scholarship. My major was music education, so I was required to participate in the marching band. This meant I showed up a week early for rehearsals. There's lots of stuff about that semester involving fraternities, hazing, chasing girls, and making friends, but more importantly, I met a beautiful young drum major. We celebrated our 27th wedding anniversary last week and will become "empty nesters" later this week as our youngest son starts his own college adventures. We didn't have cameras in our mobile phones back in 1984, but here's some pictures I've found that were developed from negatives.
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| Logo of ETSU, nicknamed the "flaming snail" In 1996, the university was absorbed by the A&M system and is now named Texas A&M - Commerce. |
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| The aforementioned Ford Maverick, AKA "The Markmobile" |
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| In addition to the Pioneer cassette deck in The Markmobile, I listened to music on a Fisher MC-725 stereo and WM-10, both high school graduation gifts. That Fisher went through needles faster than I went through women. Hi-yoooo! |
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| Some buddies and I hanging out after a marching band rehearsal on the hot blacktop. I'm on the left in the English Beat t-shirt and Jams. |
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| My home away from home, Berry Hall. |
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| Marching band halftime performance. Note that there was no visitor side to the stadium. |
If 32 year old memories can be trusted, here's some of the tunes the marching band performed that year:
- Olympic Fanfare and Theme - John Williams
- Run Back to Mama - Chase
- Morning Glory - Dallas Jazz Orchestra
- The Entertainer - Scott Joplin
- Why Not? - Manhattan Transfer
- Quiet Time - Dallas Jazz Orchestra
- Battle Hymn of the Republic - Julia Ward Howe
and, because the university was affectionately known as "ET":
- Theme from E.T. - John Williams
The beginning of the fall semester was full of new music and new artists, but the following four albums always remind me of that particular time:
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Talk Show The Go-Go's Billboard #18 Cash Box #14 |
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Access All Areas Spyro Gyra Billboard #59 Cash Box #79 |
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Difford & Tilbrook Difford & Tilbrook Billboard #55 Cash Box #58 |
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Modern Times Steps Ahead Billboard - Cash Box - |
But that's just me. Here's a reminder as to what was topping the Billboard charts on August 25, 1984.
 | Top LP Purple Rain Prince and The Revolution |
 | Hot 100 "Ghostbusters" Ray Parker, Jr. |
 | Rock Album Heartbeat City The Cars |
 | Rock Track "Missing You" John Waite |
| Soul Album Purple Rain Prince and The Revolution |
| Soul Single "Ghostbusters" Ray Parker, Jr. |
 | Dance Single "The Glamorous Life" Sheila E. |
 | Country Album Major Moves Hank Williams, Jr. |
 | Country Single "Long Hard Road" Nitty Gritty Dirt Band |
 | Adult Contemporary "Stuck on You" Lionel Richie |
 | Jazz Album Decoy Miles Davis |
 | Spiritual Album Straight Ahead Amy Grant |
 | Classical Album Haydn Hummel Mozart Trumpet Concertos Wynton Marsalis |
Since music videos were such a big part of our lives back then, here's a list of what was popular on the MTV at that time.
At the end of that semester I somehow made the Dean's List, even with a C in Biology. The portion I've redacted is my Social Security number, which doubled as my student ID number, an amazingly common practice at that time.
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