L&S Index
	Undefeated Legend of The Stampede Drumline The "Ugla!" Legend "Ugla!":  The REST of the Story "Where's My Coat?"

L&S- Undefeated  Undefeated and Bunnies By: Mike "MoTaps" Morris In my experience with the Southerners Drumline, we were undefeated.  We never faced a superior line.  In 1970, the football team was also undefeated.  Coach Charlie Pell credited the drumline with the success of his team that year.  Even when the Southerners could not travel with the team, he always made sure the drummers did.  We performed our own half-time shows.  I recall on at least one occasion, the opposing band refused to take the field after our show. At the season's end, the Southerners travelled to Florida with the team for the Orange Bowl.  Once there, all we heard in the news --- radio, papers, television --- was how great the Florida A&M Band was...that they were the best band in the world.  Little talk was about the football teams, and there was no mention of the Southerners at all.  None of us said a word, but at silent communication grew into two very intense feelings.  One was a fear that another band could be better than us...was that even possible?  The other was the excitement that we would finally be able to show a lot of people how good we were. The night before the game, a bunch of us went to the Playboy Club.  It was great fun, and I remember nothing after my own encounter with a Playboy Bunny ... the next thing I knew, we were waiting on the bus to leave for the stadium ... waiting on two drummers ... two drummers who had apparently shacked up with two Bunnies.  As Doctor Walters stood at the door of the bus, checking his watch and looking annoyed, I had doubts whether my fellow drummers were going to make it.  In my own delicate, early morning-hangover state of mind, the scale balancing one's dedication to the drumline and the enjoyment of two Playboy Bunnies was leaning in the direction of "I don't think they are going to make it." Doctor Walters gave the signal, and the bus began to pull away.  Suddenly, two half-dressed figures came stumbling from around the corner, running toward the bus.  As parts of their uniform were attempted to be placed upon their scuffling bodies, other parts were falling off.  The bus stopped, and two sheepish drummers, along with some interesting aromas boarded the bus. The Southerners stood on the sidelines as the Florida A&M Band began their show.  They were good ---- the best we had faced.   But a powerful wave quickly spread throughout the entire Southerners.  We were better!  This was going to be our night!  When they finished their show, their band members left the field, high-fiving each other, and the audience members began to move in the direction of hotdogs and whatever.  Then the magic began.  We hit our first note of the opening fanfare.  From the first note on, the show was perfect --- a show where every single note that every single player played could be heard by every single player in a slow-motion, magical kind of performance.  People stopped moving toward the concessions.  They began to turn around and listen ... to sit back down.  The Florida A&M Band stopped, turned, and fell to one knee, mouths opened in amazement.  As we came across the field, cymbals spitting and crashing, bass drums thudding, tenor drummers pounding in a high -flying, one of a kind style for the ages, and gut snares ripping the air like machine guns, I could see the eyes of the Florida A&M Band members --- there was a look --- a look that was gazing upon something they had never seen --- something they didn't even know existed --- a look of total awe!  They were seeing the Southerners Drumline for the first time! When we ended our last note of the closing fanfare, a weird moment happened.  There was an eery silence --- a silence that seemed to last an eternity.  It seemed all the air had left the stadium.  I thought I might fall.  You could hear a pin drop.  Then the entire stadium erupted into a standing ovation.  The stadium shook.  As we left the field, members of the Florida A&M Band, appearing to be totally blown away, surrounded us, asking us where we were from, who we were ...  My mother, who was watching on television, said after the F A&M Band performed, they cut to commercials and didn't come back until after our show.  She said the announcer was raving about us.  Saying, "What a sound!  I have never heard a sound like that!  Who are those guys?!"  Finally, she said he found out and said, "Oh, that is the Jacksonville Band.  That is the band with the Jacksonville football team!"  Being undefeated is something that no one can take away from us.  Is it as good as a night with a Bunny?  Don't ask me, but there might be a Grey Drummer or two who could tell you.

L&S-Legend of the Stampede Drumline   Never, Ever Suddenly Start Drumming in the Woods…   By:  Dr. Richard McLendon This story goes back to a beautiful Saturday in 1974.  Several of us “old” guys got together and decided that we wanted to have a unique drum line picture made.  We had a direct line with an accomplished photographer and he was one of our own: Larry Hice.  The day was picked.  We would have some pictures made and then go to the early afternoon football game at the stadium.  We went out one of the county roads (I remember it as being County Road 37) on the northwest side of Jacksonville and parked our cars along the roadside next to a bridge.  After working our way through some barbed wire, crossing a fallen log over the creek, we came to our “place in the sun.”  The woods were beautiful, the sun was bright, the air was cool, and the fellowship was great. Now as most good drummers’ desire, we had the urge to DRUM!  That’s what we lived for and it was an urge that we just couldn’t resist.  So once we had finished our photo session with Larry, we went through our music cadence by cadence.  It was a great afternoon at the game. We had a lot of fun and felt as though we were on top of the world.  Other than wanting to see how the pictures turned out, we thought nothing of that day afterwards.  As far as we were concerned, it was a mission accomplished. Monday morning proved otherwise.  I arrived at Mason Hall to take care of business and I always had a desire to go up and see Dr. Walters whenever I could.  There was always something reassuring about seeing and talking with him.  While having a cup of coffee with Dr. Walters, he asked in an inquisitive tone, “Did the drummers go out this past Saturday morning somewhere and play on the drums?”  Proudly, I answered, “Yes sir, we did.  And we had a blast.”  This is where the conversation took a turn in a direction that was totally unexpected. Dr. Walters said with a chuckle, “Well, gee Richard.  I had this farmer come in and see me this morning.  He had bandages around both hands.”  I’m thinking, “What?!?!”  Dr. Walters continues, “It seems that he was counting cows from one pasture as they were moving into another.  All of a sudden this farmer said a loud boom (it had to be the cadence Southerners II) startled his cattle and they started to stampede.”  Now my eyes are bugging out of my head.  Dr. Walters then said with a grin, “This farmer had hold of the gate that must have been barbed wire nailed to pieces of wood, and got his hands ripped up.”  With a typical Dave Walters laugh, he said, “Next time, if you guys go into the woods to drum, try to ease into the music.”  I felt bad for the farmer, but I was laughing so hard my sides were hurting.  I promised that if we ever did that again we would ease into it. The moral of the story:  Never, ever suddenly start drumming in the woods; just ease into it.

L&S- The "Ugla!" Legend By Bill Locklear The actual for-real absolutely true origin of the phrase: “Ugla – Humbuckee – Hillippihickeybon – WantSum” In the summer of 1966 the Southerners were preparing to perform for a pro exhibition game in B’ham; as had become the custom old former members were invited to participate. The usual suspects appeared, chief of whom was the infamous George Collins, playing on this occasion TRUMPET! As luck would have it, the “new crop” of Ballerinas for that year was to debut at this event. There was in this particular crop a young lady with what was for that time and that place could be described as some of the most spectacular, the most outstanding, the most absolutely unbelievable breasts most of us country boys had ever seen in person. And her name was "Xxxxx”(edited to protect the innocent) – yes, it’s true. Anyway, when the “little group” came out to play for the Ballerinas the rest of us were somewhat miffed that they had the best view of the Ballerinas in general and Xxxxx in particular. So George organized an “alternative little group” which played its “impression” of the little group’s selection, although I must say that our brand of impressionism had no chance of being mistaken for Debussy. We even had a name for this group: “The Calhoun County Car - Strippers.” Why “Uncle Dave” permitted the snide remarks and outright crude behavior of this group was never understood by this reporter. Upon hearing the group play his usual reaction was to smile and turn away, shaking his head in obvious disbelief that these individuals could be in any way described as “musicians.” One morning the drum section decided to march to the practice area performing “the cadence” (apparently trying to impress everyone.) Soon they reached the moment of penultimate bravado, the militant shouting of those famous words of old: “Invictus, Imperium, AVE!!!” Standing with George as this happened he clapped his hands together and called a quick meeting of the Carstrippers. He said something to the effect that “the Carstrippers need a “holler” too. So after a few minutes of thought those immortal words were first cast into the air from George’s lips into our hearts forever: “Ugla – Humbuckee – Hillippihickeybon – WantSum” (Some of the more uncouth Carstripper “wannabes” later added the word “NOW” to the original phrase but the original members always preferred the original phrase. We felt it had a certain rhythm all it own that should not be messed with further.) This is the actual true story. I was there, as a proud charter member of the Carstrippers and later a 2 year member of the then - despised “little group” on bass trombone after my drum section days were over. Here endeth the epistle. Bill

L&S- "Ugla!": The REST of the Story    The Primal Origen Of "Ugla"....1962 By:  Capt James "Bubber" Elderidge Bill Locklear's story about Ugla in 1966 is definitive, but.....  you must ask yourself (if you knew George) where did George Collins come up with the phrase???      In 1962, I had just arrived from Shorter College in Rome,Ga., having been told I would never graduate from that institution and to go to Jax State, they would take anyone.  I joined the tenor line,...George played cymbals.  On road trips, I had an acoustic guitar I carried and we would sing on the bus until a better opportunity presented itself.  One song that I had learned in Georgia was easy...  I would sing the verses and everyone would do the chorus because it was memorized after the first line.  It was recorded by a Ray Stevens wannabe.  The drum rhythm is your basic indian tom-tom:  BOOM boom boom boom, etc.  The title.....                 CAVEMAN       vs 1; Cave man come from land of GAGA             far across the sea.             Caveman come from land of GAGA              20th century B C.      vs 2; Caveman fiind himself a maiden             Daughter of a king.             Caveman find himself a maiden             Then these words to her he sing.       chorus; (no melodic line, just guttural grunts...)    Ugla, humbucky, hilippihickeybonk (3 times) ..                  ..                               ..                            ..                  ..                               ..                               Him so  glad she came along.       vs3; (I can't remember,Doesn't matter anyway.....)         So, now you know the rest of the story.  George didn't make it up, he just regurgitated what was already in the bowels of his memory.          One last  note of historical attribution,...  the postscript  "wan'sum".  This is 100% Troy Crumpton (bass drum 1962).  It was 88% of his spoken vocabulary whenever around females.  Again, George just dug deep.        Bubber Eldridge....tenor/timbales    P.S.  Don't bother goggling UGLA....you get the United Gay & Lesbian Alliance!

L&S- Where's My Coat? L&S- Where's My Coat   Where’s My Coat?!@#$%? By Dr. Richard C. McLendon As had been the case in previous years, the 1974 Southerners drum line received various invitations to do exhibitions at high school football games.  This particular night we were headed to Georgia to do what we loved doing – DRUMMIN’!  So away we went in our caravan of cars. It was a very, very cold Friday night.   When we arrived we took off our coats and gave them to one of our wonderful cymbal players to hold and carry into the stands.  We made the terrible assumption that he would stow them away in someone’s car for safe keeping until after the performance.  We warmed up, went in to do the show, and upon completion headed back to our cars for the drive home.  We were absolutely freezing the entire time.  The white uniform shirt we wore with grey pants just wasn’t very thick for cold weather.  I remember one of our snare drummers Mike “Fireball” Camp’s teeth were banging together so loudly, I thought he was playing on the rim of his drum.   After a fast paced walk to the parking lot, with cold numbing voices we asked the unnamed cymbal-playing character where our coats were.  With an extremely puzzled look he feebly said, “I layed 'em on top of the car".  One of the freezing drummers said, "What car?"  The cymbal dude turned and pointed in the direction of where the car was supposed to be, except - there was no car.  This quickly escalated into a barrage of individuals asking the question “Where’s my coat …….?” which ended with an avalanche of deleted expletives.  Adding to the problem was that some of the football fans had already left because of the cold.   Remember, we were college students on a budget.  As Dwayne Lewis put it, “…most, if not all, of the line had these stylish coats that gave us this hip look during the fall rehearsals.  Of course, we were extremely hip and clean.  Nevertheless, the coats were very nice and in the case of Rick Savage, precious.  If I recall, Rick’s grandmother gave him the coat which was essentially a cool jean jacket with a tuxedo-like tail.”  Daniel Hammond added, “My coat was a NICE one... And warm too!”  The cymbalist nervously admitted he had set them all on the back of somebody’s car.  We all asked, “Whose car?” which was once again followed with an abundance of words too colorful for this writer to use.  Unfortunately for us he responded with, “I don’t know?”  He claimed that “Someone must have stole them.”  Only now he had a look of fright on his face.  He finally started realizing that we were not very happy and were really, really mad.    Well, you’ve never seen in all your life so many drummers gathered in one small area cussing and fussing at one individual.  Fortunately the plate slinger (aka cymbal dude) did not become extinct that night since it was my duty to see that we did our job and returned uninjured to Jacksonville.  But, as we drove back to Jacksonville we determined that he probably would not last more than one season – if that long.  We never saw the cymbal dude again.