From the Drum Corps World archive.







The Bleu Raeders of Kenner, La., came onto the competitive drum corps scene in 1972, becoming the first corps in Drum Corps International history to earn a spot among the top 12 at the World Championship Finals in its very first year of existence. The feat would be unmatched until 1985 when a first-year corps from Bloomington, Ind., Star of Indiana, finished in 10th place at the World Championship Finals in Madison, Wis.



In 1973, the Bleu Raeders would finish the season in 21st place, with a program that included up-beat tunes like "Camptown Races," "When the Saints Go Marching In," and "Theme from "Can-Can."