"Conquest" -- the mightiest theme song in all college football!

eftzoons

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Whenever I get down about the fortunes of Trojan football I go to YOU TUBE and type in USC's "Conquest" and my soul is stirred to Olympian heights. I gaze in awe at the Trojan Marching Band, its 15 or more tubas, all those melophones or whatever they are called that sound so much like French horns, and then I read the roster of comments coming from our enemies across the nation, whom, though hating USC for his fearsome long time dominance, neverthless grudgingly admit that Conquest is the ultimate in soul stirring majesty in all college football music.

I keenly recall when I first heard it. I was a kid unhappily doing weekend homework at halftime of a game we were losing to Notre Dame, and then I HEARD this colossal sound from my radio -- not many games were televized then, and thought to myself Holy Sh*t, WHAT is THAT??!! I closed up my text books and DREAMED mighty dreams of Roman Triumphs when conquering generals returned to Rome upon the Apian way under soaring Italian Stone Pines, vast crowds showering the glittering legions with untold waves of flowers, etc. etc. BTW, anticipating complaints from some that Romans were not Trojans, well get out your Virgil again and re-read it, since the great Latin poet incontestably claims Rome was founded by none other than Trojans.

BTW, that very game i allude to was the one where Rod Sherman catches that fabulous last minute catch to crush again the Domers' dreams of Irish glory, just the first time Saint John pulled off that trick versus Ara Parseghian, whom had just been splashed all over the cover of SI with subtitles "The Kiss of Death" THEY had their "Shake down the Thunder" but WE now had them one-upped by our grandiloquent "Conquest" and all seemed well to me -- all warm and fuzzy -- across the surface of the globe. FIGHT ON!!!!!
 
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Fan Since 65

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If you’ve never done so, do yourself a favor and watch Captain From Castile starting Tyrone Power and Cesar Romero, for which the song was written
 
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Fan Since 65

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If you’re going to post a link, post the right one! The one that has the actual footage from the movie, not a bunch of stills. The one showing Cortés leading his conquistadors and Native allies marching toward Tenochtitlan, the blood soaked Aztec pyramid, La Malinche, and an actual volcano erupting in the background. That’s no CGI. Awesome!

 
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Fan Since 65

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Well I just watched it! Don’t know why the link won’t work. Search YouTube under El Capitan de Castilla.
 

BraceDoctor

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I know and have seen the actual footage, but I posted the first one since it had Alfred Newman at the Hollywood Bowl…. which is plainly visible at the beginnng. The board members have enough intelligence to look up the scenes to which you allude without being spoon fed!

Just so that you know, it’s not about the movie as much as it is about USC!!!!
 
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eftzoons

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Yes I've seen dear old Ceasar Romero as Cortez, and Conquest was in that film played about his grandiose march to the sea, and I've often wondered if, when we've played the Aztecs of San Diego state and our marching band blared out conquest if anyone else besides me were concious of this irony. My wife often tells me that I and my father before me, he one half castillian, my last name Veloz, my first being Guy, or Guido, since I am half Italian, too, were both mean and vicious as all those Conquistadors, and I embrace this unabashadly, and my favorite pop classic ever is Conquistador by Procol Harum, which song I so adore.
 
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BraceDoctor

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I remember the time when USC played Stanford at Stanford Stadium; there were four of us, and one of us was an attorney who had gone to Syracuse U. and whose son was a student at Cal. When he saw the USCTMB enter the field playing ‘’Conquest,’’ he exclaimed, ‘’they’re like Roman gladiators! ‘’
 
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Rigged4fun

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Starting in 1954 when I started to go to SC games, something about Conquest stirs me to smile and flash the victory sign no matter where I am. Nothing like sitting in the UCLA rooting section at a SC-UCLA basketball game and standing to the band playing Conquest. It sure gets attention!
 

Fan Since 65

Member
Aug 24, 2017
132
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I know and have seen the actual footage, but I posted the first one since it had Alfred Newman at the Hollywood Bowl…. which is plainly visible at the beginnng. The board members have enough intelligence to look up the scenes to which you allude without being spoon fed!

Just so that you know, it’s not about the movie as much as it is about USC!!!
I know and have seen the actual footage, but I posted the first one since it had Alfred Newman at the Hollywood Bowl…. which is plainly visible at the beginnng. The board members have enough intelligence to look up the scenes to which you allude without being spoon fed!

Just so that you know, it’s not about the movie as much as it is about USC!!!!
Well, I guess my link was “spoon fed” but your link wasn’t. Okay. And yes I would say that this film relates to SC. The composer Alfred Newman bestowed the rights to the film's march to USC, as I’m sure you know. Part of the Trojan’s mystique is the longtime relationship to Hollywood and entertainment.
 

JayBird23

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Nov 17, 2018
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Whenever I get down about the fortunes of Trojan football I go to YOU TUBE and type in USC's "Conquest" and my soul is stirred to Olympian heights. I gaze in awe at the Trojan Marching Band, its 15 or more tubas, all those melophones or whatever they are called that sound so much like French horns, and then I read the roster of comments coming from our enemies across the nation, whom, though hating USC for his fearsome long time dominance, neverthless grudgingly admit that Conquest is the ultimate in soul stirring majesty in all college football music.

I keenly recall when I first heard it. I was a kid unhappily doing weekend homework at halftime of a game we were losing to Notre Dame, and then I HEARD this colossal sound from my radio -- not many games were televized then, and thought to myself Holy Sh*t, WHAT is THAT??!! I closed up my text books and DREAMED mighty dreams of Roman Triumphs when conquering generals returned to Rome upon the Apian way under soaring Italian Stone Pines, vast crowds showering the glittering legions with untold waves of flowers, etc. etc. BTW, anticipating complaints from some that Romans were not Trojans, well get out your Virgil again and re-read it, since the great Latin poet incontestably claims Rome was founded by none other than Trojans.

BTW, that very game i allude to was the one where Rod Sherman catches that fabulous last minute catch to crush again the Domers' dreams of Irish glory, just the first time Saint John pulled off that trick versus Ara Parseghian, whom had just been splashed all over the cover of SI with subtitles "The Kiss of Death" THEY had their "Shake down the Thunder" but WE now had them one-upped by our grandiloquent "Conquest" and all seemed well to me -- all warm and fuzzy -- across the surface of the globe. FIGHT ON!!!!!
When I was 10 my dad took me to UCLA USC game. John McKay against bRuin wishbone, 1972. Magic year. But before the game the USC band came into the Coliseum, marching down the steps and playing Conquest and I knew right there and then I had to be part of this.
 
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