wanted the diversity in music that a
sound system could offer. And they
thought that the market didn't want
to listen to basically AM radio music.
PLA Y METER : What is the average
life expectancy of a record on your
jukebox now?
LOCATION OWNER : That varies
so much from record to record that
it's nearly impossible to say. For
example, we have had "Suite: Judy
Blue Eyes" by Crosby, Stills and Nash
on our jukebox since 1971 . There has
never been any reason to change the
record because it has been played
consistently for four years. People still
want to hear it. A few Jimi Hendrix
records have also been on there for
four years.
But generally the turnover on
records is about four weeks, because
AM radio saturates the market so
much by playing just a few songs over
and over again that by the time my
customers get to my place they don't
want to hear those songs anymore. If
Elton John has a new record out
you're going to hear it every 10
minutes on AM radio . I'm not griping
because I love his music myself. But
that's just the way it is.
But on the other hand, most people
who have sound systems in their places
end up not running them the way that
they had originally intended to run
them . Although they are paying some·
body to play the songs on the sound
system that people request, the loca·
tion owners seldom make a really
decent schedule, and the customers
end up hearing the same music over
and over again anyway, because the
guy playing the records tends to play
the music he wants to hear, and not
necessarily what the customers want
to hear.
PLAY METER: That's another
thing a location owner has to consider
when he is thinking about the possibil -
ity of a sound system for his lounge.
Someone has to be in charge of play-
ing the music. That means an increased
payroll in many cases, doesn't it?
48
LOCATION OWNER : In order to
properly run a sound system, you have
to have a guy - a conscientious guy -
up there doing it every night. And, of
course, you have to pay him . What it
amounts to is that you're paying out
in every case instead of taking money
in.
PLAY METER: Then it would cost
you at least $100 a week, or $5,200 a
year, to pay the guy to play the music.
So that's about $5,200 a year for his
salary plus $2,500 a year in lost
revenue and the cost of the equip·
ment. That's about $10,000 a year for
the first year. Do you think a sound
system is worth such an investment?
LOCATION OWNER : No, not in
my business, and that's exactly why I
haven't done it. But it' s really hard for
me to speak of other people's business.
Everybody shoots for a different
market, and I can't speak for any
market other than my own.
PLAY METER : Do you really
think there is a sizeable group of
people who choose to go to bars where
they can listen to a stereo system
because they feel they can listen to
music more appealing to them than a
jukebox.
LOCATION OWNER : Yes,
definitely. How big it is, I don't know.
PLAY METER: How much of your
business would you say comes from
steady customers, or customers in the
habit of visiting your bar?
LOCATION OWNER: I'd say about
70 percent of my customers are
regulars and 30 percent i. drop- ins.
But once again, this is my location I'm
talking about, and not everyone's.
PLAY METER : Would the installa-
tion of a stereo system, then, affect
the amount of business at your
lounge?
LOCATION OWNER : No, I feel
almost certain it wouldn't . I think
business at a bar is generated by the
personality of the business and the
people who run it.
PLA Y METER : Do you think
sound systems are just a fad, or are
they here to stay?
LOCATION OWNER :
think
they'll probably be around for a long
time. Too many people have invested
too much money in them to abandon
them anytime soon . People are too
afraid to change once they've made
that big an investment. And you really
can't blame them . They think that
now that their patrons are used to a
sound system, if they take it out
they'll scare business away. Even
though, in many cases, it is costing
them much more than it is making for
them.
PLAY METER : Now the big
question : What can the jukebox
industry do to counteract this move?
LOCATION OWNER : I really think
the music on jukeboxes is too restric-
tive. I think they limit themselves to
AM pop tunes. They are just getting
back into doing albums, and they are
going to have to expand the album
music they offer. Jukebox operators
or record producers or whoever will
have to make more kinds of music
available to location owners to offset
the move to sound systems. I would
personally like to have a better music
selection for my jukebox .
PLAY METER: By saying that, are
you talking about 45's or little LP's or
both?
LOCATION OWNER : Both. I must
admit, sometimes it's pretty frustra-
ting when· my routeman comes in and
has, say, 20 records for me to choose
from to replace records on my juke·
box, and I don't want any of them .
They've got to open up.
But the jukebox in my lounge is a
very big part of my business, despite
the programming problem . I'll keep it,
I'm sure, as long as I have the place.
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