uPFR01
Time warp to the 'SO's
Then ...
I
t was inevitable. First. the 10-yearhigh school reunion. then
the 20th and 25th; all survived. Now it's the 30th grammar
school reunion. one that I had never expected. No-.talgic
<,oub eager to sec faces from the pai.t undertook the massive ef-
fort of researching the whereabouts of the girls and boys who
made up the St. Dominic School class of '58.
Appropriately. the fei.tivities were held at the old
neighborhood Knights of Columbus Hall, for graduates only; no
spouses or dates allowed . That was probably wise since it pro-
ved difficult enough sorting out the remnants of young teen faces
still left on the bodies of 43-and 44-year-olds without adding
"<,trangers . ..
Walking into the hall, hearing familiar old music that came to
my ears before on beloved jukeboxes, I was transported in a time
warp to the days of Buddy Holly, the Everly Brothers, Ray
Charles, The Coasters, Jerry Lee Lewis. Duane Eddy, Danny
and the Juniors. Bobby Freeman, The Teddy Bear!>. The
Chanteh. and Fats Domino. Anyone for the Stroll?
Where was Jimmy the heartthrob, Rome the troublemaker,
and Gwendolyn the !.hy violet? Surely it was in another lifetime.
And the answer wall yes. The music was more familiar than the
faces. for even though (fortunately or unfortunately) the
nametag!> featured graduation pictures of 13-and 14-year-olds,
it was hard to match up the present- day faces and figures to the
beaming youngsters on the nametags. Memorabilia, class
prediction'>, photo!> of the old school, and the appearance of
several teachers all jogged the memory. But the music was the
highlight for me.
And where was that music most appreciated? On jukeboxes
of the pal.I. The i.ongs we played endlessly then, to our parents
regret at home. were the favorites we gladly forked over money
to hear at neighborhood haunts like the corner drugstore . We
could hear it on the car radio when we drove up to the gas pump
and put in one dollar's worth, but it was never as good as when
you could hear it and feel it in the colorful glow of the jukebox
lights. Jukeboxes brought music appreciation to new heights and
completed the total music experience.
Jukeboxes attained their greatest popularity in the late 40's and
early 50's with memorable boxes like the Rock-Ola Model 1426
with two color-changing pilasters and 12 -inch Jensen speaker.
the A.M.I. Model A with changing color cylinders and color
12 PLAY Ml TER Noveml>er 1988
and now
nuoresccnt tubes, the Seeburg 9800 with front glass animated
color and omnidirectional speakers, and the Wurlitzer 1015 that
recorded 56.000 units shipped in 1946 and 1947.
Since Jukeboxes last a long time on location , many of these
boxes were host to50's songs and stand in the minds of50's kids
as the jukeboxes locked in our memories. For youngsters of that
era, music was collected on a blend of78's and 45's. Even now
I still have some 78's hidden away with selections like Xavier
Cougat 's ·'Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White·' on the Col-
umbia label and Spike Jones and his City Slickers at their best
on the RCA label . There are many other memorable selections
on Capitol, Dot , and Decca records , to name a few.
AMOA is saluting the lOOth anniversary of the jukebox and
ACME has chosen the venerable jukebox as its theme for the '89
Expo. There's no doubt about the valuable contribution made by
the jukebox in the coin-op amusement industry . Today, jukebox
choices are varied and the technology advances in giant leaps.
Operators can choose from jukeboxes playing all 45 singles, all
CD's, a combination of 45's and CD's, all videos , or a
video/ audio unit where customers can "see" their favorite per-
formers as well as hear their music. Nostalgic replicas are also
available with the classic look of the past in front and modern
technology inside. There's something for everyone's taste,
budget. and location.
I didn '1 need a school reunion to remind me of the warm spot
occupy in my mind. But it was nice to wallow in
memorie~ while still thinking ahead to what the jukebox will have
in store for us in the next decade.
jukeboxe~
Remember· 'Could This Be Magic,'' a 1957 hit by The Dubs?
Jukeboxes have been magic for generations of Americans; an
entertainment phenomenon that now has a place in history as it
celebrates its centennial. Congratulations to the American
jukebox and the members of our industry who manufacture
them. distribute them, and operate them for the enjoyment of a
vaM audience. May the magic continue! 0
Bonnie Theard
Managing Editor