Juqq the jukebox
A jukebox is a partially automated music-playing device, usually a coin-operated
machine, that can play specially selected songs from self-contained media. The
traditional jukebox is rather large with a rounded top and has colored lighting
going up the front of the machine on its vertical sides. The classic jukebox has
buttons with letters and numbers on them that, when combined, are used to
indicate a specific song from a particular record.
History
Coin-operated music boxes and player pianos carved out a place for automatic
pay-per-tune music in fairgrounds, amusement parks and other public places (such
as train stations in Switzerland) a few decades before the introduction of
reliable coin-operated phonographs. Some of these automatic musical instruments
were extremely well built and have survived to this day in the hands of
collectors and museums. But commercially they could not compete with the jukebox
in the long run since they were limited to the instrument (or instruments) used
in their construction, and could not reproduce the human voice.
The immediate ancestor of the jukebox, called the "Coin-slot phonograph", was
the first medium of sound recording encountered by the general public, before
mass produced home audio equipment became common. Such machines began to be mass
produced in 1889, using phonograph cylinders for records. The earliest machines
played but a single record (of about 2 minutes of music or entertainment), but
soon devices were developed that allowed customers to choose between multiple
records. In the 1910s the cylinder gradually was superseded by the gramophone
record. The term "juke box" came into use in the United States in the 1930s,
either derived from African-American slang "jook" meaning "dance", or being a
name given to it by critics who said it would encourage criminal behavior, this
came from the fake family name Juke. The shellac 78 rpm record dominated
jukeboxes until the Seeburg Corporation introduced an all 45 rpm vinyl record
jukebox in 1950 like the one used by The Fonz in Happy Days.
During the 1960s and '70s, wall box remote selectors were popular in restaurant
booths. The most famous is the Seeburg 3W1. Wallboxes didn't have a record
mechanism inside; instead they took coins and selected a tune to be played by a
jukebox or remote unit elsewhere. The large cabinet was relegated to a back room
out of view, and all 160 selections (Rock-Ola and Wurlitzer) or 200 selections (Seeburg)
were available in the customer's booth. Small speakers in the wallbox played
only your selections, then went quiet while others enjoyed theirs. Since songs
were played in the order of the mechanism rather than the order chosen,
judicious choice of your songs enabled listening to other patrons selections
while awaiting your final song. Multiple purchases of a song simply toggled the
selection on - it would only play once, thus satisfying everyone who had paid
for it all at the same time. Simply leaving one credit unplayed until late in
your meal meant you could hear all songs played until none were left. Some
jukeboxes during this time were able to play special 33 1/3 rpm discs that were
the same diameter as 45 rpm discs, so a longer song was available, or even
multiple songs (sort of a short LP) for a higher price. These specialty records,
and the familiar white labels used were provided by the unique vendor that
supplied records to the operator. Those decades also produced models with ornate
lighting, disco and psychedelic effects, and other cosmetic improvements while
the reliable internal mechanisms remained moderately stable by comparison.
"Popularity" counters told the operator the number of times each record was
played (A or B side didn't matter) so popular records remained, while
lesser-played songs were replaced with the latest hit song. Wurlitzers were
unique because they could play the A side and then the B side of a record then
go to the next; Rock-Ola and Seeburg played all the A sides chosen, then all the
B sides, then stopped.
Starting in the 1980s, compact discs became the norm for modern jukeboxes.
Towards the end of the 20th century several companies started introducing
completely digital jukeboxes which did not use CDs, downloading the tunes
securely over the Internet or through a separate, proprietary transmission
protocol over phone lines. In addition to automatically downloading a
potentially larger selection than what is available on CDs in a single machine
the digital jukeboxes also send back information on what is being played, and
where, opening up new commercial avenues.
Jukeboxes and their ancestors were a very profitable industry from the 1890s on.
They were most popular from the 1940s through the mid-1960s, particularly during
the 1950s. Today they are often associated with early rock and roll music, but
were very popular in the swing music era as well. As a result, stores and
restaurants with a retro theme, such as the Johnny Rockets chain, include
jukeboxes.
Aesthetic Style
A Modern jukeboxThe first jukeboxes were simply wooden boxes with coin slots and
a few buttons. Over time they became more and more decorated, using color
lights, rotating lights, chrome, bubble tubes, ceiling lamps, and other visual
gimmicks. Many consider the 1940s to be the "golden age" of jukebox styling with
the gothic-like curvaceous "electric rainbow cathedral" look. World War II and
the Great Depression were over, so the new designs and sales choices reflected
the festive mood. Even before that, decorative jukeboxes were often one of the
few escapes from the problems of the Great Depression and war.
Styling progressed from the plain wooden boxes in the early thirties to
beautiful light shows with marblized plastic and color animation in the
Wurlitzer 850 Peacock of 1943. But after the United States entered the war,
metal and plastic were needed for the war effort. Jukebox production was cut
back. The 1943 Wurlitzer 950 featured wooden coin chutes to save on metal. It
should also be noted that since the mechanisms were made of metal, they were not
produced during this time, rather, a new cabinet was produced and the internal
componets of the jukebox were placed into it. Since many of the mechanisms were
built by hand, a lot of these jukeboxes had parts that never fit properly and
required modification. The 1943 Wurlitzer Victory cabinet featured glass lightup
panels instead of plastic. After the war, material was available again and there
was a big boom in jukeboxes.
The Wurlitzer model "1015-Bubbler" typifies the look and is arguably the most
popular jukebox design of all time. Many of these survived into the 50s in
active use and are instead associated with the 50s in pop culture despite their
40s origin because of their unique visual prominence and production volume.
Designed by stylist Paul Fuller, it is rumored that when entertainment equipment
factories were redirected toward the war effort, Paul had more time to focus on
esthetic design. This extra time resulted in one of the greatest designs in
iconic pop culture.
After the '40s, the styles generally became more box-like and "high-tech" in
look, distancing themselves from "classic" influences such as ancient Greek,
renaissance, and gothic motifs found in the '40s models.
Also, the post-'40s models needed more panel space for the increased number of
record titles they could present on selection buttons, reducing the space
available for decoration. This is partly due to improved record storage and
dispatching technology and partly due to the transition from the 78-rpm disks to
the 45-rpm disks, which were more compact.
Jukeboxes from the 1940s are called Golden Age because of the yellow catalin
plastic. Jukeboxes from the 1950s are called Silver Age because of the
predominant chrome styling. With the rise of fast food restaurants in the 1960s,
restaurants wanted to get customers in and out fast, not keep them there, so
jukeboxes became less decorative. Record-changing mechanism covered up, they
resembled cigarette machines.
Some aesthetically notable models:
Rock-Ola model 1413 Premier (1942) - Resembles something from a 1990s science
fiction movie. Has a distinctive blue-green glowing "eye globe" in the
lower-middle of its gill-like grille.
Rock-Ola model 1422 and 1426 (1946-47) - Beautiful use of rainbow-colored
leafy-spiral grill-work resembling violin stems.
Rock-Ola Princess - The name is applied to several different models that vary
drastically in appearance. This model is popular today for nostalgic use in
homes due to its compact size. The most desirable Princess model has a visible
mechanism, something nearly univerally desired by home jukebox owners.
Wurlitzer Model 750 and 750E (1941) - In some ways a precursor to the famous
1015, but with a rounder look.
Wurlitzer Model 800 (1941) - Very bold looking model that in some ways resembles
a shuttle launch with its two side rockets. A flame-like glimmer was created by
internal rotating tubes casting waving shadow patterns against the lights.
Wurlitzer Model 850 (1941) - Some of the most artistic grille work. The
highlight was a revolving polarizer peacock color animation.
Wurlitzer Model 950 (1942) - In some ways a visual hybrid between models 800 and
1015. Black metal edging gives this a look reminiscent of ancient Greek design.
Wurlitzer Models 1080 and 1080-A (1947-48) - Another model that seems to have
heavy Greek influence. This model was not as colored-light intensive of other
models of the era, but makes very stylish use of wood and classical curves.
Wurlitzer Jukebox Model 1100 (1948-49) - Represents a transition style between
the 40s and 50s jukebox styling when the record player area started opening up
behind larger glass displays. Heavy use of chrome styling.
Rowe-AMI "Top Flight" Model (1936-38) - Very distinctive grille-work with a
sleek, metallic Sci-Fi feel.
Rowe-AMI Model "A" Jukebox of (1946-47) - Unique "space helmet" look. In many
ways the styling was ahead of its time.
Seeburg Cadet (1940) - A very handsome model.
Seeburg M100-A (1948-1949) - The first 100 selection jukebox, it could also play
either side of 10" and 12" 78s intermixed. It's chrome and florescent lighting
design made other makers' machines look antique overnight.
Gabel Kuro (1940) - A curious design in that its style appears to come from the
1970s instead of 1940.
Note that "Rock-Ola" is actually based on the name of the company founder, David
Cullen Rockola, and is not a portmanteau of Rock and Victrola as many believe.
Rockola was founded many years before the term "Rock" was applied to music at
all.
RuneScape is a Java-based
MMORPG operated by Jagex Ltd. With over nine million active free accounts and
more than one million paid member accounts, RuneScape is rated among the most
popular online games in the world. More than five million unique players access
their accounts to play RuneScape at least once per month. RuneScape offers both
free and subscription content and is designed to be accessible from any location
with an Internet connection and to run in an ordinary web browser without
straining system resources. One of the best website that discussed various
gamers' issues is IJFG.com IJFG.COM
Internet Junction For Gamers Internet Junction
For Gamers, Runescape Market and More IJFG.COM This site has Jokes, Pranks, Runescape and other cool games at IJFG.COM. RuneScape is set in a medieval
fantasy world, similar to "Guild Wars" or "EverQuest", where players control
character representations of themselves. As with most massive multiplayer online roleplaying games (MMORPG), there is no overall objective or end to the game.
Players explore, form alliances, perform optional tasks, and complete quests for
rewards and to build character's skills.
Internet Junction For Gamers, Runescape Market and More. IJFG.com IJFG.com
RuneScape takes place in the fantasy-themed realm of Gielinor, which is divided
into several different kingdoms, regions, and areas. Players can travel
throughout the gaming world on foot, by using magical teleportation spells or
devices, or mechanical means of transportation. Each region offers different
types of monsters, materials, and quests to challenge players. Players are shown
on the screen as customisable avatars. They set their own goals and objectives,
deciding which of the available activities to pursue. There is no linear path
that must be followed. Players can engage in combat with other players or with
monsters, complete quests, or increase their experience in any of the available
skills. Players interact with each other through trading, chatting, or playing
combative or cooperative mini-games.
Internet Junction For Gamers, Runescape Market and More IJFG.COM
IJFG.com
Contact Information
Call our office today to set up an appointment. Learn more about how we can
help you, and learn more about the other services that we can offer you. All
messages we receive will be answered as soon as possible. We look forward to
hearing from you.
- Electronic mail
- General Information:
