I also unfortunately can't search out any photos of young people from the 1950s in my mother's albums, although no doubt there would be a few possibilities there.
The jukebox we hired for our elder daughter's seventeenth birthday party in February 1997 was a great success, but somehow we don't seem to have taken any photos of it. We must have been too busy having a good time and watching the guests enjoying themselves. Sadly when we tried to do the same for her sister a few years later, something went wrong very early in the evening and the computerised version that was delivered just would not play. We felt obliged to dutifully follow the instruction on the prominent sign on the equipment which spelt out that on no account should it be turned off or reset, and the guy whom we went meant to be able to call for help had his mobile conveniently switched off for the night, so the kids just had to entertain themselves with their own CDs. Of course when the jukebox mechanic came to collect it the next day he said we should have ignored the sign and just reset it, didn't he? It was very exasperating and annoying at the time!
Anyway, all I can offer this week is simply a musical contribution from that all time juke box king and crooner, Gene Pitney:
14 comments:
I haven’t got any jukebox pictures either Jo, which makes me wonder why I chose the prompt. I’m hoping my much older brother will have something from the era. We are quite dependent on the digital age aren’t we, but afficionads say that we don’t have the high fidelity quality with CDs and iTunes. Sadly I no longer have any vinyl records. Enjoy your break.
I thought I had a postcard with a jukebox, but if I have one, I couldn't find it.
I always loved eating in a restaurant that had the little jukebox at the table. Three songs for a quarter. I liked flipping the tabs and deciding what to play. Of course, no pictures. Oh well -- enjoying the memory anyway. And Gene Pitney - oh my, loved him!
Guess I should post mine. It's not a full frontal view, but it's there.
Fun stories Jo. Enjoy Spain (she says through gritted teeth - green with envy).
I remember the mini jukeboxes on the tables in the cafes as well as the full-size version. Yes, & all the chrome & black & white vinyl flooring & formica - all very real in the '50s! And I still have several 45's from the era, too. I grew up in the '50s & have many good memories from my school days back then, but I loved the '60s best of all. Such a different changing time.
Computerized things just need to be "rebooted" sometimes...which if it were an old fashioned pin ball machine, you'd just bump it so it would "tilt."
I remember as a child my aunt Hannah had one of those Wurlitzer jukeboxes that bubbled up the side with the neon tubes lighting the way. It was loaded with Christmas songs like "I saw Mommy kissing Santa Clause" and "Frosty the Snowman". And one of those megaphone speakers on the porch gable blasting music throughout the neighborhood. She was something special.
I identify very much with your memories. Great post.
You're doing well considering that you are away from home. Enjoy your trip.
I remember sitting in cafes in Melbourne where there was juke box music available, never thought I'd ever need a photo of one!
I loved jukeboxes, even though they were pretty thin on the ground by the time I was in my teens. There's something very different about listening to songs from this era on scratched records, clunking from one tune to the next.
That's so sad about the uncooperative jukebox. I'm glad the kids were able to entertain themselves.
Barbara
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