1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,960 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:16,720 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hello and welcome to This Day in History Class, 3 00:00:17,040 --> 00:00:20,120 Speaker 1: a show that strives to know at least a little 4 00:00:20,160 --> 00:00:25,239 Speaker 1: bit more history every day. I'm Gabe Lousier, and today 5 00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:28,560 Speaker 1: we're looking at the origins of the juke box, a 6 00:00:28,680 --> 00:00:31,840 Speaker 1: vital part of music history that's just as fun to 7 00:00:31,880 --> 00:00:43,040 Speaker 1: look at as it is to listen to. The day 8 00:00:43,320 --> 00:00:49,640 Speaker 1: was November nine. An early fore runner of the modern 9 00:00:49,760 --> 00:00:53,479 Speaker 1: juke box was installed for public use at the Palais 10 00:00:53,600 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 1: Royale Saloon in San Francisco, California. The name jukebox wouldn't 11 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:03,480 Speaker 1: be applied for another thirty years or so. When it 12 00:01:03,600 --> 00:01:06,280 Speaker 1: was invented, it was known as a nickel in the 13 00:01:06,360 --> 00:01:10,679 Speaker 1: slot player. It may have looked drastically different from what 14 00:01:10,720 --> 00:01:14,040 Speaker 1: we now know as a jukebox, but its purpose was 15 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:17,679 Speaker 1: about the same. It allowed people to listen to music 16 00:01:17,800 --> 00:01:21,440 Speaker 1: in a bar or restaurant without the added cost of 17 00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:26,720 Speaker 1: live performers. The first nickel in the slot was invented 18 00:01:26,760 --> 00:01:30,480 Speaker 1: by Louis Glass and William Arnold, who both worked at 19 00:01:30,520 --> 00:01:35,360 Speaker 1: the Pacific Phonograph Company in San Francisco. They realized that 20 00:01:35,560 --> 00:01:39,040 Speaker 1: although the phonograph had captured the public's attention since its 21 00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:43,360 Speaker 1: creation in eighteen seventy seven, the machine was still too 22 00:01:43,360 --> 00:01:47,559 Speaker 1: expensive for most people to afford, so in an effort 23 00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:50,280 Speaker 1: to bring music to the people and to make some 24 00:01:50,360 --> 00:01:54,320 Speaker 1: money in the process, Glass and Arnold decided to rig 25 00:01:54,400 --> 00:01:57,760 Speaker 1: up a coin operated device that would allow people to 26 00:01:57,960 --> 00:02:01,040 Speaker 1: listen to a recording without how having to buy their own. 27 00:02:01,920 --> 00:02:06,200 Speaker 1: To be fair, other inventors were working on similar machines 28 00:02:06,320 --> 00:02:10,040 Speaker 1: around that same time, but Glass and Arnold were the 29 00:02:10,080 --> 00:02:14,200 Speaker 1: first to unveil a functioning version to the public. The 30 00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:18,720 Speaker 1: first model they built consisted of an Edison class M 31 00:02:18,919 --> 00:02:23,520 Speaker 1: electric phonograph housed inside an oak cabinet with a coin 32 00:02:23,639 --> 00:02:29,040 Speaker 1: slot mechanism attached. So far so jukebox. But here's where 33 00:02:29,040 --> 00:02:32,880 Speaker 1: things start to differ. The first machine had no speakers 34 00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:38,799 Speaker 1: or amplifiers. Instead, it had four tube like listening devices 35 00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:42,760 Speaker 1: connected to the phonograph. It's a little hard to describe, 36 00:02:42,960 --> 00:02:46,480 Speaker 1: but if you picture four stethoscopes attached to a big 37 00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:50,680 Speaker 1: wooden box, you're not far off. Each of those four 38 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:55,520 Speaker 1: tubes functioned independently, meaning that up to four people could 39 00:02:55,520 --> 00:02:59,480 Speaker 1: listen to the same song simultaneously, provided that each of 40 00:02:59,520 --> 00:03:03,880 Speaker 1: them paid their own nickel. Also, for any germaphobes out there, 41 00:03:04,200 --> 00:03:07,400 Speaker 1: you'll be thrilled to know that patrons were supplied with 42 00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:10,280 Speaker 1: towels so they could wipe off the ends of their 43 00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:14,960 Speaker 1: tubes before or after each listen. Another difference from later 44 00:03:15,080 --> 00:03:19,160 Speaker 1: juke boxes was the amount of songs on offer. Modern 45 00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:23,880 Speaker 1: juke boxes have many, while the first jukebox had one. 46 00:03:24,320 --> 00:03:28,000 Speaker 1: The single song was housed on a wax cylinder inside 47 00:03:28,040 --> 00:03:31,480 Speaker 1: the cabinet, which could be swapped out periodically to give 48 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:36,160 Speaker 1: customers something new to listen to. Glass and Arnold got 49 00:03:36,200 --> 00:03:39,680 Speaker 1: permission to display their first machine in a saloon just 50 00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:44,680 Speaker 1: two blocks away from their offices at the Phonograph Company. Unfortunately, 51 00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:48,080 Speaker 1: there's no record of which song was played first, so 52 00:03:48,280 --> 00:03:52,520 Speaker 1: we'll have to use our imaginations on that. Despite its limitations, 53 00:03:52,680 --> 00:03:58,280 Speaker 1: the coin operated phonograph took off overnight. Within six months, 54 00:03:58,320 --> 00:04:02,560 Speaker 1: that single player had earned over a thousand dollars the 55 00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:06,520 Speaker 1: equivalent of more than thirty thousand dollars today, and by 56 00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:09,360 Speaker 1: the end of the first year, Glass and Arnold had 57 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:13,720 Speaker 1: installed another fifteen machines and raked in more than four 58 00:04:13,880 --> 00:04:20,000 Speaker 1: thousand dollars. The instant success inspired countless imitators to whip 59 00:04:20,080 --> 00:04:23,840 Speaker 1: up their own versions all across the country. Soon there 60 00:04:23,880 --> 00:04:29,120 Speaker 1: were entire phonograph parlors with multiple nickel in the slot players, 61 00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:33,040 Speaker 1: so customers could listen to different songs in the same location. 62 00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:37,440 Speaker 1: As the machine grew in popularity over the next decade 63 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:41,640 Speaker 1: and a half, improvements were gradually made to the initial design. 64 00:04:42,480 --> 00:04:46,480 Speaker 1: The sound quality improved when disc records replaced the old 65 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:51,520 Speaker 1: phonograph cylinders, and the addition of amplifiers allowed large groups 66 00:04:51,560 --> 00:04:55,680 Speaker 1: to listen simultaneously without the need to hold stethoscopes to 67 00:04:55,680 --> 00:04:59,880 Speaker 1: their ears. The next major innovation came in nineteen o 68 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:06,280 Speaker 1: five when Chicago based inventor John Gable debuted the Automatic Entertainer, 69 00:05:06,800 --> 00:05:11,440 Speaker 1: a coin operated disc playing phonograph that featured twenty four 70 00:05:11,480 --> 00:05:14,520 Speaker 1: songs to choose from, though the discs still had to 71 00:05:14,560 --> 00:05:20,839 Speaker 1: be selected manually. Thirteen years later, another inventor, Hobart knee Black, 72 00:05:21,360 --> 00:05:25,479 Speaker 1: created a part that could change records automatically, leading to 73 00:05:25,520 --> 00:05:29,000 Speaker 1: the debut of the first selective juke boxes in the 74 00:05:29,080 --> 00:05:34,800 Speaker 1: nineteen twenties. That decade presented a challenge to automatic phonographs 75 00:05:34,920 --> 00:05:39,279 Speaker 1: due to the emerging technology of radio record sales and 76 00:05:39,400 --> 00:05:43,080 Speaker 1: jukebox usage took a dive when people realized they could 77 00:05:43,160 --> 00:05:46,960 Speaker 1: hear music for free on the radio. The hard times 78 00:05:47,040 --> 00:05:49,920 Speaker 1: kept on coming in the nineteen thirties, when the Great 79 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:54,440 Speaker 1: Depression left most families with little money for recreation, even 80 00:05:54,480 --> 00:05:59,440 Speaker 1: just the nickel. However, once the depression ended, juke boxes 81 00:05:59,480 --> 00:06:03,200 Speaker 1: bounced right back, more popular than ever in a country 82 00:06:03,240 --> 00:06:06,760 Speaker 1: that was itching to get out and dance again. It 83 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:11,080 Speaker 1: was around this time that the automatic phonograph finally started 84 00:06:11,120 --> 00:06:14,839 Speaker 1: to look like a jukebox. The big four companies in 85 00:06:14,880 --> 00:06:20,200 Speaker 1: the industry were Ami, rock, Ola, sea Berg, and Wurlitzer. 86 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:26,960 Speaker 1: These manufacturers introduced now classic jukebox features such as flashy 87 00:06:27,080 --> 00:06:31,080 Speaker 1: light up displays and numbered and lettered buttons that were 88 00:06:31,160 --> 00:06:35,960 Speaker 1: used to select specific songs. The machines now had their 89 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:39,440 Speaker 1: familiar shapes and features, but it was still a few 90 00:06:39,520 --> 00:06:43,520 Speaker 1: years before they would actually be called juke boxes. The 91 00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:47,840 Speaker 1: term originated in the Southern United States sometime in the 92 00:06:47,920 --> 00:06:52,200 Speaker 1: late nineteen thirties. It was based on the term juke joint, 93 00:06:52,640 --> 00:06:55,960 Speaker 1: which was regional slang for a rowdy bar or dance 94 00:06:56,000 --> 00:07:00,280 Speaker 1: hall with lots of loud music. The word juke comes 95 00:07:00,320 --> 00:07:04,920 Speaker 1: from the Creole language and is an adjective that means wild, bad, 96 00:07:05,040 --> 00:07:09,720 Speaker 1: or wicked. Once the name was set, juke boxes entered 97 00:07:09,720 --> 00:07:13,280 Speaker 1: a golden age, with their peak popularity running from the 98 00:07:13,400 --> 00:07:18,440 Speaker 1: nineteen forties through the mid nineteen sixties. In fact, by nine, 99 00:07:19,960 --> 00:07:23,760 Speaker 1: seventy five percent of all the records produced annually in 100 00:07:23,800 --> 00:07:28,400 Speaker 1: the United States were put into juke boxes. The radio 101 00:07:28,720 --> 00:07:31,560 Speaker 1: shook things up again in the nineteen fifties, when the 102 00:07:31,640 --> 00:07:34,800 Speaker 1: invention of the transistor introduced the world to the joys 103 00:07:34,920 --> 00:07:39,520 Speaker 1: of portable music. Jukebox sales and usage began to slide 104 00:07:39,640 --> 00:07:44,360 Speaker 1: from there, but they remained staple fixtures in plenty of diners, bars, 105 00:07:44,480 --> 00:07:49,880 Speaker 1: and restaurants. Today you can still find working vintage jukeboxes 106 00:07:49,960 --> 00:07:53,160 Speaker 1: and many of those same locations, and new models are 107 00:07:53,240 --> 00:07:56,480 Speaker 1: still produced and used as well. Most of the ones 108 00:07:56,600 --> 00:07:59,680 Speaker 1: made in the past few decades play songs either from 109 00:07:59,760 --> 00:08:02,560 Speaker 1: C E D s or digital files, but they still 110 00:08:02,760 --> 00:08:05,440 Speaker 1: look a lot like the ones from the nineteen fifties, 111 00:08:05,960 --> 00:08:11,160 Speaker 1: complete with domed tops, shiny chrome candy colored light bars, 112 00:08:11,400 --> 00:08:14,840 Speaker 1: and if you're really lucky, those tubes of little bubbles 113 00:08:14,920 --> 00:08:18,000 Speaker 1: they run up and down the sides. With that much 114 00:08:18,080 --> 00:08:22,280 Speaker 1: to look at, it doesn't really matter which song is playing. Well, 115 00:08:23,080 --> 00:08:28,360 Speaker 1: almost I'm gay bluesier, and hopefully you now know a 116 00:08:28,520 --> 00:08:32,719 Speaker 1: little more about history today than you did yesterday. You 117 00:08:32,800 --> 00:08:36,880 Speaker 1: can learn even more about history by following us on Twitter, Facebook, 118 00:08:36,920 --> 00:08:41,120 Speaker 1: and Instagram at t d I HC Show, And if 119 00:08:41,160 --> 00:08:44,679 Speaker 1: you'd like to share your favorite jukebox selection, you can 120 00:08:44,760 --> 00:08:47,840 Speaker 1: write to me at this day at I heart media 121 00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:52,880 Speaker 1: dot com. My own favorite is J seventeen. Can't get 122 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:56,360 Speaker 1: enough of that one. Thanks to Chandler May's for producing 123 00:08:56,440 --> 00:08:59,520 Speaker 1: the show, and thank you for listening. I'll see you 124 00:08:59,600 --> 00:09:03,640 Speaker 1: back here her again tomorrow for another Day in History class. 125 00:09:10,920 --> 00:09:13,199 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from I Heart Radio, visit the iHeart 126 00:09:13,280 --> 00:09:15,720 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 127 00:09:15,720 --> 00:09:16,400 Speaker 1: favorite shows.