ROCK-OLA 468 : HELEN REDDY : ANGIE BABY

Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for fair use for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favour of fair use. I've two vinyl jukeboxes I keep in our summerhouse at the bottom of our garden. They mostly get used when I'm gardening. In the cold months they are covered with insulation and I keep a 60w heater and a rechargeable dehumidifier in each. But “turn them over” a couple of times a week. This is my 1976 Rock-Ola 468 Grand Salon jukebox. Made for, “posh pubs and hotel lounges.” They made about, 3,750 of these, it has a serial number that means it was manufactured about two thirds of the way through the production. I've had it for nearly fifteen years, I think it was in private hands for about the same length of time before this. When I purchased it, I had to remove a build up of cigarette tar from all the plastic and glass surfaces and give it a “good lube lob.” I managed to obtain a “new old stock” graphic for five quid from a jukebox parts supplier, as the original had gone mostly “blue,” as they all do. I gave the carousel motor a service last year as it was running a bit slow. It's in perfect working order. The carousel contains 50/60/70/80s Pop, 10 Doo-Wop and ten classic Standards. The other jukebox is a 1969 Rock-Ola 443, I've had for nearly as long. It's in excellent condition, no pitting in the chrome. I obtained a new old stock, “record card insert” (that round thing) and I remade the graphic from overlaid coloured and frosted sheets of A4 acetate, as both had gone “mostly blue.” It's in perfect working condition. This has 50 Motown, similar and R&B selections, a bit heavy on “lesser known girl groups of the sixties” a personal choice. They made nearly 9,000 of these. This one was in the first 500. Now for the record, released in 1974. On a music message board, the subject of female singers of the seventies came up and I remembered this, which I hadn't heard for decades, by Helen Reddy. (1940-2020). The subject of the lyrics to use a contemporary term is a teenage girl, with “mental health issues.” This would be considered totally unacceptable these days. It's just a fantasy. Anyway, as I like it I bought the record on e-Bay last week for six quid. Madonna's "Holiday," the last of the records that came with it when I bought this jukebox, got relegated to the "retro" record rack, (joining about fifty other singles I bought, some better known than a few of my current selection but have gone out of favour over the years)) as to add a record, something has to come out.

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