Seeburg 1000

Some people call it elevator music, grocery store music, dentist chair music or mood music.  Whatever you call it, it’s the music you find yourself humming along to as you go about your daily life.  There is even an entire book on it.  Elevator music started back in 1922 in an effort to calm nervous passengers.  Since then it’s been used to make us more productive, more happy, and put us in the right mood while shopping.

In 1959 the Seeburg jukebox company came out with the first Seeburg 1000 BMC.  It wasn’t very pretty…it wasn’t meant to be because it was usually kept in “the back room” at many stores and offices.  In 1963, Seeburg decided to make a unit that was cool enough for public display, and so the BMS version was released… also known as “the microwave” since it looks similar in design and size.  Of coarse back in 1963 no one knew what a “microwave oven” was.  These units played specially designed records on a mechanism that would keep playing forever.  There are 25 records stacked inside the machine playing at 16 2/3 RPM.  Each record had about 20 songs per side, hence the name Seeburg 1000 (25 x 20 x 2=1000).  New music was added on a monthly or quarterly basis, with the old records being returned to Seeburg to be destroyed.  There were several different “flavors” of music so that business owners could select the right mood for the office or business.

In 2011, I discovered a Seeburg 1000 unit on eBay and had no idea what it was, so I start to dig around and research this fasinatting mechanical masterpiece that is built like a tank but so fragile to the touch.  I have begun collecting Seeburg 1000 memorabilia, units, music and eventually decided to showcase it all in the form of this website.  The most recent project has been digitizing the music and playing it back on a state-of-the-art radio automation system…thus merging 1960′s technology with todays, bringing new life to this music recorded nearly 50 years ago.  Same great music, but brought into the internet age.

  What’s New at RadioCoast.com…

• December 15, 2011 — Added CBS News & local weather
• December 28, 2011 — Added 200 new songs to the library
• March 17, 2012 — Added 100 new songs
• March 22, 2012 — Picked up a Rowe Customusic system
• May 27, 2012 — Added video character generator
• August 17, 2012 — Added MPE1 Electronic Memory Programmer
• November 16, 2012 — Upgraded server, so new Listen Live link is http://198.154.106.103:8407