Seeburg Basic Background Music BA-106A (R-78)

[@tomfurgas2844]

These records were never meant to be available to the general public. In fact the places that had the Seeburg system were supposed to return the records to the company after use, and they were destroyed. The Seeburg records we see on You Tube and that are acquired by collectors were apparently never returned to the company. Seeburg didn't want anyone to use the records without the special turntable system that they'd developed. That's why the records are 9 inches in diameter with a 2-inch hole. But I am very glad that some collectors have preserved these records, as the music is a kind of time capsule of a particular era in American culture.

[@robfriedrich2822]

It's the same with movies. Would every one it done correctly, I guess, 90 % of the old surviving movies wouldn't exist anymore. This shows, how copyright with the fear, someone could enjoy something without permission, can destroy old films and recordings.

[@Gannett2011]

The track at 8:55 is a surprise: it's a library track called "Lip to Lip" by Reg Tilsley from a De Wolfe LP "Tilsley Orchestral No 7 - Soft Touch" released in 1970. I wonder if Seeburg licensed the use of library tracks from other libraries on their records.

[@leejenwin1937]

They certainly did. MdW is just one - Happy Records, KPM, Sound Stage Amphonic are a few examples.

[@tomfurgas2844]

These records, incidentally, sound remarkably fine despite the 16 2/3 RPM speed. That speed was normally only used for audio books and magazines for the blind.

[@atomscott1919]

Soooo Many GOOD, FOND and STRONG Memories listening to this brings to me! - Of the many Days on the Road I spent Climbing the Towers and building the Very FM-SCA Radio Stations throughout the Nation that aired this type of programming for Seeburg and Muzak..!

[@ZilogBob]

I know exactly what you are talking about. I designed an SCA decoder for FM receivers and it was published in an electronics magazine. I put one in my car radio where the cassette mechanism used to be so I could listen to "elevator music" while I was driving!

[@70sleftover]

Thank you for your service! I wish as a kid I knew how it all worked. Antennas and broadcasting fascinated me and I had no idea that background music in stores, etc., was often coming in via the airwaves from some FM station's sub-channel.

[@patricialutz2092]

When I worked at Howard Johnson's Restaurant in the 70s they had Seeburg on their piped in system,this brings me back! Thanks for the upload 👍

[@canadude6401]

Firstly, thank you SeeburgUp2Speed for uploading this wonderful recording. It is great to hear a song that is the genuine article for retail and elevators. Secondly, is this not the most charming, delightful little song to boost the spirits?

[@edwincancelii2917]

I love that instrumental version of I’ll Never Fall In Love Again.

[@PhilReynoldsLondonGeek]

"I'll Never Fall In Love Again" is the third piece.

[@TomokoAbe_]

I love Seeburg records and do not regret buying some although it cost me quite a bit--you can play them on any record player that has 16 rpm speed

[@Zickcermacity]

8:53 I love those easy listeners that featured a cabasa (rattle)!

[@KB-tt9oc]

Oh boy this is a great one!

[@atomscott1919]

And this Record Features an AWESOMMME Rendition of "American Pie" :)

[@leejenwin1937]

Arranged by Peter Loland/Golden Dream Orchestra

[@radionicpowers5938]

FYI that type of rubber foam (black) you have cut is not good for records long term, if you leave a disc on for a long period a couple days even is make mark where it react to the vinyl disc. its been a problem for me in the past

[@lukefarrer]

This is as elevatory as elevator music gets. Wonderful.

[@matthewjlock]

2:53 - I'll never fall in love again

[@hebneh]

"Attention, shoppers - will the owner of a green Ford station wagon, license number 9C-5241, please return to your car in the parking lot immediately..."

[@MKIVWWI]

Ooops, that's me! My good old 1972 Ford Town & Country Wagon with the faux wooden side panels. Gotta run before I get towed....

[@70sleftover]

@@MKIVWWI How soon you forget - Ford's fake-wood-paneled wagons were Country Squires. (Not to be confused with the boring "Country Sedan" that was actually a plain old wagon without the fake wood, which I think existed back in '72.) Chrysler's minivans (which were an '80s-90s-2000s thing) had the "Town and Country" models.

[@vaughnkopacz2196]

6:10-- i just love the wailing sax.-man, i wish i had one of these players with this excat record shown, playing. what's the last track at 13:02?-then at the beginning @ 5:55, it starts off like Neil diamonds solitary man

[@andrewdonovan6421]

Please, does anyone know the name of song five in the video?.

[@ichigo_varactor358]

R-78=place in use: 4/1/1979

[@johnnyconnsr.4732]

This is not 45 Rpm don't use 45

[@Erzahler]

@@johnnyconnsr.4732 We know it's not 45, it's 16-2/3. The "R-78" refers to the record number and when it was to be played.

[@70sleftover]

Really? That late? Sounds old for '79. To think stuff like this was playing in the background at stores when I was heading toward high school age.

[@xaenon]

@@70sleftover He's right. Set R-80 (20th anniversary) was issued in October 1979, so R-78 would have been in April of that year. The music the basic library used was supposed to be 'familiar and soothing', so that often meant older tunes.

[@deltadada]

Anybody know the likelihood of the Wrecking Crew appearing on this stuff? Hal Blaine, Carol Kaye, et al?

[@rogfusionkid]

Back then carol kaye was earning more than the president, I doubt they would have bothered with this

[@PneumatinisPlaktukas15]

Seeburg did in fact use the Wrecking Crew for these recordings. Later on (around the mid 70s) they started using singles from pop orchestras.

[@fujifrontier]

These play at 16 RPM and require a special needle to avoid destroying the record.

[@ednacervera9568]

🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶 😊 linda

[@MKIVWWI]

At 5:55 is that a real jazzed-up version of "There Are Such Things"? And is that primary instrument a wailing saxophone? Not a good choice...

[@MrDreamwizard]

A difference of opinion........... This is my favorite song on here.

[@leejenwin1937]

@@MrDreamwizard Yeah, I think the sax works - and they change the lead instrument with each verse too which I like.

[@leejenwin1937]

0:11:40 American Pie - Peter Loland/Golden Dream Orchestra

[@PneumatinisPlaktukas15]

You can compare this version to MUZAK’s 1972 arrangement done by Jane Jarvis.

[@leejenwin1937]

@@PneumatinisPlaktukas15 is that Jane Jarvis of MOZART EDITION UK? Responsible for some great original compositions used in background tapes played in the 1970s during BBCTV‘downtime’ behind the test card

[@PneumatinisPlaktukas15]

@@leejenwin1937 I think so. Other MUZAK arrangers, such as Sheldon and Masingill also wrote music for that library. Jarvis was MUZAK’s chief producer and programmer and arranged/wrote music for most of their demonstration LPs. If you hear an organ on a MUZAK recording, there’s a 90% chance that it’s her playing.

[@StevenM801]

0:00. 2:55. 5:55. are my favs

[@matthewjlock]

11:39 American Pie

[@70sleftover]

That helps date the disc as a '70s production. No wonder the recording sounded familiar to me. The dominant tambourine makes it sound early '70s to my ear. turn down the volume to barely audible and I'm back in Grants or maybe even Gimbels or Lits.

[@zappatx]

The ELAC 40A doesn't have a 16-2/3rd setting does it? How did you get it to run properly?

[@jhonwask]

The earlier records had a wonderful charm, probably due to the great arrangements and performances by the instrumentalists. Today's "muzak" is simply awful pop songs played over and over.

[@70sleftover]

@Narciso Duran My mom would once in a while start humming a tune and tell me its name, and I'd think "These songs are real?" Until I learned otherwise from internet sources like this, I thought that background "Muzak" (or as my dad referred to it, "Piped-in music") in the stores of my childhood was just proprietary instrumentals that no one would recognize.

[@PneumatinisPlaktukas15]

@@70sleftover MUZAK always arranged pop songs, tv show tunes and stuff like that. Original pieces written specially for them can only be found on demonstration records.

[@leejenwin1937]

@@PneumatinisPlaktukas15 S1K productions from the late 60s onwards contained both covers of popular/well-known songs and tracks written and arranged for music libraries such as De Wolfe, Mozart Edition, Chappell, Berry, Happy Records, and Selected Sound. More of the tracks are being traced with time.

[@PneumatinisPlaktukas15]

@@leejenwin1937 They also used a ton of recordings from 101 Strings and German easy listening orchestras.

[@leejenwin1937]

@@PneumatinisPlaktukas15 yep masses. Frank Valdor featured in a fair few of those Glenn Miller styled tracks, for example

[@timtinsley394]

Will these play on a regular record player?

[@xaenon]

+Tim Tinsley They weren't intended for use on 'regular' equipment; they do not use a 'standard' groove. Where 'consumer' LPs and 45s use an 0.7-mil 'stereo' stylus, the Seeburg records are actually intended for use with a non-standard 0.5-mil stylus. So the answer is, you really SHOULDN'T play them on regular equipment, but you actually CAN since the stylus/groove mismatch is minimal. I strongly recommend a fresh 33/45 rpm needle if you want to play these on a regular record player. I also suggest you limit the number of plays to avoid as much as possible damage to the record. I am in the process of digitizing mine so the records can be retired again, and once I'm done I'll listen to this music from digital players. Also, the Seeburg records are a non-standard size (9" diameter) and have an odd center hole size (2", where 45s use a 1-1/2" hole), so you need to center the record on the platter manually, and cue it by hand on most equipment. If you want to make an adapter, I got good results with a child-proof cap to an old plastic jug; I just drilled a hole in the center for the spindle. There's also a fellow on eBay who sells custom snap-in adapters for use with early Collaro (aka Magnavox) 'MicroMatic' record changers; these changers WILL actually automatically detect, properly cue, and automatically play these records. Later Collaro/Magnavox changers, and other brands, will need to be cued manually, modified, or specially adjusted. Also, be aware that these records are strictly MONOPHONIC.

[@Fardemark]

I found a .6 mil stylus online it works quite well

[@Erzahler]

@@Fardemark That's probably about as close as you'll be able to go with the stylus. The only other option would likely be to have a 0.5-mil stylus custom made for your turntable. That would certainly involve a minimum order and be rather pricey. But it would probably be worth it to a serious collector with a sizable library and high-end audio equipment.

[@audvidgeek]

"Cleanup, aisle 6"

[@therealkevinpowell]

No ... Aisle 3 ... Geez. 😂😂

[@Raul-yg5oz]

11:38

[@titmouse-distribution]

R-78 = 4-1-79

[@hadoenough]

Blue light special aisle 9...lol

[@ednacervera9568]

🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶

[@fjbutch]

Long as you have a 78 speed, and a good stylus..

[@ClagwellsGarage]

Seeburg recordings were 16⅔ rpm