It looks like an image of the fearsome Mesoamerican god Tlaloc and has sound to match. Truly a terrifying contraption! I don't blame the cameraman for trembling in the presence of such an entity :)
This Band Organ was donated to the Circus World Museum in Baraboo, Wisc. by the Skerbeck Family. I was on their Carnival in the late 1950's and listened to this machine play everyday, as it was placed in the center of their Merry-Go-Round.
Laaaddddiiiies and Gentlemeeennn boys and girls...step right up to witness the greatest show on earth! The Barrrnum and Baaailey Circussss! (ahh, childhood memories)
People still seem to be watching this video I took when I was 12 years old. Yes, I know the camerawork is terrible but keep in mind this was filmed 8 years ago! I now run the largest educational site devoted to automatic musical instruments including band organs like this Wurlitzer 165: www.mechanicalmusic.org
Ah yes, the rise and fall of humans all roles into one comedic melody! Life really is humiliating, no matter what, you will always be laughed at. This song reminds us that even our greatest feats are a means to our investable fall. I really can imagine great destruction in this piece, so beautifully crafted it brings me to tears.
This is known by most as the "happiest music on earth". Just ask any child at an amusement park with his eyes lit up by a whirling carousel and this fantastic music.
I wish there were more of these organs on Carousels these days and yeah I miss the good old music and its nice to hear this selection on such a wonderful machine.
What a magical sound, I still am so curious as to how the sound actually works, and how little dots are able to calculate to music, these pieces are amazing technology and way ahead of their time. I love these, I recently saw this one playing at the Boardwalk in Santa Cruz, and have fallen in love with them ever since.
This is the same model of organ. My favorite organ of the 3 at santa cruz was the 165. i always saw kids and adults near the ruth organ or the tiny wurlitzer organ. Hardly nobody was paying attention to the 165.
Once when I was thirteen I went to a museum in st .ouis that had these machines i can still recall kit. but that place is fine now but still i recall going to see these. giant. coliipues!
Interesting machine, I never have seen one with the volume control louvers, as it hides the entertainment of the musical instruments inside. However, it does play this song very well and very clearly! And the technology to record such videos has progressed over the 13 years that this video was made!
@Thunkful2 the coin trip feature means that to activate the organ, a person must insert a coin or coins, and the organ shuts off automatically after each song
HUR-RY HURRY HURRY! Step right up, folks -- see the craziest collection of camcorder zigzags ever assembled! :) Don't take it too hard; I have trouble holding the thing steady too.
i wonder why circuses arnt nearly that big of a deal as they once were. I mean im only 24 but i seen in older movies based on olden days how a whole town would gather be excited over a circus now you never really hear about circuses even when there is one in the city...same is why dont they combined circuses and fairs like they did in the olden days either. you always seen those pictures of circus tents that are surrounded by a rollercoaster ferris wheel swing ride merry-go-round etc...heck circuses arnt even really in tents anymore either...its in a big giant commercial concrete building...also the music at circuses are really different too almost akin to what people would probably hear at raves...O.O
Because it's now a well-known fact that circuses treat their animals like shit, and the more people who hear about that, the more people will choose to stay away from circuses. Not everything that happened in the past was good or beneficial.
Um, you don't always have to now something first hand to know what is going on. Plus, there have been reports on this kind of thing. Also, some former employees of these circuses have told stories (a lot of them negative) about the stuff that goes on "behind the scenes," so I believe their stories count as first hand experiences.
***** Imagine life without the internet, TV, movie theaters, and other forms of mass entertainment. The circus coming to town would be a pretty big deal.
***** I know this comment is old, but I still feel the need to reply. Yes, a big reason why people have stopped going to circuses is the media coverage of animal abuse (whether truthful or not), but it is mostly because times have changed. Now the world is moving so much faster. Twitter, facebook, media coverage, ect... make the world lose its wonder. On one hand people are able to reach mass amounts of information in seconds, furthering their endeavors at a pace once only dreamed of, making it possible to advance much quicker and for important information to spread. But on the other hand, nothing is surprising anymore. If you hear about a pink water lake (Australia btw), you look it up and find out just where it is, thinking it no more interesting after a few minutes of research than a puddle. But circuses thrived in a time when the world was slower. Seeing people fly through the air and watching savage beasts act like lap dogs was magical. Now with such mass coverage on talent, we are not surprised anymore. We see all kinds of amazing things on the news, but in a small town that had never seen an acrobat before, this was amazing and terrifying. Plus, circuses reigned during the Depression. Although people were poor, they chose to spend their money for a chance to be taken away from reality for awhile. Their conditions were horrible, so who was to place a picket sign in front of the animals. Everyone, including circuses were in desperate need of a better life. And although many were in it for the profit, they still brought smiles. Circuses have a very twisted history and were often built on tears, not smiles, but they brought the bazaar thrill to the average person who desperately needed it. Now with so many options in entertainment, people don't choose this amazing showcase of talent. The circuses are desperate to set up, often having to show in sports arenas due to the labor involved in setting up a tent or the price of the tent itself (not to mention the carnivals that used to be set up alongside). It is just not worth it when they are losing interest. Though there is Cirque Du Soleil which still is looked highly upon, it departs from the classic feel of the circus. It is still an amazing show of talent, but classic shows are dwindling to more fast paced entertainment. It really is a shame and truly shows how the world has become numb to the magic of life all around us.
I noticed the melody of the last section goes 8, flat 6, flat 6, 5 instead of the usual 8, flat 7, flat 6, 5. The organ sounds great with more bass than some.
Maybe the camera man was vibrating with excitement, which is what I have done sometimes. This guy is a Band organ fan. See his channel. This organ is also over 100 years old, it's not like it plays off MIDI or anything, it plays off of paper rolls, like a player piano. Edit: I know the real reason, this video was recorded by Mikey Mills when he was 12 years old, and the camerawork was bad.
You think you're funny? Michael was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 1991, son. I was making jokes about this man when I was in grade school, even if they weren't that funny. Your "too soon" is my "yesteryear".
@Tubemanjac I was specifically referring to Carousel music. Have you heard the songs they now play on Merry Go Rounds? Not nearly as good or memorable.
