Jukebox

BAL-AMi jukeboxes were manufactured in small numbers between 1953 and 1963. They were designed by the American Automatic Instrument Company based in Michigan. Owing to UK import restrictions, the machines were assembled by the Ilford firm Balfour (Marine) Engineering from components manufactured in both countries. Balfour boss Samuel Norman's clever decision to offer the Americans a UK production plant made his firm the biggest jukebox manufacturer in the country with a second plant opening in Harlow, Essex, in 1956.

This model I machine played 200 songs by artists from the 1950s and 1960s, such as Manfred Mann, Cliff Richard, Fats Domino, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee-Lewis, Little Richard, Everly Brothers, Steve Miller Band and Crosby, Stills and Nash. The hit singles include 'Bad Moon Rising' by Creedence Clearwater Revival and 'I Put a Spell on You' by Screaming Jay Hawkins. The user selected the song manually using a rotary dial on the front and then pressed a button to play the track. Later models had an electric selection system. To give the machine an authentic American feel the machine is marked 'One Play Dime' and 'Two Plays Quarter'.