Did GA have background music when the park opened?

[29yrswithaGApass]

We have all seen plenty of photos of Great Adventure's earliest days, but I was wondering what were the earliest sounds at the park.

 

Did Great Adventure have area background music, and if so was it themed to the various areas of the park or was it simply "pop" music from the '70s or another era?

 

I don't recall seeing speakers in any of the early photos from the first several seasons.

[Yankees99]

They had NO background music in those early days in any part of the park. Only music you heard was from Musik Express (and great music it was!). You could hear the noise from the rides (Lightning Loops, Runaway Train, Rolling Thunder, etc.). I can still remember being up on the Giant Wheel and Skyride and hearing those sounds echo.That brought a certain element and charm to the park AND that's what made amusement parks so great back then.

[ThemeParkRider]

Now the music blasts in your ears. I like parks without music, but I equally like parks that have themed music playing lightly in the background.

[GAcoaster]

I think they introduced the ambient music with moving the front gate because I think the loop that played in the 80's was original to the area. It was just instrumental with things like Georgie Girl on it (very muzaky).

[Csogi]

I do not recall any themed music (aside from the Allman Brothers coming from the Aqua Theater). I hear Jessica, and it takes me back.

[29yrswithaGApass]

Get ready to flashback... If GA had played pop music like today, a stroll through the park in 1974 might have sounded like this:

 

[Yankees99]

What was the No. 1 song in the country the week Great Adventure opened?

[DiveMachine]

according to BillBoard, it was Rock the Boat by The Hues Corporation

[Yankees99]

Wow, I'm old!

[29yrswithaGApass]

The park actually plays "Rock the Boat" as part of their music mix near the fountain today!

[Yankees99]

20-20 being hindsight , I was riding the "Boat Ride" in Kiddie Kingdom in 1974. They should have been playing the song on a loudspeaker then, so I could rock the boat while riding it.

[GAFanatic]

I remember in the late 70s / early 80s they played pleasant, carnival-type instumental music faintly in the background. It was happy and uplifting and set a nice mood, and was faintly noticeable. I liked that much more than the loud pop music they blare through the whole park now, and that obnoxious Six Flags Radio nonsense has to go.

[The Master]

I remember during the 90s the park used to play classical music. The old safari station still seems to play that loop.

[FlumeOp1974]

When the park fist opened it went like this- You entered the park by ths four tents. Music was from the calliope and it was loud. In the area were Raggedy Ann and Andy who would meet and greet. The Keystone Cops chased a gorilla in and around the meery go round. Coco the Clown was on his stilts with clowns everywhere. The first bandstand by the fountain had a band and by Gingerbrad Fancy was Bango Ron playing Dixieland on the patio. The Bandstand by the Lake had two bands- the girls band and then a group called Prodigy. But the enterainment was always live no canned background stuff. Warner LeRoy wouldn't hear of it. And no matter where you turned there was some form of entertainment going on- all day and up to park closing.

[Ol'FormerRideOp]

When the park fist opened it went like this- You entered the park by ths four tents. Music was from the calliope and it was loud. In the area were Raggedy Ann and Andy who would meet and greet. The Keystone Cops chased a gorilla in and around the meery go round. Coco the Clown was on his stilts with clowns everywhere. The first bandstand by the fountain had a band and by Gingerbrad Fancy was Bango Ron playing Dixieland on the patio. The Bandstand by the Lake had two bands- the girls band and then a group called Prodigy. But the enterainment was always live no canned background stuff. Warner LeRoy wouldn't hear of it. And no matter where you turned there was some form of entertainment going on- all day and up to park closing.

 

You are 100% correct! The park had NO canned music, nor a PA system in the early years. Even when the entrance moved, the only music you heard was at the main gate while purchasing tickets. Once inside the park, the only music was from the Musik Express or from a bandstand with live performers. I don't mind having soft background music being played, or music "themed" to a specific area, but having ear-blasting "comin-atcha radio-style" or the latest "trendy" beats being pummeled into your head is too much.