As I mentioned in my post on “Dance on Skin,” the jukebox was considered one of The Stonewall Inn’s best assets, attracting a lively mixed crowd to this Christopher Street hot spot. As you see from the tracks below, Motown was a heavy favorite of the songs in rotation. Listening to these tracks, you can feel the electric energy that was described as coursing through the bar room floor. It’s hard not to tap your feet along to this auditory odyssey. The music of The Stonewall Inn jukebox truly helped set the tone for the final Christopher Street fragrance, becoming a cornerstone in crafting the final fragrance brief. With over 400 years of New York City history available, there were countless ways one could tell the Christopher Street olfactive story, but these rhythmic sounds told of an aromatic love story celebrating West Village strong-minded individualism, the soul of Christopher Street. Try this: Spray some fragrance into the air, sit back, and press play. Let your senses carry you off to Christopher Street.
Archive of Sounds from The Stonewall Inn Jukebox (June 1969)
“[Motown] is not an audible sound. It’s spiritual, and it comes from the people that make it happen.” – Smokey Robinson
Record Compilation Credit: Williamson Henderson, President SVA
*There is one omission from the original Stonewall Track Listing:
Get Back (Jo Jo)by Paul McCartney & The Beatles
Beatles tracks are currently unavailable in Spotify.
(For more information about the music inside The Stonewall Inn, please check out the incredible archives of The Stonewall Veterans’ Association)
