This is a fantastic music machine. I think that Don Stinson should make copies of these. Wouldn't it be great to see one of these at an organ rally playing modern music. A good start has been the addition of accordions to some new Stinson band organs.
While the Rock-Afire Explosion are indeed cool, these guys (at least two of them) really play real instruments - yes, by punched, folded cardboard 'book music', similar to a player piano roll. These organs were used in European cafes and dance halls, though this one is in a US private collection. All Decap organs had accordions (most did not have the robots) and drum kits that actually play, some large units having 3 to 5 accordions, plus pipes or an electric organ, percussion and xylophone.
Yes, the drummer and accordionist in this particular organ are actually playing; the drummer turns his body to play the snare, or the cymbal and wood block, while his feet operate the bass kick and hi-hat pedals. Like most Decap's, the drums are real, and so is the Crucianelli accordion, with fingers actually pressing the keys and chord buttons and operating the bellows. The saxophone sound is synthesized, but the fingering works and the player's cheeks puff and shoulders move. Very cool.
If you haven't joined a group already, why not do so? The Player Piano Group (PPG), Musical Box Society International (MBSI), or Automatic Musical Instrument Collectors' Association(AMICA). All have web sites, but then that involves computers. Oh, well. I belong to two of the above and have attended PPG functions in the UK. It is all great fun and computers aren't required.
Don´t be fooled, the robots aren´t really playing:its a ten voices registered concert organ powered by compressed air and driven by a reel of punched out note stripes like a small barrel organ only bigger until 200 pipes and more are possible. These music automata atracted the crowd at dance halls at the third decade of the last century. Handcranked examples of concert and streetorgans you can sometimes hear on funfairs and at market places around the netherlands. The one here is made by DECAP.
No pipes in this machine. Unlike older organs, this one uses a Hammond electric organ. The accordion actually plays and the drummer Robot plays the drums, wood block and cymbal.
The program is the old style book music with holes like a player piano roll.
The robots are life size. the whole unit is about 10' X 18'.
The song has nothing to do with Michael Jackson, the name is "Were Going to Jackson". It was a number one hit song for about 1 year and was sung by Johnny Cash & June Carter.
I had a hard time perspective on this. In the far away shots it looked like a tabletop toy, but close up it looked full size. Very odd. Where is this thing from, and where does it reside NOW?
Actually one Robot does play--that's the drummer. The Sax player is given voice from a standard Hammond organ. The guy on the right holds the accordion which does play, but the robot doesn't activate the keys.
The whole machine works like a player piano using card board sheets with holes. It's from the 1950's.
@91Eric23 Let's put it this way, son... it's SO lame that your white trash ass will never be able to afford one on your septic tank truck driver's salary, that is even if you could find one for sale. That's about how lame it is. I hope this note didn't interrupt you while you were busy fixing a flat on your mobile home and drankin those canned Natty Lights. Jesus Christ.
There is no recording. This machines plays card board "book" music. We didn't show it in this video, but the other You tube video of the robots shows the book music. Look for Decap Robot YMCA and you'll see it. The music from the speakers is a Hammond organ that plays the Sax part. The Hammond is behind the curtain.
@flashhacker328 The accordion is also really playing, although the organbuilder took the easy way out here and gave the keyboard "hand" of the robot as many "fingers" as there are keys on the accordion! (Oh well, at least that means you never hear the accordionist hit a wrong note!). I think the whole idea is really clever.
i think it's just the drummer playing. notice how there's a tuba in the song but yet, there's no tuba! there would have to be a flexible yet firm piece surrounding the sax mouthpiece (i should now, i've been play sax for 6 years) and the fingers are pushing buttons, but the thing is, the fingerings aren't even for real notes, much less the ones being played.
I have listened to all 27 videos posted by "AMICOAB". They are all 1st. class. It is easy to see why all 27 of them have a 5 star rating on YouTube. KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK!
Very nice instrument! Great restoration... great animation. I don't normally like "robot" instruments with animated figures playing instruments of any kind (fair organ bell ringers don't count), but Decap managed to make friendly and cartoony enough robots to put even me at ease. I could not stand, say, the Blessing band, however.
Fantastic machine. I saw this in person during an MBSI meeting. I joined because I like the mechanics of the instruments. The friendly people and music are icing on the cake!
The colors were restored to original by stripping the paint back to the original color before re-painting. A post card from the original location "Café-Restaurant De Blauwe Engel" in Zandhoven, Belgium was also available that showed its original colors. There are 3 surviving 105 key Robot Bands including this one, as well as 6 of the smaller size 92 key Robot Bands. A complete restoration of the dance organ was completed by AC Pilmer Automatic Music Ltd. in England in 2005.
You can get information about becoming a member of MBSI by visiting their web site: mbsi dot org. They also have regional chapters in the USA and
Japan where members visit homes with private collections to see, hear, and learn about mechanical music machines. You also receive 6 excellent magazines annually-Mechanical Music-plus a directory of members, museums,
Agree with this posting. The best of these kinds of machines are in private collections. And the easiest way to see them is through chapter meetings and conventions of the Musical Box Society (MBSI). Best investment I have ever made.
We just returned from a super annual MBSI convention, which was held in St. Paul, MN this year. There were organized home tours to see and listen to mechanical music machines, workshops, and a large mart with all types of mechanical music items for sale. Every one there was very friendly. You can visit their MBSI web site at
I love robot bands! --Robot Betty9
robotbetty9 1 year ago
@robotbetty9
if you fancy buying one of these I can tell you they are still being made by Decap Antwerpen(they have one for sale actually)
mortierfreak 1 year ago
This is a fantastic music machine. I think that Don Stinson should make copies of these. Wouldn't it be great to see one of these at an organ rally playing modern music. A good start has been the addition of accordions to some new Stinson band organs.
StinsonOrganGroupie 1 year ago
@StinsonOrganGroupie I agree with u, only wish I had one but it would take up one whole wall of my bedroom - plus it would annoy the neighbours :(
erikals2 8 months ago
mister sax man ( saxaphone player ) Does weird things. WHo do they show at the end?
anglerfly 1 year ago
I went and saw mechanical organs today and now I want to build one with solenoids!
tribalmasters 1 year ago
Did he died?
decepticonkrew 2 years ago
DRUM SOLO!
fabioproductions 2 years ago
While the Rock-Afire Explosion are indeed cool, these guys (at least two of them) really play real instruments - yes, by punched, folded cardboard 'book music', similar to a player piano roll. These organs were used in European cafes and dance halls, though this one is in a US private collection. All Decap organs had accordions (most did not have the robots) and drum kits that actually play, some large units having 3 to 5 accordions, plus pipes or an electric organ, percussion and xylophone.
JonasClark 3 years ago
All DeCap organs don't have accordions, there are some DeCap street organs with no accordion register at all
dompteurcirque 3 years ago
Yes, the drummer and accordionist in this particular organ are actually playing; the drummer turns his body to play the snare, or the cymbal and wood block, while his feet operate the bass kick and hi-hat pedals. Like most Decap's, the drums are real, and so is the Crucianelli accordion, with fingers actually pressing the keys and chord buttons and operating the bellows. The saxophone sound is synthesized, but the fingering works and the player's cheeks puff and shoulders move. Very cool.
JonasClark 3 years ago
I hope Woody Allen has seen this ? it would look good in one of his films....DOMESTICON CORP. Lol
MANTLEBERG 3 years ago
I wish we could go back to a simpler day when automaton like this were the bees knees- people care too much about computers now
says me (21yrs old...)
irkibby 3 years ago 2
If you haven't joined a group already, why not do so? The Player Piano Group (PPG), Musical Box Society International (MBSI), or Automatic Musical Instrument Collectors' Association(AMICA). All have web sites, but then that involves computers. Oh, well. I belong to two of the above and have attended PPG functions in the UK. It is all great fun and computers aren't required.
ampicoab 3 years ago 2
@irkibby u should be a coaa member
anglerfly 1 year ago
Who made the robots? I am a fan of a robot band called THE ROCK A-FIRE EXPLOSION, but this is cool too.
starrfisher 3 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Super boring + the robots aren't even playing. Mega lam3z0rz.
Necrosis57 3 years ago
Even though these are robots playing the music, it is pretty boring to watch. :P
al1967dude 3 years ago
Don´t be fooled, the robots aren´t really playing:its a ten voices registered concert organ powered by compressed air and driven by a reel of punched out note stripes like a small barrel organ only bigger until 200 pipes and more are possible. These music automata atracted the crowd at dance halls at the third decade of the last century. Handcranked examples of concert and streetorgans you can sometimes hear on funfairs and at market places around the netherlands. The one here is made by DECAP.
Rainmanxxl1967 3 years ago
No pipes in this machine. Unlike older organs, this one uses a Hammond electric organ. The accordion actually plays and the drummer Robot plays the drums, wood block and cymbal.
The program is the old style book music with holes like a player piano roll.
ampicoab 3 years ago
@ampicoab and there's holes in the book music that control the middle robot going up/down?
erikals2 8 months ago
Great Vid!
Ring2me1 3 years ago
they arent really playing.. thats just gay
pheonex1 3 years ago
The drummer is really playing. With his hands he plays snare drum or wood block. One foot plays the bass drum, the other foot the hi-hat.
ampicoab 3 years ago
The robots are life size. the whole unit is about 10' X 18'.
The song has nothing to do with Michael Jackson, the name is "Were Going to Jackson". It was a number one hit song for about 1 year and was sung by Johnny Cash & June Carter.
earthquake88 3 years ago
What was michael jackson about that?
usehernamelol 3 years ago
I had a hard time perspective on this. In the far away shots it looked like a tabletop toy, but close up it looked full size. Very odd. Where is this thing from, and where does it reside NOW?
Falcons66 3 years ago
bizarre
Vinagrinho 3 years ago
/yawn
SpamBanjo 3 years ago
its like i'm at chuckie chesse! but like in mexico.
kidtoe 3 years ago
I showed this to my little sister,
she screamed and ran out of the room.
Wasn't this the alien band featured
in the first Star Wars?
MonkeyZonkey 3 years ago
lol
sunshine0909 3 years ago
lol i started tapping my foot randomly during this videoo. x]
xMAFIAxlegend 3 years ago
this is not real
zcbm181 3 years ago
Love the song! It's so silly you just have to love it. These are some old school robots. Great work
moersenice 3 years ago
this is boring
stpstp1313 3 years ago
this is terrible lol
StevieHoopsLive 3 years ago
You're an idiot.. This is obviously a clockwork mechanism.
Thrynsys 3 years ago
Man that's awful!
VLTV 3 years ago
They don't "play", they're just miming. Badly.
rienpost 3 years ago
Yeah.
Thrynsys 3 years ago
Actually one Robot does play--that's the drummer. The Sax player is given voice from a standard Hammond organ. The guy on the right holds the accordion which does play, but the robot doesn't activate the keys.
The whole machine works like a player piano using card board sheets with holes. It's from the 1950's.
ampicoab 3 years ago
This reminds of an episode with Rosie and Jim
lyingXduck 3 years ago
Boo to you
pikldeg 3 years ago
Its really kraftwerk!!
dubbedcrazy 3 years ago
hahah the one on the far right has robo stage fright or is just broken or somthin
lyviond 3 years ago
Love your comment "robo stage fright". This machine is from the 1950's. Early Sci-Fi movies and robots were all the rage.
Most robots from that era do look goofy. That is what makes this machine so cool. This is what the Retro crowd copies.
ampicoab 3 years ago
wow....how lame is this. Jesus Christ.
91Eric23 3 years ago 2
@91Eric23 Let's put it this way, son... it's SO lame that your white trash ass will never be able to afford one on your septic tank truck driver's salary, that is even if you could find one for sale. That's about how lame it is. I hope this note didn't interrupt you while you were busy fixing a flat on your mobile home and drankin those canned Natty Lights. Jesus Christ.
SeeburgMusic 1 year ago
@SeeburgMusic Well said
wurly164 1 year ago
@SeeburgMusic I love you.
irkibby 6 months ago
couldnt have said it better myself
peacefrog1312 3 years ago
Looks like a lame Chuck E Cheese Birthday party
MyMorningJacket619 3 years ago 8
robot band for kindergarden kids
saloge 3 years ago 2
waste of bandwidth!
sawbonesadams 3 years ago
lol
moser328 3 years ago
the amount of work put into this could have been used to make one that actually plays music not some bullshit recording
walikai 3 years ago
There is no recording. This machines plays card board "book" music. We didn't show it in this video, but the other You tube video of the robots shows the book music. Look for Decap Robot YMCA and you'll see it. The music from the speakers is a Hammond organ that plays the Sax part. The Hammond is behind the curtain.
ampicoab 3 years ago
wow this sucks ass!!!!!!!
sillyjackrabbit 3 years ago
only the drummer is playing anything
flashhacker328 3 years ago 3
@flashhacker328 The accordion is also really playing, although the organbuilder took the easy way out here and gave the keyboard "hand" of the robot as many "fingers" as there are keys on the accordion! (Oh well, at least that means you never hear the accordionist hit a wrong note!). I think the whole idea is really clever.
KawhackitaRag 2 months ago
i think it's just the drummer playing. notice how there's a tuba in the song but yet, there's no tuba! there would have to be a flexible yet firm piece surrounding the sax mouthpiece (i should now, i've been play sax for 6 years) and the fingers are pushing buttons, but the thing is, the fingerings aren't even for real notes, much less the ones being played.
stevenk1133 3 years ago
Are they supposed to be Al Jolson in blackface robot band?
pimpbotx 3 years ago
this makes me wanna kill someone
metallica1983x 3 years ago
das shit yo!
blondeashums 3 years ago
this is the most depressing thing ever... right next to nuclear weapons
fstball4110 3 years ago
c naze
raff63 3 years ago
I left a letter out of the spelling of "AMPICOAB" in the posted comment below. Sorry ampicoab.
earthquake88 3 years ago
I have listened to all 27 videos posted by "AMICOAB". They are all 1st. class. It is easy to see why all 27 of them have a 5 star rating on YouTube. KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK!
earthquake88 3 years ago
I see the drummer actually playing but that's about it.
csselement 3 years ago
Utterly fantastic. At 1.05 i think i see the saxophonist's right foot tapping!
irkibby 3 years ago
You are correct! And why wouldn't he be tapping his foot! This arrangement has a great beat.
ampicoab 3 years ago
i can hear a "chick chick chick chick" sound
and is that from the hi-hat?.
nicolaj0154 3 years ago
Yes it is. Look at 1:08 and the drummer's foot is seen on the Hi-hat pedal.
ampicoab 3 years ago
Infantryofficer,
Johnny Cash & June Carter were the ones that made "JACKSON" a number 1 hit song. It was number 1 for about a year.
earthquake88 3 years ago
WTF is with Johnny Cash at the end?
lnfantryofficer 4 years ago
Those bots rock =p
DjBleedsColors 4 years ago
Very nice instrument! Great restoration... great animation. I don't normally like "robot" instruments with animated figures playing instruments of any kind (fair organ bell ringers don't count), but Decap managed to make friendly and cartoony enough robots to put even me at ease. I could not stand, say, the Blessing band, however.
KawhackitaRag 4 years ago
Fantastic machine. I saw this in person during an MBSI meeting. I joined because I like the mechanics of the instruments. The friendly people and music are icing on the cake!
Decap121 4 years ago
The colors were restored to original by stripping the paint back to the original color before re-painting. A post card from the original location "Café-Restaurant De Blauwe Engel" in Zandhoven, Belgium was also available that showed its original colors. There are 3 surviving 105 key Robot Bands including this one, as well as 6 of the smaller size 92 key Robot Bands. A complete restoration of the dance organ was completed by AC Pilmer Automatic Music Ltd. in England in 2005.
hupfeldpan 4 years ago
Very cool! Is this restored to the original colors? Much nicer than the aluminum paint look.
89gavi 4 years ago
You can get information about becoming a member of MBSI by visiting their web site: mbsi dot org. They also have regional chapters in the USA and
Japan where members visit homes with private collections to see, hear, and learn about mechanical music machines. You also receive 6 excellent magazines annually-Mechanical Music-plus a directory of members, museums,
and dealers.
ragsoldiron 4 years ago
Agree with this posting. The best of these kinds of machines are in private collections. And the easiest way to see them is through chapter meetings and conventions of the Musical Box Society (MBSI). Best investment I have ever made.
musicalboxer 4 years ago
I agree with ragsoldiron, MBSI is a hands on hobby which I really enjoy.
silverswan481 4 years ago
We just returned from a super annual MBSI convention, which was held in St. Paul, MN this year. There were organized home tours to see and listen to mechanical music machines, workshops, and a large mart with all types of mechanical music items for sale. Every one there was very friendly. You can visit their MBSI web site at
mbsi dot org
earthquake88 4 years ago
This thing really ROCKS! I found more at the MBSI site... there a WORLD of such mechanical music machines!
ragsoldiron 4 years ago
Where do we go to see the Krughoff Collection?
victoriaphibes 4 years ago
Johnny Cash and June Carter singing "Jackson" is one of my all-time favorite songs.
benelli7 4 years ago
I love this arrangement of 'Jackson' by Albert Decap and also know and love this robot organ. Thank you for posting this film.
happycowmusic 4 years ago
:D fantastic organ
robindeorgelman2 4 years ago