Origins of the Demon Ride

            Chicago - The 'Demon' is a multi-looping roller coaster ride at Six Flags Great America Gurnee, Illinois, in the Chicago area and at California's Great America in Santa Clara, California.  Both roller coaster rides opened in 1976 as Turn of the Century, were re-themed and re-named 'Demon' in 1980.  Both roller coasters were painted blue and were among some of the first roller coasters to feature a double corkscrew.  The new roller coasters were the biggest at the park in 1976 when they opened.  The main draw of the Turn of the Century was the novelty of the corkscrew element that turned riders head over heels twice.  The rides most extra-ordinary feature was the exceptional, up-out-your-seat "airtime" produced on the second and third hills.  After the 1979 season Turn of the Century was largely re-designed.  The airtime hills after first drop were removed and replaced with two back-to-back vertical loops and a lighted-tunnel.  The entire ride was painted black and re-named 'Demon.'  In another closely following improvement the themes design included fog machines placed in the tunnels, blood-red colored water fell out of a rock formation by the corkscrews, and a unique picture of the demon was introduced. In 1980 when the loops were added the two Turn of the Century roller coasters known as the 'Demon' were the second and fourth roller coasters that included inversions where the riders get to go upside down for a while.  The first was the Carolina Cyclone which had opened two months earlier, and is a very similar roller coaster. 
       A 'Demon' soundtrack plays on stereo speakers placed through out the ride length.  The soundtrack includes the infamous "Demon Song", which was particularly written for the Great America parks.  Along with the song are imitation (fake) radio broadcasts about people who had seen the demon or had other experiences with the demon.  For a time in the 1980's the 'Demon' at Six Flags Great America was branded the Looney Tunes' Tasmanian Devil.  The storyline of the rides transformation is what the "Demon Song" is about.  It tells the park missed three rent payments on the roller coaster, and a demon came and repossessed the ride.  See full story, www.greatamericapark.com.