Hollywood

(back to Music Travel)

Capitol Records (1750 Vine)
Capitol Records built their new HQ in the 50s - designed like a stack of vinyl records in a jukebox. In the 60s, the Beatles recorded in the studios that were located in the building. In the late 70s, an all night record collectors' flea market was held in the parking lot every month. This became the main meeting place for the embryonic LA punk scene, on the look out for classic garage band cuts from the 60s and the latest vinyl outrages from the UK.

Musso and Frank's Grill (6667 Hollywood Blvd)
The Grill was opened in 1919. Charles Bukowski, the famous skid row poet, was a regular customer.

Landmark Hotel / Highland Gardens (7047 Franklin Ave, Hollywood)
This was a well-known hang out for bands and groupies in the late 60s. Frank Zappa was introduced to Alice Cooper at the hotel and he signed Cooper to his record label shortly afterwards. But most notoriously the hotel is where Janis Joplin overdosed on alcohol and heroin and died in room 105. Other celebrity deaths at the hotel include Divine, star of John Water’s early movies.

anti-club (4658 Melrose Ave)
This is a well known LA punk club.

Lucy's El Adobe (5536 Melrose Ave)
Sharon Tate had dinner with friends at this restaurant on the night they were murdered by Charles Manson’s Family. Later, in the 70s, the restaurant became popular with rock celebrities. It is still operating at the same address, opposite Paramount Studios (bookings for the El Adobe can be made on (213) 462-9421).

Fairfax Senior High School (7850 Melrose Ave)
Students included Phil Spector, Jerry Leiber, several members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Herb Alpert, and Bryan Maclean (guitarist with the band Love).

Griffith Observatory (Griffith Park, North Hollywood)
The art deco Observatory is best known from the climactic scene of James Dean’s Rebel Without a Cause, where young Jim and Natalie Wood confront the forces of authority and parental hypocrisy, and the unfortunate Sal Mineo gets himself terminally shot. The Observatory has also appeared on many album covers and videos, including the Byrd's Untitled album. It is located in the middle of Griffith Park, the largest city park in the US, and is open daily from 12.30 to 10pm (entrance is free).

Forest Lawn Cemetary
Eddie Cochran is buried in the cemetary. Cochran was killed in a car crash in England in April 1960, at the age of 21. His best known hits were Summertime Blues and C'mon Everybody.

Jim Morrison and Pam Courson’s House (1812 Rothdell Trail)
Morrison shared an apartment with Pam Courson, just off Laurel Canyon Boulevard (however, he still kept his room at the Alta-Cienega Motel). The Laurel Canyon area was very popular with rock musicians in the 60s, and Morrison wrote the song Love Street about his neighbours.

Appian Way
One afternoon Jim Morrison went for a walk along this street in the Hollywood Hills, to enjoy the spectacular views overlooking the city. By the time he returned, he had composed the song People are Strange.

Carol King lived at number 8815 (King was the writer of The Locomotion and You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman). In November 1970, she posed in front of the house for the cover of her album Tapestry, her most successful record. (back to Music Travel)