Heartattack and Vine

The Beach Boys, “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” b/w “God Only Knows” (Capitol  5706) Released: 18 July 1966 Chart Position: #8

1969 in L.A.

Frank Sinatra, 1959. Photograph taken by Bob Willoughby

The Hollywood Jazz Scene

Wanted: Time Machine

On this day in music history: April 6, 1956 - The Capitol Tower in Hollywood, CA is dedicated. The newly opened headquarters for Capitol Records, located at 1750 Vine Street (near the famous corner of Hollywood and Vine) is a thirteen story circular building by architect Welton Beckett (Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Pan Pacific Auditorium, The Beverly Hilton), designed to look like a giant stack of records on a spindle. The blinking light on top of the building spells out the word “Hollywood” in Morse Code since the buildings’ official opening. It was temporarily changed to blink “Capitol 50” to celebrate the labels’ fiftieth anniversary in 1992. Since then it has returned to its original message. Besides  the labels business offices, it also houses three world class recording studios (with echo chambers designed by musician and technical innovator Les Paul) that remain highly in demand to this day. Also known as “the house that Nat built” (after musician Nat King Cole), The Capitol Tower becomes an iconic structure in Hollywood, and is added to the List of Registered Historic Places in Los Angeles in November of 2006.

Sunset Strip at Horn Avenue, West Hollywood, 1974