Since the Capitol Records Tower turns 50 this week (April 6th, 2006) I'm starting a blog with some information about Capitol and some of the historical items I've acquired that deal with the company and its homes in Hollywood. I'm also trying to maybe clear up some inaccurate information about the Tower.

Any comments or contributions will be appreciated. Please let me know if there are any particular artists, releases or eras that might interest you.

I have quite a few items and a lot of information about Capitol's early years from 1942-1956 during which time it had offices first in a relatively small upper office space near the south west corner of Sunset and Vine until 1946 when it moved into bigger digs above Wallichs' Music City on the north west corner. It moved into its current home at 1750 Vine Street officially on April 6, 1956 though the studios were first used February 22, 1956 by Frank Sinatra who was conducting his only instrumental album "Tone Poems of Color". Before starting it's own studios on the west coast Capitol used CP MacGreggors on Western Avenue until after some success the owners repainted the studios and altered their accoustics, and Radio Recorders on Sunset Blvd.

Capitol eventually opened their own studios in a former radio station's studios on Melrose Avenue which were used even after the Tower opened as the new studios had some accoustic problems of their own for a while and singers like Judy Garland preferred the Melrose location. Capitol in the early years also had studios in NYC where Miles Davis recorded tracks that would eventually become the "Birth of the Cool" LP.

I'll also be posting information on some of the people who contributed to the success of Capitol as its employees as well as its recording artists.

Here's hoping that the information I have can be of some use and interest to you readers.

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Then President and Co-Founder of Capitol Records Glenn Wallichs with a model of the Tower that shows how a restaurant was planned for the roof

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A commemorative double 10" album that Capitol put out to celebrate ground breaking of the Capitol Tower

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A commemorative 45 single that was given away the night of the Capitol Tower opening and to tourists who entered the lobby

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The Capitol Tower during an early Christimas Season

All images are copyright Capitol Records, Inc.