Thursday, January 20, 2011

The Beverly Hills Hotel - Hotel California

There are many famous hotels in rock history..

Heartbreak Hotel, Chelsea Hotel... I was intrigued to know where was the Hotel that was in the cover of one of the greatest albums ever and probably one of the best songs.. Hotel California.
On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair ....
Warm smell of colitas, rising up through the air
Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light
My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim
I had to stop for the night


Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light...

There she stood in the doorway;
I heard the mission bell
And I was thinking to myself,
’this could be heaven or this could be hell’


Then she lit up a candle and she showed me the way

There were voices down the corridor,
I thought I heard them say...
Welcome to the hotel California
Such a lovely place
Such a lovely face
Plenty of room at the hotel California
Any time of year, you can find it here


Her mind is Tiffany-twisted, she got the Mercedes bends

She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys, that she calls friends
How they dance in the courtyard, sweet summer sweat.
Some dance to remember, some dance to forget



So I called up the captain,
’please bring me my wine’
He said, ’we haven’t had that spirit here since nineteen sixty nine’
And still those voices are calling from far away,
Wake you up in the middle of the night
Just to hear them say...


Mirrors on the ceiling,

The pink champagne on ice
And she said ’we are all just prisoners here, of our own device’
And in the master’s chambers,
They gathered for the feast
The stab it with their steely knives,
But they just can’t kill the beast


Last thing I remember, I was
Running for the door
I had to find the passage back
To the place I was before
’relax,’ said the night man,
We are programmed to receive.
You can checkout any time you like,
But you can never leave!
Address

The Beverly Hills Hotel 9641 Sunset Boulevard,
Beverly Hills, California 90210, USA

Directions
map

Links
Beverly Hills Hotel

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Mapledurham Watermill




Black Sabbath shocked the world with their first five records..

Even Hard Rock and Heavy sounds were already present... they were the first to gather all the characteristic of this genre together for the first time. ..

The cover of their 1st album was shot a Mapledurham Watermill.. and there was no model, nobody hired any model, that's why the mysterious staring woman is still unresolved.

Address
The Estate Office, Mapledurham, Reading RG4 7TR, Reino Unido
Directions
map

Links
wikipedia

Friday, November 12, 2010

Morrison Hotel



The cover photo of the Doors 5th album was taken at the actual Morrison Hotel located in Los Angeles. The band asked the owners if they could photograph the hotel and they declined, so the band went inside when nobody was looking and took the photograph.

Now the place is as can be seen in the last three pics.. quite abandoned.

The old dream of going there, sitting in that same armchair and asking somebody to take the obligatory pic is nowhere to be found.. I think is better this way.. C'mon !, Jim died, the Doors are now part of a time that, as this Hotel, is gone....

Address

1246 South Hope Street. CALIFORNIA

Directions
map

Links
wikipedia

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

WINDMILL LANE STUDIOS





U2 recorded their first albums here. In particular, it is where 'Boy', 'October', the single 'A Celebration', and 'War' saw the light of day with producer Steve Lillywhite, as well as of course U2’s first EP 'U2Three' (produced by Chas De Whalley). Parts of 'The Unforgettable Fire' were first recorded in Slane Castle with producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, and were then completed here. Also the final version of 'The Joshua Tree' was recorded in Windmill Lane as well as Dublin’s 'STS Studios'.


In 1989 the Windmill Lane Recording Studios moved to Ringsend Road. Today there are new studios in the building again, with the confusingly similar name Windmill Lane Studios. It is now mainly used for TV and other multimedia projects, though.

The legendary U2 Wall is still located here, covered with tributes from U2 fans from across the world.

Adress

4 Windmill Ln, 2, Co. Dublin, Ireland

+353 1 671 3444

Directions

From O'Connell Bridge follow the river along its south bank past the Dockers Pub, until you reach Creighton St. There turn right, and then left into Windmill Lane.

Windmill Ln

Links

studio