Capitol On The Block?

[HudHudson]

Just saw this in the LA Times, suggesting Capitol's parent company EMI may sell the lengendary building at Hollywood & Vine to a developer for condos. If that happens, I hope they still keep the studios.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la...home-headlines

[Levi]

Well, that would be a shame, from a "nostalgic" standpoint, if this comes to pass, but with the state of EMI financially, I'm sure it's a definite possibility. Renovate and upkeep an older, icon building or sell it and make some instant green...hmm...

[Methlab]

man..that would truly suck. anyone who has been out there near ol hollywood high and sunset knows that feeling you get when you are right near the Capitol building for the first time. Its like you finally realize you are in LA. Definitely a national landmark.

[max cooper]

Originally Posted by Methlab

that feeling you get when you are right near the Capitol building for the first time

Put your wallet in your front pocket and don't make eye contact with anyone.

[Bob Olhsson]

Too bad but I can understand the logic because the Tower only offers a tiny amount of usable space for the amount of real estate it takes up.

[Jim Williams]

Thought that thing fell down in the last earthquake..... oh, that was the movie.

Thought that thing blew down in the last tornado...... oh, that was another movie.

Maybe the Hollywood movie studios should buy it to keep as a prop?
If they convert to condos, I wonder if the chambers will be furnished?

Jim Williams
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[MJGreene Audio]

Someone better run over there and make some IR's of those chambers quick. I would hate to see those rooms go away. I loved working in A. Made me look like a decent engineer when I worked in that room.

On a side note. Isn't it just crazy what the real estate market is doing in LA? Its bad all around the country with prices going thru the roof but LA has always had a problem with bulldozing things to make more money. It just seems now that it is more out of control than I have ever seen. Screw history. Lets make a buck!!!!

[grahluk]

From the article;
"We have to be really careful to make sure we don't transform Hollywood into a city of restaurants and lounges and high-end residential," said Kor Group's Bartol"

That seems to be the modus operandi around NYC for the last half decade or so. It seems as if most new construction or renovation in the city is one of those 3 to the blanding detriment of NYC's supposed vibrant diversity. Oh wait. Sorry we were complaining about LA.

[Sqye]

Originally Posted by MJGreene Audio

Screw history. Lets make a buck!!!!

Yeah, screw history of screwing artists, let's make a buck and screw tenants

[Jules]

Originally Posted by max cooper

Put your wallet in your front pocket and don't make eye contact with anyone.

[stealthbalance]

im a bit surprised , as i would have thought that this iconic building would have been landmarked years ago preventing such a move. capitol must have paid off someone to make sure that it wasn't landmarked.
i hope that a group of producers and music mixers and executives save the fate of this wonderful building and studios. maybe al schmitt could get his buddies together and save it - or tommy lipuma or someone like that could not buy his next painting or two and buy this tower - and give back a bit to whats given to them so much success. also , what does this say about our wonderful country ?? is keeping our historic landmarks , especially our cultural music landmarks not worth preserving??? and as a side note, just up the hill from there some guy is trying to get that famous hollywood sign torn down to build a couple of high end homes there ...probably a calculated move with no intention of doing so other than to re-sell to some film studio at a much higher price ....but wow wow wow ...whats going on here?? maybe it will end up as a big ad for W magazine and they will just save the "W" .

s

[Jim Williams]

Originally Posted by MJGreene Audio

Someone better run over there and make some IR's of those chambers quick. I would hate to see those rooms go away. I loved working in A. Made me look like a decent engineer when I worked in that room.

On a side note. Isn't it just crazy what the real estate market is doing in LA? Its bad all around the country with prices going thru the roof but LA has always had a problem with bulldozing things to make more money. It just seems now that it is more out of control than I have ever seen. Screw history. Lets make a buck!!!!

I don't really understand the real estate prices there either, here in San Diego, yes, but in the "Capitol of the Third World"??? Who would pay those kind of prices to live in that quality level of life?

Anyone considering moving there should rent the movie "Crash" first, might talk you out of it.

Jim Williams
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Former LA native

Jim Williams
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[MJGreene Audio]

Originally Posted by Sqye

Yeah, screw history of screwing artists, let's make a buck and screw tenants

LMAO. Guess I missed a few other things to screw. I am always doing that

[MJGreene Audio]

Originally Posted by Jim Williams

I don't really understand the real estate prices there either, here in San Diego, yes, but in the "Capitol of the Third World"??? Who would pay those kind of prices to live in that quality level of life?

Anyone considering moving there should rent the movie "Crash" first, might talk you out of it.

Jim Williams
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Former LA native

Jim Williams
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Yeah. Like my friend who bought a fixer upper in Canoga Park by the Ralphs. Paid $205,000 in 93 and now it was appraised for well over $425,000. Guess he's all fixed up now!!!!

[Methlab]

Originally Posted by max cooper

Put your wallet in your front pocket and don't make eye contact with anyone.

haha..i remember we were at Capitol and walked to the hollywood gym on sunset a few blocks down. that exact quote was probably said a couple of times en route.

[robmix]

Originally Posted by Jim Williams

I don't really understand the real estate prices there either, here in San Diego, yes, but in the "Capitol of the Third World"??? Who would pay those kind of prices to live in that quality level of life?

Anyone considering moving there should rent the movie "Crash" first, might talk you out of it.

Having just returned from a few 3rd world countries I can assure you that L.A. is a few steps above in both safety and cleanliness. BTW, "3rd world" is no longer PC, it's a "developing country" or a "non-industrialized nation".

[Sqye]

Originally Posted by MJGreene Audio

Yeah. Like my friend who bought a fixer upper in Canoga Park by the Ralphs. Paid $205,000 in 93 and now it was appraised for well over $425,000. Guess he's all fixed up now!!!!

I have a friend who bought a piece of property in Rhinebeck, NY for $1.25 mil. @ 3.5 year ago. It's just been appraised for @ $18 mil. Another who paid 40k for a lot on the lower east side about 7 years ago, and is selling it for 2.5 mil. now. The sh&t is just CRAZED. We did really well on our last piece, too.

[RoundBadge]

Originally Posted by MJGreene Audio

Yeah. Like my friend who bought a fixer upper in Canoga Park by the Ralphs. Paid $205,000 in 93 and now it was appraised for well over $425,000. Guess he's all fixed up now!!!!

HA.. $425.000 won't even get you a trailer in Chatsworth now!

[composer]

WOW is this true?

I had the pleasure of working there for about 7 years in Marketing and Promotions, then to A&R and Soundtracks, 10th floor.

Is Paula (from Jersey) still the studio manager?

Hope it does NOT happen. Would have to stop by if it did. I think it's a landmark!

What a shame!

[Steve G]

As far as everyone is saying around the Tower this morning, there are no plans to sell the building, or close the studios at all. It is business as usual here today. Al is here recording, and the other 2 rooms are booked. And yes, Paula from Rhode Island is still the studio manager.

Steve

[composer]

Originally Posted by Steve G

As far as everyone is saying around the Tower this morning, there are no plans to sell the building, or close the studios at all. It is business as usual here today. Al is here recording, and the other 2 rooms are booked. And yes, Paula from Rhode Island is still the studio manager.

Steve

Thanks Steve, so I take it your there? Which department?

Who's the A&R Music Soundtrack Person? I was there during the Karyn Rachtman days. Is it Bobby? Carol? I think they might be gone. Nice to know there are fellow mates there! I need to come in and say hi to Paula! She's great! Accent and all....:-)

[Steve G]

Yes, I am here at Capitol. I'm a staff engineer in the studios. Sorry I don't have any info about the people upstairs.

Steve

[Stick]

Originally Posted by MJGreene Audio

Yeah. Like my friend who bought a fixer upper in Canoga Park by the Ralphs. Paid $205,000 in 93 and now it was appraised for well over $425,000. Guess he's all fixed up now!!!!

Yeah, I had a little house in Woodland Hills not far from that Ralphs, and did way better than that. Bought went from $285 to $609 in 5 years. Craziness. I made WAY more money owning that house than I did doing music for a living.

[Sqye]

Originally Posted by Stick

Yeah, I had a little house in Woodland Hills not far from that Ralphs, and did way better than that. Bought went from $285 to $609 in 5 years. Craziness. I made WAY more money owning that house than I did doing music for a living.

Average salary of a US musician 12 years ago = $10,000. I, personally, think that's a little generous. Then again, they're averaging Kiss with every other entity personally "filing" as a professional musician. That's scary, considering most bands/ artists are hardly "filing" anything, if "Filing" at all. And Kiss (even as multi-national individual conglamorate musician entities, since their names are all fake, and, therefore, I assume, individual businesses - I'm not an accountant for any of the members of Kiss, not do I know their accountants - I do know some of thier business managers, a tour manager, and a manager), by all standards, is an international conglomerate, hardly a "musician". I'd be curious to see some really accurate statistics, including all "part-time" musicians - which, unfortunately, no doubt, make up the bulk of musicians in this country, and in most countries. Compared to say, the avarage salaries of lawyers, real estate brokers, etc. I'm not making any judgements, or assuming anything, but the poorest lawyer I know makes $100k a year. The wealthiest landlord I know personally, who happens to be a good friend, is worth 100s of millions. The poorest landlord I know, also a good friend, (aside of individual landowners, such as myself) is worth around 10 million. The poorest musicians I know make nothing. The wealthiest musicians I know make close to nothing - when I say this I mean compared to people in other trades, as I'm attempting to illustrate (Jesus, Joseph, tell us something we don't know, already, m&thrf^uck$r). A few producers and songwriters, and folks in management and publishing have made some good money). I know tons of people who have made money in the "industry", but they are mostly not musicians or tech guys.

I realize this is all totally nebulus, and like Jules says, comparing "Apples to Orangutans", but it'd be interesting to see some real musician salary averages in this country, including all "part-time" musicians and engineers, etc. just to get a sense of the real numbers. Of course, everyone and their mothers call themselves musicians and engineers and producers, and songwriters, but I'd still be curious to know the full time and part time numbers in this country, in other countires, compared with salaries in other professions.

Sorry for the hijack/ OT muse.

I know, I know......