Glenn Wallichs owned the biggest record store in Los Angeles. Wallichs Music City record store opened in 1940 and was located in Hollywood on the corner of Sunset and Vine across the street from the art deco NBC building. It was the premier music store in Southern California for decades. It was a special store and a place to go for tickets, sheet music, LP's and 45's, tapes (8 track and cassette). They also sold TV's and musical instruments. It It was the first music store to seal record albums in cellophane and put them in display racks for customers. It was also the first to have demonstration rooms for listening. Wallich also owned created Capitol records. My dad has been a recording artist for Capitol records since 1952. He would go into Wallichs, see his records on display and then walk upstairs to Capitol offices. The Original Capitol Records recording studio was located on Melrose next to Paramount Studios. . They eventually moved to the Capitol Tower in 1956 and the old studios became Dot records. As Capitol was being built my dad watched as the building was inspired to represent a stack of records. His Gold record is still in hallway next to The Beatles, Frank Sinatra and the Beach Boys. Not too shabby dad. Wallichs closed in 1978. Hopefully Capitol Records will stand forever. Below are the listening booths circa 1956.
Eddie Cochran and Sharon Sheeley shopping for records at Wallichs Music City at Sunset and Vine in 1959...
With private listening booths to hear the records before you bought them! Fantastic!
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DeleteIt's so cool to hear a history that I'm actually interested in.
ReplyDeleteI love looking at the Capitol Records building whenever we drive by it. I always wanted to go inside. I think it's the most awesome building in LA.
Nice blog, Ali!
ReplyDeleteGreat memories here. I lived in West Hollywood in the sixties and worked for Clyde Wallichs in that great music store. There was nothing like it. If L.A. were still like those days, I would move back in a minute!
ReplyDeleteGarry in Portland
I loved Wallick's Music City, great place to listen to music!!! Wasn't there a location in downtown Los Angeles around 7th St??? Great memories!!! Bernie in L.A.
ReplyDeleteDoing some research on an architect who designed Wallicks music studio in the late 40s. Do you happen to know where that might be or where it was? I thought it was this building as the same architect did some store alterations for the Fife & Nichols store, I believe they sold musical instruments, inside the Wallicks, but the date is later. Appreciate any help! Thanks for the great information (and the comments were helpful too!)
ReplyDeleteSorry for the misspelling, I meant Wallichs :)
ReplyDeleteI wish I could answer that for you, BUT I have a good source for you. I run a facebook page called VINTAGE LOS ANGELES. There are thousands of LA historians that write on that page and there have been many discussions on Wallichs Music City. Log on to that page. There are some former employees that are members that I'm sure will help you. I hope this helps! Let me know. Here is a link to the site....https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vintage-Los-Angeles/121097987946929
ReplyDeleteYour photos are wonderful.
ReplyDeleteHoly cow.
You bring the past back.
I remember the radio ads for Wallich's. One was Doris Day singing 'It's Music City'.
ReplyDeleteAnd it was not just Wallich's that had booths. Jay Doty records/stereos/TV's etc. in Claremont to the east had them too.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Vt0c5netiN8/TtuRc17pS9I/AAAAAAAAQEs/x050TCN_4Wg/s1600/wallichs.jpg
ReplyDeletepicture of the booths
Here are some more old photo of the inside of this music store for many it a trip back in time memory lane..
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My dad knew Glenn Wallichs very well - he used to play poker with him and several other guys once a month -- they were all former members of the Hollywood Junior Chamber of Commerce. According to my dad (1911-1992) Glenn owned Capitol Records and his brother Clyde owned Music City. Glenn died young from bone cancer. I don't know what happened to Clyde.
ReplyDeleteBill Oct 24 2014
ReplyDeleteI lived in LA 63 & 64. Music City was awesome. Spent many hours picking out records and listening. Purchased a stereo to listen to purchases in the apartment. Nothing like it in the midwest where were from.
Great memories
When I moved to L.A. in the late sixties one of my first jobs was here at "Wallich's", I had the pleasure of running the Demo Booths (where you could listen to the music) It was an awesome job saw many stars would come in, one night Elke Summer & her Mom came in to buy a TV, her Mom was even more beautiful...the place was a buzz..!!
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