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The Beverly Hills Hotel
“To me, Hotel California doesn’t have any special significance. To the millions of people who bought it, however, it does.”
Glenn Frey, singer, guitarist and keyboardist of the band Eagles
Evolving in the enchanted setting of Laurel Canyon in the early 1970s, the Eagles were able to distinguish themselves early on from other bands in the area. Glenn Frey and Don Henley, two of the founding members, played for Linda Ronstadt. In 1976, still basking in the glow of the success of their first best-of, which has sold 42 million copies worldwide to this day, they released Hotel California.
It’s hard to imagine that the band can go higher, but that’s what they do with this harmonious assembly of inspired compositions. The lead single, the biggest hit, is inspired by the band’s early days in Los Angeles. At that time, for Glenn Frey and Don Henley, the two main writers of the song, the Beverly Hills Hotel was the center of entertainment in Los Angeles. Where everyone meets, parties and sometimes gets lost in the pernicious volutes of excesses more and more marked. A hotel that the band places in the center of the album cover, plunged in a slightly disturbing light, in phase with the lyrics of the song Hotel California. A song subject to interpretation. Some argue that she is talking about a rehab center and others say it is a metaphor for the music industry. One thing is certain, however, with Hotel California, the Eagles have definitely entered the legend.
The Eagles have sold thirty-two million copies of Hotel California worldwide.
The Beverly Hills Hotel
A star in its own right on Sunset Boulevard, the Beverly Hills Hotel has long been a celebrity favorite.
Opened on May 12, 1912, this beautiful hotel is the result of a bold blend of Hispanic neo-colonial architecture and Mediterranean Renaissance style. With an area of 5,000 m2, it has 204 rooms, including several suites and 21 bungalows. Over the years, many personalities have stayed there. These include the Beatles, Robert De Niro, Marilyn Monroe, Michael Jackson, Judy Garland and the Rolling Stones. The place is known to meet the craziest requests of its customers. Like when an influential businessman demanded that his bungalow be remodeled to include a Jacuzzi and a pool.
The Fantrippers Buying Board
Cult! music: 100 mythical music places [French Edition]
Embark immediately on an exhilarating world tour with some of music’s most iconic bands and artists!
Head to Melbourne, Australia for a stroll along AC/DC Lane before crossing the iconic Abbey Road pedestrian crossing in the company of The Beatles. Visit Janis Joplin‘s home in San Francisco and find out how Johnny Cash ended up playing his greatest hits to a crowd of prisoners in San Quentin. Travel the winding roads of Laurel Canyon in Los Angeles with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and stop in Japan to catch up with Deep Purple, Phil Collins and Daft Punk. Drive down the Tina Turner Highway before entering some of the most legendary studios in music history. Go back to the troubled origins of Billie Holiday and make a pact with Robert Johnson at the famous crossroads in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Embark immediately on an exhilarating world tour with some of music’s most iconic bands and artists! Relive the Jimi Hendrix concert on the Isle of Wight before paying tribute to Bob Marley in Jamaica.
Produced by a team of pop-culture specialists and enhanced by numerous anecdotes, Cult! musictells the secrets of the places that made the history of music.
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By Gilles Rolland
Passionné de cinéma, de rock and roll, de séries TV et de littérature. Rédacteur de presse et auteur des livres Le Heavy Metal au cinéma, Paroles de fans Guns N' Roses, Paroles de fans Rammstein et Welcome to my Jungle : 100 albums rock et autres anecdotes dépareillées. Adore également voyager à la recherche des lieux les plus emblématiques de la pop culture.