The circular tower that redefined the sound of American popular music history
In short: Founded in 1942, Capitol Records became the first major West Coast label to challenge East Coast dominance. Its iconic Hollywood headquarters, shaped like a stack of records, houses subterranean echo chambers that revolutionized high-fidelity sound. From jazz legends to the Beatles, Capitol shaped the soundtrack of the twentieth century.
In early 1942, songwriter Johnny Mercer, producer Buddy DeSylva, and record store owner Glenn Wallichs conceived a new label to anchor the West Coast music industry. Originally incorporated as Liberty Records in March, the company rebranded as Capitol Records by May. The label quickly established its presence, recording artists like Billie Holiday and Tex Ritter. By the end of its first decade, Capitol had solidified its status as a major competitor to established East Coast giants like RCA Victor and Columbia.
The label's architectural legacy is as significant as its catalog. Commissioned by EMI following its 1955 acquisition of the company, the Capitol Records Tower in Hollywood was completed in 1956. Designed by Welton Becket and Louis Naidorf, the thirteen-story structure was the world's first circular office building. While its design mimics a stack of records on a phonograph, its true innovation lies beneath the surface. Eight trapezoidal echo chambers, buried 30 feet underground, allow engineers to create a five-second reverberation effect, a technical marvel that defined the label's signature high-fidelity sound.
Throughout its history, Capitol navigated complex corporate transitions, including its 1955 purchase by EMI and its eventual integration into the Universal Music Group in 2012. The label's influence extended globally, notably through its Capitol of the World series and its role in distributing the Beatles in the United States. Beyond music, Capitol pioneered children's records featuring characters like Bozo the Clown and Bugs Bunny. Today, the label remains a central pillar of the music industry, operating under UMG's Interscope Capitol Labels Group and continuing to manage a vast, historic catalog of global recordings.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Capitol Records
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