5064 Lankershim Blvd. The general public walks by it everyday, not knowing it's there.
One of the most important and relevant music studios and landmarks in all of America, right here in NoHo/L.A.!
I was pleasantly taken aback by its eccentric and bohemian décor and ambiance. As I walked in, I felt like I was walking back into time. A 1960s and 1970s presence danced and grooved around me. I was literally standing in the middle of Rock & Roll History.
I sat down with the dedicated manager of THE ALLEY MUSIC STUDIOS, Todd Bellina, and his music colleague and tech, Brad Stanfield, and listened to the stories of the early days of L.A.'s rock scene and how the studio was there every step of the way. From Cher to the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
WAIDE- Todd, how did the Alley come about?
TODD- The story goes, Bill Elkins is the guy who started this place. He's 75 years old now. He was friends with a lot of the people in the Laurel Canyon scene during the late 1960s and early '70s.' Of course, people always were complaining about the noises, that it was too loud or something else... over at Nat Crosby's house or whoever... he was primarily a Roadie. He also knew Hoyt Axton, a musician and actor. He was friends with Hoyt. He was driving down Lankershim back in '72 or '73 and saw this place was up for sale. He took the sign down and gave the owner a call. He told the owner I'm very interested in this place... at the time, this place was a pinball machine called the Funky Flipper. This whole building was called The Funky Flipper Pinball Arcade. It was an arcade, but it closed down and he wound up getting the building. And the building behind us, the basement, that was Three Dog Night's rehearsal studio. He envisioned having a rehearsal studio that all those people he knew in the music industry could come and play without having any problems. And that's what he did in '73. He and another gentleman, I don't know his name, acquired the building. They just started doing what they wanted to do. He never went to school for art or art design. I have him on an interview that he says he 'didn't go to school,' he just set out and 'did it.' And, what you see, is what he did. He stuck to his guns. And he's very much a Harley-Davidson person, he's been riding Harley's practically all his life. I'm mean at seventeen, he's sittin' on his first Harley. He's had bikes all his life.
He's a very interesting person and a very rugged person. His background, he was an orphan for a long time. Then, his grandmother found him... Bill is very much a rugged guy. If he doesn't like you, he won't give you the time of day. He'll tell you in your face to get the f*** out of here.
Cher, KISS, the Osmond's, Pat Metheny, David Lindley, Jackson Browne have all come through here to rehearse, record or hang with their Roadie friends. They know where the door is. They know where the place is. They come and go, the people who live upstairs, Bill, and his wife Shiloh, they would just have someone here at all times. Bill always likes to find guys who were either on the road, off the road or someone who knew something about engineering who could take care of the bands, open up the doors, set up the stands, get the sound ready, get the payment and bring it to him... he never interacted really, unless he knew them... That's how it's been working. That's how it's been flowing for all of these years. From what I know, the Alley is the second oldest professional rehearsal studio in L.A. County. S.I.R. being the first. He doesn't advertise, because he knows he has a little niche. He doesn't have to, because it's all word-of-mouth. He knows he can trust them. They're his friends. The craziest years were between the mid-seventies to mid-eighties. I'd heard the stories... the all nighters. Partying all night. Rehearsing all night. It was a Rock-n-Roll lifestyle, and he lived it, and he loved doing it. It's been one of the strangest lives I've ever seen anyone live.
The Alley is a well kept secret. Some say it's an urban legend because they'll say they've heard of it but didn't know where it was. This is a nucleus. This is where people, Artists create sound. This is where they message the lyrics. This is where you come first to write the songs. Jackson Browne has written a lot of his material here. The Chili Peppers wrote four of their biggest albums right here. They would spend eight, nine months in a lockout writing. They would have their equipment brought in, they set their stuff up and no one could come in except for the techs and good friends.
Dan Fogelberg, Joe Walsh, Crosby, Still & Nash, lots of jazz people, Stone Temple Pilots... Alice in Chains shot a video here... Smashing Pumpkins shot one here... A lot of places charge for their backline. We don't. It's one charge for each room and we don't charge for cables or mics. Both rooms have pianos. Tom Petty mentioned us in an interview of his in L.A. Weekly Magazine in 2008 that this was one of his favorite places in L.A. The Deftones, the Chili Peppers have mentioned us... Ozzy, Black Sabbath, The Bros. Johnson have made a home here to work...
W: What inspired you to create this museum of the eclectic and keep it going?
T: When I was nineteen I found this place. A lot of people didn't take me seriously. This isn't a garage. It's a professional rehearsal stage. I knew it was a special place. I knew there was nothing like it in the country. I want to keep it going.
W: I believe Joan Jett was here with Dakota Fanning during the shooting of "The Runaways"?
T: Yeah, Joan was here to help Dakota act like a real rock-n-roll star.
W: What other genres of music have you attracted here?
BRAD: Chaka Khan, Dr. John, Chicoria, Black Crows... mostly guitar oriented music.
T: Evan Ross, Diana's son comes here. He loves this place. Then he turned his mother on to it and she turned Gene Simmons on to it. All word of mouth.
BRAD: All the rock stars of the '60s and '70s, their kids come here now... We try to keep it old school approach.
W: ... Ok, now we get to one of the most important questions... What is your Happy Place Song?
T: Wow! "Release Me" by Pearl Jam. YES songs. The Dead. Sometimes I like to turn on some Van Halen. Early Van Halen.
B: I'm a Paul Rogers fan. The Beatles. The Stones. Eric Clapton.
T: Hendrix... One thing I do want to add, Waide, is that Bill Elkins helped and founded The Love Ride, which celebrated its thirty-second and final year this year. He started it with a guy, Oliver, who owns Glendale Harley-Davidson.
B: A lot of cool shit has happened here, Waide.
W: What's your favorite color?
T: I'll go with blue.
B: I'm green.
W: Favorite movie?
T: Oh, god! "Harold and Maude."
B: ... this is gonna sound crazy... but... "Scarface."
W: ... Gentlemen... Todd. Brad. Thank you so much for allowing me in to see this magnificent space.
... They escort me out through the maze of Rock-N-Roll artifacts & memorabilia.
SSSHHH... Remember, it's a secret.
For more information and to book with The Alley Music Studios:
thealleymusicstudios.com
Phone: 818-980-9122
Facebook: thealleymusicstudios.com or The Alley Music Studios
5064 Lankershim Blvd.,
North Hollywood, CA 91601