Music sightseeing in New York

The Navarro at Central Park South if it's still there. The Who used to do a bit of damage there, in fact the manager of the place, Mr. Russell, used to put Keith into the rooms that were scheduled for remodeling.

 

When I went last year, I made a point to stroll down 52nd St. Just to hum a few bars of the Billy Joel song for a laugh

 

Years ago I used to go to the Ray's on 6th Ave. and 11th St., but the slices are too leaden and they use way way too much cheese (which I no longer consider a good thing!). There is no connection between the various places called Ray's, BTW, and most of them are ordinary at best.

 

If you're feelin' groovy, you can always take a cab across the 59th St. bridge!

Which reminds me that further into Queens, and off the beaten path, is Forest Hills High School, alma mater of Paul and Artie (Simon & Garfunkel).

 

Indeed. When I lived in NY I avoided all the "Ray's", other than the original one downtown. The name was generally a nice warning that they served inferior 'za (the other ones have nothing to do with the original other than stealing the name). I think I used to know the story why all these places were allowed to use the name, but my memory is foggy. You'd think the original would have tried to protect the name at some point.

 

Yes, I know. I was mentioning Rays for our friends visiting from out of town.

The one 6th and 11th was a good one.
But I also liked the one on 2nd Ave and 10th St?? Or was it 3rd and 11th?? I forget now.
It's been a long long while...
The last good pizza I did have in NYC was Mariella's Of 57th St. Though in typical NY fashion it was on 8th Ave., not 57th St.

 

Indeed. When I lived in NY I avoided all the "Ray's", other than the original one downtown. The name was generally a nice warning that they served inferior 'za (the other ones have nothing to do with the original other than stealing the name). I think I used to know the story why all these places were allowed to use the name, but my memory is foggy. You'd think the original would have tried to protect the name at some point.

 

Hi,

Follow the link below for the correct Hit Factory address where Double Fantasy was recorded ..

http://beatlephoto.blogspot.com/2005_10_02_archive.html

Also for my trip to NY in 2005 i done a ton of research for obscure Beatle/solo studio locations etc plus some other places i was interested in, i've listed them below ..

* Sam Ash music: 160 West 48th Street (John apparently had his guitars worked on here .. go in and ask perhaps)

• Manny’s music: 156 West 48th Street (John apparently had his guitars worked on here .. go in and ask perhaps)

• Belvedere Hotel: 319 West 48th Street ( Just off 8th Avenue ) seen in Double fantasy era photosl, no real link .. just used as reference as John is with this building in photo's outside the Hit Factory.

• Hit Factory: ( 353 ) West 48th St ( Near Belvedere Hotel ) 6th floor (Double fantasy studio) the outside looked the same in 2005, but i believe it's now appartments.

• Record Plant: 321 W. 44th St (Where John spent his last evening mixing 'Thin ice')

• 105 Bank Street ( First apartment )

• The Dakota 72nd st

• Café La Fortuna ( 69 West 71st St ) No longer in existance.

• Chemist on Columbus avenue between 71st and 72nd st (Used by John, has photo in front window)

• James Deans apartment ( 19 West 68th st – 5th floor )

• The Factory ( Warhol ) 33 Union Square West

• Jackie O’s apartment ( 1040 5th avenue )

• Roosevelt Hospital: 1000 10th Avenue

• Shea Stadium

• MPL: 39 West 54th Street

• “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey” Columbia studio B 49 East 52nd Street (This is close to MPL)

• Ram Studio A&R Recorders: A1 penthouse at 799 7th Ave. ( also ‘Hard times are over’ vocals probably recorded here.) I think this site is now a hotel.

• Museum of Television & Radio, at 25 W. 52nd

Hope some of that helps, and i wish i were there with you

Greg xoxo

 

I did my NYC music tour 2 years ago, there's so much to see you're bound to forgoet a spot or two.

I was mainly interested in Hendrix sights: Cafe Wha? Electric Lady, the Alice in Wonderland Sculpture in Central Park etc. Seeing those place amongst others was a great thrill for me.

One thing I found odd was that bootlegs were sold amongst legit releases in most of the Village record shops. You don't get that down here at all.

 

I second a slice at Joe's!
Also while near Madison Square Garden try Pizza Suprema on Eighth Avenue. Or while near the Hit Factory, Sacco Pizza on Ninth Avenue and 54th Street.

 

Remember the Paul Simon song that immortalized Bleeker St.? It was on the "Wednesday Morning,3 A.M." Lp..I remember it well!

 

The Hit Factory is now the "Hit Factory Condominiums". Same address, different business. http://www.thehitfactorycondo.com/

Across the street from that was the Sony Music Studios, where the MTV Unplugged and Sessions at W.54th shows were shot. Now, it's a big open crater in the ground. Completely demolished.

Cafe Wha? is still on MacDougal, as is Cafe Reggio. But most of the other cafes are gone. Pete Seeger used to live in that neighborhood.

You'll need to look carefully on W. 8th St. to find Electric Lady. It's rather hidden. A few doors down from there used to be the 8th St. Playhouse, from Rocky Horror fame. Also gone.

But never mind the Village -- Go see a show at the Apollo! The audience is half the entertainment.

PS: TO MR. BOYCE -- The quote is "If Music be the food of LOVE, play on" - first line of "Twelfth Night"

 

I stumbled upon Electric Lady while wandering in the Village on one of my first trips to New York. Turned a corner and there it was.

 

Electric Lady no longer has the curved brick facade it once had. It's now just glass windows and curtains. It's actually in the basement of the same smallish building that the 8th St. Playhouse was, which became TLA Video for a while, but is now empty again. Maybe the studio will expand upstairs?

 

...And directly across the street from Electric Lady was the late,much-missed Revolver(later Revolution) Records.It's Only Rock & Roll was a few doors down.

 

...The Physical Graffiti building is where Mick is sitting on the front stoop,when Keef walks up in the "Waiting On A Friend" promo.

 

The Bottom Line was at the corner of 4th & Mercer.And until 'No Direction Home',I NEVER knew it was the original location of Gerde's Folk City(ie:where Dylan actually played....)

 

The current location of Bleeker Bob's was The Night Owl Cafe,back when the Lovin' Spoonful were regulars.

 

when I was in New York in 2006 ,I went on this and really enjoyed it
http://www.rockjunket.com/

 

Studio B at 49 E. 52nd St. is actually the second floor of the Duane Reade.

A&R, which was a Columbia Studio is an office tower now.

 

This may not appeal to a Beatles fan, but the building where this classic Rolling Stones pic sleeve was snapped is at 124 East 24th Street.

I was looking at the fisheye lens photo one day on the UK Big Hits (High Tide And Green Grass) LP and recognised the "Bridge of Sighs" in the background as being part of the Met Life building at Madison Square (architect here).

There's a wrought iron railing on top of the fluted concrete planter wall now, but it's otherwise unchanged. Bring your favorite Sunday hat and a fisheye lens!

 

But the original curved brick facade was demolished several years ago and (I believe) the studio was expanded into the old movie theater where they used to have the midnight showings of Rocky Horror Picture Show. It used to be a modern but modest single-lot storefront.

Back in the heyday of Punk Bob's shop was on MacDougal Street just south of 8th Street. The space was a boutique the last time I looked. That shop is just around the corner from the (altered) Electric Ladyland.

 

And this shot was taken in the Central Park underpass just east of the Carousel.

There's a cool photo of The Louvin' Spoonful taken in the same tunnel, but I couldn't find a copy.

 

The original Atlantic Recording Studios was located at 234 West 56th, above Patsy's Restaurant. Ray Charles et. al. recorded in that second floor space... a holy shrine.

 

And on the corner of 1st Ave and St. Marks used to be the St. Marks Bar, where the Waiting For A Friend video ends. I haven't been in there for years, but I used to take my out-of-town friends (who are Stones fanatics) there a lot. There used to be this rather poorly painted mural of the Stones on the back wall. I have no idea if the inside is remotely the same.