The Capitol Records building, one of several Hollywood landmarks glimpsed in The Muppet Movie
The Capitol Records building in the background on The Muppets Mayhem
Capitol Records is a record label founded in 1942 by song writers Johnny Mercer and Buddy De Sylva with recording studio/record store owner Glenn Wallichs. The company soon attracted top singers within its first two decades including Bing Crosby, Peggy Lee, Frank Sinatra, the Andrews Sisters, Judy Garland, Rosemary Clooney, Betty Hutton, and Dean Martin. The Beach Boys were the first rock group signed to Capitol Records. In the 1960s, Capitol became the US label for the Beatles and continued to distribute Paul McCartney recordings as late as 2021.
The label was also known for comedy recordings by Andy Griffith, Mel Blanc, and especially Stan Freberg. The latter two also performed for Capitol Records' children's division, best known for Bozo the Clown, but also releasing titles featuring Blanc as Bugs Bunny and other Looney Tunes stars (as well as Woody Woodpecker) and Disney characters (usually narrated by The Jack Benny Program announcer Don Wilson). Other children's records spotlighted Jerry Lewis, Claude Rains (telling Bible stories), and radio personalities such as Baby Snooks, the Great Gildersleeve, and Jerry Colonna.
Jim Henson used a significant number of Capitol recordings on Sam and Friends. Due to its acquisition by EMI in 1955, Canadian releases of The Muppet Show album and its sequel were manufactured and distributed by Capitol Records-EMI of Canada. Conversely, the 1979 Sesame Street album Anne Murray Sings for the Sesame Street Generation had been released two years earlier by Capitol (in both the US and Canada, as well as other countries) as There's A Hippo In My Tub. The Capitol recording studio was used for the Muppet album Ol' Brown Ears Is Back, adding to the album's Sinatra allusions.
The Capitol Records building[]
The Capitol Records Building, sometimes called the Capitol Tower, is a Hollywood landmark built in 1956 and located on Vine Street, not far from the intersection with Hollywood Boulevard. A circular building, designed to resemble record stacks, a spire at the top represents the spindle on the record player. It was designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 2006.
The building has appeared in various film and TV projects shot in Los Angeles, including those of the Muppets.
- The Electric Mayhem Bus drives past the Capitol Records building when the Muppets finally get to Hollywood in The Muppet Movie.
- In The Muppets Mayhem, a background shot showcases the building, used in the episodes "True Colors" and "Virtual Insanity".