Image via wikipedia
Although famous as the temporary residence of movie stars and kings, it is also the place they put you up after you’ve made the record company a lot of money.
The front cover of the Eagles’ 1976 album Hotel California is a photo of the Beverly Hills Hotel, taken at sunset by David Alexander. The design and art direction was by John Kosh, who was tasked with finding “THE Hotel California”.
Kosh and Alexander reportedly scouted several hotel locations and made large prints for approval before choosing the Beverly Hills Hotel image.
To get the desired camera angle, the shoot was done from a 60-foot cherry picker above Sunset Boulevard, “shooting blindly into the sun” and using high-speed Ektachrome film to capture the lighting as daylight faded.
When the album was released, the Beverly Hills Hotel initially threatened legal action regarding the use of the image, but once the album’s popularity drove up the hotel’s bookings, the objections subsided.
The rear album cover was shot in the lobby of the Lido Hotel in Hollywood; the gatefold features a lobby scene with the band, their friends, and a shadowy figure on a balcony (which led to speculation about identity).
Eagles Discography
1972 – Eagles
1973 – Desperado
1974 – On The Border
1975 – One Of These Nights
1976 – Hotel California
1979 – The Long Run
2007 – Long Road Out Of Eden
Beverly Hills Hotel
9641 Sunset Blvd.
Beverly Hills CA 90210
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