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Former Location –
Wallich’s Music City was a world famous record store that had listening stations where they would just rip the shrink-wrap off of any album that a customer wanted to hear. Each listening station was relatively sound-proof and allowed you to decide if you wanted to purchase the album.
This location was open from 1940 until 1978 and was at one time considered to be the largest record store in Los Angeles.
There were also other locations in Topanga Plaza which is in Woodland Hills and in the Eastland Shopping Center which is in West Covina.
Northwest corner of Sunset and Vine
Los Angeles CA 90028
I so miss Wallach’s Music City. I grew up in So. Calif. There was one store in the West Covina area. That was always so much fun for friends to go and hang out and hear the latest music. Loved the music booths.
My name is Russ. I grew up in The Charter Oak section of Covina, Ca. I would often spend 2 or 3 hours browsing through the albums at Wallich’s in Eastland Shopping Center of West Covina. Their prices were sometimes a little high. So, I would end up going to White Front or Leo’s Stereo to buy albums. Those were good times.
I would spend a lot of Saturday nights at Wallach’s Music city listening to LP’s. They also sold guitars and juke boxes that played LP’s and I wanted to buy one at the time and I could not afford one. I recall when it closed and I miss it.
Man I remeber the one at Topanga plaza. It as a two story rocord store music 45’s and LP’s down stairs and guitars, drums, ect up.
It was so cool to go there saturdays and just listen to music or play 45’s or LP’s in the record booth. Every time I hear the song Summer in the City by Loving Spoonful it reminds me of being there.
My family owned Liberty Ticket Agancy, which was the ticket company located in each of the Wallach’s Music City branches. My father was very close with the Wallachs family. I remember when it closed in 1978. it was a very sad time for us all.
There was also a Wallach’s Music City in Torrance, Calif. Corner of Hawthorne Blvd & Artesia Blvd. Build in the early 1960’s. I bought my first Fender Jazz Master Guitar there. Hawthorne Blvd was the place to cruise on Friday and Saturday nights with Rock & Roll on the radio going to A&W Root Beer & Bob’s Big Boy. Wallach’s Music City advertised on the radio all the time.
OMG…My dad got me the Introducing…The Beatles Album from the Hollywood store in 1964. I still have it and KNOW it is a REAL one because I remember it was the only store to have them at the time. I also remember getting a Paul face pin! Don’t know what happened to that…how old I feel.
The one I shopped at was on the corner of Hawthorne Blvd and Artesia. It also had a cool guitar/Music store inside of this location. Wow those were the days.
Their ads on the radio always included the jingle sung to the tune of “Rockabye Baby”: “It’s Music City, Sunset and Vine.” Sometime in the early 1960s they changed it to reflect two new stores. Same tune, but now the words were “It’s Music City, Hollywood-Lakewood-Downtown.” The singer had to jam a lot more syllables into those last four notes!
When I was a little kid, my Dad took me to the grand opening of the Hawthorne & Artesia Wallach’s store in Torrance. They had a flat bed truck trailer which was used as a stage by the featured band – The Beach Boys! Their set list included “Surfin Safari”, “Surfer Girl” and “Long Tall Texan”. Each Fender amp had one guitar and one mic plugged in – no PA yet – so Brian Wilson was singing through a Bassman! I was amazed by the quality of their harmonies!
my father and his partner owned the tv-stereo-audio franchises in all of the WALLACH’s stores…i worked at the sunset and vine store in high school and served the likes of neil young, bowie and so on. selling them phono needles and microphones and blank 8-tracks mfg. by memorex…later i worked in the topanga location! it was a blast!!
As a kid, I not only went into Wallach’s, but across the street, was the old NBC studios, Behind Wallach’s was Norm’s Restaurant. in that same neighborhood, was the theatre that Steve Allen did his tv show from, The Brown Derby, Cinerama, The Palladium and the Moulin Rouge (aka Aquarias Theatre). I worked in 1970 at Sunset and Gower, for a small film company, inside the then Columbia Studios lot.
Back then was the good ol’days of Hollywood.
I worked as a telephone operator at the Sunset and Vine location in 1968. The switchboard was the old plugin kind. I loved it. I saw many famous people including Jimi Hendrix, Simon and Garfunkel and Red Buttons. My memory is hazy about the rest. I was a flower child after all. Too bad those days had to end. I had to return to Florida. It was a great time in my life.
Wow I love reading all the posts. I worked in the back with Laura and Bonnie. Irma was the Singles mgr for the stores. I remember so many who worked there during that time the mid-60’s was awesome. I saw Jagger and got his signature in the middle of Vine ST…hahah
could have been killed!! Wally at the Album counter was a favorite of everyone. Bruce Kimmel in sheet music went to my high school Hami. I live in Woodstock, NY….go figure. I am Blessed. Peace
Some of the best time of my life in the years i worked there,during the;1959 thru 1972.Have lost contact withthe people i new that worked there.Used to hang out at “The Spotlight”,and “The Grapevine”,on Vine St.My best friend worked there,[Richard Brown],he finished up marrying Betty Chevez whome worked as cashire. We servised the record boothes.Like to hear from someone who worked there? Gil
I was at Liberty Ticket Agency in the Sunset Vine Tower, on the southeast corner of Sunset and Vine. Liberty Ticket Agency was the biggest ticket agency in LA before the days of computers and it had sold tickets at Wallach’s Music City.
I was a stockroom manager, and my big claim to fame was that I told Tina Louise Crane (of Gilligan’s Island) that she was standing in my way when I had some ‘important’ xeroxing to do!
Attention Gill Clinker: please contact me. My mom worked at Wallach’s mid to late 1960’s. trying to locate her work history. Please contact me at: actressmelaniecbenton.info
Wallach’s Music Store- Lakewood, CA
Omg I remember this store as if it were yesterday. For hours I could spend in there looking for classical music albums, while my sister was looking more into rock & roll. This store was located on the Southwest corner of Lakewood Blvd. and Candlewood Ave. The location is now a Jo-Ann’s store. I was much younger then and Lakewood has changed alot. Some of the best times were there!
My father’s firm designed Wallach’s Music City. He has chronicles several stories of it’s origin and development. Those who know, know it was beautiful, edgy and technologically advanced. +, listening to customized music selections instantaneously was the main event discovering the next new musical talent. This made Wallach’s Music City a landmark.
Wallach’s was a great store I got my first record player there and I think my parents bought a color TV there. I could hang out there, it seemed endlessly. They had most of the mid 60’s “underground” stuff and a lot of rare old bluesy and hillbilly stuff plus a knowledgeable staff. Not only all of this but a great musical instrument dept., they had everything from kazoos to pianos. Cool guitars that they would let you play, Gibson, Fender Guild. I remember a cool elec. guitar co., their guitars were metal flake; I think the name was “Gutz”, Yeah, great store.
I was Mr.Wallachs nurse in the late 60’s in Hollywood very nice man, gave us lots of record albums
Does anyone have photo’s of the store, I worked there in 1969 running the booths where they could listen to the albums. I had photos but they got lost through the years…Thank You
I worked at the Broadway Dept. Store in the early 70’s. It was located just up the street at Hollywood and Vine. Spent a lot of time and money at Music City. Good times.
My mother managed the Costa mesa store, I worked (Off the books as a pre teen there)
Great place.
I worked there from Dec. 1964 until late 1968. My first job in the US– Miss Jack, Jo-ann, steve, Paul, Joe, Danny and charles
George, I also miss those times!
I have a seat location ticket I purchased at Wallichs for the Ahmanson Theatre dated Wednesday January 12 1972
for $8.80 performance time 8:30, seat Section 13, Row G seat 45
Are there any sites which might give me a clue as to who I saw. I have no recollection, thank
Ah man David, 1972…. Well Battery Man, I’m thinking maybe a hit of yellow sunshine LSD?
Keep beating on those dead animal skins bro!
Bradley 😉
Does anyone have information about or photos of the self-recording booths? Alison Martino, Vintage LA, wrote: “customers could listen to tracks—or record one of their own, for a small fee—in tiny chambers that looked like old wooden telephone booths.”
Does anyone recall the Topanga Plaza store grand opening? I guess they were handing out a Beatles interview 45 record made by Capitol records for the event…
Thank you Mr. Bradley for your response.
Our only hope for the future is that all the past musicians we have ever played with since our birth considered searching their colleagues and exposing their present state of existence during the 21st century more elusively than you or I have done while we put our tails between our legs and give a salute to Frank Zappa’s Joe’s Garage.
Concert tickets were $2.50 at the Hollywood Bowl back in 1967 at the punk age of 10.
At 60 years of age in 2017, I paid a “MO FO” ouch short of $100 for a nosebleed Greek Theatre ticket to see King Crimson.
I hope you are still singing. I am 63 and still playing drums. if you want to make music, you found me here, hit me up.
you can find me.
I bought a first pressing of Beach Boys Wild Honey in 1967 at Wallichs and my mom was in Lakewood at the very release day
of The White Album, and purchased a very low digit matrix #. Wish I still had both. Boys will be boys; reckless.
Around 1967 I got a job as tourist guide and most people wanted to go inside Wallich’s to buy records or just hang out for a few minutes. Going to the Palladium just a few steps east was a part of the trip.
KFWB was our favorite radio station and they always play the jingle ‘It’s music city . . . .”
Can’t believe I just saw this string about Wallich’s Music City. My parents owned the musical instrument department of the Topanga Canyon branch of Wallichs. Reading all these posts sure did bring back memories!
Wow, I stumbled on this string. I have vague memories of having my ‘65 Strat worked on by Barney Kessel and his guitar tech upstairs at Music City Hollywood. Can anyone confirm that he had a guitar workshop upstairs? Any photos?