"Love Street"
8021 Rothdell Trail in Laurel Canyon
Click on the thumbnails to see larger photos.
I love L.A. Last year a mutual
friend introduced me to Matt, the man who now lives at the address in Laurel
Canyon which came to be known as 'Love Street'. Matt invited me to visit, not an opportunity to be
disregarded!!!
Last Thursday afternoon I drove up Laurel Canyon Boulevard and
parked in front of the house at 8021 Rothdell Trail, just behind the Laurel
Canyon Country Store. I have been there many times over the years, but this was
the first time I was ever actually invited! ;=)
In front of the garage where I parked is an altered sign
warning about Door violators being towed! Parking is really limited
in that area, so
there is good reason for residents to protect their turf! Surely plenty of
fans over the years have inconvenienced the local businesses and dwellers,
myself included.
Before going in, I took a photo of the south side of Laurel
Canyon Store. A weathered looking painting of the image from the Bill
Graham #99 poster promoting The Doors and Chuck Berry at the Fillmore can be seen on that wall.
I wonder how long that has been there. Does anyone know?
Once inside, it felt very spiritual despite remodeling that has occurred over the years. I instantly got the sensation that Jim and Pam would have been happy nesters here. This place deserves to be designated as a historical landmark!
Matt has several unique Doors documents framed on the walls,
such as an original invoice to Elektra for studio time & materials plus the
staff services of Bruce Botnick, to record the single 'Hello I Love You' b/w
'Love Street'. How cool and appropriate is that artifact?
Over the dining room table is a huge top support bracket
for
the 3000 pound Peace Totem that used to be in that house. Unbelievable! I
remember linking to a story about that a few years ago. It stood 14 feet high
and
it spanned two floors! For awhile it was at NYC's Rock Hall Annex but now
it is on display in Baltimore, MD at the AVAM, or American Visionary Art Museum.
The Peace Totem has a fascinating back story which needs to be read and
seen at: www.peacetotem.com.
In this photo, the support bracket can be intersecting by the chandelier. The long
metal pole running along the ceiling beam is a bar rail that came from the original The Cat & The
Fiddle.
In the outside garden
(yes, there did used to be a
garden there, and now there is again!) ... Matt discovered a piece of concrete
left by a prior resident. It summarizes the vibe there: Love Peace Joy Truth 
I learned that the property adjacent to the garden was once
owned by actress Christina Applegate during the 'Married With Children' years
(which would have been sometime between '87 to '97).
What a party house! Fire pit
, enormous patio
, garden
area
... it is amazing. Plus an outdoor shower! It's all so private
and idyllic.
Speaking of showers ... in 1993 some
friends got inside the house while it was vacant and accessible and undergoing
renovations. I gave Matt photos of graffiti
they found, including some that was written on shower walls. Matt showed me
where that graffiti remains, preserved for the ages!
My heartfelt thanks to Matt and Dasha for a wonderful
afternoon at this hallowed place.
Here is a link to a story that ran last summer which includes much better photos than the ones I took! http://takesunset.com/2010/06/jim-morrisons-laurel-canyon-bungalow/
Speaking of Laurel Canyon ... for anyone interested in reading about the artists who have lived or hung there and the stories, you can do no better than Harvey Kubernik's comprehensive coffee table book, "Canyon of Dreams - The Magic and the Music of Laurel Canyon". Ray, Robby and John all shared memories and stories with the author, and Ray Manzarek wrote the Foreword. The photos alone are worth it, let alone all the tales and anecdotes in the book. It's available through Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=kubernik+canyon+of+dreams&x=0&y=0
by Ida
February 14, 2011
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