No, Tower Records isn’t moving back into to its former location on the Sunset Strip. The building’s ongoing paint job—which has the structure looking awfully like it did during the music store’s heyday—is more likely a bit of movie promotion magic. Vintage Los Angeles founder and Los Angeles magazine contributor Alison Martino tipped us off to the location’s new (old) hue Wednesday night, and sources tell us the building is being made over to draw attention to All Things Must Pass, Colin Hank’s documentary about Tower Records, opening in theaters next week. We’ve reached out to representatives for the film about the rumor. In the meantime we can confirm the Coffee Bean across the street is indeed intact and doing fine. Rest easy, @brooklyn_guido.
Update 10/9/15: We’ve heard back from the film’s rep, who confirmed the movie has everything to do with the site’s makeover and shared additional details about what’s happening at the former Tower Records space (now owned by Gibson Guitars).
The building is being transformed for All Things Must Pass’s premiere party, which will be held at the location on October 15. (Sorry, general public, it’s an invite-only affair). On Monday morning the ketchup red letters and old Tower Records sign will be fully restored—at least, for a little while.
Here’s how the site looked in the 1980s:
Photograph courtesy Robert Landau
Colin Hanks posted this recent picture of the site on Instagram:
And Alison Martino captured the site mid-makeover:
Look what’s getting a familiar paint job over at the old Tower Records location on Sunset Strip!!!! I bet this has to do with the new Tower Records Documentary being released next week!!! JUST A HUNCH! 😉 #TowerRecords #SunsetStrip @towerrecordsdoc #AllThingsMustPass @colinhanks A photo posted by Alison Martino (@alisonmartino) on
