From LA Times
Capitol says recording quality at its Hollywood building is at
risk
The music firm says a proposed high-rise next door would damage
its unique underground echo chambers.

By Bob Pool, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
April 23, 2008

No! No-o-o-o! No-o-o-o-o-o! That plea from Hollywood is
reverberating through Los Angeles City Hall as officials try to
decide whether a 16-story tower should be built next to the
landmark Capitol Records building.

A Marina del Rey developer hopes to construct 93
condominiums, 13,442 square feet of commercial and office space
and a 242-space underground parking lot next to the landmark,
13-floor, record-shaped building.

But Capitol executives are trying to stop the
multimillion- dollar project because of fears that pile-driving
and excavation for the three-level underground garage will
damage one-of-a-kind, below-ground echo chambers that are used
for high-end recordings.

The developer has denied that the project would harm the
reverberation equipment and has pledged to try to limit noise
and vibration during construction.

The famed echo chambers were designed by guitarist Les Paul
and have been used by recording artists ranging from Frank
Sinatra and Dean Martin to Chris Botti, Natalie Cole -- who just
finished an album there -- and Brian Wilson, who used them last
week.

(is Brian recording TLOS?)

Was this the same building where the Smile Sessions were recorded ?
Once read an article that during the recordings of "Mrs O 'Learys Cow" that would have been part of the "Elements" suite,the building next door to the studio completly burnt down and this freaked Brian out considerably.

While on the subject of the quality of sound recording facilities,I think The Rolling Stones recorded part of "Exile On Main Street" in the basement of a French Chateau, Villa Nellcote in the south of France.It had previously been used as a torture chamber by the Gestapo and was fuelled with power drawn from the French Railway system,and cooled only by a small fan in the corner.It was so hot and opressively humid down there,Keith apparently dubbed it "the tropical disease session".But as we know, it helped the band to acheive the sound they wanted.

IIRC, the SMiLE sessions were recorded at various studios in LA.