FOR THOSE of us of a "certain age," this not-so-pretty intersection is infamous. Not because it was some sort of crossroads of the stars (Sunset and Vine) or a spot where something violent or unfortunate Florence and Normandie) occurred. This largely nondescript and often-clogged intersection is famous for not being famous at all --but rather for being elevated in stature by one pretty silly but infinitely catchy song. Here is DJ and music historian Dr. Demento doing the intro and spinning the record on his weekly radio program: "The Dr. Demento Show"Every Sunday night show on KMET 94.7 FM, Dr. Demento, (AKA Eugene Barrett Hansen), a radio DJ of quirky cult status, took over the "Mighty-Met's" otherwise hard-driving Album Oriented Rock programming to play novelty songs of another era. One of the staples was this spangly, Latin-tinged 1947 number, "Pico and Sepulveda," by Felix Figueroa and his Orchestra. "Figueroa" was really an Hollywood bandleader named Freddy Martin, as rumor had it, the nod was to the big neon Felix the Cat that advertised Felix Chevrolet which rose along the Figueroa corridor near USC at Jefferson.
It was, in many ways, more than a little poke at the booster promise and Hollywood dream narratives. It's fun and frothy and by the 70s and 80s it delivered a different sort insider wink.
And yes, teenagers of a certain bent would huddle around the radio, once a month, the good Doctor promised, to hear this loopy song about a stretch that was so nondescript one could absolutely see, precisely as "Felix" croons, that it would certainly be the site where "Nobody's dreams come true . . . ."
And here is a more contemporary take on this song; a video by "The Forbidden Zone" -- check out the name of the newspaper he's reading:
-- L.G.
