Some of the greatest albums of all time have been recorded in North Hollywood, and it continues to be a central location for music recording today. Many people who live here drive by the studios everyday, unaware that some of the most famous artists in the world are right behind the walls.
Up until now this column has been light and fun, and had the intention of taking readers on short trips through some of the great albums that were recorded in North Hollywood many years ago.
But more details have come out about the final days of singer Whitney Houston’s life before her death in hotel room at the Beverly Hilton on Feb 11. So today this column is about fresh pain in the entertainment world, news that is still unfolding, and recorded music that has yet to be heard by the public.
The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Houston, who once released a record-breaking seven No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 singles in a row, recorded the last song of her career at at Harvey Mason Media at 5102 Vineland Ave. on Feb. 7, just five days before her death.
The song was called Celebrate and was written by R. Kelly, according to The Hollywood Reporter. It was recorded for the upcoming film Sparkle, in which Houston stars alongside American Idol season six winner Jordin Sparks as the mother of three aspiring singers. Houston's final music recordings will be heard in the film, according to the Reporter, and Celebrate is a duet with Sparks, although Sparks was not at Harvey Mason Media with Houston.
"The last session we did on Tuesday night, after we finished, we were dancing around the booth and laughing and just having a good time listening to what we had accomplished," Mason told the Hollywood Reporter. "Her demeanor the last two weeks was very upbeat. She was in a good place."
However, People reported it is yet to be determined if Mason will release Celebrate because Houston had needed another session before the song would be finalized.
Read more about Houston's final recording session here.
Mason is one of the top record producers and songwriters in the music business who has worked with Justin Timberlake, Chris Brown, Britney Spears, Jennifer Hudson, Mary J. Blidge, Elton John and many others. Mason, along with Damon Thomas, also produced the music for the film Dreamgirls. And that's really just scratching the surface of Mason's jaw-dropping musical resume. To learn more about Mason, check the biography section of his website. Harvey Mason Media, which he formed in 2008, features five recording studios as well as his production company, publishing venture and record label.
Follow Beverly Hills Patch for the latest updates on the death of Whitney Houston.
Previous Recorded in NoHo stories:
Recorded in NoHo: Van Halen's 'Diver Down'
Recorded in NoHo: Limp Bizkit's 'Significant Other'
Recorded in NoHo: Christopher Cross' Debut Album
Recorded in NoHo: Metallica's Black Album
