Harmony Park Ballroom (site) (Anaheim, California)

USA / California / Fullerton / Anaheim, California / West Broadway, 1514
 night club, historical layer / disappeared object
This once popular nightclub was the site for a lot of amazing musical history;
Dick Dale and his band the Del-Tones were the "house band" in the early 1960's.

Originally known as the Concordia Club Hall, built to hold the Concordia Club's songfests, German plays, and social hours. The hall was opened on July 4th, 1922. Diedrich Blankmeyer, a member of the building committee and active in the Sons of Herman and men's chorus, wrote "Greetings to Thee, My Anaheim", a poem set to music by Oscar Rasbach, which premiered at the opening day festivities. The hall later became the Harmony Park Ballrom. In the 1970s it became the Pepper Tree Faire antique mall and Whole Earth Marketplace. It was demolished in 1991.

The Harmony Park Ballroom also happened to be the site where Richard Berry wrote “LOUIE LOUIE” in 1955. Within 2 years, this song would be released on the FLIP record label, and was later recorded and made famous by The Kingsmen, (and to a lesser extent by Paul Revere and the Raiders), in 1963. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louie_Louie

In the mid-1970's, while I was standing on the concrete steps outside the door that led to stage left, (along the railroad tracks side of the building), a long-time stage hand of the ballroom told me the story of Richard Berry began penning that song on the very spot I was standing on, just before hitting the stage for some dance gig in 1955.

Hometown Jamboree:
The Country-Western television / radio show, Hometown Jamboree, started in 1949, was filmed at the Harmony Park Ballroom and broadcast over radio station KXLA, five days a week. On Saturdays, it was broadcast over KCOP, Channel 13 in the Los Angeles area at 7:30pm until 1954. ~phiz (8/02/07)


www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jIajLhY7nQ

Above: Dick Dale & the Del-Tones perform the tunes Teen Beat and All Night Long at the Harmony Park Ballroom.
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Berry
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   33°49'41"N   117°55'57"W

Comments

  • Having performed at Harmony Park Ballroom in the late 1950's for Cliffie Stone, I dispute the back door location, that Louie Louie was written. From what Cliffie Stone told me, it was in the dressing room, behind center stage; where he listened to songs that I had been working on; but were not part of the current show. By the 1970's, the venue (not a nightclub, but a Ballroom), the original owner (an Anaheim police officer) had died; and a real estate broker took over ownership of the facility. The new owner renamed it Harmony Hacienda, then changed it into a crafts mall Pepper Tree Fair. Many of the 1930's & 40's Big Bands performed there. Even Jack Benny was on Harmony Park Ballroom's stage.
  • I performed at the Harmony Park Ballroom in 1958-59-60. I was in several bands that backed the rock and roll acts that played there on Saturday nights. I was the bass player with Bill Destro & The Destinys, The Phantoms, and a couple nights with Don Julian & The MeadowLarks. The shows were often hosted by Art Laboe and featured regulars like THe Sheids, The Robins, who became famous as The Coasters, The Flamingos, Vernon Green & The Medallions, Don & Dewey. There would often be a special ghuest like Jerry Lee Lewis. After Ritchie Valens' death, several memorial nights were scheduled. Harmony Park was never as famous as the El Monte Legion Stadium for Saturday night Rock shows but it was promoted by the same people.
  • Harmony Park. Wow! One of those episodes in life you wish would never change and would always be there. I was pretty young - 16-17, and I was always amazed that Dick Dale and the Del Tones played there. Of course they were the best. I always loved and can still hear them singing, 'Youngblood". We were told that it was Dick's dad who let us in the gate. He was awesome and we all liked him. My girlfriend and I hitchhiked from Lynwood every week but to this day I could not tell you how to get there as I always relied on my friend's sense of direction. Of course, we often got rides home from guys who had cars and loved to drive them. Harmony Park was huge but I spent most of my time on the dance floor, although I do remember the TV at the bar showing the Beatles on Ed Sullivan. I was torn between watching the Beatles or dancing. I chose dancing. Hey, it was Dick Dale. Friends of my mom's used to go to Harmony Park in the 40's. Then, it was country western music, I think. Dick Dale recorded a lot of good tunes, who knows where they were written? Same with 'Louie, Louie'. Who cares where it was written? The important thing is that they were all recorded and we can enjoy them. Thanks for recording something I can look up and enjoy reading about and remember how much fun it was. Arts & crafts? Honestly? Too bad. So sad.
  • The building was first erected in 1922 by a German-immigrant social group, the German Concordia Club, which used the facility as a dance hall.
  • I can't believe i found tjis website for Harmony Park! My sister and i would go dancing all the time back in 1965. We got to know Dick Dale and we even were invited to his house. I was only 13, 14 yrs. old at the time and my sis was 17. We knew everyone there and my dad felt safe dropping us off . I remember the other band that played there quite often. His name was Dave myers and the .....something. I do not remember his groups name. Oh what memories. I carved my name on one of the wood tables inside Harmony, like lots of other people did, and remember one particular male friend that who I used to dance with, his nick name was Casper and not because his was white. Such fun times. My boyfriend at the time, he and I eventually got married, worked evening's at Gemco and never got to go to Harmony. He had Thursday's off and used to go over to The Retail Clerks Union, and saw Sonny and Cher many times when they performed there. I have a daughter that wishes she grew up in that era of time, and loves to hear about all of my stories growing up in the 60's.........good times
  • Why do I remember it being Sunday nights?..I remember having a heck of a time convincing my mom to let me go it being a school night.Does anyone remember the cross streets?
  • Gordon T. McClelland Just for the record, the last rock concert at the Harmony Park Ballroom took place in 1971. John Gardell; Orange Counties premier concert promoter of that era did the show. The top billed band was The Long John Baldry Blues Band Baldry was a legend in England but was just becoming known in America due to his new album that included the song "Don't Try To Lay No Boogie Woogie on the King of Rock and Roll". The band included truly great musicians including Mickie Waller on drums and Pete Sears on bass. This particular night Ron Wood sat in and played guitar, so it was an epic show. Don't recall the piano players name but he was exceptional too. A local band from the South Coast called The Coolie Loach opened the show with a strong set. Kind of an odd lineup for the final music concert at the Harmony Park, but rest assured it closed with some fine music and a packed crowd of enthusiastic rock music fans.
  • Harmony Park Ballroom was also home base for Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys in 1953 with daily radio broadcasts over KXLA and dances every Friday and Saturday nights. A live Texas Playboys radio broadcast from Harmony Park is available on the album "Complete 1953 Radio Broadcasts" -- available on YouTube. Announcer Lou Stevens gives the address as Broadway and Manchester in Anaheim.
  • they were dave myers and the the desciples and later the dave myers and the surftones......good chance we crossed paths there or Retails..
  • Yow! Harmony Park! I used to fill up my 46 Ford coupe with as many that could fit (sometimes 8 or 9), and drive from Redondo Beach to Anaheim (before there were freeways) to see Dick Dale!! This was around 1962 or so. I remember being searched for a "church key"
  • My comment got cut off halfway through????
  • I used to watch Jack Tucker and his Country Western band at Harmony. I seem to remember there foot and hand prints in cement (similar to the Hollywood Theater) outside of the Ballroom of the different country artists that performed there. I wonder what ever happened to all those cement prints???? .
  • We must have been there at the same time. Loved the music and fun times dancing
  • Went to Harmony Park 1962-1963, had a crush on DD. I am 70 years old and going to Saint Rocke in Hermosa to see him tonight. Everything that's old is new again.
  • dave myers and the deciples....later the surftones
  • Are you Paula Mann by any chance
  • My friends and I went to Harmony Park every Friday and Sunday (on Sunday they closed at 10pm) from 1962-1964. I met my first steady boyfriend there (ah, young love). We always parked my dad’s old ‘48’ Chevy across the road next to the railroad tracks. On Saturday’s we went to the Rendevouz Ballroom in Newport Beach!
  • haha loved that place -- once I drove my dad's care there -- we had a CB radio -- still remember the call letters.... everyone thought I was a "narc". I was just a music and dance lover -- like everyone else there!
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This article was last modified 8 years ago