"Pico and Sepulveda" is a 1947 song by

Freddy Martin Frederick Alfred Martin (December 9, 1906 – September 30, 1983) was an American bandleader and tenor saxophonist. Early life Freddy Martin was born in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. Raised largely in an orphanage and by various relatives, ...

and his orchestra. Composed by Eddie Maxwell (Eddie Cherkose) and

Jule Styne Jule Styne ( ; born Julius Kerwin Stein; December 31, 1905 – September 20, 1994) was an English-American songwriter and composer widely known for a series of Broadway theatre, Broadway musical theatre, musicals, including several famous frequ ...

(Ambassador Records, 1947 — b/w "She of the Coffee Brown Eyes"), it features a Latin-style beat, and Martin used the alias "Felix Figueroa" when performing and recording the song. It was frequently played on the

Dr. Demento Barret Eugene Hansen (born April 2, 1941), known professionally as Dr. Demento, is an American radio broadcaster and record collector specializing in novelty songs, comedy, and strange or unusual recordings dating from the early days of phonograp ...

radio show in the 1970s, serving as the show's opening theme.

Background

The lyrics are primarily a recitation of the names of various streets in the

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

area: Doheny, Cahuenga, La Brea, La Jolla, Sequoia, Alvarado,

Santa Monica Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...

Beverly Drive Beverly Drive is a major north–south roadway in Beverly Hills and Los Angeles. Location South Beverly Drive South Beverly Drive begins northbound at Harlow Avenue, a small street just north of the Santa Monica Freeway in the city of Los An ...

, and

Vine A vine is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent (that is, climbing) stems, lianas, or runners. The word ''vine'' can also refer to such stems or runners themselves, for instance, when used in wicker work.Jackson; Benjamin; Da ...

. (Martin's alias, Figueroa, is also a Los Angeles street name.) The intersection of West Pico Boulevard and South Sepulveda Boulevard is in the

Rancho Park Rancho Park is a residential neighborhood in the Los Angeles Westside, Westside of the city of Los Angeles, California with mostly single family homes and tree lined streets. The community is nestled between West Los Angeles and Cheviot Hills, L ...

neighborhood. The singer expresses a desire to "feel alive and settle down in my

La Brea Tar Pits La Brea Tar Pits comprise an active Paleontological site, paleontological research site in urban Los Angeles. Hancock Park was formed around a group of tar pits where natural Bitumen, asphalt (also called asphaltum, bitumen, or pitch; ''brea'' ...

, where nobody's dreams come true". The song was featured in

the soundtrack A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured ...

Richard Elfman Richard Elfman (born March 6, 1949) is an American actor, musician, director, producer, screenwriter, journalist, author and magazine publisher. Early life His younger brother is musician and film composer Danny Elfman, with whom Richard woul ...

's 1980 underground cult film, ''

Forbidden Zone ''Forbidden Zone'' is an American absurdist musical fantasy comedy film produced and directed by independent filmmaker Richard Elfman, and co-written by Elfman and Matthew Bright. Shot in 1977 and 1978, the film premiered in 1980 and was di ...

''. "Pico and Sepulveda" was

covered Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of ...

in 2002 by

Lee Presson and the Nails Lee Presson and the Nails is a swing band that formed in San Francisco in October 1994 during the late 1990s swing revival. History The band won a California Music Award (Bammie) in 1998 for Best Swing/Cabaret Act and an ''SF Weekly'' Award ...

on their album ''El Bando En Fuego!''. Several amateur versions were submitted to and played on the Dr. Demento radio program by such groups as the Roto Rooter Good Time Christmas Band.

References

External links

* (aka Eddie Maxwell)
W Pico Blvd and S Sepulveda Blvd, Los Angeles, CA - Google Maps
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pico And Sepulveda Jazz songs Songs about Los Angeles Songs about streets Songs with music by Jule Styne 1947 songs Rancho Park, Los Angeles Sepulveda Boulevard Radio theme songs