McG and John Mayer outside Chaplin Studios. Daniel Prakopcyk Share on Facebook Share on X Google Preferred Share to Flipboard Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Send an Email Print the Article Post a Comment A little bit of old Hollywood magic is coming back to Los Angeles. A year after purchasing the iconic Jim Henson company lot last November, John Mayer and director McG are going back to the space's roots as they're reestablishing the lot's original moniker as Charlie Chaplin Studios. The move changes the studio back to its original name from when the Hollywood legend operated the space as his personal studio lot from 1917 to 1953. By 1966, it had become the headquarters for A&M Records, taking on the A&M name until the Jim Henson Company purchased the space in 2000. 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The studio is one of the most historic spots in music history, serving the likes of Led Zeppelin, Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell, The Carpenters, Carole King and Cat Stevens, among many others. Perhaps most famously, it hosted the star-studded "We Are the World" session that featured everyone from Ray Charles to Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen. On the entertainment side, Chaplin was the sound stage for Perry Mason and Hanna-Barbera Productions. Today, along with its clout as a recording studio, the soundstage is also a popular practice spot for artists for live shows. Artists often host listening parties for their records in the studio as well. Mayer has an office on site, as does McG for his company Wonderland Sound and Vision. There's about a dozen other companies from across the entertainment business as well. "I want it to be the kind of place where if an event is happening here, the address is the pull to go," Mayer says. "Can the address become: 'oh there's a thing happening at Chaplin?' Doesn't matter what it is, I think that's a cool place to go hang." Mayer and McG's "arranged marriage," as they call it, reflects the two pillars that line the lot's history between music and film. Mayer needs little introduction as one of the most famous recording artists on the planet, while McG is a prominent filmmaker whose directorial credits include Charlie's Angels and Terminator: Salvation. The outside of Chaplin Studios (Courtesy of Brecht Van't Hof). As The Hollywood Reporter first reported last year, when Henson was initially put up for sale, there was much speculation that Steven and Sean Fobos, prominent members of the Church of Scientology, were closing in on a bid for the property. McG acknowledged the other bidders speaking with the press, saying that "people were concerned about the manner in which it was going to be deployed, I'll leave it at that." Still both he and Mayer denied the purchase was done to keep the historic site away from the church but rather to "keep the band together," as Mayer says. "It wasn't necessarily about anyone else who was in the running. All I really cared about was in my was in my sort of near view, which is, this is a really great gang. places. That's it. And there are times in your life where it is okay to give up the idea of negotiation. There are times in your life where you want something enough and it's important enough that you say you got my attention... This is one of those times in life where you throw down for what matters." Aside from the reported $44 million on the original purchase, the duo have poured time and resources toward renovations, with more work still on the way. McG points out freshly planted plants, lounging spots and water fixtures during our tour, something they hope bring "a different style of air" on the block compared to the rest of the La Brea neighborhood around it. The decor can be very specific for clientele. Earlier this year, the soundstage served as a temporary basketball court for Justin Bieber while he was recording his latest album Swag. "If Justin Bieber had something that you could hear on Swag, that was nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammys because he was able to shoot a little hoops on a break, we've