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Sep 15 2020

TO WHERE I AM NOW

With Nightjar coming to the next Record Store Day on September 26th we hear it’s a good idea to contact your local record store and make sure they are getting it in. The album has never been on vinyl before and not only that – it’s red to match the eyes of the moth/goat/bird. There’s some extra artwork and all the lyrics printed out in a lovely gatefold. It’s going to be limited edition so make sure you get one. It’s the last of the solo records that needed vinyl and I’m already contemplating what should be next, Dancing With Death 10 inch, Rarities, Seeing Stars? We would, of course, like to have something new ready for the next Record Store Day but time is short and nobody seems quite sure if next year will be happening at all, that is for anybody doing anything, not just RSD. We just heard that the US government have put the price of work visas up so we need to find $5,000 before we start. They are essentially stopping anyone without a following playing in America, especially if you are a band. I heard it’s not reciprocated and for American musicians to come to England it’s relatively cheap and easy. Is that true? I can’t tell being English and having a British passport. But these pre-tour costs to play in America are another blow to musicians who are already struggling with the problem of selling their music, if they are priced out of touring then what hope?

It was a beautiful day and I left for my swim forgetting my swimmers. I had to go back and put them on as well before I left as you’re not allowed to get changed there, but I hadn’t got too far away and I still made it in time. If I was a few minutes late I wouldn’t be able to make the mile. I always start a couple of minutes early and finish a couple of minutes early, it seems to take me the exact designated time. There’s no messing around, no stopping for adjustments or a drink of water and certainly no chatting. You’d think I’d get faster, but no, this is my 7th mile and my time is the same. Maybe like in evolution there’s suddenly a giant leap forward.

Today would have been a perfect day to go and look at the sea, take in the breeze, enjoy the sun but I was waiting for the courier (day 3) that still didn’t show up despite two messages saying they would and then one message saying they wouldn’t be coming. They must be affiliated with the plumber. This reminds me of another alleged reliable institution that seems to have lost itself in the modern world. The number of typos I see in the newspaper these days, I’m sure it wasn’t like that. What happened, did the person that was checking everything for the last few decades retire? Does nobody care about those pesky details anymore? Is spelling properly out of fashion? Are the words we hear out of touch with reality? Have words become speechless? Are words only for misspelt lies in print and insincere in speech? What a sorry state we find ourselves in.

I had two sessions today with Kevin in Atlanta and Chris in New Jersey, progress! It’s Ricky Maymi’s birthday, progress! The Penzance promenade is almost all paved, progress. Ahad’s album is approaching its last major guitar day, progress. Jerome has all my tracks for our unnamed project (best so far: The Refractionists), progress. MOAT (Niko and I) have released the first track from Poison Stream, progress. Space Summit is taxiing, progress. Salim has sent me tracks to listen to, progress. Dare’s loft is done, progress. I stopped drinking coke, progress. I’m swimming again, progress. Olivia and I have gigs booked in Europe next year, progress. Nightjar is coming out on red vinyl for RSD, progress. One could almost imagine the world as a positive place.

Last but not least in Sweden where I have family there have been reports of their crazy Covid strategy and their sane Covid strategy. I don’t really care who’s right and who’s wrong, I just want to know why the facts have been so polarising. Aren’t facts supposed to be facts whereas opinions are the things that can be polarising? Anyway, this from The Guardian.

Music today has been catching up on Exmagma, the German experimental Jazz and Krautrock band whose record I had to have because of the band members’ fantastic flared jeans. Just that alone told me it was going to be interesting and so I went ahead and bought the other two available albums. The band was Thomas Balluff (keyboards, trumpet, flute, vocals), Andy Goldner (guitars, bass, sax, vocals), and Fred Braceful (drums). They were formed in Stuttgart in the early seventies, their first, self-titled, album was released in 1973, their second, Goldball, in 1974 (the most accessible musically) and their third, Exmagma 3, a double album that seems to be more vocal orientated on Sides 1 & 2 although it’s not exactly singing. It does have the classic line: “Do you still like this R’n’R music, don’t you think it’s time for a change?”. Sides 3 & 4 seem to be more jamming with strange sounds. It was recorded in 1975 but not released until 2006.

Fred Braceful was actually an American based in Germany with the military, he settled in Stuttgart when he was discharged. He worked with some notable German Jazz musicians in the sixties (pianist Wolfgang Dauner). He died in 1995 just short of his 57th birthday. Their sound was something like Matching Mole meets the avant-garde dressed as Rock musicians. The range of instruments Balluff and Goldner played made it difficult for them to play anything straight and there was a lot of jamming, exploring and improvising going on, often more in the direction of sound searching rather than actual music. Highly recommended if you like tall men in very long flared trousers that answer to nobody (the trousers that is).

Album Of The Daze

Written by Marty Willson-Piper · Categorized: Blog

Missing

This is my stolen 1965 Rickenbacker 12-string, serial number EB157. If there's any chance of this guitar coming back to me before I go to meet my maker, then that would be wonderful. Please contact me if you have any information.

11209512_1669022976719710_7288437867089763325_n

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Rockin' the MOAT t-shirt next to the real deal! #m Rockin' the MOAT t-shirt next to the real deal! #moatband #poisonstream 🤘🏰

T-Shirt Design by Reid Wilson
Photo by @oliviaelektra 

#schoolkidsrecords #nikoröhlcke #wellscathedral
Peter Walsh and I getting down at the Heron Tower Peter Walsh and I getting down at the Heron Tower disco 🕺🏻 #heyday
Soundchecking at Birmingham Symphony Hall, 10th Fe Soundchecking at Birmingham Symphony Hall, 10th February, 2001. All About Eve supporting Fairport Convention.

📷 by @derektimbrell
Thanks to The Wernickis for a little glimpse into Thanks to The Wernickis for a little glimpse into their new New Mexico listening space 🌵 #nightjar #schoolkidsrecords
Redeyed lad of the lowlands 🎵 📷 @oliviaelek Redeyed lad of the lowlands 🎵

📷 @oliviaelektra 

#danelectro #danelectrobass #redeyerecords #pleasantrylane #pleasantrylanestudio
You usually don’t spend the day in the studio an You usually don’t spend the day in the studio and the night at a gig but if you put the studio next to the gig then there’s a greater chance. So @salimnourallah did just that, he put the gig and the studio next to each other and made it possible for me to spend the day recording and the evening playing live 🎵

📷 @drewliophoto 

#galacticheadquarters #happinessarecordlabel #pleasantrylanestudio #salimnourallah #oliviawillsonpiper
TO WHERE I AM NOW A visit in the studio today fro TO WHERE I AM NOW

A visit in the studio today from old mate Mark Burgess from The Chameleons who has been hanging in Texas recently. I was thinking about the two of us growing up in the northwest of England and all these years later finding ourselves in such an unlikely spot together. We fixed a few issues in the universe and I carried on recording some guitars until Mark had to leave. Mark had played at the Galactic Headquarters next to the studio this year as Olivia and I had four years ago and this reminded me to remind myself to remind everyone to remind their friends that we will be playing there with Salim on Saturday, New Year’s Eve, for the ultimate in intimate performance. You can get tickets here (follow link below).

CONTINUE READING: https://martywillson-piper.com/2022/12/to-where-i-am-now-1045

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📷 @salimnourallah 

#markburgess #thechameleons #chameleonsvox #pleasantrylanestudio #happinessarecordlabel #martywillsonpiper #oliviawillsonpiper #moatband
📷 @argirgirl 📷 @argirgirl
TO WHERE I AM NOW Sadness manifested in a buildin TO WHERE I AM NOW

Sadness manifested in a building, today we went to visit Paisley Park. Prince built Paisley Park in Chanhassen, about twenty minutes southwest of Minneapolis. It opened in 1987 and he recorded his later albums there. Apart from Prince, REM also recorded and mixed Out Of Time there, recording Kate Pearson’s vocal on Shiny Happy People vocal. Madonna had Prince play guitar on three songs from Like A Prayer and the two co-wrote Love Song, finishing it remotely due to Madonna not being able to stand the cold weather and the rather desolate location of the studio. Of course, there are things around but it’s not in the city and it’s not in the countryside, it’s in a suburb, no distractions, just what Prince wanted.

CONTINUE READING: https://martywillson-piper.com/2022/12/to-where-i-am-now-1032

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📷 @argirgirl 

#paisleypark #prince
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Songwriting & Guitar Guidance with Marty Willson-Piper
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"These are awesome sessions that I highly recommend for guitar players of all levels. Very informative, frank discussions on everything related to guitar and music in general. Definitely a must for anyone pursuing songwriting."
(Stephen G., VA, USA)

"Marty knows how to bypass scales and get to the heart of feel and timing. His musical knowledge spans multiple cultures and genres. Perhaps most importantly, Marty is a cool dude. I highly recommend his guitar guidance." (Jed B., MN, USA)

"Ok, so you’re sitting in your home and Marty is across the world but is actually right here teaching you how to play guitar and write songs. He is a delight to talk to and he is your teacher, meaning he wants to see you get something out of his lessons. You know he’s paying attention and wants to steer you in the right direction. I am so grateful and humbled that he offers his time in this manner. This is an amazing opportunity for anyone who admires anything from his enormous body of work. How often do you get to learn from somebody that inspired you in the first place? Amazing." (Ann S., CA, USA)

Missing

This is my stolen 1965 Rickenbacker 12-string, serial number EB157. If there’s any chance of this guitar coming back to me before I go to meet my maker, then that would be wonderful. Please contact me if you have any information.

11209512_1669022976719710_7288437867089763325_n

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