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Jan 08 2021

TO WHERE I AM NOW

It’s early January and the Portuguese tell me it’s cold. It’s not summer, that’s true, and I do need my coat when I go out but as I walk down Rua de Santa Catarina the cafes not only have their tables set up outside but there’s plenty of people sitting at them. It’s southern Europe, but it’s northern Portugal, it’s not the south of Spain, but today as people sit outside in Oporto people freeze in England, Minneapolis has snow and Stockholm is below freezing. But it’s still virus land like everywhere else and after a month here we look forward to living in a vibrant safe city (don’t we all). But that’s for the future, as we hope for a change in this most friendly of cities. Can you imagine what the restaurants here are like? What it might be like to see Fado live? Or to visit the galleries and the museums or sit on a balmy night in the centre of the city sipping a vegetarian cocktail. Then there’s the sea, Portugal sits on the furthermost western coast of Europe and looks out on the Atlantic for over 350 miles boasting some of the world’s largest waves – now I sound like a holiday brochure.

Have you ever been into an electronics store and the salesperson has tried to talk you into spending more money by taking out insurance on the item you just bought? It’s kinda cold in our apartment as it’s designed for summer, no central heating, no double glazing (or triple glazing as they have in Stockholm) so I went and bought another heater. I chose an electric one with bars, gives off a lot of heat, I have one in the studio, good for heating up a room fast. I told the man in the shop that I would like one, he took one from the shelf and me to the till. I was paying and he said, if you paid another 3 euros you could have a 2-year guarantee and have it replaced immediately if it breaks down. Otherwise, you can return it but getting a new one for free will be a process, so I said ok, this time I’ll pay more and do it. So last night it broke down. But that’s not the funny part of the story.

We walked down the street under a bright blue sky past the hookers that grace the doorway just down the block from our place. Oh, wait, you probably want to know about the hookers. We’re getting to know a couple of them, they see us passing by all the time, we see them standing there, we nod, we smile and so do they. They always marvel at how tall Olivia is and her magnificent maroon fringes on her original Haight Ashbury hippie jacket from the sixties – I know this, I bought it there, it used to be mine. Prostitution is legal here but no organised brothels and making money from prostitution as a third party is illegal. I digress, we walked on down the street, it gets busier as you get closer to the centre. At the azulejo-tiled Chapel of Souls, we turned to find the shop where we bought the heater. I was so happy to have that guarantee in my pocket. Inside we waited for the attention of a salesperson and as we did, next to us was an older couple buying the same heater. I got their attention and the attention of their salesperson, “Did they get the insurance?”, I asked. “No, they didn’t want it,” he said. So I told them in Spanish that ours lasted two weeks and they should get the insurance. They looked at each other, talked to the salesperson, talked to each other, and changed their minds. The old lady gave me the thumbs up.

Coming into the shopping centre an old lady fell down by the door. Some people helped her but I’ve seen that a few times, old people falling from standing, unsteady on their feet, I saw an old man fall down in the street before Christmas. At 62, I know how they feel, as active as I am my knees sometimes buckle. One day and anyone can fall over, but one day it might be through physical weakness rather than a simple slip. I see my own future in old people, in eight years I will be 70. If I’d been born 150 years ago I may not have reached 62. For the young, old age is too far away to contemplate but one day you wake up and it’s you, not somebody else.

On the way out of the coffee shop, the friendly server said goodbye, as friendly as the girls there that remembered our drinks. On the way back up to our flat, the Indian man who sold us the Nag Champa and the candle holders waved. I had two seshes, one with Ava in Minneapolis and another with Noel in Surrey, in between a meeting with Stephen and Naoise at Schoolkids as the MOAT – Poison Stream album’s release date approaches (the Space Summit project sits on the runway). Early before we left today Fabio the plumber arrived but not to stay but just to see what he had to do, he’ll be back, won’t he?

Music today comes from the same place that I did the video for Questions Without Answers, Millesgården, Lidingö, outside Stockholm in Sweden. It’s The Walker Brothers, Scott Walker (Engel), John Walker (Maus) and Gary Walker (Leeds) singing their No.1 UK single from 1966, The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore written by hitmakers Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio. This might just be an introduction to most for Scott, John and Gary, so if it is, start digging, welcome to the labyrinth.

Song 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.

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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

KEEP IN TOUCH: https://linktr.ee/mwillsonpiper

📷 @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

KEEP IN TOUCH: https://linktr.ee/mwillsonpiper

📷 @argirgirl 

#paisleypark #prince
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In Deep Music Archive

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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