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Sep 17 2021

TO WHERE I AM NOW

We were supposed to be going into central London today for some specific reasons but it all went horribly wrong when I discovered that my computer wouldn’t even power up. So on one hand, computer not working, disaster, but on the other hand, one of today’s tasks was actually to take my computer to my computer man Mohamad in Queensway to get it looked at. It had been failing but having it completely fail the same day I was taking it in was a spectacular coincidence, it might have failed on the 26-hour ferry but it waited, nice computer. The problem with all this was that all that was wrong had to be assessed and discovering a short circuit on the motherboard wasn’t exactly a simple issue. Without going into it, we took it in at 1 PM and we walked out with it fixed at 9 PM. A lot of the day was spent just waiting for the techs to work it out and there were some false starts. So much for the specific tasks of the day, one of which involved writing a letter to the Portuguese Consulate on my computer so I could have the archive come into Portugal without customs duties as a resident. I hate the paperwork, almost as much as I hate my computer dying.

Today we also realised that the PCR tests hadn’t arrived. You have to have one test before you leave Portugal and another two days after you arrive. You order it online from a reputable company, take the test and send it back. The government had thrown a lot of these companies off their list as they were not doing the job. Well, today Olivia phoned them and asked where is the test that we ordered two weeks ago? “Oh, we haven’t sent it out”. That’s efficiency from the reputable companies on the list for you. Does anybody know what they’re doing out there? Don’t you just love it when somebody, anybody, does something properly? I know, it’s hard because there are other agents and factors involved and it’s not always in your control but when the team gets it together it’s a wonderful thing.

I decided to hit the Record And Tape Exchange in Notting Hill whilst I waited for the news on the computer. This is something I had been planning to do tomorrow but as it was close I walked from Queensway to the shop on the main road near Notting Hill tube. It was my last hurrah buying music in England for the archive. I bought one vinyl LP for our host Biggles, Argent’s Greatest Hits, not that he has a record player, I just thought he might like the aesthetic of it. I bought one vinyl LP for myself, or I thought I did. Steel Mill’s Green Eyed God reissue from the early seventies, hard to find, so hard in fact that they couldn’t find it on the shelves. I even called Anekdoten Nicklas to tell him I’d found it. So today’s haul was these two vinyl albums (well, one vinyl album) and loads of CDs because they are so cheap, between £1 and £6 but mostly £2 or £3. Apparently, it’s hard to sell CDs anymore and even those luxurious looking digipaks can be cheap, all that artwork and fancy packaging can no longer entice the general public. Great for the archive and the physical collection, CD, vinyl, tape, all formats, something you can hold in your hands, even a cassette has a soul.

Olivia went shopping and came back with nothing because we are in London and everything she liked was hundreds of pounds. So we landed back at Mohamad’s shop which he shares with some phone dudes and we bought a device that we can use when we’re travelling to get the internet. I finally got my computer back, amazing work really, finding the issue and fixing it for me, what a service these guys give. £160 with a new power pack and in three weeks I’ll be back for my failing battery and that will be another stack ‘o’ cash, still, Mohamad always does his best to save me from expensive computer rabbit holes. Bite the bullet, pay the bill, be happy you have good people helping you out.

We went with Mohamad on the 94 bus into Soho because he lives there. He is from Lebanon and once he invited us to his house for an authentic home-cooked Lebanese meal. He dropped us off at Wagamama, which is coincidently opposite where he lives and we had a lovely Ramen dinner. Afterwards, we walked down Oxford Street to Bond Street tube and took the Jubilee line to Waterloo where we picked up our train for New Malden – we missed the sunset.

Music today has been the intriguing Mighty Baby and their classic second album A Jug Of Love (1971). Originally members of The Action, they made two albums, although their first album was more psychedelic. This album is some kind of grooving spiritual country as if they might have been on the same bill as The Band sounding like a southern rather than west coast Man or a mellow Patto. A bit of a hidden gem if you like this rolling early seventies, organic American influenced sound.

Music 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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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
Marty & Pablo! 📷 Rod MacQuarrie Marty & Pablo!

📷 Rod MacQuarrie
At last, a proper door stop. 📷 @judgeschamber At last, a proper door stop.

📷 @judgeschamber 

#grammysitting 👵
🌵 Texas Acoustic Dates 🌵 31 December - DALL 🌵 Texas Acoustic Dates 🌵

31 December - DALLAS
7 January - CELINA
12 January - HOUSTON
14 January - AUSTIN
15 January - SAN ANTONIO

With @salimnourallah and @joereyesmusic

More info here: https://mailchi.mp/e47ede06acd6/texas-acoustic-dates
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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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