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Dec 03 2021

TO WHERE I AM NOW

The candles and blankets theory seems to be working, as long as you are wearing industrial clothing, a lead-lined helmet and thick fake fur boots. This is December in Porto, houses with no heating and certainly no double or triple glazing. We could get the bar heater going or the electric radiators plugged in but the heating costs are high and to tell you the truth having a blanket and a whole lot of candles moodying up the flat is rather nice. The Christmas tree is up and Olivia finally found red baubles to add to the golden ones, although I’m still waiting for the chocolate Santas. Olivia and I come from different Christmas traditions, Olivia being German opens presents from under the tree on Christmas Eve evening and everybody has to see what you got, enjoying each other’s present opening. This version could also be influenced by the fact that Olivia’s mum is Swedish and I remember that when I lived in Sweden this is how we did it. For me being English, as a kid, it was a pillowcase at the end of the bed before bedtime on Christmas Eve and waking up in the morning with it (hopefully) bulging.

In Portugal, they open their presents at midnight on Christmas Eve. So, what do we do?

Obviously, the days of pillowcases stopped whilst still a child, so this year I’ll be opening prezzies (should I get any) when I wake up on Chrissie Day (which will be in the afternoon) whilst Olivia will be opening hers (should she get any) the night before. We just can’t shake off our traditions, but this way we enjoy each other’s celebration, in Portugal – where they do it differently.

Olivia begins her birthday celebrations today, three days, Friday out with her Spanish girlfriends, the Bilbao girls (although one was born in Bolivia). They go for Ramen and speak Portuguese together. They came back here afterwards, Olivia wearing a birthday sash and a birthday tiara with a musical box as a present, coincidently from the same shop where I bought my granddaughter’s birthday present. Tomorrow I get to hang with Olivia, sushi for dinner and Sunday the other girls come here on her actual birthday whilst I’m in sesh land. Today was seshes and sashes.

Two seshes for me today, Fred in Minneapolis and Mike in Chicago as well as quarter-final snooker sessions (my man Ronnie lost). I listened to Fred and Mike’s songs, illustrated some guitar and songwriter points for Mike and lovingly stared at my cassettes and imagined getting back to the old world way of writing as described earlier in the week – singing onto cassette. The Beatles had to remember their songs, can you imagine? Can you also imagine the songs they forgot? They can’t have remembered everything just because they were good. Good things and bad things can be equally easy to forget.

Music today has been Love and Rockets‘ Seventh Dream Of Teenage Heaven (1985). Oddly left of centre and immediately accessible. Nursery rhyme melodies and angular guitars and acoustics, fuzz and fluffy hair, sing-along verses and choruses as if the local boat club had started their own group with the boy scouts chanting irreverent singalongs. A surprising cover of The Temptations‘ Ball Of Confusion written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong somehow translated perfectly to their sound. The whole thing is an unexpected step away from Bauhaus (via Tones On Tail) to a world where not everyone who was a fan of the original band may have wanted to follow, a brave new world from three-quarters of cult gothic monsters carving out a sweet shop in an abattoir. Brilliant really.

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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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
Doors & Delays 🎸 @workshop21_guitarclinic #the Doors & Delays 🎸

@workshop21_guitarclinic #thedoors #fenderstratocaster #fenderhotroddeville #nashtelecaster #rickenbacker
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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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