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Dec 10 2021

TO WHERE I AM NOW

I try not to make my daily writing about every musician I like who dies, because if I did then that’s all it would be about. But today Mike Nesmith from The Monkees died and the first record I ever bought was Alternate Title, a 1967 single. It was written by drummer Micky Dolenz and originally called Randy Scouse Git, a term Dolenz had picked up on British TV from Alf Garnett (played by Warren Mitchell) on the non-PC show TilI Death Us Do Part. The insult that was the title was directed at actor Mike Rawlins played by Tony Booth, (Cherie Booth, Tony Blair’s wife, was Tony Booth’s daughter). It was considered inappropriate for the British audience but the title remained in the US where nobody really understood it. I still have that single which I bought when I was 9. I must have heard it on the radio because it was a hit in England reaching No. 2, but it didn’t chart in the USA, perhaps the title was the reason why?

Hits in the US were the pop classics from 1966, Last Train To Clarksville, a US No. 1 written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, and I’m A Believer, a US and UK No. 1 written by Neil Diamond – as was 1967’s A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You, a US No. 2 and a UK No. 3. Pleasant Valley Sunday written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King was a US No. 3 / UK No. 11, Daydream Believer written by John Stewart a US No. 1 and UK No. 5. In 1968 they had a US No. 3 hit with the lesser-known Valleri also written by Boyce and Hart which hasn’t aged as well as these other songs but over their short life the Monkees albums were full of classic songs – the ex-band recorded a version of Porpoise Song from the soundtrack album Head (1968), another Goffin and King classic.

It’s true, the big American hits weren’t written by them and often weren’t played by them as they were originally a manufactured TV band inspired by and in competition with The Beatles but Nesmith was good, he wrote the B-side of A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You, The Girl I Knew Somewhere and later Mary Mary and Listen To The Band. Despite the members being auditioned for the roles (Stephen Stills failed the audition) and it being a comedy show with a fake group, it was so much more than that. Davy Jones, Peter Tork, Micky Dolenz and Michael Nesmith had the magic. Sadly Peter Tork died in 2019 and Davy Jones died in 2012. David Bowie changed his name from David Jones to avoid confusion with Davy Jones from The Monkees.

Mike Nesmith was a singer-songwriter in his own right. He wrote the No. 13 US hit Different Drum (1968) for Linda Ronstadt’s Stone Poneys and as The Monkees took more control of their own destiny, he wrote and sang more songs for the band. As a solo artist, he had a hit in 1970 with Joanne but I’ll always remember his song Rio and when he made a video for the song he apparently sold the idea to Warner Brothers inventing the music video as we know it today. He preempted country rock before the Eagles with his First National Band, he loved The Flying Burrito Brothers and the Byrds’ Sweetheart Of The Rodeo (1968) but somehow Gram Parsons got legend status and The Eagles got rich. This music lark can be frustrating. He never really shook off being in The Monkees and despite the real love for them, their personalities and the songs, they were not taken seriously by the general public. Off-topic, his mum (Bette Nesmith Graham) invented Liquid Paper and when she died she left him her vast fortune, if you remember Repo Man, he was the producer, using the money to invest in the occasional worthy project. RIP Mike, you are missed (whatever happened to the woolly hat?).

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.

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Bye bye, Oz! Okay, so I’d better go pack, we hav Bye bye, Oz! Okay, so I’d better go pack, we have to be up at 5.30 AM. And oh yes by the way, Olivia remembered at 11.41 PM that today was our six years anniversary together, haha 😍

📷 @tonyrumble
Triple Marty Triple Marty
OUT NOW 💪 Afridi/Willson-Piper present SISYPHU OUT NOW 💪

Afridi/Willson-Piper present SISYPHUS off their debut album In The End, The Birds Will Sing (2022, tba).

Available to stream via the usuals.

@ahadafridi @afridiwillsonpiper #ahadafridi #martywillsonpiper #intheendthebirdswillsing #thesessioneerseries #songwritingandguitarguidance
We can't decide what colour this Strat is... We can't decide what colour this Strat is...
Ambidextrous Comping 🎸 #arktiklake Ambidextrous Comping 🎸 #arktiklake
Star Tracking 🖖 #arktiklake #oceanicstudiobroo Star Tracking 🖖

#arktiklake #oceanicstudiobrookvale
In autumn 2018 I went to Nashville, Tennessee, to In autumn 2018 I went to Nashville, Tennessee, to work with Salim Nourallah and his band, Richard on keys, Joe on guitars, Jason on bass and drums, and John on drums and bass and in a co-production role with Salim and as a fifth member of his band. After Nashville we retired to Dallas where all but Joe live (he lives in San Antonio) and worked on overdubs, mixing was next…then the pandemic hit. Finally, the album is now mixed and will be released in early 2023 but before that, we have the See You In Marfa EP from those sessions released yesterday on Bandcamp:

www.palosantotx.bandcamp.com/album/see-you-in-marfa-ep

A CD is also available and streaming will be from August 19th. The lead track on the EP is Hold On To The Night, complete with a video featuring an animated yours truly and co-written (a bit) by me: https://youtu.be/GhUk-MDm1VQ

This whimsical video was done by an Australian videographer/musician, Jordan Thompson.

#salimnourallah #martywillsonpiper #holdontothenight #seeyouinmarfa #seeyouinmarfaep #anuclearwinter #jordanthompson #rickenbacker
Are we at home here or what? #lardocelar #garagea Are we at home here or what?

#lardocelar #garageandstage #jazzbirthday
Many years from now... ✨ #handymen Many years from now... ✨

#handymen
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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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