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Dec 19 2022

TO WHERE I AM NOW

Another day in Minnesota, -11°C/13°F, the high of the week. So tennis is out, croquet is out, yoga in the park, picnic, gravedigging, lawnmowing, sunbathing, and open-air concerts. It was so cold that my layers didn’t work and today it is ten degrees warmer than it will be in the coming days. I haven’t experienced weather like this since I lived in Sweden in the eighties and nineties when I remember temperatures of -25°C/-13°F, in later years that seems to have changed, but not here in Minneapolis/St. Paul. The amazing thing is that the sky is blue and the sun is shining, dazzling, the snow sparkling under its beams. We are experiencing a beautiful winter and there’s no doubt we will be having a white Christmas.

Today Julie, who engineered for Prince at Paisley Park, was here working on fixing some things in Fred’s studio. A lovely lady, it was really interesting to talk to her about her experience of working with Prince. Whilst she was up there soldering, Fred pulled out some guitars from his collection for me to try just sitting on the couch. Acoustics and electrics, just getting a feel for them, although it will be mainly the electrics we will be taking to Dallas. Fred will take one Martin acoustic and we have to pick around four or five guitars from the collection, two Rickenbackers, two Gibsons, two Fenders, that’s already six and not including the Gretsch White Falcon. Apart from the Gretsch, all these guitars range from the glorious guitar eras, fifties to the sixties to the seventies, it’s hard to leave any behind.

We left Julie with her magnifying glass, her table, and her soldering iron and went to the store where we bought some missing bits and pieces and sat down for a coffee. Linda, the lady from the checkout, came and talked to us. Linda is in love with Liverpool and The Beatles so we talked to her for a while before heading out to meet Gerri Ann and Olivia in Stillwater, a town close by. The snow was coming down in giant flakes. Fred decided to take the scenic route to Stillwater and we drove down white roads, slicing white forests, illuminated houses, and random Christmas trees hung with coloured lights. We arrived in Stillwater and drove through a small town with vibrant shops, Christmas decorations, and cold humans in bobble hats rushing to get inside.

We took the same route home after dinner and I’m not sure what happened but by 10.30 PM I was in bed. Perhaps the cold just wears you out, not that I was out in it much, maybe those short bursts are enough to tell your body to get warm and overcompensate in case you have to be outside again. Your eyes see that cold through the window and get defensive, forming plans to protect you before the worst happens and you are stranded outside.

Music today has been Fun Boy Three’s debut (1982) after the loss of Terry Hall. A unique talent with a distinctive voice and an artistic bent. From The Specials’ classic Ghost Town to The Go-Go’s‘ Our Lips Are Sealed, co-written with Go-Go’s guitarist Jane Wiedlin. Then there was the collaboration with Bananarama and Dave Stewart in Vegas. There was The Colourfield and one of my favourites (amongst many), The Lunatics Have Taken Over The Asylum.

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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