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Jan 07 2023

TO WHERE I AM NOW

Longhorns, Chevrolets, wild west towns, ranches, cacti, freeways, flyovers, pickups, car yards, SUVs, Teslas, guns, roadkill, IHOP, Denny’s, more cacti. Today was a day of both studio and show starting with Fred and Gerri Ann’s last day before loading up the Land Rover with Vox and Rickenbacker, Marshall and Fender, Mesa and Gibson for the drive home, Gerri Ann’s drive home that is, Fred’s flying, haha, Gerri Ann loves to drive. We were driving too, not to Minnesota but to Celina to play a house concert at Pam & Bill’s, Honey Creek House Concerts. We are leaving the city for the great Texan unknown north of Dallas that some call ‘up by the Canadian border’.

The week working on Fred’s project has come to an end until the next time we meet to complete the project. So for now the last day we are trying to tie up some loose ends, get the acoustic guitars recorded, some guide vocals, adding to the bass and drums, the percussion and the electric guitars that we have managed to get down. It will be sad not only to say goodbye to Fred and Gerri Ann but also to that lovely 1966 Rickenbacker, haha, see you next time. Fred and Gerri Ann we will see in Austin next Saturday.

We left at 4 PM in Sarah’s Prius, heading up the highway north to what was once the country and is now the Dallas suburbs of the future as the population expands and the average family is priced out of the city, even the present suburbs are becoming too expensive. We were heading for Celina, pronounced ‘se-lie-na’, after passing by all the IHOPs, the Guitar Centres (oops, sp), Dennys, DoubleTrees, McDonalds, Wendys, Abuelos and of course a place called Love and War in Texas, a steakhouse.

We were soon past Plano and off the freeway and into ranch land, one called Shenandoah ranch, another oddly called Très Jolie ranch and into longhorn land, you know the horns, you might have seen them on a Cadillac convertible in an American seventies TV show. Cattle might seem like an uninteresting subject to city folks but seeing a longhorn on a ranch in Texas breathes life into the travelling lad from the north of England hanging around in Texas. Driving through Weston, one of the oldest settlements in Texas, we are not on The Wirral anymore.

We arrived at Bill and Pam’s, a house surrounded by fields and more longhorns. We arrived at the same time as Salim and were greeted by our hosts, a brood of hens, and a beautiful rooster. Inside, a warm atmosphere with a kitchen next to the front room boasting the lovely aromas of home-cooked food, lovingly prepared. Bill was looking after the technical side and we sound-checked, one eye on the Brussels sprouts, the tofu and the brown rice with the tamari glaze.

Salim played and then us, the show was intimate, attentive, with people coming from El Paso, ten hours away and Austin, four hours away. Doug and Liz were in the front row and it was with them that we returned to Dallas after the show…in their 1964 Chevrolet Impala SS (Super Sport). Golden and white, no seat belts in the back, only lap belts in the front. Seats like armchairs, no wing mirror on the right-hand side, a gorgeous death trap, a privilege to die in such an exotic beauty, unfortunately, a lot of people did back in the glorious days of the sculptured beauties, heavy metal, no compulsory seat belts, gorgeous paint jobs, impossible blues, mirrored chrome. Driving in this vehicle on a Saturday night in Texas might be the place to be.

Music today has been Anthony Phillips’ The Geese & The Ghost (1977). Phillips was the original guitarist in Genesis, playing on their debut From Genesis to Revelation (1969) and their second album Trespass (1970) before being replaced by Steve Hackett on their third album Nursery Cryme (1971). Bill at the house thought he heard some similarities between Phillips’ guitar style and mine in relation to the 12-string acoustic, he was right.

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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