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Jan 12 2023

TO WHERE I AM NOW

So, off we go to Houston today. Sarah picked up a sleek black people carrier that came with free sunglasses and dark suits. We weirdly turned out of the studio driveway instead of staying there for the usual 13 hours of recording. It was about five hours of freeway from Dallas, past all the different churches (yes, there is one called The Cowboy Church), through the fields of grazing longhorns, and stopping for lunch at their nadir, Sonic, the drive-in takeaway. Luckily I’d prepared myself with avocado and Dave’s brown wheat bread and settled into a grease-free afternoon. Sonic was in Buffalo, Texas, the buffalo left long ago, knowing that the Sonic corporation was coming to build on their fields. What stands in this area now, a highway intersection full of trucks and other noisy air-choking vehicles, all the beauty of America lost with the encroachment of ‘civilisation’ manifested in concrete and fast food.

Houston appeared in the distance, stalagmites, crystals thrust up from the Earth, glistening glass and steel. Houston is the fourth largest city in America and getting across it can take some time, luckily we were just before rush hour (although rush hour is always) and we arrived at the venue, Mucky Duck (say it in a northern accent). It’s the perfect place for the show we are doing with 12-string and violin, plus Salim’s set with nylon string and a pick-up and Joe Reyes on electric guitar. Joe played on the album I made with Salim, A Nuclear Winter, I haven’t seen him for so long because of the pandemic and suddenly there he was in the car park arriving at exactly the same time as us. Joe lives in San Antonio where we will play our last show, convenient.

Soundcheck at the venue, meeting friends William and Julie who we are staying with in Houston, and the venue crew who were super nice, result. We met Jaylin the sound guy who was standing in front of a brand new desk installed last night (agggh) but all was well, he did a great job navigating the new board with the sound. Nicely attended in these difficult times and a concentrated listening audience, walking on stage and settling into an audience that is completely silent is an experience in itself, happy to have known that. Thank you to all who came to see us and keenly listened. Thanks to Rusty and Theresa, Jaylin, Juan, Joe, Shane, Graham, Ray, Nicky, and all the staff for a great evening. Back to William and Julie’s and the three Siamese cats with friend John who flew in from Mississippi, talk, sleep.

Music today was comfort food, Pink Fairies‘ Kings Of Oblivion (1973). I needed comfort food after Jeff Beck died despite it being a quite different beast (Larry Wallis on guitar). This album was one of my fave albums growing up and I wonder if that’s why I called Chromium, Chromium as there’s a song on there called Chromium Plating. There’s also City Kids, one of the first bass lines I ever learned and the prescient I Wish I Was A Girl. Love this record.

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

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📷 @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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