Funkytown Studio, guitar, bass drums, velvet pants, plaid suit, long hair, Tamla drums

The Singles Series: “Invisible” – Electric Guitar, Piano, Bongos, Conga & Triangle

Transparent recording process reveals all. I’ve known John Fields a long time. It’s a friendship that veers between collaboration, BBQ, the camaraderie of our same-aged daughters, and our passion for the great music. With long-time relationships, comes funny stuff. Truth becomes unavoidable. Walls come down. And elephants in the room suddenly begin screaming. He and I met at his studio …

Brass slide on Guild guitar neck with mid-60's Gibson 125 on the floor.

The Singles Series: “Invisible” – Slide Guitar, Mellotron, New Drums

Transparent recording process reveals all. After years of not playing the slide guitar, “Invisible” beckons to shake off the rust. It’s something I love to do, having learned how in the 90’s, playing along to “Love In Vain” on The Rolling Stones‘ “Let It Bleed”, and J. B. Hutto & Lightning Hopkins records. It got to the point where we …

John Fields plays bass in a recording studio to a new song called "Invisible" by Willie Wisely

The Singles Series: “Invisible” – Tracking Bass

Transparent recording process reveals all. Originally I’d shown up at John Field’s studio to talk him through my drum vision for “Invisible”, a new song by Cliff Hillis & myself. Instead, John picked up his trusty Harmony bass, and got to work laying it down. Without any thought or discussion we kept last week’s rough drum edit muted. Besides, he’d …

suitcase drum kit, tambourine

The Singles Series: “Invisible” – Rough Drum Ideas

Transparent recording process reveals all. I emailed him, “play the drums like on Matthew Sweet’s ‘Girlfriend’ or ‘Rhiannon’ from ‘Rumours,’ or both simultaneously.” Then, night fell. The next morning John Fields, producer of two Wisely albums (“She” and “Turbosherbet“) sent me his big messy test pass of drums. Suddenly, the arrangement for “Invisible,” co-written with pal Cliff Hillis, leaps off …