In memory of our dear friend and collaborator Ed Ackerson. Producer of “No Surprise”.

Friday, November 15th, 2019 marks the release of the No Surprise EP, including four takes of a song in different stages of development. The EP starts with the version produced by Ed Ackerson, from the new album Face The Sun and ends with the earliest songwriting idea from my collection of cassette demos, dating back 30 years. 

The No Surprise EP continues my concept for Face The Sun of tracing my songwriting roots, watching these songs evolve and move in new directions as my own life has taken me from Minneapolis to Lauren Canyon and back again.

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The EP starts with the new version from Face The Sun. Track two is the version from my Parlez-Vous Français? album, remixed by John ‘Strawberrius’ Fields. Track three is a 4-track full-band demo from the band’s basement rehearsal space under DeLisi’s Bar (photo below). The EP ends with a spliced-together Dictaphone-style recording of a couple songwriting idea tapes, I think recorded at my dad’s house in San Rafael, CA and at home in Dinkytown c.1992.

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The new version of No Surprise from Face The Sun was produced with Ed Ackerson who we tragically lost on October 4th this year — leaving an enormous hole in the heart of the Minnesota music scene. Ed played acoustic guitar and pianet on the track, but his greatest contributions to my music date back to 1984 when our bands The Dig and The Addition played a backyard party together. He blew us away with his mod look and awesome guitar style.

Even in our teens Ed was a booster of other artists on the scene. And he quickly began to encourage my earliest projects (Peas Porridge (above), Willie Wisely Trio (actually a quartet, below)); and introduce me to future band mates like The Ruby Trees (who were on his label), Lori Wray (aka Goats) (below) & Keith Patterson (of The Conquerors(also below)). Importantly, he encouraged me to play the 7th St. Entry (Goats played Best New Bands of 1987), where I’d eventually wind up working as head of promotions from 1988-94.

Over the coming years we’d ask him to run the mixing board at Trio shows, to “curate” our sound, long before “curating” was a thing. We’d walk off stage, possibly disappointed in our performance, but he’d always sing the virtues of every show, pointing out what was effective and compelling. He believed in people making art and backed it 100%. Basically, Ed invited me into a scene that would define my life. Memorably, he taught me a trick for how to tune unruly guitars, one I’ll never forget. I honestly cannot tune a guitar without thinking of Ed.

If the Ed-produced version of No Surprise sounds at all like The Jayhawks it’s because Gary Louris had just completed sessions at Flowers Studio before we began ours. My earliest Jayhawk memory is from ’87 when Gary’s co-founder Mark Olson booked me at his hootenanny at the Viking Bar. It was maybe my third solo gig ever. I remember sucking it pretty hard. But afterward he said, “You were great, man”. “Yeah right,” I thought. He probably liked it because I covered Ooh-La-La by The Faces, at a time when the world had all but forgotten that legend of a song. Minneapolis was an incredible boiling pot, always has been. And I believe that’s cooked into the No Surprise EP.

But back to Ed.  Just a month before Ed passed away, Pete Townshend shouted out to him from the stage at The Who show in St. Paul. I texted Ed from the 11th row, absolutely clobbered by the gesture, knowing full well there was no greater inspiration for Ed than his mod hero Pete. Ed replied back with a heart emoji. I wished I’d known he was just a couple sections away. Dammit, a proper goodbye would feel pretty good right about now.

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Track four on the EP goes further back in time. I’ve played No Surprise in concert so many times, it was impossible to remember what the original song idea might sound like — if a tape even existed. But I’m a hoarder and it didn’t take long to find the cassette. Listening back reminded me to the odd vocal tone I used to write with — a high falsetto that mimicked the sound of singing voices from a transistor radio. My earliest introduction to music was top-40 AM radio in the late 70’s. So it only makes sense I’d be writing in the same Eric Carmen-style voice.

The biggest realization from the first half of the songwriting demo is that the fingerpicked guitar and the rejected chord changes would unconsciously become Vagabond – a song I wouldn’t write for another couple years for the She album (1996)! Later in the demo you can hear the change in the guitar rhythm to more of a Motown feel, which let me know this song would fly high with a full-band arrangement – ultimately inspiring my screamin’ feedback guitar solo in the middle.

I’d forgotten too that the entire song germinated from the opening line. The early demo has no other intelligible words. In my head the lyric was going to be about getting cheated on — you’d probably assume directed at a lover. But it was actually written to the guys in my band, The Trio. I didn’t want them moonlighting with other groups; impeding our practice, recording and touring schedules, which I kept brisk, sometimes 150 shows a year. I was very possessive. A bad boyfriend. Which seems a bit demented now. But back in the early 90’s in Minneapolis batting for the opponent wasn’t so common.  –Willie

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I’m excited to announce for early 2020 the release of Face The Sun on CD (courtesy of Krazy Kat Musik), and please expect more shows in the Twin Cities and Los Angeles — and with any luck, the east coast later in the year. Meanwhile enjoy the No Surprise EP, out today!

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LYRICS:

Now I can’t understand why you treat me like you do
I’d re-arrange the stars
Mine becomes ours

And I can’t comprehend these amazing stunts you pull
You leave me with a thrill
But I know what’s coming next
No surprise

No surprise, no surprise, no surprise
What’s wrong now?
I hate that look in your eyes

You say the word, I’ll be out of your life for good
That’s not what I want to do
But I know what’s coming next
No surprise

No surprise, no surprise, no surprise
What’s wrong now?
I hate that look in your eyes

You say the word, I’ll be out of your life for good
That’s not what I want to hear
But I know what’s comin’ next
Yeah I know what’s comin’ next
Yeah I know what’s comin’ next
No surprise

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Cover Art Photo: Rob Stark

AUDIO CREDITS:

Face The Sun version:
Ed Ackerson: acoustic guitar, pianet
Peter Anderson: drums, tambourine, shaker
Chris Heinrich: pedal steel
Mike Ruekberg: backing vocals
James Voss: electric bass
Willie Wisely: electric guitar, vocals
Engineered by Ed Ackerson, Peter Anderson, Willie Wisely & Ken Chastain
Mixed & mastered by Chuck Zwicky
Produced by Ed Ackerson & Willie Wisely
Recorded at Flowers Studios, Minneapolis, MN

Strawberrius Remix version:
Peter Anderson: drums
James Voss: upright bass
Dave Krejci: Hammond organ
Ezra Gold: percussion
Willie Wisely: guitar, vocals
Engineered: Ezra Gold
Re-mixed: John Fields
Written, produced & Re-mastered: Willie Wisely
Recorded at Gark Studios & The Terrarium, Minneapolis, MN

4-track Band Demo:
Peter Anderson: drums
James Voss: upright bass
Willie Wisely: guitar & vocals
Recorded at Delisi’s Basement, North Minneapolis, MN USA

Songwriting Demos version:
Willie Wisely: guitar, vocals, produced & mastered
Recorded at Dad’s house, Mill Valley, CA & at home in Dinkytown, Minneapolis, MN

©.2019 ella-USA