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June - Decem.1977
14 Febr.- Nov.1978
27 Nov.1978 - Dec.1979
June 1980 - July 1981
March - July 1982
Aug.1982 - July 1983
Aug.1983 - April 1985
Apr.1985 - Apr.1986
June 1986 - July 1988
Jan.- Decem.1989
January - October 1990
23 Aug.1991-9 Oct.1992
Curiosity
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Dire Straits' History
June - December 1977
Less than a year after the exit of the "Anarchy in the UK", Mark
Knopfler, teacher (guitar and songs, born in august 12th 1949), his brother younger David
Knopfler (guitar, born, like his brother in Glasgow and live in Newcastle) and the student
in sociology John Illsley (bass, born in june 24th 1949) rent a small appartament in Deptford,
in the south of London. They
begin to play some songs of Mark and find a drummer,Pick Withers, musician engaged by the
Studios Rockfield of Dave Edmunds.
With the name of the Café Racers' group, they sing in a punk festival. A Pick' s friend,
that see their miserable financial condition, suggest to name themselves Dire Straits.
So they record a demo that they offer to Charles Gillett, animator at the BBC. John
Stainze,"label manager" of Phonogram, hear the radio and immediately Dire
Straits have the Vertigo label. In december Stainze contact Ed Bicknell, Jess Conrad
groups' first drummer and asks him to play some concerts for his group. At this time Ed
decide to become their manager.
14 February - November 1978
Between 14 february and 8 march Dire Straits record their first album at
the Basing Street Studios of London, under the direction of Muff Winwood. Here we can find
"Sultans of Swing", "Water of Love" and "Six Blades Knife".
The total budget amount around 12500 copies. A misery!
Between march and november Dire Straits do a small tour, through England, France, Holland
and Germany. Although good reaction by everyone, their first single "Sultans of
Swing" like their first album (simply named "Dire Straits"), remains few
days in hits parades. The group sign with Warner in United States and Knopfler leaves to
the Muscle Shoals studios to play
with Mavis Staples under the management of Jerry Wexler (here we can find also Drifetrs,
Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles). Wexler and the Muscle Shoals' keyboarder, Barry Beckett,
accept to produce their second album.
27 November 1978 - December 1979
Between 27 november 1978 and 10 january 1979, Dire Straits record
"Communique" (where we can find "Lady Writer", "Once upon a Time
in the West) in the Compass Point studios of Nassau, at Bahamas. In the meantime, their
first album become the number one in Australia and climb the american "top 10"
like in Europe.
Between 23 february and 3 April of same year, Dire Straits began their first american
tour, 51 concerts in 38 days and 300 interviews. Mark plays in "Gaucho", the
album of Steely Dan. In the meantime "Sultans of Swing" become the number 4 in
the charts. When Dire Straits play in Los Angeles, Bob Dylan in between public and asks
Mark and Pick to play for his new album, "Slow Train Coming" (his resurrection's
disc, produced by Wexler and Beckett at the Muscle Shoals studios between 1 and 12 may).
In England, "Sultans of Swing is the number 8 in the charts, and their first album is
the nember 5 (it will remain in the hits parades 130 weeks!).
Between june and december of 1979 "Communique" become a big world success
(number 5 in England, number 11 in the USA, number 1 in Germany). The tour in England,
United States and in Europe are an authentic success. After the concerts in Dublin, just
before Christmas, then in Belfast and in London, Dire Straits announce a six month break.
June 1980 - July 1981
Between june and july, the group records "Making Movies" (with
"Tunnel of Love", "Solid Rock", "Skateaway" and "Romeo
and Juliet") at the Power Station of New York, with Jimmy Lovine as producer (the
same that produced the Springsteen' s album "Born to Run" and "Easter"
of Patty Smith). Roy Bittan, pianista of E Street Band, come to play the piano in this
disc.
In the meantime David Knopfler leaves group to a career as soloist. Between september 1980
and july 1981 after some auditions, the californian guitarist Hal Lindes and the
tastierista Alan Clark (born the march 5th 1952) come to strengthen the group. After the
exit of "Making Movies" (October 17th), the group go back to North America and
in Europe (250000 people). "Romeo and Juliet" is the number 4 in England, 4
months later its exit.
March - July 1982
Between march and june, Dire Straits record "Love over Gold" in
New York, produced by Merk Knopfler and mixed by Neil Dorfsman. The fist side of the LP
contains only two titles: "Telegraph Road" and "Private
Investigations" ("Private Dancer", removed from the album, will be, in the
1984, chosen by Tina Turner to relaunch her career). After some weeks,
Pick Withers decides to leave the group to devote himself to Jazz.
In July 1982 Mark Knopfler record his first sound trackfor the David Puttman' s film:
"Local Hero". He finds this work after the success of "Making Movies"
(the album will obtain the14th position the following year).
In "Love over Gold" and "Local Hero", Mark record some part with the
guitar. After that he works with Van Morrison.
August 1982 - July 1983
"Private Investigations" is, initially, the biggest bug of the
Dire Straits (number 20, because the radios didn't want a 7 minutes song!) "Love over
Gold" is the number 1 for a month, their first number 1 in "house"! With
this album, the group begin to have success around the world (number 1 in 16 country),
except in America, where with "Making Movies", didn't exceed the 19^ position.
Terry Williams, ex Rockpile with Dave Edmunds, become in september the drummer of the
groupand play on the LP "Twisting by the Pool" (that exit in february). Terry
Williams and Mark begin to record with Phil Everly in London. Later the Dire Straits leave
for a tour.
The group does the biggest tour in Australia, and wins all the records of crowd in New
Zeland (62000 people in Auckland).
For the first time, the Dire Straits play in Japan. In april and in may, Mark Knopfler
begins his first production (that will named "Local Hero") in co-production and
in duet on the Bob Dylan' s album "Infidels".
August 1983 - April 1985
Exit the double album "Alchemy", recorded between 22 and 23 july
1983 at the Hammersmith Odeon. The album exit in the following march (3rd in England and
46th in the USA).
During the autumn and winter, Mark writes and records the sound tracks of two english
films: "Cal", produced by David Puttnam and "Comfort and Joy",
realized by Bill Forsyth. In this period, Mark works with the keyboarder Guy Fletcher,
that finishes to insert himself in the group near Alan Clark. The "twins
keyboarders" are born! Contemporary, Mark and John
Illsley play for the first David Knopfler' s album as soloist, "Release", and
John records his first album, Never told a Soul", with Mark and Terry Williams. In
November, Mark marriesLourdes Salomone in Kesington.
In june, Mark produces new album "Knife", that obtains the 14th position in the
english charts.
Between november 1984 and april 1985, Dire Straits record "Brothers in Arms".
Mark co-produces this album with Neil Dorfsman at the Montserrat Air studios: here we can
find "So far Away", Walk of Life", Money for Nothing", "Your
latest Trick". Hal Lindes leaves the group after the recording and is replaced by
Jack Soon (a Mark' s friend that worked as buyer at the Rudy's Music Shop boutique of New
York). Before the next tour the Dire Straits engaged a saxofonist, Chris White, of the
National Youth Jazz Orchestra.
April 1985 - April 1986
"Brothers in Arms" enters directly in the first position of the
english hits (where will stay for 3 weeks) and obtains everywhere (in the USA like around
the world) an unexpected success.
In the USA, the album is the number 1 in August and remains in the first position for nine
weeks. "Money for Nothing", written with Sting, becomes the first Dire Straits'
single in the hit in the USA. In the months that follow, "Brothers in Arms" is
the first in Canada, Brazil, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, Finland, France, Germany,
Greece, Iceland, Norway,
Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Yugoslavia, Australia, New Zeland, Hong Kong
and Israel. Besides, "Brothers in Arms" marks the passage from the LP to the CD.
The tour covers 23 countries, 177 city, for a total of 248 concerts. The Dire Straits sell
three million of tickets. In the December 1985, the Dire Straits play 23 consecutive
evenings in England. July 13th 1985, the Dire Straits play for a billion of televiewers at
the Wembley Stadium. The tour finishes April 26th 1986 in Sydney, after other twenty
concerts in Australia.
June 1986 - July 1988
Mark and John play for the Prince's Trust Concert in Wembley with Paul
McCartney, Elton John and Tina Turner. Mark produces two songs for Tina Turner (in the
album "Break every Rule", they leave him a song, "Overnight
Sensation").
Taking advantage of the group's holiday, Mark records the sound track of the Martin
Scorzese's film, "The Color Of the Silver" (with Tom Cruise and Paul Newman). He
recalls Paul McCartney for a version of "Let it Be" in favour of the victims of
the shipwreck of the Zeebrugge ferry, later he plays with Chet Atkins in occasion of the
13th "Secret's Policeman's Bal" in favour of Amnesty International.
Then he writes and records the sound track of the Bob Reiner's film, "The Princess
Bride," he produces the Willy Deville's album, "Miracle" and numerous songs
of the Randy Newman' s disc, "Land of Dreams". In the meantime, John Illsley
records a single with the pseudonym of "K Wallis B and the Dark Shades of
Night," then his second one as soloist, "Glass."
November 9th 1987, Lourdes Knopfler gives the light two twins, Benji and Joseph.
At the beginning of the 1988, Mark speaks with two old friends of the times in which, he
studied journalism in Leeds: Steve Phillips and Brendan Croker. He proposed to Brendan to
produce his new album, and suggested Phillips to record a disk together.
In the months that follow the Dire Straits record some of their preferred country and
blues songs.
January - December 1989
Mark writes and records the sound track of the film "Last Exit to
Brooklyn" (realized by Uli Edel). During the summer, after a long conversation in a
pub with Steve Phillips and Brendan Croker, the group of the Notting Hillbillies sees the
light. Ed Bicknell, the Dire Straits' manager, become the drummer of this group.
In June after two concerts at the Hammersmith Odeon, the Dire Straits, with Eric Clapton
like second guitar, play for the 70^ bithday of Nelson Mandela at the Wembley Stadium.
They conclude this demonstration that is a campaign of the artists against the Apartheid.
Between july and october Mark plays on the Joan Armatrading's album, "The Shouting
Stage," then he plays again with Alan Clark in the Eric Clapton's group during a tour
in the United States. In the same period a collection "Money for Nothing" exits
(number 1 in England).
January 1990 - May 1991
The Notting Hillbillies' album, "Missing...Presumed having a Good
Time" exits in March 5th produced by Phonogram and enters in the english "top
10". In April-May, the group begins a tour in England that includes 41 concerts in 43
days. Mark, in an interview says: "I am completely fallen in love for the
music." In this tour Mark emploies a pedal steel guitar. In the meantime, Mark
finishes to record one of the two album with Chet Atkins. This disk, "Neck and
Neck", exits in the November 1990 (number 29 in England, number 1 of the english
country hits. The Chet Atkins' selling multiply for six).
Mark finishes also some recording with Buddy Guy and Brendan Croker.
After five years of separation, the moment to return with the Dire Straits is arrived.
Mark spends the summer in the United States and writes 15 songs that will be on the new
album of the Dire Straits.
Betwwen november 1990 and may 1991 Dire Straits recorded the sixth album "On Every
Street" at the Air Studios of London, mixed by Neil Dorfsman (Bill Chnee and Chuck
Ainlay are the sound editors. A song, "Heavy Fuel", is mixed by Bob
Clearmountain.
23 August 1991 - 9 October 1992
The Dire Straits begin a world tour with 5 concerts in Dublin (The Point),
and with the forecast of 250 or 300 concerts distributed in a year and half. The public is
of the order of 7 million of people.
The tour coincides with the exit of "On Every Street" that has a world success,
with titles like "Calling Elvis," "On Every Street," "The
Bug" and "Heavy Fuel" that are trasmitted by the radios of all the world.
The 1986 formation is deeply changed: before Knopfler, Illsley, Fletcher and Clark
represented officially the Dire Straits, now the group includes also Chris White
(saxophone), Paul Franklin (pedal steel guitar), Danny Cummings (percussions), Phil Palmer
(guitar) and Chris Whitten (battery).
After the tour, in the 1993, exits a recording of the concerts, the album "On The
Night," in whick there is the best Dire Straits "live" performance.
Curiosity
All started when Dire Straits shared a small
apartment of the London outskirts. A big writing flashed on the wall of the
palace "Love Over Gold". The perfect title for the album that
would have made them famous, they thought.
The garbage collector a day decided to repaint that wall full of writings! But the
inhabitants protested and were announced a concourse to redraw the historical wall. So,
today "Love Over Gold" is not only the album of Dire Straits, but
also a colored murales of 15 meters realized by the artist Gary Drostle. A beatiful
story!
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