New for 2024

[jbaent]

Don't worry people, let's give Mark a break. Time flies when you have fun, he's most certainly not even aware it takes whole 6 years for a new album.

Six years, that's how long it took between BIA and OES ...

Yes and they had effectively disbanded after BIA.  Mark says at the Mandela show "this is the reason we got the band back together."  Then at Knebworth he announces they're going to do another album. 

So there's lots of good stuff in between including a massive world tour, charity shows (2 Princes Trust too), the Randy Newman sessions and touring with Clapton.  Oh yes, and a couple of soundtracks too!

AND Neck and Neck. AND Notting Hillbillies. Very productive period, and when the guitar actually meant something to him.

Knebworth was originally billed as Mark Knopfler, not Dire Straits, but got retooled as Dire Straits for he CD/video etc. Very strange.

Two of his best albums were done in this period IMO, Neck and Neck and the Hillbillies.

It was billed as DS from the start. In Spain the official Spanish radio was broadcasting a show with songs from all the people involved as they always said it was to be Dire Straits.

The mistake it's in the video, where it says Mark Knopfler, but in all the rest of places you will see DS.

Maybe they said that on the radio in Spain but that was not the case for the event itself.

See below the poster, the programme and the TV broadcast, all billed as Mark Knopfler, even though Clapton says Dire Straits!



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Those say Mark Knopfler because those were made after it was decided they would do a supergroup with Clapton and Elton John. I remember publicity at the time were the name was Dire Straits when it was supposed they would have their own slot, not shared with Clapton and Elton John.

Can't find right now any of that advertising, I bought it from Spanish magazines of course but they were official publicity of the festival. They also mentioned some bands that didn't appear as Queen, and Tears for fears were not mentioned at all, I think Robert Plant wasn't either.

[dustyvalentino]

So to summarise:

Official poster - wrong
Official programme - wrong
TV broadcast - wrong

Julio's memory  of a radio broadcast from another country 33 years ago - correct 

[ds1984]

Fact is that JI and GF joined MK and AC so it was definitively Dire Straits on stage and not Mark Knopfler part of EC Supergroup - contrary to the EC 1988 japanese tour.

Reason for DS only being advertised as Mark Knopfler is unknown to me.

[dustyvalentino]

Fact is that JI and GF joined MK and AC so it was definitively Dire Straits on stage and not Mark Knopfler part of EC Supergroup - contrary to the EC 1988 japanese tour.

Reason for DS only being advertised as Mark Knopfler is unknown to me.

The only guess I can make is when MK agreed to it he was in a "DS is over" phase in his head, but by the time of the concert he was getting the band back together and was happy for them to use the DS name to help their sales. Who knows, the whole thing is very strange.

PS T-shirt from the event, I guess these must have been made and sold afterwards rather than to the 120,000 people at the gig?!

[Robson]

For me, Knewborth was the historic comeback of Dire Straits and nothing can change that:)

[jbaent]

So to summarise:

Official poster - wrong
Official programme - wrong
TV broadcast - wrong

Julio's memory  of a radio broadcast from another country 33 years ago - correct 

You are talking about things made for the gig just immediately before the gig, when they had arranged that Clapton, Knopfler and Elton John were about to play in the same slot as a supergroup.

I'm talking about advertising in magazines and radio more or less during the year before the gig, when things like that were not closed.

So yes, I'm right from everything advertised before they closed the things officially, and yes you are right about everything after they closed everything close to the gig.

English is not my language but I find this easy to understand, lol.

[jbaent]

Actually as far as I recall, the advertising I read at the time during around a year before and until everything was closed to organise the gig, it said it was a gig where Silver Cliff Award Winners will perform, and DS were one, and that's why they were advertised to play Knebworth.

Then, when closing the acts, some bands that won the award didn't play, some others that didn't won like Tears for fears played, Robert Plant that just won it the same year played it, and that's what you have on official merchandise. What they closed in the end.

And the fact is also, when rehearsing, it was DS who rehearsed for the gig.

The fact official merchandise didn't reflect that when the band rehearsing for the gig was DS (MK, John and Guy with Clapton band of course) is for me more a mistake of someone because of the fact it was a supergroup with Clapton, Knopfler and Elton John.

But ok, youre right

[dustyvalentino]

It's absolutely straightforward.

There is evidence showing that it was billed as Mark Knopfler - posters, programmes, tshirts, tv broadcasts.

There is zero evidence of your claim that it was advertised that DS was playing, other than your 33 year old (actually 34 if you are saying it is from a year before) memories, but lets agree to disagree

PS Q Magazine report...

[jbaent]

I have nothing (lost many of those magazines years ago)to demonstrate that I know 100% I'm right.

And I'm ok with that. Because I know I'm right, don't give a thing you can prove that close to the date they changed all the advertising.

[dustyvalentino]

I said it was billed as Mark Knopfler and not DS.

I have provided evidence to prove what I said.

End of story unless you can do likewise.

[jbaent]

I said it was billed as Mark Knopfler and not DS.

I have provided evidence to prove what I said.

End of story unless you can do likewise.

I said I'm ok with that.

[Shangri-La]

If this is how long it takes him now then I guess this could be his last album...

I think this album will be the last. Mark seems to be very tired.

[dmg]

If this is how long it takes him now then I guess this could be his last album...

I think this album will be the last. Mark seems to be very tired.

Maybe he has lost his mojo. If he had any motivation at all I'm sure it would've been done and dusted by now.

[skydiver]

Maybe he has lost his mojo. If he had any motivation at all I'm sure it would've been done and dusted by now.


That's what I wanted to express with my earlier post:
Either motivation or health must be a factor why it takes him four years from his 2020 March 20th statement "I aim to be back in the studio recording songs as soon as possible" till (hopefully) a release in spring/summer 2024.
Normally when he started recording a new album he already had in mind an overall idea/overaching theme that tied together the different songs he wanted to record and finally chose to put on the record (not necessarily the bonus tracks).
This time almost everything else, every little side project was more important than his own main thing. 
And normally it is not a good sign to be repeatedly delayed, distracted and sidelined from your main project, especially if it is a work of art for which originally you had a vision (which if not persued in time can evaporate).

[jbaent]

I attended the DS Legacy gig in Alicante last month and I had the chance of talking with Danny Cummings, I asked a few things and obviously he couldn't tell me much about MK record, but he said something intriguing for me, maybe I misunderstood him, but I think he said something like "MK was very brave".

Looking again at the pictures of the tour diary, I guess he means musically and that some of the songs have a style that is new for him, or it is not what we are used too. I seems to recall a stringed instrument that is played with two little hammers that I think is typical from countries like Romania.