Ed Bicknell Interview

[Pottel]

Hmm, quite an interesting allegation, would be good to hear Pick’s thoughts on it.

They are not allegations whatsoever. Pick is my source.

And that source can be checked where?

An interview from Pick not long ago which explains his thoughts regarding his latter years in the band . I'm surprised that many of you didn't pick up on it but again I suppose you are all mostly Knopfler fans not fans of Dire Straits.

what is it you are looking for? serious discussions? or just trolling around? if it is the first, WELCOME, if it is the second, may as well drop off

Apologies to you all if I seem a little "off."  I am a huge Dire Straits fan and i've followed this forum for many years. Some great, knowledgeable people on it who are always on the look out for links to various interviews from past to present.

I didn't feel like joining until recently even though I often have opinions, just becuase I know it would consume a lot of my time, as Dire Straits were the first band I really loved as a kid, 4-5 years of age. I went onto follow various rock bands including Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac, The Police, UFO.... I suppose I perhaps have harder influences than many of you. All those influences were through my father who used to play me albums from start to finish on his technics record player. He owned many japanese versions of the albums from the acts above (including Dire Straits debut album, Comminique and Love Over Gold. At the age of 6 or 7 I was obsessed with the Dire Straits sound and the various members. In England they weren't that fashionable and very rarely did I see them on the TV. It changed a little around 1985/86 and of course Live Aid is an absolute joy. Seeing not only Knopfler in action but Terry Williams, the energetic Jack Sonni RIP and Alan Clark.

Of course many of you are from different backgrounds, perhaps into folk and country... so his solo career must be a joy to you all. There have been flashes for me, but sadly i'm more into the band. I appreciate Knopfler was the band, BUT still he needed the musicians around him. So I sometimes feel sad at the criticism of some of his former band mates - Chris Whitton, the lack of praise for Hal Lindes and Jack Sonni. Knopfler no doubt is a world class songwriter and guitarist, but it doesn't mean he isn't flawed. No human is, but it's difficult for some of the posters to take when there is critisism against his character. Genius's don't have to be difficult people. You can be nice and a genius, but anyway I appreciate the legend that Mark is.

In terms of my favourite album of his it's got to be Love Over Gold followed by Making Movies. So it came as a shock to me when I listened to a podcast with Pick Withers last year with regards to his latter years with the band. He spoke about drum machines and the band becoming too loud and perhaps into genres he wasn't particularly keen on. Industrial Disease, a song I particularly like, was apparently worked on a drum machine. He also mentioned Telegraph Road. It's sad in a way as I used to often visualise Pick playing these songs in the studio. But there are many secrets in the music industry. Many many albums that aren't what they seem. Def Leppard's Pyromania for example used Drum machines. Rick Allen hardly played anything on it.There are hundreds of other examples.

Finally just to add some context, for many years I worked less than half a mile away from British Grove, Knopfler's studio in Chiswick and I even came across his solo band collegues at the Mawson's arms once.... well I recognised Guy Fletcher but unusually I didn't have the guts to talk to him.  Sadly that pub has closed... I remember that area well with the smell of honey/hops in the chiswick air. When the company I worked for sadly moved from Chiswick I said my goodbye's to British Grove, I realised that I could have been a "fanboy" and hung around the streets around the studio at any point... I sort of regret it but I was often afraid to meet Knopfler just in case... I didn't want my high opinion of him to be tarnished.

Best wishes to you all and again apologies for the tone of my previous messages.

Welcome! :-)

[Banjo99uk]

A question for Chris W if you see this thread. Hope thats ok as I didn’t want to change subject in the thread you’re active in. In this great interview with Ed Bicknell he said that in the 60s their were about 4 drummers that played on the hits and nobody played their own music in the studio. The one band he accused this of was The Kinks which surprised me. Have you heard of this before, did they really use session musicians to record their studio songs? It’s funny as I was bought up to believe the 60s bands were all the real deal and it was in the 80s that everyone was fake and lip synced.

[dustyvalentino]

I know the question isn’t for me but I believe Clem Catini played on quite a few Kinks tracks. And of course in the states you had the Wrecking Crew with Hal Blaine playing for The Beach Boys, The Byrds, Mamas and Papas etc etc etc

Jimmy Page played on tons of sessions before Led Zep as well, including The Kinks from memory.

[ds1984]

I know the question isn’t for me but I believe Clem Catini played on quite a few Kinks tracks. And of course in the states you had the Wrecking Crew with Hal Blaine playing for The Beach Boys, The Byrds, Mamas and Papas etc etc etc

Jimmy Page played on tons of sessions before Led Zep as well, including The Kinks from memory.

All Day And All Of The Night ?
(the question mark is because I have no reliable source but I heard it was on that track)

[Chris W]

The session musician thing was definitely a thing in the early 60's. Bands often didn't even write their own material. It all changed with the huge success of The Beatles. By 66 onwards I think bands were playing on their records and also writing the sings - like Pink Floyd, The Who, The Doors, Jimmy Hendrix Experience etc...
I replaced a lot of band drummers in the 1980's however.

[ds1984]

If you can pay studio time to record 80 takes to get one good then yo can do it that way.

The interesting thing with Pink Floyd is The Wall album.
Therre are uncredited people playing on that one.

BTW does anybody have heard of Nile Rodgers interview about him playing David Gilmour's 0001 white Strat ?

[Chris W]

If you can pay studio time to record 80 takes to get one good then yo can do it that way.

It can be a bunch of things - not a great groove, not a great sound. It isn't always about mistakes.
Since modern technology allows you to completely change the sound AND fix the groove, hardly anyone is replaced by a studio drummer any more.
With drummers like Omar Hakim and Jeff Porcaro you had an incredible feel, tasteful fills and a fantastic drum sound.

[dustyvalentino]

If you can pay studio time to record 80 takes to get one good then yo can do it that way.

It can be a bunch of things - not a great groove, not a great sound. It isn't always about mistakes.
Since modern technology allows you to completely change the sound AND fix the groove, hardly anyone is replaced by a studio drummer any more.
With drummers like Omar Hakim and Jeff Porcaro you had an incredible feel, tasteful fills and a fantastic drum sound.

The funny thing is, I think the drums are great on all those Rockpile/Nick Lowe/Dave Edmunds albums.

But BIA and OES sold 40 million odd between them so who am I to argue with MK?!

[quizzaciously]

Speaking of Ed, just stumbled across this... Video. LMAO

[Love Expresso]

He obviously is a great storysteller, indeed very funny. He remembers all the details and names immediately.
Two things remarkable to me: 1) calling him Knopfler instead of Mark, 2) "he and I don't drink".

LE

[dmg]

LOL 

Ed is a legend.

[Banjo99uk]

Cried through most of that story. He’s a funny guy.

[quizzaciously]

He obviously is a great storysteller, indeed very funny. He remembers all the details and names immediately.
Two things remarkable to me: 1) calling him Knopfler instead of Mark, 2) "he and I don't drink".

LE

Yeah, what a story indeed. Regarding alcohol, maybe he was talking about heavy drinks. As in whiskey, it's like vodka in terms of strength. I don't know anyone who consumes a lot of heavy stuff like this and continues to be sane. The second thing feels like a way to reduce calling him "Mak" all the time, otherwise, that would sound like constantly Mak this, Mak that.

[Chris W]

I took it to mean they don't socialise.

[Mossguitar]

I took it to mean they don't socialise.

Me too.