Chris Whitten interview

[KnopfleRick]

To my opinion every DS-drummer has his own special role and acceptance in the music-history of Dire Straits. I love all of them, and i accept and respect all of them.
Every drummer is a class of his own, and that made them special to me, as professional musicians on the one hand, and as individual characters on the other hand.
Remarkable is the really smooth more jazzy-flavoured drumming by Pick on the early tracks. Than the more powerful rock-driven drumming by Terry, followed up by Chris Whittens very adäquate drumming.
But i also don´t forget Chad or Ianto. Every single musician played or is still playing an important role in the whole DS and MK-cosmos, and that is all i have to say in that case. 

Absolutely, I see it the same. Each musician brings their own unique flavor to a band and whether you like their contribution or not is largely a matter of your own taste. I do appreciate every single one of them.

[Pierre]

To my opinion every DS-drummer has his own special role and acceptance in the music-history of Dire Straits. I love all of them, and i accept and respect all of them.
Every drummer is a class of his own, and that made them special to me, as professional musicians on the one hand, and as individual characters on the other hand.
Remarkable is the really smooth more jazzy-flavoured drumming by Pick on the early tracks. Than the more powerful rock-driven drumming by Terry, followed up by Chris Whittens very adäquate drumming.
But i also don´t forget Chad or Ianto. Every single musician played or is still playing an important role in the whole DS and MK-cosmos, and that is all i have to say in that case. 

Absolutely, I see it the same. Each musician brings their own unique flavor to a band and whether you like their contribution or not is largely a matter of your own taste. I do appreciate every single one of them.

Yes, great players, whatever their style, bring something personnal to a song. As for guitar players, you can't mistake one drummer for another, they make the same song sound different.

[Eddie Fox]

Whitten is the blandest pro drummer I’ve ever come across. Sounds like a bored robot, not only with DS but whenever and whatever he plays. It’s beyond me why Mark picked him. 

[MagicElliott]

Whitten is the blandest pro drummer I’ve ever come across. Sounds like a bored robot, not only with DS but whenever and whatever he plays. It’s beyond me why Mark picked him.

You’re saying this knowing full well that Chris might well read these words?!?

[dustyvalentino]

Whitten is the blandest pro drummer I’ve ever come across. Sounds like a bored robot, not only with DS but whenever and whatever he plays. It’s beyond me why Mark picked him.

[dustyvalentino]

Whitten is the blandest pro drummer I’ve ever come across. Sounds like a bored robot, not only with DS but whenever and whatever he plays. It’s beyond me why Mark picked him.

You’re saying this knowing full well that Chris might well read these words?!?

I think once you'vr been hired by PAUL FUCKING MCCARTNEY you're not going to care what some random on the internet thinks 

[quizzaciously]

Whitten is the blandest pro drummer I’ve ever come across. Sounds like a bored robot, not only with DS but whenever and whatever he plays. It’s beyond me why Mark picked him.

You’re saying this knowing full well that Chris might well read these words?!?

I think once you'vr been hired by PAUL FUCKING MCCARTNEY you're not going to care what some random on the internet thinks 

Yeah, I never got this kind of critique. I said earlier that I hear absolutely nothing wrong with drums on the whole On Every Street tour and recordings. Bland? But what is bland exactly? By the way, when I was young and stupid (now I only got older, unfortunately) I thought Danny Cummings was bland and boring. Until I realised that he's probably the drummer who served Mark's songs the most in history. I cried when he got replaced! And still cry about it.

[Eddie Fox]

Well, first of all, I don’t give a flying s**t if Chris sees it, it’s my opinion and once you become a pro level musician you know people are gonna give their opinion about your playing. Having said that, I agree with Dusty, he won’t care - and shouldn’t, of course.

To my Russian friend, it’s a matter of taste. No point in showing me these vids or throwing the Paul McCartney card at me. There’s not right or wrong when it comes to opinions, you see.

[quizzaciously]

Well, first of all, I don’t give a flying s**t if Chris sees it, it’s my opinion and once you become a pro level musician you know people are gonna give their opinion about your playing. Having said that, I agree with Dusty, he won’t care - and shouldn’t, of course.

To my Russian friend, it’s a matter of taste. No point in showing me these vids or throwing the Paul McCartney card at me. There’s not right or wrong when it comes to opinions, you see.

I think Dusty can get offended by you calling him a Russian friend

We'll take your opinion. Drumming is its own world, I think if one doesn't know anything about it, he can't judge it. I don't know anythyng about it. I always admired drums though. I like that this instrument is completely, 100% separated from harmony, you can tune drums of course, but whatever. So it's all this bare, primeval thing, probably the simplest and the most common musical instrument after the voice. And that's the beauty of it!

[Eddie Fox]

Well, first of all, I don’t give a flying s**t if Chris sees it, it’s my opinion and once you become a pro level musician you know people are gonna give their opinion about your playing. Having said that, I agree with Dusty, he won’t care - and shouldn’t, of course.

To my Russian friend, it’s a matter of taste. No point in showing me these vids or throwing the Paul McCartney card at me. There’s not right or wrong when it comes to opinions, you see.

I think Dusty can get offended by you calling him a Russian friend

We'll take your opinion. Drumming is its own world, I think if one doesn't know anything about it, he can't judge it. I don't know anythyng about it. I always admired drums though. I like that this instrument is completely, 100% separated from harmony, you can tune drums of course, but whatever. So it's all this bare, primeval thing, probably the simplest and the most common musical instrument after the voice. And that's the beauty of it!

I don’t think you need to be a drummer in order to be entitled to like or dislike what you hear… and just for the record, I’m comparing him to other world class drummers.

[dustyvalentino]

I think the Russians and Scots have lots in common, we both live in sub zero temperatures and consume too much alcohol.

[Eddie Fox]

I think the Russians and Scots have lots in common, we both live in sub zero temperatures and consume too much alcohol.

Mark being Scottish may be the tiebreaker

[jbaent]

Me, as an amateur drummer myself, I value every drummer playing from my point of view as a player too, but that's about tastes anyway, as any guitar player would like other guitar players and would value aspects of how to play, from their point of view as guitar player.

My favorite drummers are usually those who serve the song and you don't notice them unless the song demands it. Let's say Jeff Porcaro is my top.

Also, listen to Shangri-la. That's the best drumming on a MK record ever.

[SamGolden]

A drummer that I really appreciate the rhythm and finesse, but also because he played a lot with Ry Cooder but also Dylan, the Traveling Wildburys is Jim Keltner. Which I know has nothing to do with MK here on the subject...
Also, Keltner's favorite drummer is Jeff Porcaro... he talks about him in this video here... from 0'53 min

[jbaent]

A drummer that I really appreciate the rhythm and finesse, but also because he played a lot with Ry Cooder but also Dylan, the Traveling Wildburys is Jim Keltner. Which I know has nothing to do with MK here on the subject...
Also, Keltner's favorite drummer is Jeff Porcaro... he talks about him in this video here... from 0'53 min

Also Porcaro had a lot of admiration for Keltner!