What's The Matter Baby

[qjamesfloyd]

As this is the only song written by Mark and David Knopfler officially released (there might be others) I have always wondered how the writing worked, do we know anything about that? when was it written? I presume in the Deptford days, who wrote the music? who wrote the words? or was it a Lennon & McCartney type thing?

[quizzaciously]

As this is the only song written by Mark and David Knopfler officially released (there might be others) I have always wondered how the writing worked, do we know anything about that? when was it written? I presume in the Deptford days, who wrote the music? who wrote the words? or was it a Lennon & McCartney type thing?

It's not The Beatles where you know when each song was written, and the exact percentage of each songwriter's input

You can try to ask David on Facebook. I can imagine two brothers dabbling in writing music, some co-written songs would be bound to emerge at some point. According to David, I think I heard he helped to shape songs from the first DS albums. Writing credits are often a topic on this forum and the fact that "What's The Matter Baby" got both Mark and David credited means they both had a major input in this song.

I think with What's The Matter Baby it was David who wrote the song, and Mark who wrote the guitar part, the guitar break (aka intro) and probably altered the words, hence the writing credit. Can hardly imagine David coming up with intricate guitar harmonies like this.

[jbaent]

David said once that when it was just MK and him playing together and some of the early DS songs started to grow, he always had the impression they were cowriting... But as long as the lyrics and main idea was MK, David's parts seemed to be nothing.

[jbaent]

As this is the only song written by Mark and David Knopfler officially released (there might be others) I have always wondered how the writing worked, do we know anything about that? when was it written? I presume in the Deptford days, who wrote the music? who wrote the words? or was it a Lennon & McCartney type thing?

It's not The Beatles where you know when each song was written, and the exact percentage of each songwriter's input

You can try to ask David on Facebook. I can imagine two brothers dabbling in writing music, some co-written songs would be bound to emerge at some point. According to David, I think I heard he helped to shape songs from the first DS albums. Writing credits are often a topic on this forum and the fact that "What's The Matter Baby" got both Mark and David credited means they both had a major input in this song.

I think with What's The Matter Baby it was David who wrote the song, and Mark who wrote the guitar part, the guitar break (aka intro) and probably altered the words, hence the writing credit. Can hardly imagine David coming up with intricate guitar harmonies like this.

David wrote some songs that were performed at the very early gigs of DS, like "Sacred loving", "Southside tenements" and others (one is mentioned in the "walk of life" book but can't remember the title) but as long as MK started having more and more songs, his songs were being out, and as once David said, MK's were better!

[Robson]

 "Southside tenements" ? ? ?

Are there any recordings?

[Dutchessy]

"Southside tenements" ? ? ?

Are there any recordings?

Sure, except not by DS

[Robson]

Exactly. But jbaent writes that DS.

[jbaent]

"Southside tenements" ? ? ?

Are there any recordings?

Sure, except not by DS

A wonderful song about the Deptford area where they were living at the time it was written.

[dustyvalentino]

"Southside tenements" ? ? ?

Are there any recordings?

Sure, except not by DS

Presumably this arrangement is very different to DS. Can’t really image a 4 piece playing something like this in London pubs in 1977.

[herlock]

David once said "Yes, isn't it funny that there aren't any credits for me on DS and Communiqué?"

I never understood whether this meant that (1) some songs on these albums were in fact cowritten by both brothers but Mark claimed all the credit for them, or (2) David's songs never made it to the albums, because Mark refused them.

I think (2) is more probable, but I have no evidence.

[2manyguitars]

"Southside tenements" ? ? ?

Are there any recordings?

Sure, except not by DS

Presumably this arrangement is very different to DS. Can’t really image a 4 piece playing something like this in London pubs in 1977.

Why worry.....lol 

[herlock]

I also thought that the chorus was reminiscent of Why Worry. A slowed down version...

[quizzaciously]

I also thought that the chorus was reminiscent of Why Worry. A slowed down version...

Why Worry meets In The Sky. Nice!

[TheTimeWasWrong]

David once said "Yes, isn't it funny that there aren't any credits for me on DS and Communiqué?"

I never understood whether this meant that (1) some songs on these albums were in fact cowritten by bother brothers but Mark claimed all the credit for them, or (2) David's songs never made it to the albums, because Mark refused them.

I think (2) is more probable, but I have no evidence.

Probably option 2, see 2:35

[JF]

in the Oldfield book, David explains that when they jammed together with Mark on acoustic guitars, before DS in Mark's flat at Buckhust Hill (CIRCA 75-76 I guess) they played more or less what became songs on two first albums. For example, he remembers the melodic line in Lions, and when Mark composed the song in studio in february-march 78, David gave him the idea to use this melody.

david explains that these jams were not exactly "songs" but more "a sound, a kind of style, of feeling"

so indeed, David "participated" in the DS groove so to say, but not exactly in writing songs imho