A Mark In Time

Mark Knopfler Discussion => Mark Knopfler Discussion Forum => Topic started by: Banjo99uk on March 18, 2010, 01:19:44 AM

Title: Charlie Gillett dies
Post by: Banjo99uk on March 18, 2010, 01:19:44 AM
Sad news today

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8573682.stm
Title: Re: Charlie Gillett dies
Post by: IrisRose on March 18, 2010, 02:25:37 AM
Sad and distressing news.   A loss to the world of music.   The Knopfler community will mourn him. 
Title: Re: Charlie Gillett dies
Post by: koobaa on March 18, 2010, 04:14:01 AM
Very sad indeed. He was one of the first who fell in love with MK's music and spread the word out.
R.I.P Charlie. Thank you for discovering one of the greatest talents in music.
Title: Re: Charlie Gillett dies
Post by: sweetsurrender on March 18, 2010, 06:58:56 AM
Thanks for the link.  what a sad news !!  Just think about this folks, without his playing DS demo tape of SOS, DS might never have been discovered. 
Title: Re: Charlie Gillett dies
Post by: Best Brown Baggies on March 18, 2010, 09:37:33 AM
Sad news indeed.
I wonder how the history of Dire Straits would have evolved without his intervention?

Cheers   BBB
Title: Re: Charlie Gillett dies
Post by: superval99 on March 18, 2010, 09:44:35 AM
I was very sad to hear that Charlie Gillett had died.    RIP Charlie.
Title: Re: Charlie Gillett dies
Post by: dmg on March 18, 2010, 12:33:42 PM
Only Charlie would play Sultans due to it's length I believe.  Sad news that he should pass, especially at only 68.
Title: Re: Charlie Gillett dies
Post by: ingridswing on March 18, 2010, 01:39:00 PM
Way to young, we owe him our thanks. RIP Charlie
Title: Re: Charlie Gillett dies
Post by: Love Expresso on March 25, 2010, 03:56:02 PM
TK has put this link on the MKNews site. It is from BBC The World Today and it contains five minutes of talk with John Illsley about Charlie Gillett. Interesting to listen to. It starts from minute 47:04 and John tells the demo tape story, which is not like I always thought the milk bottle story. Think I've got that story from a german book about Dire Straits... So another legend is destroyed here... Have a listen here:



http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p006nk1t/The_World_Today_20_03_2010/ (http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p006nk1t/The_World_Today_20_03_2010/)

LE
Title: Re: Charlie Gillett dies
Post by: man on a track on March 25, 2010, 05:02:36 PM
LE, you're mixing up two different stories if I'm informed correctly on that.
So don't worry about destroyed legends! ;)

I wonder what happens to Charlie's stacks of reel-to-reel tapes now... Especially THE ONE  :o
Title: Re: Charlie Gillett dies
Post by: Pottel on March 25, 2010, 11:25:51 PM
da demo,...omg...
Title: Re: Charlie Gillett dies
Post by: sweetsurrender on March 26, 2010, 04:34:57 AM
without CG playing the demo tape, do you folks think DS would ever have been discovered/ MK music carreer would ever have gotten off the ground ?

IMO, I think MK was at the right place at the right time. LUCKS definitely played a major role in his success.  Correct me if I'm wrong, I believed MK mentioned in one of the interviews that LUCKS had nothing to do with the success.
Title: Re: Charlie Gillett dies
Post by: man on a track on March 26, 2010, 09:58:16 AM
I think that quality always finds its way to the light of day - one way or another.
Don't forget that the DS album at first almost flopped in the UK.

But when it comes to the actual hieght of a specific flight I'd agree that luck does play a role, too.
Title: Re: Charlie Gillett dies
Post by: dustyvalentino on March 26, 2010, 12:40:31 PM
I think that quality always finds its way to the light of day - one way or another.

Normally, I would say this is the case but in actual fact there are just so many super talented musicians out there who never make it.

I guess however we'll never know!
Title: Re: Charlie Gillett dies
Post by: dmg on March 30, 2010, 12:24:26 PM
I think that quality always finds its way to the light of day - one way or another.
Don't forget that the DS album at first almost flopped in the UK.

But when it comes to the actual hieght of a specific flight I'd agree that luck does play a role, too.

A reason for the lack of relative success at the start was possible due to the popularity of punk music at the time but as they say the cream always rises to the top.
Title: Re: Charlie Gillett dies
Post by: vgonis on January 27, 2012, 12:22:55 PM
LE, I know this is an old thread, but I am too curious to let it go. Could you tell us the fabled milk bottles/demo story you mention and also the story John Illsley said to tumble down this story? (if you have or remember the source of the milk story, please won't you tell us) Thank you very much.
Title: Re: Charlie Gillett dies
Post by: Jules on January 27, 2012, 12:44:28 PM
Never heard about a bottle of milk...

Whats the story behind it?
Title: Re: Charlie Gillett dies
Post by: vgonis on January 27, 2012, 01:15:24 PM
I ask LE, because he mentions it previously on this very thread, and at least one person ( a guest) seemed to know what was about. Said that MK left the demo, by the bottles of milk at Charlie Gillett home, and that is how the world found out about DS. That is all I know. Also the link for John Illsley's interview doesn't work anymore, and it would be quite interesting to hear his version of the story.
Title: Re: Charlie Gillett dies
Post by: Jules on January 27, 2012, 01:26:23 PM
I always heard that John knew Charlie from the time John and his girlfriend owned a record shop in London and he went to visit Charlie and give him the tape.

Never heard the milk story.
Title: Re: Charlie Gillett dies
Post by: Love Expresso on January 27, 2012, 05:05:47 PM
I am at work, so all very short:

It is not that important, it was just a story I think I read somewhere in my early fan years (1985/1986 that was) and it was only saying that they gave their demo not to Charlie Gillett personally but put it in front of his door between the milk bottles (from which we know every English citizen has in front of his house all across the land...). So Charlie found it and played it... And I know the demo tapes as "famous milk  bottle tapes"... I am not who made this up, so if it is not true, I have just been taken in. I have a (German) book about the first two years of Dire Straits, will have a look tonight which one it is and if the story is in there...

LE
Title: Re: Charlie Gillett dies
Post by: vgonis on January 27, 2012, 05:29:26 PM
Thanks LE. And do you by any chance remember what was the story from Illsley's lips?
Title: Re: Charlie Gillett dies
Post by: Jules on January 27, 2012, 05:38:25 PM
Thanks LE. And do you by any chance remember what was the story from Illsley's lips?

The one I mentioned some posts before.
Title: Re: Charlie Gillett dies
Post by: vgonis on January 27, 2012, 05:47:21 PM
Jbaent, Thank you. I though your story was from a third source.
Title: Re: Charlie Gillett dies
Post by: Jules on January 27, 2012, 06:01:14 PM
Jbaent, Thank you. I though your story was from a third source.

Well, mine is the one I always read in the official books (Michael Oldfield and books written from that one), so it has to be the good one
Title: Re: Charlie Gillett dies
Post by: vgonis on January 27, 2012, 06:19:13 PM
It is not a bad story, but I would really prefer the milk bottle story to be the one. "Legend" stuff. :lol
Maybe we can start a new obscure, apocryphal story, that may contain time travel and aliens giving MK the unique talent for finger style guitar playing in order to convey a subliminal message. And the message could be that in 2012 we will have a new album, just before the end of the world. I know that the message is a little out of here, but we can work on it. :lol 
Title: Re: Charlie Gillett dies
Post by: Jules on January 27, 2012, 06:21:46 PM
It is not a bad story, but I would really prefer the milk bottle story to be the one. "Legend" stuff. :lol
Maybe we can start a new obscure, apocryphal story, that may contain time travel and aliens giving MK the unique talent for finger style guitar playing in order to convey a subliminal message. And the message could be that in 2012 we will have a new album, just before the end of the world. I know that the message is a little out of here, but we can work on it. :lol 

You are totally wrong...

When Jimi Hendrix died, MK was sent to cover it, it was the last article he wrote as journalist, because the spirit of Jimi got into MK, but only the guitar playing part (both were left handed), but as MK had a big personality, he forced the spirit to play like right handed, and little by little, pushed him back until nowadays, that the poor spirit can
Title: Re: Charlie Gillett dies
Post by: vgonis on January 27, 2012, 07:06:58 PM
Good one! But maybe the spirit got old and has arthritis.  :lol