A Mark In Time

Mark Knopfler Discussion => Mark Knopfler Discussion Forum => Topic started by: Terry01 on February 03, 2018, 05:01:46 PM

Title: Favourite DS drummer
Post by: Terry01 on February 03, 2018, 05:01:46 PM
Who is your favourite DS drummer? Wither, Williams or Whitten?
I prefer Terry Williams, maan.. his drumming was very wonderful, it gave very much energy to all songs
Title: Re: Favourite DS drummer
Post by: Eddie Fox on February 03, 2018, 05:26:34 PM
Pick, with Terry coming close behind. I loved Pick's clever drumming, so subtle, sensitive and dynamic. Terry was more energetic and louder, I liked it too. Chris is a world class musician but I don't think his playing style suited DS. He ruined Sultans of Swing to me. Funnily enough, Dublin 1991 (straight to the point bootleg) is one of my favorite SoS versions of all time. I guess it has more to do with Mark's solos though, he was on fire that evening.
Title: Re: Favourite DS drummer
Post by: quizzaciously on February 03, 2018, 05:31:56 PM
Omar Hakim lol.
Title: Re: Favourite DS drummer
Post by: Robson on February 03, 2018, 05:37:36 PM
Hard to say. Terry Williams was the most rocket drummer for me. But I liked them all probably  ;)
Title: Re: Favourite DS drummer
Post by: Eddie Fox on February 03, 2018, 05:56:25 PM
Omar Hakim lol.

Omar is the whole package, that would've been awesome.
Title: Re: Favourite DS drummer
Post by: cannibals on February 03, 2018, 06:29:24 PM
I like Steve Gadd's drumming a lot. He's the one on the song 50 ways to leave your lover by Paul Simon.
I always wondered how it would be if he played in Mark's band? He also played with EC when he's on tour..
Title: Re: Favourite DS drummer
Post by: Mossguitar on February 03, 2018, 06:38:43 PM
Pick Withers, of course.
Title: Re: Favourite DS drummer
Post by: dmg on February 03, 2018, 07:26:57 PM
Would've loved to have heard Omar on a tour a one point.  I think his work on the BIA record is fab.

Probably El Tel for my fav but Pick was fantastic too, especially on Sultans.  I suppose they each had their own era as songs were developing and both had their own style.
Title: Re: Favourite DS drummer
Post by: naif on February 03, 2018, 07:31:30 PM
Without any doubt, Pick Withers. Before Brothers in Arms and digital recording shit, DS was the coolest band in the world and Pick's drumming skills perfect match for the bands sound.
Title: Re: Favourite DS drummer
Post by: Ingo on February 03, 2018, 07:45:50 PM
I loved Pick's clever drumming, so subtle, sensitive and dynamic.

+1
Title: Re: Favourite DS drummer
Post by: Peter1981 on February 03, 2018, 07:49:19 PM
too easy, no contest ! Pick.
Title: Re: Favourite DS drummer
Post by: ds1984 on February 04, 2018, 12:06:43 AM
Pick, Manu Katché & Terry.

Actually it depends of the tracks

Imagine if we had the chance to hear PONO performed live with Manu on it?
Title: Re: Favourite DS drummer
Post by: Jules on February 04, 2018, 12:33:26 AM
Jeff Porcaro
Title: Re: Favourite DS drummer
Post by: mschaap on February 04, 2018, 10:51:51 AM
I think Pick, Omar, Manu and Jeff are all amazingly good but it seems impossible to compare them based only their work with DS. They were in the band at very different periods and some of them only did a few songs. Does anyone know exactly which songs were played by Manu and which by Jeff on OES?
I think Terry did a phenomenal job live on Alchemy but it is not without reason he got replaced during the studio sessions of BIA, and that being purely musical.
Title: Re: Favourite DS drummer
Post by: ds1984 on February 04, 2018, 05:08:44 PM
I think Pick, Omar, Manu and Jeff are all amazingly good but it seems impossible to compare them based only their work with DS. They were in the band at very different periods and some of them only did a few songs. Does anyone know exactly which songs were played by Manu and which by Jeff on OES?
I think Terry did a phenomenal job live on Alchemy but it is not without reason he got replaced during the studio sessions of BIA, and that being purely musical.

The list has been available, Manu was credited on 4 or 5 songs.
Manu in an interview talked about PONO and Heavy Fuel. I don't remember the other ones.

Mark has a rock 'n' roll heart but at the time his writing was under the jazz scene influence and Terry is a straight R'N'R drummer - could not match...
Title: Re: Favourite DS drummer
Post by: Darling Pretty on February 04, 2018, 06:12:07 PM
OES was DS strongest album in terms of Drumming.
So Porcaro/Katche

Terry was for sure the weakest. There were good reasons that he was replaced by Omar Hakim on the BIA record

Pick was very good on all the albums. He is a legend

Also I liked Chad Cromwell very much on MKs solo albums and tours
Title: Re: Favourite DS drummer
Post by: zeta on February 04, 2018, 08:17:29 PM
Hard to tell. I fell in love with DS because of "On The Night" (and it's still my favorite live album ever), so Chris Whitten was the first DS drummer I've heard and saw on tape. But for sure, the most suitable for the band was Pick and the most technical are Hakim/Porcaro.
Title: Re: Favourite DS drummer
Post by: Eddie Fox on February 04, 2018, 10:25:39 PM
I don’t count session drummers in. These guys are all incredible but they were never really in the band.
Title: Re: Favourite DS drummer
Post by: JF on February 04, 2018, 11:02:33 PM
Richard Bennett on the cowbell in 2005  ;D
Title: Re: Favourite DS drummer
Post by: kaleo74 on February 05, 2018, 04:35:07 AM
I don’t count session drummers in. These guys are all incredible but they were never really in the band.

Exactly, and you're right, Pick was the best drummer in terms of sensitivity he was versatile... Terry was mister horse power at that time when the band needed energy.
I think today, Mark found his drummer, finally. 
Title: Re: Favourite DS drummer
Post by: Jules on February 05, 2018, 08:22:58 AM
I don’t count session drummers in. These guys are all incredible but they were never really in the band.

Pick was the only one in the band. All the rest were hired guns.
Title: Re: Favourite DS drummer
Post by: Eddie Fox on February 05, 2018, 09:10:06 AM
I don’t count session drummers in. These guys are all incredible but they were never really in the band.

Pick was the only one in the band. All the rest were hired guns.

I know but I’m talking about being in the band, playing live, showing their faces and so on. Terry and Chris were more than a name in the sleeve.
Title: Re: Favourite DS drummer
Post by: Jules on February 05, 2018, 10:06:17 AM
I don’t count session drummers in. These guys are all incredible but they were never really in the band.

Pick was the only one in the band. All the rest were hired guns.

I know but I’m talking about being in the band, playing live, showing their faces and so on. Terry and Chris were more than a name in the sleeve.

Non of them played in any DS studio record, only Terry got to play in the Twisting EP and walk of life and MFN intro.

Chris was a hired gun for live concerts as much as Porcaro and Katche were hired guns for the studio record.

However we all consider Terry as a member because of Alchemy, the BiA tour and the Mandela concert, even he was just a hired gun for that period
Title: Re: Favourite DS drummer
Post by: dmg on February 05, 2018, 12:59:09 PM
Terry was always the DS drummer for me for a few reasons:

played when the band were at peak of popularity
played at Live Aid
played on the famous Alchemy record/video
had a power and energy that lifted the rest of the band (many songs on the OES tour sounded lifeless by comparison)


Title: Re: Favourite DS drummer
Post by: Terry01 on February 05, 2018, 01:20:39 PM
Terry was always the DS drummer for me for a few reasons:

played when the band were at peak of popularity
played at Live Aid
played on the famous Alchemy record/video
had a power and energy that lifted the rest of the band (many songs on the OES tour sounded lifeless by comparison)

I agree 100% with you dmg!! For example, i prefer SOS of Alchemy or Wembley, instead of the OES Tour peformance..
Title: Re: Favourite DS drummer
Post by: quizzaciously on February 05, 2018, 01:25:14 PM
Terry was always the DS drummer for me for a few reasons:

played when the band were at peak of popularity
played at Live Aid
played on the famous Alchemy record/video
had a power and energy that lifted the rest of the band (many songs on the OES tour sounded lifeless by comparison)

I agree 100% with you dmg!! For example, i prefer SOS of Alchemy or Wembley, instead of the OES Tour peformance..

Moreover, he just seems to be a good chap, like D. Cummings or H. Lindes for example among others.
Title: Re: Favourite DS drummer
Post by: Eddie Fox on February 05, 2018, 02:52:21 PM
In my opinion Chris can be seen as a non-official DS member rather than a session drummer. You see his face on a live DVD and in three or four videoclips, including Calling Elvis, with his own puppet. I didn't even know what Manu looked like before that infamous interview. I know Omar Hakim from his work with Sting and Jeff Porcaro's face was a mistery to me until 5 minutes ago.

In fact there's no right and wrong here, just different interpretations. I never liked Whitten's drumming anyway...  ;D
Title: Re: Favourite DS drummer
Post by: Eddie Fox on February 05, 2018, 03:01:09 PM
Terry was always the DS drummer for me for a few reasons:

played when the band were at peak of popularity
played at Live Aid
played on the famous Alchemy record/video
had a power and energy that lifted the rest of the band (many songs on the OES tour sounded lifeless by comparison)

You just came up with the best word to describe Chris' drumming on that tour: lifeless. The very only song that was improved by his drumming was Money for Nothing. His playing was too bureaucratic and conservative to my taste, it felt robotic. I wonder what that tour would've been like with Manu or Jeff behind the drum kit and Vince Gill instead of Phil Palmer.
Title: Re: Favourite DS drummer
Post by: ds1984 on February 06, 2018, 10:06:25 PM
IMHO Chris was ok. He is by far not the drummer I have the most difficulties to listen.

Title: Re: Favourite DS drummer
Post by: Jules on February 07, 2018, 11:20:07 AM
IMHO Chris was ok. He is by far not the drummer I have the most difficulties to listen.

To me is why I find the OES tour live recordings boring as hell...
Title: Re: Favourite DS drummer
Post by: JF on February 07, 2018, 12:48:28 PM
IMHO Chris was ok. He is by far not the drummer I have the most difficulties to listen.

To me is why I find the OES tour live recordings boring as hell...

+1