Recent Posts

1

Mark Knopfler Discussion Forum / Re: Pick Whiters Live - 78 and 81. A Musical Analysis.

« Last post by fan no more on Today at 08:32:40 PM »

The band had evolved and become something else than Pick and David had "signed up for". Mark, John and Ed wanted a new direction. A bigger sound, bigger stages, more commercial success. The band had gained momentum, or as Mark has said, they had got the ball and ran with it. This was their chance. Quiet jazz drumming and continuing as a little pub outfit were not part of the formula. It's easy to look back and think of Mark as a egotistical dictator, but as Chris mentioned, without Mark's songs and guitar, the band was nothing. It was a take it or leave it moment, so sacrifices had to be made. Professional and familiar. Had we been in Mark's shoes, I think most of us had done the same thing.

Sorry, what was the question again? 

2

Mark Knopfler Discussion Forum / Re: Pick Whiters Live - 78 and 81. A Musical Analysis.

« Last post by Robson on Today at 06:49:37 PM »

But more often it was said that Pick was fed up with long tours, which is why he left the band.

3

Mark Knopfler Discussion Forum / Re: Pick Whiters Live - 78 and 81. A Musical Analysis.

« Last post by wayaman on Today at 06:31:48 PM »

For me that change of playing is easy to understand as the band went from a quartet where the guitars and his drums where the ones leading the song, to a bigger band with a different guitar player, a keyboard, and songs being extended a lot with many minutes of keyboard-basds instrumentation, logically that demanded other kind of drumming, that made Pick more and more uncomfortable and leaves the band. Then Terry replaced him and his drumming fitted better to the new DS style.

For me Pick is a genius.

4

Mark Knopfler Discussion Forum / Re: A Modern Tribute to Dire Straits – AI Creates an Original Track with Knopfler’s

« Last post by Ingrained on August 30, 2025, 11:53:56 PM »

I hope David Knopfler won't mind, but these are important words (published on Facebook) on the subject of Al.

With AI now writing the lion’s share of Dire Straits BS on social media, the real history, for what little it’s worth, is rapidly evaporating. That the truth is going begging in something as trivial as this arguably matters little - although for me it’s resulting in a defamatory narrative to some degree in the lean it encourages - but what is this going to do to less trivial facts when the pressures to invent noise over signal to obtain commercialised views leads to important historical facts being  skewed?

Read it three times and have no clue what he wanted to say. Too high level of eloquence for a non-English speaking person like me.

LE

It’s not you. It is hard to scan.

5

Mark Knopfler Discussion Forum / Re: Pick Whiters Live - 78 and 81. A Musical Analysis.

« Last post by Chris W on August 30, 2025, 04:53:46 PM »

I'd be interested in knowing what's really going on with his approach to SOS in 78/79 and 80/81. What's changed? Also, the drum kit seems to have changed—a new tone, a new approach.

As I said, we know from Pick himself that he was asked to play increasingly louder. That changes your tone and what you choose to play.
Early on Pick had a bubbly style, busy. By the early 80's he seemed to be playing straighter and simpler parts.
We don't know 'what changed', but from Pick's mouth and my own, we know that Mark decided how the drums should sound and (often) be played.

6

Mark Knopfler Discussion Forum / Re: Pick Whiters Live - 78 and 81. A Musical Analysis.

« Last post by Brunno Nunes on August 30, 2025, 03:14:33 PM »

If anyone can elaborate, please let me know; they're welcome.

This is a massive subject, but the huge elephant in the room is that no musician operates in a vacuum.
I am certain that a lot of changes in Pick's playing were as a result of requests (to put it politely) from 'above'.
In a way, everyone in the band is there to serve the songs and as such the songwriter wields a lot of power.
In the beginning bands are more of a democracy, but over time as the importance of certain people becomes more evident, that democracy breaks down. (Look at The Police, example Sting). In it's harshest analysis, Dire Straits would be nothing without Mark's songs and guitar playing. So quite early on he becomes the most powerful member of the band.
Pick has spoken in recent interviews about being asked to play harder and louder. This request came from Mark, but was backed by John. He probably tried to resist at first, but then thought he could accommodate the request and stay in the band.
Playing much harder definitely affects your technique, also the things you choose to play. In the end, Pick decided he had to leave the band, this was for various reasons, but one of them being required by Mark to play drums in a way that he (Pick) didn't want to play.
**So** if you want to discuss the way Pick's drumming changed over a couple of years, it might not just be about Pick, or his personal choices, but changes that were imposed on him.

Thanks for your participation and thoughts, Chris W.

Actually, I'd be interested in an analysis not focused on why he changed his approach. You were very punctual, and you certainly received instructions from above to play louder. Besides the band having a new configuration compared to the original quartet, now with keyboards, I'd be interested in knowing what's really going on with his approach to SOS in 78/79 and 80/81. What's changed? Also, the drum kit seems to have changed—a new tone, a new approach.

In other words, I'd like to know how things worked live on the drums in 78 and 81, taking the song "SOS" as a starting point (he went from approach X to approach Y, from 78 to 81).

I initially chose "SOS" since this song spans Dire Straits' entire trajectory: two tours with Pick, two with Terry, and one with you, Chris. Each era has its own distinct feel and approach.

I'm wanting to look at these songs a bit through the prism of the drums rather than the guitars, starting with SOS.

7

Mark Knopfler Discussion Forum / Re: A Modern Tribute to Dire Straits – AI Creates an Original Track with Knopfler’s

« Last post by Chris W on August 30, 2025, 12:09:59 PM »

Agreed.
Even many professionally produced articles and stories now contain AI.
I can see it distorting history, especially when there is more than one version of events.

8

Mark Knopfler Discussion Forum / Re: A Modern Tribute to Dire Straits – AI Creates an Original Track with Knopfler’s

« Last post by ds1984 on August 30, 2025, 11:13:13 AM »

I think he just want to say that AI generated information are distording the facts and thus is generating a new truth.

My 0.02 €.

9

Mark Knopfler Discussion Forum / Re: A Modern Tribute to Dire Straits – AI Creates an Original Track with Knopfler’s

« Last post by Love Expresso on August 30, 2025, 10:51:47 AM »

I hope David Knopfler won't mind, but these are important words (published on Facebook) on the subject of Al.

With AI now writing the lion’s share of Dire Straits BS on social media, the real history, for what little it’s worth, is rapidly evaporating. That the truth is going begging in something as trivial as this arguably matters little - although for me it’s resulting in a defamatory narrative to some degree in the lean it encourages - but what is this going to do to less trivial facts when the pressures to invent noise over signal to obtain commercialised views leads to important historical facts being  skewed?

Read it three times and have no clue what he wanted to say. Too high level of eloquence for a non-English speaking person like me.

LE

10

Mark Knopfler Discussion Forum / Re: Pick Whiters Live - 78 and 81. A Musical Analysis.

« Last post by Chris W on August 30, 2025, 10:16:57 AM »

If anyone can elaborate, please let me know; they're welcome.

This is a massive subject, but the huge elephant in the room is that no musician operates in a vacuum.
I am certain that a lot of changes in Pick's playing were as a result of requests (to put it politely) from 'above'.
In a way, everyone in the band is there to serve the songs and as such the songwriter wields a lot of power.
In the beginning bands are more of a democracy, but over time as the importance of certain people becomes more evident, that democracy breaks down. (Look at The Police, example Sting). In it's harshest analysis, Dire Straits would be nothing without Mark's songs and guitar playing. So quite early on he becomes the most powerful member of the band.
Pick has spoken in recent interviews about being asked to play harder and louder. This request came from Mark, but was backed by John. He probably tried to resist at first, but then thought he could accommodate the request and stay in the band.
Playing much harder definitely affects your technique, also the things you choose to play. In the end, Pick decided he had to leave the band, this was for various reasons, but one of them being required by Mark to play drums in a way that he (Pick) didn't want to play.
**So** if you want to discuss the way Pick's drumming changed over a couple of years, it might not just be about Pick, or his personal choices, but changes that were imposed on him.