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Author Topic: Tommy Mandel  (Read 9198 times)

OfflineJules

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Re: Tommy Mandel
« Reply #15 on: October 05, 2011, 11:38:58 PM »
That was Ron Eve
So Long

Offlinetommymandel

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Re: Tommy Mandel
« Reply #16 on: May 03, 2023, 06:35:39 AM »
Hi Everybody,
  Thanks for discussing me. I'm not Joop, so I think it's best that I answer the question.
Yes, I played in Dire Straits - the Love Over Gold tour, which resulted in the Alchemy release.
The great Alan Clark was my 'supervisor' - he played the bulk of the keyboard parts, on Piano, Hammond B3 organ, Prophet 5 and Yamaha GS-1 synths.
I was hired by Mark to be Alan's '3rd and 4th hands' - every note I played, and many of the sounds, were worked out by Mark or Alan.
I mistakenly thought I was musically to be an equal member. To be fair, it WAS explained to me. I guess I hoped I could sell them on my creativity too.
Of course, playing with Terry, Mark, Alan, John, Hal, (and at times, Mel Collins and, yes, Joop on percussion) was a fabulous experience!
We travelled the world, my first time to the Far East, and I learned a lot of musical style and control. Maybe not quite enough control, but I did my best to play the parts and make the band even greater than before. The hard bits were the volume swells on the synths, bringing in Strings with just the right onset. That's done with ones ankle btw.
Anyway, it was weird being "in" a band, but being told every note to play, even by a genius like Mark. I think I didn't accept his total authority quite enough. So the next tour, he went with Guy, who he had maybe asked before me anyway, but was busy on another tour, or so I heard later on.
I went on to play more with Bryan Adams, John Waite, Clash, B-52's, Cyndi, Tina, Chrissie, BonJovi, Richie Sambora, and have fine memories of my Dire Straits days.
In fact, Alan's and Guy's visit to Wembley when we played the stadium (it's on DVD) with Bryan A was one of my finest memories, seeing them and being proud.
   I too wondered why my name was left off the video. And why the camera cut away to artistic film of punters outside the venue during my only solo - the Romeo and Juliet string orchestration that I composed, instead of showing me or my hands. If it were one or the other, I'd say 'coincidence.' But the two together? Could Mark have done that on purpose?  I haven't really talked to him since, so I'll probably never know!
Nonetheless, I love John, Terry, Hal, Joop, Mel and Alan (the latter two whom I toured with last summer in Dire Straits Legacy doing the old tunes, but differently, with Trevor Horn on bass and Phil Palmer on guitar. It made me appreciate once again how good Mark's music is, 40 years down the road.)
Mark and I shared a few cool jams during soundchecks. We were born the same year, so we grew up with similar musical influences, which somehow surprised him. It's too bad we couldn't have ended up friends. I'm friends with all my other famous former bosses, like Bryan Adams, and John Waite, David Johansen, Ian Hunter, Mick Ronson (before he tragically died 30 years ago) -- but life goes on, I've been lucky to play with a lot of gifted guitar players Mick Ronson, Keith Scott, Richie Sambora, Earl Slick, Bo Diddley, Steve Love (Stories) & David Spinozza. Their playing touched me even deeper than Mark's, as respected as he is. Music is great, and thank Heaven for Everything!
You can check out my work at https://tommymandel.wordpress.com
« Last Edit: May 03, 2023, 06:42:53 AM by tommymandel »

Offlinedustyvalentino

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Re: Tommy Mandel
« Reply #17 on: May 03, 2023, 10:06:53 AM »
Thanks for posting Tommy, that clears up a lot. Strange indeed that the shot cut away during your solo.
"You can't polish a doo-doo" - Mark Knopfler

OfflinePottel

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Re: Tommy Mandel
« Reply #18 on: May 03, 2023, 10:37:20 AM »
welcome on here Tommy.
Interesting reading.
any Knopfler, Floyd or Dylan will do....

OfflineJF

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Re: Tommy Mandel
« Reply #19 on: May 03, 2023, 10:59:31 AM »
many many many many thanks Tommy for this post

II have always wondered about this things for almost 35 years ! on 23th july, I will publish a chronicle mon my blog for the 40th anniversary of the Alchemy concert, and your post gives me serious infos

if you remember, can you confirm that stargazer was played on a tape while you came on stage, or did you play it live with Terry (and then the video shots were edited) ?

and among your solos, I love the one on Portobello Belle (a shame the song is not on Alchemy)


thanks again !

Offlinecannibals

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Re: Tommy Mandel
« Reply #20 on: May 03, 2023, 03:39:42 PM »
Thank you Tommy.  :thumbsup

Offlinermarques821

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Re: Tommy Mandel
« Reply #21 on: May 04, 2023, 02:37:05 AM »
Hi Everybody,
  Thanks for discussing me. I'm not Joop, so I think it's best that I answer the question.
Yes, I played in Dire Straits - the Love Over Gold tour, which resulted in the Alchemy release.
The great Alan Clark was my 'supervisor' - he played the bulk of the keyboard parts, on Piano, Hammond B3 organ, Prophet 5 and Yamaha GS-1 synths.
I was hired by Mark to be Alan's '3rd and 4th hands' - every note I played, and many of the sounds, were worked out by Mark or Alan.
I mistakenly thought I was musically to be an equal member. To be fair, it WAS explained to me. I guess I hoped I could sell them on my creativity too.
Of course, playing with Terry, Mark, Alan, John, Hal, (and at times, Mel Collins and, yes, Joop on percussion) was a fabulous experience!
We travelled the world, my first time to the Far East, and I learned a lot of musical style and control. Maybe not quite enough control, but I did my best to play the parts and make the band even greater than before. The hard bits were the volume swells on the synths, bringing in Strings with just the right onset. That's done with ones ankle btw.
Anyway, it was weird being "in" a band, but being told every note to play, even by a genius like Mark. I think I didn't accept his total authority quite enough. So the next tour, he went with Guy, who he had maybe asked before me anyway, but was busy on another tour, or so I heard later on.
I went on to play more with Bryan Adams, John Waite, Clash, B-52's, Cyndi, Tina, Chrissie, BonJovi, Richie Sambora, and have fine memories of my Dire Straits days.
In fact, Alan's and Guy's visit to Wembley when we played the stadium (it's on DVD) with Bryan A was one of my finest memories, seeing them and being proud.
   I too wondered why my name was left off the video. And why the camera cut away to artistic film of punters outside the venue during my only solo - the Romeo and Juliet string orchestration that I composed, instead of showing me or my hands. If it were one or the other, I'd say 'coincidence.' But the two together? Could Mark have done that on purpose?  I haven't really talked to him since, so I'll probably never know!
Nonetheless, I love John, Terry, Hal, Joop, Mel and Alan (the latter two whom I toured with last summer in Dire Straits Legacy doing the old tunes, but differently, with Trevor Horn on bass and Phil Palmer on guitar. It made me appreciate once again how good Mark's music is, 40 years down the road.)
Mark and I shared a few cool jams during soundchecks. We were born the same year, so we grew up with similar musical influences, which somehow surprised him. It's too bad we couldn't have ended up friends. I'm friends with all my other famous former bosses, like Bryan Adams, and John Waite, David Johansen, Ian Hunter, Mick Ronson (before he tragically died 30 years ago) -- but life goes on, I've been lucky to play with a lot of gifted guitar players Mick Ronson, Keith Scott, Richie Sambora, Earl Slick, Bo Diddley, Steve Love (Stories) & David Spinozza. Their playing touched me even deeper than Mark's, as respected as he is. Music is great, and thank Heaven for Everything!
You can check out my work at https://tommymandel.wordpress.com
Hello Tommy and welcome!
My heart nearly skipped a beat when I read that you composed that synth sound on Romeo and Juliet (the one that allows Mark to change guitar to the Ovation, I assume). That's one of my favourite parts of Dire Straits live music and I sometimes put on the record only to listen to that instrumentation, it's so beautiful. It brought a different life to that song so thank you so much for creating that.

Offlinedustyvalentino

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Re: Tommy Mandel
« Reply #22 on: May 04, 2023, 10:15:21 AM »
Fairly certain MK changes to the Gibson Chet Atkins although he is in silhouette in the video at that point to be fair. :)
"You can't polish a doo-doo" - Mark Knopfler

Offline2manyguitars

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Re: Tommy Mandel
« Reply #23 on: May 04, 2023, 11:06:59 AM »
Fairly certain MK changes to the Gibson Chet Atkins although he is in silhouette in the video at that point to be fair. :)

Definitely. Its obviously a nylon stringed instrument given the sound....

OfflineJF

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Re: Tommy Mandel
« Reply #24 on: May 04, 2023, 11:35:46 AM »
Fairly certain MK changes to the Gibson Chet Atkins although he is in silhouette in the video at that point to be fair. :)

Definitely. Its obviously a nylon stringed instrument given the sound....

yes of course. and this way, he could link directly to the song love over gold

BTW, some Ovation guitars have nylon strings though (the one on PI studio version, WT studio version, and GH studio version)

Offlinermarques821

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Re: Tommy Mandel
« Reply #25 on: May 04, 2023, 02:04:52 PM »
Yes, my mistake. I had the Chet Atkins CE in mind but instead wrote Ovation, not sure why.

Offline2manyguitars

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Re: Tommy Mandel
« Reply #26 on: May 04, 2023, 04:19:09 PM »
Fairly certain MK changes to the Gibson Chet Atkins although he is in silhouette in the video at that point to be fair. :)

Definitely. Its obviously a nylon stringed instrument given the sound....

yes of course. and this way, he could link directly to the song love over gold

BTW, some Ovation guitars have nylon strings though (the one on PI studio version, WT studio version, and GH studio version)

I know, have one sat next to me! A pro series classic. Nice guitar.

I think Charlie Kamens (Ovation Founder) first guitars may well have been nylon strung although I know their very first model was the balladeer so I could be wrong on that. Lovely shiny backs as well! If you had one of those now they'd be worth a kings ransom......

Offlinetommymandel

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Re: Tommy Mandel
« Reply #27 on: May 11, 2023, 01:16:52 PM »
......
You can check out my work at https://tommymandel.wordpress.com
[/quote]
Hello Tommy and welcome!
My heart nearly skipped a beat when I read that you composed that synth sound on Romeo and Juliet (the one that allows Mark to change guitar to the Ovation, I assume). That's one of my favourite parts of Dire Straits live music and I sometimes put on the record only to listen to that instrumentation, it's so beautiful. It brought a different life to that song so thank you so much for creating that.
[/quote]

Thanks, '821 and Rüdiger, and thanks to everyone here for the warm welcome. I'll check in every so often. Great site!  :thumbsup :) :wave

 

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