Remarkable Facebook post from David Knopfler about Single Handed Sailor

[Love Expresso]

David Knopfler posted this on his facebook page this morning:

"It’s rare these days that it happens but I woke up with an old Dire Straits song running around my head, tonight. It was among my favourite Mark Knopfler compositions from that 1970s era.

“Single Handed Sailor” has a nicely sketched out, emotionally satisfying, lyric and a quite demanding tune to perform too, with some jazz influenced inflections. I probably wouldn’t be able to figure it all out now.

Mark brought it, pretty much fully formed, to rehearsals and I think, had written it overnight. I don’t believe the slightly quirky and busy, rhythm part I added, after Mark showed me the trickier chords, really met full approval from either Mark or later our Producer, Barry Becket. I’m pretty sure if I’d been a session player, they would have insisted it was tidied up more and delivered something a little more consistent, spacey and disciplined but they generously let it go and it survived to make the cut, for better or worse. If memory serves, and often these days it doesn’t, it was still performed in the live set when I left the band.

It had a kind of rhythmic pace and economy that was simpatico to the sentiment of the song.  Maybe I also liked it, in part, because I also found the river Thames at night, with its quiet barges moving, almost invisibly, through the dark, so quickly in and out of view inspirational... a place of excitement and beauty. And there was also the not unremarkable skill for just one person to be handling such a boat. I don’t suppose those long sand barges are still around these days performing their industrial deliveries.

That economical, almost romantic “Eng-Lit” and half-journalistic style of narration worked for me. It wasn’t commonly used by lyricists in the gracelessness of the punk era either. I wouldn’t be surprised if Mark wouldn’t have tipped a nod to the way Ray Davis could mine treasure from the battered grime of Waterloo Station and bridge.

I guess we made a decent noise for four people. It never felt at the time like we had enough men onboard to do the job but maybe that was part of the skeletal charm; that like most four piece bands, you couldn’t disguise much in the arrangements."

LE

[Dutchessy]

I saw it too, very nice to read. I hope he will share more of this insight stories in the future.

[superval99]

Enjoyable reading!     

[jbaent]

Yes ... I interviewed DK by mail for the second edition of my book and he also had quite nice words about MK and those years.

For me it looks like he was really prepared to join his brother at the HOF, mentally and spiritually but maybe Mark wasn't ready yet.

It's nice also to read his comments about his own playing. I always considered his rythmic guitar suited very well the intricate rythmic by MK, simple but effective. His playing was similar in all he recorded with DS, subtle and simple, suiting the songs perfectly, and also did a great job at live shows.

[herlock]

Indeed ! I always thought that DTTW was nice in the "enhanced" version with keyboards and synth they did in 80/81, but still, that Hal's guitar was no match for David's groove, and that stripped-down '79 versions were better.The BBC arena version is awesome, a bit more uptempo, looks like MK was a bit drunk...

On another note, in this interview, is DK trying subtly to convey the message that he co-wrote SHS and should have been credited ? Remember the 2005 interview, he was less nice and said that it was strange he did not get more credits for the 2 first DS albums - without going into details of which songs he would have written...

[Love Expresso]

What Interview are you talking about? I clearly stated that he posted this on his facebook page today? The first sentence should make this clear? I really think you need a lot of imagination to see this as a try of him  to get credited more for Single Handed Sailor? He says clearly that Mark came with it fully formed overnight? Isn't he fully adoring here what Mark came up with, from both levels, musically and lyrically?

LE

[herlock]

Yes, I'm talking about the recent one, and I actually don't mean anything nasty... I'm just talking about the parts where he says -nicely- that his brother and the production were kind enough to accept his less-than-perfect rythm chords input, which is also stating that he gave some input to the song, albeit minor...

I just then remembered the 2005 interview where he was much more explicit about not having been credited for the first 2 albums, and put the two together - just raising the question about DK maybe still thinking he should have been credited, but presenting it in a much more cheerful manner than he used to...

I did not mean to offend anybody by raising this question, and if I did, please accept my sincere apologies. The interview is nice, no question !

[jbaent]

I also read DK telling that most of the DS songs from the DS and Communique record were built in cooperation, starting from MK lyrics and chords but what is called arrangements was done as a band, and some songs really came from even before they knew John, that he was always under the impression that they were co-writing in some way, starting from MK lyrics and chords, adding this and that, but in the end he only was credited for "what's the matter baby".

He always recognised the obvious MK merits and the genius he was and is, but in that years not only David had inputs in the songs, also John and Pick, specially Pick.

[Love Expresso]

It's NOT an interview, it's a Facebook post ...


He was part of the band and his job was it to play the rhythm guitar. In stating that they let him get away with his non-perfection, I think he shows some real greatness. It's as he seems embarrassed to be part of this masterpiece, as he apologizes for having spoiled it with his contribution. At least that's my interpretation.

LE

[herlock]

Sorry about the confusion interview / FB post.

I agree with everything you say. His post is very nicely put, and their is no attack in it. I'm just saying that he used to be more blunt about it, and now he is still subtly conveying the message that Mark did 90%, but the other 10% were contributed by the other members, as Jbaent said it well. Nonetheless, save for "What's the matter baby" which was not even released on a studio album, Mark got all the credits.

My take on it is that now DK has reached wisdom and does not resent these things anymore, but still nicely teases us about them...

[Love Expresso]

I would say that he really is searching for peace. He is very much on a new path now. Remember him talking about playing with Mark once more before dying, not so long ago? Was very touching from my point of view.

LE

[herlock]

It is touching indeed !

[Robson]

I would say that he really is searching for peace. He is very much on a new path now. Remember him talking about playing with Mark once more before dying, not so long ago? Was very touching from my point of view.

LE

Me too.

[jbaent]

I would say that he really is searching for peace. He is very much on a new path now. Remember him talking about playing with Mark once more before dying, not so long ago? Was very touching from my point of view.

LE

Yes!

I think that DK was really nervous and cautious about the HOF thing, it would had been a great occasion to make peace with MK and he knew it....

[Love Expresso]

It's just that so many people talk about Mark's abilities as a Musician and a songwriter. But often they only repeat what others said or printed. But getting a judgement about his lyrics and writing from no one else than his brother is something very special. And he finds very lyrical words about the song himself.

LE