Why did Mark get DS back together to record OES?

[hunter]

It's been a while since I read interviews from that time, and I haven't read Illsley's book, but what were Mark's reasons to record again with DS? I watched an interview with Chuck Ainlay recently who said Mark said to him that "after this album [OES] there won't be more DS albums" and asked whether Chuck would be interested in working with him on solo projects. I mean, after BIA, he was sick of the media attention and the large-scale operation that DS entailed, so why would he want to go back to all of that, even when he had the end of DS in his mind? Contractual fulfilment? Escape from the difficult situation at home? I can't even imagine embarking on such a large-scale recording and tour with that frame of mind ... 

[ds1984]

All the reasons you give and may add that after several years doing "side" projects he had the time to rest, he felt now ready to bring the "heavy truck" back and he had material for another DS album as well.

[hunter]

Contractual fulfillment for sure is a strong reason. I wonder though if no touring, or at least touring on a smaller scale, was an option at all.

[Robson]

DS never toured on a smaller scale

[hunter]

DS never toured on a smaller scale

I know, but as we know that Mark didn't really want to go through with this, I was just wondering if DS could have recorded the album and fulfilled the obligations without touring, or at least something on a lesser scale than the BIA tour ha-ha. Since the idea never was to really relaunch DS, then the huge OES tour doesn't make sense.

[ds1984]

We don't know how much he was interested or not by bringing Dire Straits back to OES.

Maybe he did not know himself until some point...
As Mark said in april 1992 to a reporter, you really have to want to do it.
So Mark had some motivation to do a tour that big.
Problem is that things did not get that well.

On the opposite, during the GH era he was falling in love.
He has still to fight for overtaking control but he was in a positive mind, he was not run by saddness.

 
 

[hunter]

We don't know how much he was interested or not by bringing Dire Straits back to OES.

Maybe he did not know himself until some point...
As Mark said in april 1992 to a reporter, you really have to want to do it.
So Mark had some motivation to do a tour that big.
Problem is that things did not get that well.

On the opposite, during the GH era he was falling in love.
He has still to fight for overtaking control but he was in a positive mind, he was not run by saddness.

True, we don't know how interested or not he was, but since, according to Chuck Ainlay, Mark already was looking past DS and at a solo career when they were recording OES, it is very likely his heart wasn't into it. At least not the touring part. But who knows, maybe there was a moment there when he was excited about the idea? John Illsley was surprised though (if I remember correctly from an interview) when he met Mark for a meal and Mark said he had a batch of new songs and asked what John thought about getting the band together again. I'm just trying to figure out if Mark actually wanted this or if he simply had to (contract).

[ds1984]

I shall not forget that John Illsley did (technically) not match Mark's expectations as a bass player.

[quizzaciously]

This is something I would looooove to ask Mark if I ever had a chance. The Police disbanded after their last album and tour, and Mark decided to push it forward with Dire Straits. To me, it's more noble and "badass" to end on the most successful album. It makes sense to end things on the highest point, rather than continue milking the thing for what it is worth. Mark could've easily launched a proper solo career at this point, and doing it "for contractual" reasons seems strange for a guy who always barged about nothing and nobody having any interference with his work.

[jbaent]

Maybe he needed a confirmation for himself that DS was done. Remember he was divorcing at the time so maybe it was a mix of reasons, having an excuse for being far from home, and at the same time find out if he still wants to keep the band going on or pursue a solo career.

[hunter]

As mentioned, I haven't read John's book. He didn't mention anything about this in it?

[hunter]

Here's a nice interview I never seen before. It sheds a lot of light on Mark's mindset at the time. This part is interesting:


RS: Is Dire Straits nowadays, let's be realistic about this, is it really a vehicle for Mark Knopfler, or is it still a coherent band?

MK: Oh yeah, I mean, I wouldn't write... if I'd written all those tunes and wanted to record 'em another way I would have done it, I mean no sweat at all, I would have just done it. But I find, I think, with all the other work that I do, hanging around with the Hillbilly thing, with Brendan, people like that, I get plenty of outlets, more than enough for a healthy boy. I'm not looking for anything else at the moment; I mean, certainly I wouldn't be *that* interested in doing solo records - it's more fun in a band anyway. You get all the best jokes. If you're on your own... I just wouldn't like to ride around the world, when it was time to play, with a bunch of hired guns.

https://www.odabasi.net/dsint3.htm

[Pottel]

This is something I would looooove to ask Mark if I ever had a chance. The Police disbanded after their last album and tour, and Mark decided to push it forward with Dire Straits. To me, it's more noble and "badass" to end on the most successful album. It makes sense to end things on the highest point, rather than continue milking the thing for what it is worth. Mark could've easily launched a proper solo career at this point, and doing it "for contractual" reasons seems strange for a guy who always barged about nothing and nobody having any interference with his work.

i for one am happy OES was made. some absolute gems on it.

[hunter]

A great article from after 2018 (can't find the date, but the RRHF is mentioned) which reviews OES, some of Mark's possible motives for reforming the band, and also a general analysis of Mark: https://www.pastpri.me/home/dire-straits-on-every-street

[TheTimeWasWrong]

I also never understood the 'produced by Mark Knopfler and Dire Straits'.