Alan Clark - new interview

[quizzaciously]

The book was 2021 wasn't it? And the song was released 2017.

Indeed, and I'm glad they found new ways of living instead of bashing MK and biting the hand that fed them, or at least their fame. They sure can learn from their mistakes. Phil wrote an autobiography, Alan released an album of solo piano stuff. That's the way you do it! Good stuff. No this "Mark wasn't a big part of Dire Straits after all" BS. In Phil's case, I am aware he's an established session player, but knowing this his attitude towards Mark and Legacy shenanigans with Clark seems even more inappropriate. Like, maybe life is more interesting than dissing somebody you played 30 years ago and earning money from playing his songs at the same time?

[the visitor]

Latest interview.
Alan Clark gave an interview to "Teraz Rock" magazine. I thought this excerpt was interesting and perhaps a bit controversial and debatable: Alan Clark assesses the misguided direction Dire Straits went in

"I was not enthusiastic about it, although pedal steel guitar player Paul Franklin is an excellent musician and it was great working with him. In my opinion, however, there are too many country elements on the album. I generally saw it as the wrong direction for Dire Straits. But at the time, Mark was fascinated to the maximum by the sounds of Nashville...

I think he's bang on. On Every Street probably contains most of my least favourite Dire Straits songs for this reason.

[Robson]

"Alan released an album of solo piano stuff"

If I remember correctly, Alan had permission from MK.

[quizzaciously]

"Alan released an album of solo piano stuff"

If I remember correctly, Alan had permission from MK.

No surprise, you need clearance to release someone else's music commercially. It was a great effort, I would want to hear more from solo Alan. After all, he is a great keyboard player, and this you cannot take from him. All I wrote earlier applies to his 'other' 'work'.

[Robson]

"Alan is not surprised, actually he says MK was was fascinated to the maximum by the sounds of Nashville, no, Alan doesn't says he came surprised, only that from what DS was and was doing he thought that wasn't the right direction"

I understand it exactly the same way. This statement shows that Alan even understands it, but does not approve.

[fan no more]

Alan's album of lounge piano versions of DS music – I think I've listened to it once.

[Eddie Fox]

Well, Mark always dictated which direction the band would take, so I don’t know how any move could be wrong.

Re OES, I adore the album. Is it different from the previous ones? Thank God it is, that’s called evolution, something Alan doesn’t seem to know, otherwise wouldn’t be playing someone else’s songs 30 years after the band broke up. Dude should move on, he’s exhausting.

[ds1984]

"Alan released an album of solo piano stuff"

If I remember correctly, Alan had permission from MK.

No surprise, you need clearance to release someone else's music commercially. It was a great effort, I would want to hear more from solo Alan. After all, he is a great keyboard player, and this you cannot take from him. All I wrote earlier applies to his 'other' 'work'.

To my know, in france, once published a song can be covered by anybody as long as he pays the fees to do so (mainly SACEM).
But I think that there are some unwritten rules withing the music business.
Famous recent case on the matter is Jenifer covering France Gall ('Ma déclaration').

[quizzaciously]

"Alan released an album of solo piano stuff"

If I remember correctly, Alan had permission from MK.

No surprise, you need clearance to release someone else's music commercially. It was a great effort, I would want to hear more from solo Alan. After all, he is a great keyboard player, and this you cannot take from him. All I wrote earlier applies to his 'other' 'work'.

To my know, in france, once published a song can be covered by anybody as long as he pays the fees to do so (mainly SACEM).
But I think that there are some unwritten rules withing the music business.
Famous recent case on the matter is Jenifer covering France Gall.

Wow, if that's the case you've got pretty mild copyright laws in France. Sure, rules differ from place to place, and it's not necessarily "Mark personally green-lighted Alan to record his songs", just some bureaucratic process involving clearing the rights. I remember one Russian jazz player recorded Paul McCartney's song "Yesterday", and bragged everywhere that Paul himself blessed him to record his version. I bet 100% Paul has never seen this guy and never heard from him.

[quizzaciously]

Alan's album of lounge piano versions of DS music – I think I've listened to it once.

Still better than all the Legacy stuff and all the controversial statements. I'd take 10 lounge piano albums from AC than his whole tenure at DSL.

[the visitor]

I think his solo album is really good, particularly Romeo and Juliet. A really different take on it and you can feel he was deeply involved in the orchestration of the later versions of this son that we hear on tour. His original composition of 'the North' is well worth a listen. Big respect to Alan from me.

[fan no more]

Don't get me wrong, I love Alan's work in Dire Straits. He added so much to the music, and Alchemy especially would not have been the same without him. Simply beautiful. But his solo album I find boring, and almost a little cheesy. The tracks are mostly slow ballads, and everything sounds extremely similar. I had a quick listen now just to check if I remembered correctly. And I did.

[Knut]

He's a proffesional musicians that get paid for playing, any session or live gig is a session or live gig.

And he's not doing anything different to Danny Cummings, who plays in the same band that Alan.

And apparently MK greeted Alan on his piano solo record.

But each to its own.

Danny is a unique specimen, I think he's just so diplomatic he can hang out and play with anybody. He never said anything controversial, he never was a founder or a musical director of tribute acts, and he is a session musician enjoying playing good songs. John Illsley played with tribute acts, and almost all of them did. Tribute acts are not a problem, attitude is. AC said so many obnoxious and controversial things over the years, and was so sure MK is just a little part of DS, that this legacy (excuse the term) continues to this day. Even when DSL released their album, they called it "3 Chord Trick" apparently as a diss on Mark's ability to write simple similar songs. If this is not effed-up, then I don't know what is.

Funily, 3 chord trick is an autobiographical song of Phil Palmer.

It's also amazing how some people are so ready to interpretate anything some people like David, Pick, Alan or Phil says as controversial, and it doesn't matter any explanation, nothing would change the prejudice against anything they do or say. I'm sure that if any of them sneeze, that would be a controversial one against MK in any way.

It's really boring.

I'm afraid it's you being too diplomatic and kind to all these guys. It's not interpretation, it's literally one of the reasons they called it the "3 Chord Trick", I remember learning this in one of their interviews. I'm not making stuff up, remember? Just like you can't wrongly interpret Mark's "Terminal Of Tribute To", it's not exactly a love song.

You're right that anything these guys, who were caught saying or doing obnoxious things, are going to be scrutinized. At least David still writes his own songs and enjoys his own success, and not playing in his bro's tribute band. I have absolutely no problems with David, but I do with Alan, Phil and Chris White. Pick is verging on the border of falling into despair and sometimes says strange things we discussed in other threads and plays in tributes more.

Not everybody is a saint like Hal Lindes or Danny Cummings, these guys nobody ever criticised. And there are reasons why.

Well, if you compare Terminal Of Tribute To with 3 Chord Trick and say they're just different ways of mocking each other, at least you should be able to call both of them out on it with equal wording, rather than going the whole fanboy route where the "hero" gets a free pass just because "oh, he's a genius" or whatever.

I don't know how much truth there is in the MK vs the cover bands thing, but if MK actually has a problem with them and their members, it's childish and immature. I hope he knows better than that. If he can play DS songs live post-DS, surely the other members of DS can do the same.

Although I like OES, it doesn't feel much like a DS album - it sounds more like a continuation of Notting Hillbillies. What AC says sounds reasonable to my years. But - let's be real: MK knew it was the end, and didn't care if it made sense to go in that direction as there never was supposed to be a follow up.

[Chris W]

Tribute bands are made by fans for fans, not by band members for... Whom? It's such an obvious way to abandon your dreams and make an easy living standing on someone else's shoulders, that no wonder he gets a lot of criticism.

Spoken by a true non-musician.
These bands are a way for full time musicians to earn a living.
The two bands in question were STARTED by former DS members, they weren't dragged in.
Both bands are playing to large appreciative crowds. As Mark is no longer playing the music of Dire Straits live, it's the only way for fans to hear the songs being played in concert, and in a similar context to Straits themselves - rock concert venue, loud PA, great lights etc.
I'm not particularly a fan, which is why I did it for a couple of years only.
There are thousands of fan style tribute bands, most of whom are not doing the songs justice from what I've seen.
At least you've got something like DSE trying to match the real experience of Dire Straits live.

[Chris W]

I have absolutely no problems with David, but I do with Alan, Phil and Chris White. Pick is verging on the border of falling into despair and sometimes says strange things we discussed in other threads and plays in tributes more.

I think it's refreshing when someone tells the truth. It shouldn't be about saying complimentary things just to keep your job.
Having said that, I've only ever known Chris White saying lovely things about Mark and speaking glowingly about his time in Dire Straits.
Pick I think it's reasonable to say has legitimate reasons to be negative.
He was a founding member, a huge part of the sound of Dire Straits. The reasons he has given in recent interviews why he left the band I have found to be quite truthful, as I experienced very similar things during my short tenure.
On from that....there is nothing illegal, or copyright connected with playing other people's songs, either on record or in concert. You have to notify the music collection agencies (like PRS and ASCAP) and a portion of your income goes to the writer (in this case Mark).
Good musicians (like Alan, Chris White etc) want to play, even as they reach retirement age. The choice is playing original music in front of 200 people in a local pub or club, or playing a cover song, which you have a strong creative connection to, in front of 2,000-3,000 in a very nice arena or concert hall.
No one here would choose the first option I think.
It's also not a cruise. I know from watching it in person, Chris White (and DSE) work incredibly hard.