Nice interview with Alan Clark

[Eric Genevelle]

He spoke about the straits and about his life with Dire Straits and his relation with MK
http://ultimateclassicrock.com/dire-straits-alan-clark-2014/

[Vesper]

Nice words from Alan. I think he respects Mark deeply and doesn't misuse the DS name (anymore) these days.
Great interview! Thanks Eric Genevelle

[dmg]

It was all going relatively comfortably for Alan until the last two questions and then:

Are you still in touch with Mark these days?

Yeah, we haven

[Pottel]

still quite positive from his side. he does have an ego though...

[dmg]

still quite positive from his side. he does have an ego though...

Yeah, it was sounding good until he started talking like he almost helped Mark write TR!

[LoveExpresso]

The fact alone that Mark still plays it fully shows that this can't be true.

LE

[JF]

I think that Alan did really have an important role in composing TR.
it's obvious that  many elements of the song come from him.
many parts could have been composed only on piano.

and many arrangements that fans love from the 80-83 era are from Alan.intro and outro from R&J  are the best examples, but there are many others. many fans love the Alchemy era, and if Alchemy sounds like it sounds it's also due to Alan, I mean the overal sounding of songs.
Now, Guy is the "musical director". In the 80ies, even if it wasn't official, it was Alan the musical director.

So don't forget that many arrangement we love (e.g. TOL in 83 and 85, PB in 83, bridge between Expresso love and DTTWW in 81, the ending of news, later of PI, angel of mercy in 81, the intro on Once upon a time, intro of WWE in 85, in the gallery and SHS in 80, etc etc etc...) come from Alan ideas. it's explained in the oldfield book that Alan had to rearrange all songs, while being on tour.

I don't want to underestimate Mark's talent, and I don't try to defend Alan because I don't like his behaviour, but his talent and what he brought to DS should not be underestimated either.

[dustyvalentino]

I didn't see the ego on this one, thought he came across well.

[brana]

He does seem to have a big ego, but at least has some talent to back him up. He really was good in dire straits and he accompanied Knopfler on many other projects like touring with Clapton and on Local Hero if I'm not mistaken.
But the way he acts as the leader of "The Straits" is a bit irritating for me. Anyway the existence of that band is ridiculous, it's like The Doors without Morrison, Jimi Hendrix Exp without Hendrix and so on...it just doesn't make sense.
All in all I think that Clark should make his own way in music and not rely on dire straits past especially because he is a good player.