Ed Bicknell Interview

[the visitor]

About Ed's comment on DS members as hired sidemen, hired "tour by tour"...

It's just that this seems so odd with someone like Terry, who played a monumental role on Alchemy and that tour, played on BIA, did the world tour, did the Mandela show... At some point, one stops being the hired help, and Terry simply cannot have been seen as such, by anybody.

I would imagine that Ed wasn't referring to Terry's artistic role, because Terry and also Alan certainly played a major role in the band, in the studio and on stage.  Maybe it was more about money, work contracts and the like.

I think Ed is talking more in contractual terms than spirit, I.e they were on some kind of fixed fee or day rate on a tour by tour basis rather than some wider stake in royalties etc. This arrangement would have made departures more easy.

Personally I agree with the sentiment Terry was a big part of a soul of the band in the time he was involved, regardless of contractual terms

[Mossguitar]

About Ed's comment on DS members as hired sidemen, hired "tour by tour"...

It's just that this seems so odd with someone like Terry, who played a monumental role on Alchemy and that tour, played on BIA, did the world tour, did the Mandela show... At some point, one stops being the hired help, and Terry simply cannot have been seen as such, by anybody.

I would imagine that Ed wasn't referring to Terry's artistic role, because Terry and also Alan certainly played a major role in the band, in the studio and on stage.  Maybe it was more about money, work contracts and the like.

What Ed says makes a lot of sence. Terry was hired for two tours and played only on the EP and the intro of MfN (and Alchemy, of course). IMO he was not the soul or sound of DS at all, but fun and loud at gigs. Alan was also hired for tours, but played on several records and played a major rolle in what became «the new» DS sound. But since Making Movies, DS has just been MK’s solo project with different session and touring musicians. You can hear it in the music too. The first two records had a very consistant and distinct funky, bluesy and jazzy sound, driven by the rhythm section (the band). After Making Movies, the DS sound was gone, but MK came forward with rock, a different kind of jazz (New York style?), symphonic pop, country and a lot of synths.

[stratmad]

Didn't Terry play on LOG, same as Alan?

[olazabalrok]

Didn't Terry play on LOG, same as Alan?

It’s Pick.

[jbaent]

Legally talking, the band DS were MK, David, John and Pick at the start.

When David and Pick left, the band was just MK and John, the rest were always hired musicians for the band, with contracts to play in studio or live, or both, with the band, but legally no part of the band at all.

Spiritually, musically, yes, there are more members of the band, but legally talking, two.

[Pottel]

Legally talking, the band DS were MK, David, John and Pick at the start.

When David and Pick left, the band was just MK and John, the rest were always hired musicians for the band, with contracts to play in studio or live, or both, with the band, but legally no part of the band at all.

Spiritually, musically, yes, there are more members of the band, but legally talking, two.

did Guy's position not get improved at some point? (DS period i mean)

[Love Expresso]

Guy and Alan were full members on the OES Album. See credits. ("Dire Straits are ...")

LE

[Pottel]

yeah, but from a "Dire Straits Ltd." perspective?

[jbaent]

Guy and Alan were full members on the OES Album. See credits. ("Dire Straits are ...")

LE

That was an arrangement for the economical part regarding the record sales, the producers percentage, remember the record also says produced by Dire Straits. And who are DS who produce it? Here you have it.

Everything regarding the tour was done by DS Overseas or/and DS Limited, whose members were MK, JI and Ed Bicknell. The rest were paid for the tour with no further benefits (or debts...) except if when they arrange their contracts they included any clause regarding benefits percentage, of course, but every musician had his own contract.

[dustyvalentino]

Didn't Terry play on LOG, same as Alan?

It’s Pick.

In John's book and Ed's interview they both come across as annoyed with Pick for recording the album and then leaving, the implication being that he would get royalties for the record but wouldn't have to do the tour to promote it.

In those days live work was more to promote the album than make money, kind of opposite to how things are now.

[the visitor]

Re Terry and OES, on a question raised on Guy's Forum in March 2023, he appears to confirm that Terry was present at least at the very start of the OES sessions. See below from 9 March 2023. Like Ed says this is complicated.

"Dear Doc: I got to watch a long interview with Chuck Ainlay. Seems like a great guy and it is a very amusing chat with him. Great stories and kind words for Your Docness. He says that the very first thing he had to do with Dire Straits was to record some OES tracks in London with the drummer ‘who was with them in their last tour (I’m assuming that was BIA tour and he was talking about Terry). He says that it didn’t work out and so the drummer had to be dismissed. First time that anybody ever heard about TW involvement in OES whatsoever. Is this accurate? Thanks a lot

» https://www.guyfletcher.com/2022-studio-diary-week...

A: Guy

Yes. That was when we pulled in Jeff Porcaro."

[dustyvalentino]

Pretty savage ditching Terry not once but twice. If they thought he wasn't suitable for BiA what made them think he would be suitable for OES?

[Rail King]

Pretty savage ditching Terry not once but twice. If they thought he wasn't suitable for BiA what made them think he would be suitable for OES?

Yes, probably would have been more fair to just not ask him again. I'm glad it didn't work out, though. Just imagine how much less great On Every Street would have been without Jeff Porcaro ...