Manu Katch

[superval99]

Wasn't the reason MK ended DS and became "solo", to give him the freedom to replace musicians according to the style of the music on the various albums, without being constrained by a static band?   

and the paradox is that the band during his solo carreer has been more "static" than during DS days....

almost same musicians since 96 while musicians changed at each tour in the 80ies

Indeed.   Perhaps he essentially found what he was looking for.   

[Suprlinda]

I think that Mark has really already told us over the years about this deal, in bits and pieces, rather than all at once, so we have to put it together to get a clear picture.  I think when the band was still new, from some things he has said (for instance, the Making Movies clip), and others have said about him, in order to arrive at his vision of each song, he felt he really had to tell each of the band members what notes to play.  Mark admits that he was controlling, and I think this is why.  I suspect his trying out professional musicians was in an effort to find ones who could interpret what he wanted without him having to tell them exactly what to play.  I think he felt the pressure of trying to keep the band on top, which was pulling him away from other areas of his life, including personal and song writing.

As far as the band getting too big, he has said he didn't recognize people who were working for him on tour, and he wasn't comfortable with that.  On top of that, although he of course likes playing his music for his fans, I think the stadiums and attendant people to pull the whole thing off - security, marketing, etc., put him off - just too much of everything.  I also don't think he was really in it for the fame and notoriety.  He just wanted to make music people appreciated, but to have stadiums full was too much.

Well, that's my take on it. 

[ds1984]

He wanted success and got it far more than he expected. But from his own words, fame came with success and Mark did not like to be famous. Once off the stage he wants to remain anonymous.

[dmg]

He wanted success and got it far more than he expected. But from his own words, fame came with success and Mark did not like to be famous. Once off the stage he wants to remain anonymous.

There's a saying: "you can't have it both ways."

In saying that, I think Mark is pretty much unrecognised these days but that's mainly because he's bald as a coot compared to the big fuzzy haired DS headband days!

[Jules]

Any of our French fans have the book or access to it? It would be great to read what Manu says exactly about MK...

[Jules]

Any of our French fans have the book or access to it? It would be great to read what Manu says exactly about MK...

Did any of our French friends got this book? I´m consider to buy it but I'd like to know if the MK part is good enough to worth the buying

[JF]

jbaent sent me a scan of the part about OES recording for translating

I tried to do my best, but my english is not very good... (les copains frenchies, si vous voyez des fautes énormes, n'hésitez pas à corriger !  )

Some sentences are ironic and sarcasm. I am not sure if my translation does them justice. Anyway, I hope you will get the main meaning

thanks to Julio for bringing the text 





When Mark Knopfler makes jumps !

recording Dire Straits, On every street, Abbey Road studios, London


After having left Waterloo station, not St Pancras yet, I find myself in a cab, on the way to the mythic studios

I meet all musicians, sound engineer, who is a friend, and assistants. Mark Knopfler has not arrived yet. He arrives, says a quick hello to the audience and we start working immediately. There are not much talking between us, except classiques codes used by session musicians in studio.

We spend the day and a big part of the evening recording and re-recording the same song, but it doesn't seem to really satisfy the leader : he kept fixed with his guitar and his microphone, unruffled and concentrated.
Musicians seems to be used to this. When I ask them with my eyes, a soft pout appears on their faces. They seem to say : we are not going to bed yet !
Finally, it's late and Knopfler endly decides to stop for today. We don't really know if he will keep these takes or not

The next day, 9 am, we are again in studio. We think that we are going to start another song. Mark Knoplfer is as much happy as yesterday and decides to strive on the first song which, apparently, doesn't satisfy him. After few hours of work, he chooses finally to save one of the takes. He says " I am glad". Miracle. Break for everybody, then he talks to me, the first time for these 2 days, saying that he recorded a tune "Heavy fuel" with another drummer, but that he had a technical problem on this tune, and that he wants to record the whole drum part again.
Of course, with much fineness, he plays to me the drum part played by the other drummer and asks me to try ! immediately. I feel uncomfortable, knowing that this tune is rather heavy rock and that it's not my style at all, and moreover, what I just listened is very good.
Well, I start playing, thinking that this guy is unpleasant anyway, and whatever I do, he will never be glad.
So, I decide to play in total liberty and to be the most original. To be fair, I don't respect the spirit of the tune.
I play without hindering, without "fence", what comes to mind.
At this moment, looking at the control room where are all band members and sound engineer with his assistant, I see Knopfler making jumps, with a big smile on his face, arms up. He stoppes the recording and talks to me via monitor and he says that what I do is awesome, and that it's exactly what he wanted. He is delighted by my performance.
So I start again where we stopped and record this tune which lasts almost 7 minutes.
Then I go to the control room to listen to the take, he is still super happy, don't stop congratulating me, offers me to go to the pub to celebrate this, and even if I don't drink beer, no problem, we are chatting with a coca. And then, he asks me directly  if I go on tour, if I have a family, etc. Surprise

Next day or the day after, after gone back to France, my manager send me a message from Mark Knopfler's manager, asking me if I would accept to be the drummer of his next tour which will lasts about 2 years.

[dmg]

Thanks for this.  Interesting stuff to hear that Manu could have been the drummer for the OES tour.  I really like the drumming on the album.  Think he played on PONO too.

Once more sounding like fun working for Mr K. 

[holaknopfler]

What a great read. Once again it shows how a perfection MK is. Probably the reason why he has sold million records!

[Silvertown]

What a great read. Once again it shows how a perfection MK is. Probably the reason why he has sold million records!

Yes. He has his vision and tries to get it.

[holaknopfler]

What a great read. Once again it shows how a perfection MK is. Probably the reason why he has sold million records!

Yes. He has his vision and tries to get it.

I’m secretly jealous of that. That’s what I love about the best musicians on this planet. They all do that I think. Different ways to achieve the goal but they’re all visionaries.

[Stanko]

thank you both for your efforts, JF and jbaent, i had a fun reading it.

Must be quite exciting having all those songs "inside your bones" only waiting for A right artist to performe the sound the way is meant to be - hence those jumps of joy when you finally have it!

[quizzaciously]

I’m secretly jealous of that. That’s what I love about the best musicians on this planet. They all do that I think. Different ways to achieve the goal but they’re all visionaries.

Must be quite exciting having all those songs "inside your bones" only waiting for A right artist to performe the sound the way is meant to be - hence those jumps of joy when you finally have it!

Thanks for sharing this, yeah. Honestly, I don't know any other way to get things done. If you have a clear picture in your head of how you want something to be, you will try to realize that and you will be upset if you would fail. That sounds to me more straightforward than "let's do it anyhow and hope that it will succeed".

[dustyvalentino]

Thanks guys, I enjoyed that. So... Chris was third choice for the tour?!

Phil second choice also.

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[Jules]

Thanks guys, I enjoyed that. So... Chris was third choice for the tour?!

Phil second choice also.

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Maybe Chris was even fourth or fifth choice, we don't know if the tried to get someone else before.

OES tour would had been far better with Porcaro or Katché on drums. Whitten drumming was in my opinion, terrible and ruined most of the DS songs to me.

Phil at least played in the OES record and played with DS at Knebworth, and with Alan Clark (then DS musical director) while they were at Clapton's band.