Stealing precious studio time

[Jules]

When MK and EH did some promotion for this record, is was quite fun how MK described the way they recorded the record, stealing precious studio time from here and there...

As far as we know "Donkeytown" and "Red Staggerwing" were originally recorded for "Sailing to Philadelphia" but they were shelved for a possible future project. Some others song were recorded, "If This Is Goodbye" being one of those, during the "Ragpickers Dream" sessions, and the rest of them were recorded in a week or two in specific sessions.

"All that matters" was recorded with Emmylou Harris for this record, but finally MK re-record the song without Emmylou for Shangri-La.

Also, this record was mixed in the back then recently opened British Grove Studios in London, being in a way the first MK work made in a way in BG.

[Mossguitar]

Thanks, jbaent! Great thread, post and info!

[holaknopfler]

Love to read these bits of info. Please, give us more!

[Jules]

I recall that reading the copyright of every song in this cd was quite easy to know in which sessions every song was recorded, but I don´t have the cd here to summarize it...

[dmg]

Sounds a bit like a patchwork quilt of an album. 

Although I'm usually pretty fond of his country stuff, e.g. those featuring on OES, I've never really turned on to this album except for a couple of songs:  Beachcombing and Right Now.

[Jules]

It´s in my top three of MK cd´s... I consider that most of that songs are jewels in his catalogue, with maybe one or two exceptions...

[dustyvalentino]

Good record. I consider it to be an MK album with some Emmylou backing vocals rather than a true collaboration.

[dannr1]

Sounds a bit like a patchwork quilt of an album. 

Although I'm usually pretty fond of his country stuff, e.g. those featuring on OES, I've never really turned on to this album except for a couple of songs:  Beachcombing and Right Now.

True that..and IDUAD

[H97]

Can't stand Emmy's voice, sorry. Love Beachcombing as a song though, very well written

[Justme]

Can't stand Emmy's voice, sorry. Love Beachcombing as a song though, very well written

Thanks, I started to think that I might be the only one. If I only could get my hands on those recordings, I'd decrease her volume level to 0 and mix a new master....Sorry, but that is just how it is in my view. Or perhaps he should re-record it with Ruth. Those songs are absolutely beautiful.

[Ar (aka Enlight)]

that means he wrote if this is goodbye not long after 9/11.
i always was a bit wondered why he wrote that song much later , which he didnt. He recorded it later. Although Emmy later told that she at first thought it was regular love-song until Mark explained were the song was all about.

And offcourse you can write about everything much,much later especially when you are Mark Knopfler.
 
thanks for the info jbaent

[Jules]

MK read an article in a newspaper about all those people calling their relatives before they die on 11s from the towers and the planes to just tell them I love you and that inspired him to write the song.

[JF]

Good record. I consider it to be an MK album with some Emmylou backing vocals rather than a true collaboration.

it contains 2 songs not composed by Mark.

I love this album. no skippers for me

[ds1984]

I like this album. But this is mainly a MK album with EH sharing the vocals on it.

STP is the only MK solo album until Ruth featuring duets and the ATRR is in some way a sequel from STP.

Interestingly is Mark's approach about them at the time of writing all these songs that he will later share the vocals, were there first intended as solo ones or as duet from the starting point (but for some even ending being sung alone).

[dustyvalentino]

MK read an article in a newspaper about all those people calling their relatives before they die on 11s from the towers and the planes to just tell them I love you and that inspired him to write the song.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/sep/15/september11.politicsphilosophyandsociety2