Jack Sonni audio interview

[hunter]

Just came across this interview with Jack. We all know his story, but he fills in some interesting details. Worth a listen.


http://www.ouramericannetwork.org/story?title=Dire-Straits-Jack-Sonni

[Pottel]

thnx for the link.
listening now.

[quizzaciously]

Jack is a super cool guy, makes for a perfect drinking buddy it seems, so I understand Mark.

"Everybody was worried except for Mark" hahahahahaha

[KnopfleRick]

Great interview!
Thanks for sharing. 

[quizzaciously]

Great interview!
Thanks for sharing. 

Yes. I really want an autobiography book from Mark, because all the stories are absolutely insane from every conceivable standpoint. Travelling 1st class with a separate seat for the masters I can get it (that's MASTERS after all), but commercial flights on the tour itself — that was some shocking information. So Mark travelling by tube to his show in London is something that he did at the highest peak you can imagine (emotionally speaking), truly mindblowing. As Jack said, you'd never even imagine it, because you think that a group like this, in the 80s, playing stadiums and stuff, would tour in a private jet exclusively.

[2manyguitars]

The most interesting part for me was to hear Jack talk about the abrupt exit from DS. It really begs the question why would Mark drop someone he was obviously close to without so much as an explanation. There must be more to it from Marks side....

[quizzaciously]

The most interesting part for me was to hear Jack talk about the abrupt exit from DS. It really begs the question why would Mark drop someone he was obviously close to without so much as an explanation. There must be more to it from Marks side....

The guitar player that got fired he talks about is Hal Lindes, right? Why Mark fired him? Too many questions, no explanation

I think that it's not a technical or emotional decision, just trying something different, maybe he decided to have a real pro guitarist this time around (Phil Palmer).

[Jules]

The most interesting part for me was to hear Jack talk about the abrupt exit from DS. It really begs the question why would Mark drop someone he was obviously close to without so much as an explanation. There must be more to it from Marks side....

The guitar player that got fired he talks about is Hal Lindes, right? Why Mark fired him? Too many questions, no explanation

I think that it's not a technical or emotional decision, just trying something different, maybe he decided to have a real pro guitarist this time around (Phil Palmer).

Hal Lindes caught the bug of film composing and he was asking for a more prominent role in the band to stay, and apparently he did it in a way that John Illsley described in one of his "DS stories" last tour like "When he left, we were back to calm".

[Fletch]

What a great interview, thanks for posting Hunter!
Quite an anecdote about watching the rest of the band leave from Sydney.

[hunter]

I really wish Jack would publish his memoirs. He's a funny guy, got a good memory (it seems) and knows how to tell a story.


It's my impression that he is not doing very well financially; maybe the fans could convince him to publish the book himself through crowdfunding?

[Jules]

I always felt sorry for Jack...

He was working on a guitar shop and ready to quit and study, when his big friend Mark called him and asked him to join DS... wow, a dream comes true, he finally get to be a rock star!

And after the last concert in Sydney, his friend Mark doesn't called him again when he was in NY doing other stuff. He not only loosed the rock and roll dream but also a friend.

Every story has two sides, I wonder why MK did that to his old friend, I wonder if anything happened between them but, with what we know, that it's Jack's side, MK wasn't nice with him in the end.

After the height of being a rock and roll star, you fell very fast to reality without any explanation. He wasn't a studio musician, but a MK close friend, and that should hurt...

[hunter]

I always felt sorry for Jack...

He was working on a guitar shop and ready to quit and study, when his big friend Mark called him and asked him to join DS... wow, a dream comes true, he finally get to be a rock star!

And after the last concert in Sydney, his friend Mark doesn't called him again when he was in NY doing other stuff. He not only loosed the rock and roll dream but also a friend.

Every story has two sides, I wonder why MK did that to his old friend, I wonder if anything happened between them but, with what we know, that it's Jack's side, MK wasn't nice with him in the end.

After the height of being a rock and roll star, you fell very fast to reality without any explanation. He wasn't a studio musician, but a MK close friend, and that should hurt...

All it would have taken on Mark's part was a phone call to explain that he is going for a different artistic direction which involves other people and musicians. Jack would have been disappointed, but I think he would have understood. At least he would have gotten some kind of explanation. The fact that Mark didn't do that or reach out to Jack when it was time to do the Mandela concert is very strange.

[quizzaciously]

I always felt sorry for Jack...

He was working on a guitar shop and ready to quit and study, when his big friend Mark called him and asked him to join DS... wow, a dream comes true, he finally get to be a rock star!

And after the last concert in Sydney, his friend Mark doesn't called him again when he was in NY doing other stuff. He not only loosed the rock and roll dream but also a friend.

Every story has two sides, I wonder why MK did that to his old friend, I wonder if anything happened between them but, with what we know, that it's Jack's side, MK wasn't nice with him in the end.

After the height of being a rock and roll star, you fell very fast to reality without any explanation. He wasn't a studio musician, but a MK close friend, and that should hurt...

All it would have taken on Mark's part was a phone call to explain that he is going for a different artistic direction which involves other people and musicians. Jack would have been disappointed, but I think he would have understood. At least he would have gotten some kind of explanation. The fact that Mark didn't do that or reach out to Jack when it was time to do the Mandela concert is very strange.

Well, you have to be a little naive to think that you can stay in a band where you're like the third rhythm guitar player in 5 years or so, musicians get fired all other the place and having this frontman who fears nothing and actually would break up the band completely later that decade... As they say, what could possibly go wrong? Clearly, he got extremely lucky for the chance of a lifetime and used it in full, so nothing wrong with that.

Because I'm a hot-tempered person and sometimes kind of a jerk myself, I can understand Mark doing things like that (not calling Jack). I don't have friends at all, so no calling to a drinking buddy when I'm in town would be totally OK for me. Nothing personal, it's just a part of my personality, that some people find offensive, but people like me, they never do it with bad intentions, they just... do it. Without too much thinking involved. My theory is, if you don't like it, then just don't talk to me and never try to be friends with me, it's that easy.

[quizzaciously]

If you think really hard about it, Jack might have turned down Mark's offer. It may sound insane, but as we all know Vince Gill did it and kept his cool (but joined Eagles later in his life lol). If I were Jack, and if I had some major plans and wanted to be a rock star (why?), I'd think twice. Because you either going to be famous as "the other guitar player in Dire Straits" or not be famous at all, you have this choice when asked by Mark Knopfler to join "his little orchestra" which was Dire Straits.

[hunter]

I'm curious how much contact Mark had with the other musicians in the touring band between 1986 and 1988. Very little is my guess. He toured with Alan (with Eric Clapton) and did some soundtrack work with Guy, but I can't imagine he hung out with the various band members. After a year on the road and 250 shows, that was probably the last thing he wanted. And to be honest, Jack does seem like a pretty intense guy. One thing is going for some drinks and hanging out in New York, but being that close for a year can make anyone reassess their relationship. Just thinking out loud here, but you know what I mean? Mark maybe needed a break, time rolls on, and, as the saying goes "out of sight, out of mind".