Brothers in Arms - Eric Clapton involvement?

[knopfler1]

Hi all!

I just picked up the "New" DS Studio Albums box set and while I was looking at the notes that come with each disc, i noticed something i hadn't seen before. On the Brothers in Arms sheet it says "Thanks to the following for helping make the record" with Eric Clapton's name at the end of the fairly long list.

Does anyone know what his involvement was?

This was new info to me and as far as i know he isn't playing on any of the tracks on record.

[Grumpydwarf]

I remember reading somewhere that EC borrowed MK a couple of guitars. Don’t know more than that, but I suppose they were acoustic flat tops as I don’t think The Man’s Too Strong sounds like an Ovation Adamas, which was what he was using at the time. I guess he was trying to find a proper D12.


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[ds1984]

Yes some Clapton's guitars used by Mark is the reason. Behind The Sun and BIA were both recorded at AIR Montserrat studios.

[knopfler1]

Ahh interesting! Thanks for the info 😊

[Jules]

I remember reading somewhere that EC borrowed MK a couple of guitars. Don’t know more than that, but I suppose they were acoustic flat tops as I don’t think The Man’s Too Strong sounds like an Ovation Adamas, which was what he was using at the time. I guess he was trying to find a proper D12.


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Actually I read in some interviews that MK said it was an ovation what he played in "The man's too strong", and obviously he's also picking a national, and doing some slide on the national as well...

[Grumpydwarf]

I remember reading somewhere that EC borrowed MK a couple of guitars. Don’t know more than that, but I suppose they were acoustic flat tops as I don’t think The Man’s Too Strong sounds like an Ovation Adamas, which was what he was using at the time. I guess he was trying to find a proper D12.


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Actually I read in some interviews that MK said it was an ovation what he played in "The man's too strong", and obviously he's also picking a national, and doing some slide on the national as well...

I stand corrected.


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[the visitor]

I always thought this was a bit of a 'vanity' credit, even if he did borrow a guitar. From memory it features at the end of a very long list and thus has big impact.  I wonder if MK borrowed any guitars from less famous friends on previous albums that didn't get a mention.

[Jules]

I remember reading somewhere that EC borrowed MK a couple of guitars. Don’t know more than that, but I suppose they were acoustic flat tops as I don’t think The Man’s Too Strong sounds like an Ovation Adamas, which was what he was using at the time. I guess he was trying to find a proper D12.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Actually I read in some interviews that MK said it was an ovation what he played in "The man's too strong", and obviously he's also picking a national, and doing some slide on the national as well...

I stand corrected.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm actually curious about which guitar Clapton lend to the BIA recordings... I'd say that MK guitars for that sessions were his owns Gibson Les Paul, Fender Strat (or Schecter), the ovation, the national and the black Pensa Shur they used connected to, I think it was synclavier. I'm also curious about what involvement had Jack Sonni at that sessions in Montserrat and/or NY, as all guitars sounds as played by MK to me...

[JF]

I'm actually curious about which guitar Clapton lend to the BIA recordings... I'd say that MK guitars for that sessions were his owns Gibson Les Paul, Fender Strat (or Schecter), the ovation, the national and the black Pensa Shur they used connected to, I think it was synclavier. I'm also curious about what involvement had Jack Sonni at that sessions in Montserrat and/or NY, as all guitars sounds as played by MK to me...

Jack said here that he played the synth-guitar heavy chords on the man's too strong
He also could have played acoustic guitar on WOL, but not sure, and even rhythm guitar on SFA, but not sure again
And Mark plays Jack's guitar on One world

[Jules]

I'm actually curious about which guitar Clapton lend to the BIA recordings... I'd say that MK guitars for that sessions were his owns Gibson Les Paul, Fender Strat (or Schecter), the ovation, the national and the black Pensa Shur they used connected to, I think it was synclavier. I'm also curious about what involvement had Jack Sonni at that sessions in Montserrat and/or NY, as all guitars sounds as played by MK to me...

Jack said here that he played the synth-guitar heavy chords on the man's too strong
He also could have played acoustic guitar on WOL, but not sure, and even rhythm guitar on SFA, but not sure again
And Mark plays Jack's guitar on One world

I thought that the guitar on One World was MK playing the Pensa Shur without the Synclavier effects... which guitar was Jack's?

Do you have a list or something? that sessions were always very curious to me...

[Grumpydwarf]

I'm actually curious about which guitar Clapton lend to the BIA recordings... I'd say that MK guitars for that sessions were his owns Gibson Les Paul, Fender Strat (or Schecter), the ovation, the national and the black Pensa Shur they used connected to, I think it was synclavier. I'm also curious about what involvement had Jack Sonni at that sessions in Montserrat and/or NY, as all guitars sounds as played by MK to me...

I got the idea he may have borrowed a flat top acoustic from things he stated in interviews about not having a proper acoustic guitar.


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[Jules]

I'm actually curious about which guitar Clapton lend to the BIA recordings... I'd say that MK guitars for that sessions were his owns Gibson Les Paul, Fender Strat (or Schecter), the ovation, the national and the black Pensa Shur they used connected to, I think it was synclavier. I'm also curious about what involvement had Jack Sonni at that sessions in Montserrat and/or NY, as all guitars sounds as played by MK to me...

I got the idea he may have borrowed a flat top acoustic from things he stated in interviews about not having a proper acoustic guitar.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Maybe that's it, if the Ovation was the only acoustic guitar MK had for that sessions (nor sure about that, should check that picture with John playing bass and all the guitars beind him) maybe they needed a proper acoustic for Walk of life rythm guitar...

[JF]

I'm actually curious about which guitar Clapton lend to the BIA recordings... I'd say that MK guitars for that sessions were his owns Gibson Les Paul, Fender Strat (or Schecter), the ovation, the national and the black Pensa Shur they used connected to, I think it was synclavier. I'm also curious about what involvement had Jack Sonni at that sessions in Montserrat and/or NY, as all guitars sounds as played by MK to me...

Jack said here that he played the synth-guitar heavy chords on the man's too strong
He also could have played acoustic guitar on WOL, but not sure, and even rhythm guitar on SFA, but not sure again
And Mark plays Jack's guitar on One world

I thought that the guitar on One World was MK playing the Pensa Shur without the Synclavier effects... which guitar was Jack's?

Do you have a list or something? that sessions were always very curious to me...

here are some of my speculations with interviews, clips, etc... :
https://www.mk-guitar.com/gear-on-all-songs-for-all-albums-wiki/gear-on-album-brothers-in-arms/

and Ingo's article relied by Jack's info :
https://www.mk-guitar.com/2012/06/08/guitar-and-amp-used-for-the-solos-on-one-world/

[Jules]

Regarding the Brothers in arms recording, I read on wikipedia, and searched google and found info on other sites, about a certain ANDY KANAVAN joining Dire Straits very briefly during that period, apparently before Terry re-joined the band for the BIA tour...

It is the first time in my life that I read about this person... anyone knew anything about him and being part of DS, even briefly?

[the visitor]

Regarding the Brothers in arms recording, I read on wikipedia, and searched google and found info on other sites, about a certain ANDY KANAVAN joining Dire Straits very briefly during that period, apparently before Terry re-joined the band for the BIA tour...

It is the first time in my life that I read about this person... anyone knew anything about him and being part of DS, even briefly?

Thanks for identifying this.  To this day, I have never heard that name in connection with Dire Straits until you mention it here.  It seems odd that a drummer would join a band in a period between record and tour, but actually appear on neither.  Perhaps he tried out for the tour in rehearsals but never got hired?   I too would be interested to know more - or could this just be a 1984 case of history being re-written on the internet??  Spooky.