Pick Withers online Q&A

[Jules]

Pick Withers, who is promoting his new band online concert in January 2021 (tickets already on sale, the link it's in his facebook account) is doing some Q&A in facebook with different forums, recently two had been published, one by the MK FANS WORLWIDE FACEBOOK GROUP and other by SPANISH CITY FACEBOOK GROUP

MK FANS WORLDWIDE Q&A

Q1 (100 votes):
How was the song writing and composing process within DS? What was the role of each group member?
A1:
Mark Knopfler wrote the songs and I played a rhythm. If Mark felt strongly about something, he would make a suggestion for the drums. John and David would learn the chords. Collectively, we would try out different tempos, different bass patterns and it would become a work in progress, i.e. a song worth working on.
=
Q2 (65 votes):
With which of the other (founding) members is he in contact most?
A2:
I am still in touch with Alan Clark, Hal Lindes and Jack Sonni, although I did not play with Jack.
=
Q3 (47 votes):
Which was your favourite gig and why?
A3:
When we played at The Stadio Degli Alpi. Before the sound check, we played football on the stadium pitch but the groundsman told us to stop! In the evening, back in the days before the smoking bans, when we came on for an encore, the sight of 40,000 cigarette lighters all lit brought a tear to my eye and I was deeply touched.
=
Q4 (47 votes):
Why did you really leave?
A4:
The live shows were becoming too loud and my ears (balance) were badly affected. Also, I remember we went to see The Last Waltz featuring The Band (Martin Scorsese film) and I pointed out that even though The Band had a big full sound, if you watched Levon Helm, the drummer, he was not playing loud. Furthermore, Mark’s songs were moving in a direction where I felt my contributions were being marginalised
=
Q5 (40 votes):
Can you talk us through the final time you sat in the studio playing drums for DS – what was the song? Your thoughts/feeling then?
A5:
I cannot remember the name of the song as the drums were the first instrument committed to tape in the studio. Then, once everyone was satisfied with the performance of the drums, they could easily spend a week layering different guitar tracks. I was not aware, at the time, that this would be the last time I played with DS as I had not made the final decision to leave at that point.
=
Q6 (33 votes):
What’s your favourite memory of your time with DS?
A6:
Being told that we had our first success in Holland.
=
Q7 (32 votes):
What’s the funniest thing happened behind the scenes after of before a gig?
A7:
Fans came into the dressing room after one gig holding up an album to be signed. Mark immediately went over to the guy and said ‘I’ll sign it’ and the guy said ‘no, i don’t want your autograph, i want Pick’s, because you didn't play on it!’ It was the album of a band called ‘Spring’ I played in when I was very young. I was extremely proud of this album as it was very much a collective where we wrote all our own material and my first proper band.
=
Q8 (26 votes):
If there was a reunion of the original 4 piece band in offing, would you take part?
A8:
No, I’m sorry but that will never happen.
=
Q9 (22 votes):
What song of your period of DS you like the most? Why?
A9:
That changes. At the moment, I really enjoy the mood created in ‘Wild West End’
=
Q10 (22 votes):
MK seemed to have pretty tight control on the way music was played. How much did he influence the way you drummed?
A10:
Mark may have had tight control after I left, but when I was in the band, it was a two way conversation!
=
Q11 (20 votes):
After your successful years with DS, can you tell us about your career through the years until nowadays?
A11:
I have taught drums in school and learnt a great deal about myself as well as becoming a respected teacher. I wrote songs for a play with music performed at The Edinburgh Fringe Festival. I have toured Australia and the U.K. with Dennis Lecorriere. I recorded with Gerry Rafferty, Rab Noakes and others that I cannot remember now. I worked in Switzerland and recorded a live album at Montreux Jazz Festival with Phil Carmen. Members of the band included the great Brian Auger and Dick Morrissey. I have worked with The Blues Band and off shots from that band, particularly Dave Kelly, renowned blues/slide player and singer. I have worked with Robert Plant. Although I was invited to tour with Van Morrison, I declined after one day’s rehearsal.
=
Q12 (18 votes):
Where was your first “big” gig as Dire Straits and what was that like?
A12:
We played some ice stadiums in Scandinavia which were freezing cold and the acoustics were not suited to electric music and the sound was bad. We couldn’t wait to get back to the hotel to thaw out!
=
Q13 (15 votes):
What was your favoured DS song to play?
A13:
Once Upon A Time In The West.
=
Q14 (14 votes):
Who was the drummer that inspired you the most? And what advice would you have for up and coming musicians (and drummers)?
A14:
I was inspired by The Shadows who always had one drummer called Tony Meehan and his replacement was Brian Bennett. They were an instrumental band and I was 14 and their records gave me an insight into playing for each other.
=
Q15 (12 votes):
Tell us how you felt with the rock ‘n roll of fame and why you didn’t go to the ceremony?
A15:
It was an honour to be inducted into the RRH of F. I did not go to the ceremony as I find those kind of self congratulatory situations very uncomfortable.
=
Q16 (12 votes):
We want so much to get access to the unreleased material of DS early days, why is it so hard to release those hidden gems?
A16:
I am not aware of any unreleased songs.
=
Q17 (12 votes):
To compose music + lyrics as MK did points to a very mature young man. To what degree was he socially part of and apart from the group?
A17:
Mark was at one time a journalist and a college English teacher so learnt the discipline of writing early on.
=
Q18 (10 votes):
Did you steal MK’s sausages?
A18:
What sausages?
=
Q19 (9 votes):
If they recorded more songs on the Love Over Gold sessions except the five songs and badges, stickers, posters and T-shirts….. Q26 (5 votes) and if they were planning to record some other songs on the other albums that they dropped?
A19 + A26:
No, nothing dropped.
=
Q20 (9 votes):
A recording question: can you recall who has played the keys on some songs on the first two albums? (wild west end, in the gallery…).
A20:
Mark played block chords on the first album. The wonderful Barry Beckett of Muscle Shoals studio fame, played all keys on Communique.
=

Q21 (7 votes):
Who’s your favourite Dire Straits drummer?
A21:
I’m not very good on trumpet!
=
Q22 (6 votes):
Are you still in touch with MK’s career and if so, who was your favourite drummer of his band?
A22:
I am not au fait with the musicians in Mark’s band although I know he works with some great people.
=
Q23 (6 votes):
With Bob Dylan difficult to work with?
A23:
No.
=
Q24 (6 votes):
Songs of the DS and MK catalogue that was release after but you had played.
A24:
I don’t understand this question!
=
Q25 (5 votes):
Tell us about your favourite gigs post DS. You did some great work with the late Bert Jansch. How did studio work change with the time/artist?
A25:
I worked with Bert Jansch alongside Rod Clements and culminated in recording an album called Rare Conundrum which is full of happy memories for me, especially as my dog, Mantha, barked on one of the tracks. My only regret is that I said to give her a credit as ‘barking’ vocals but someone in the record company thought it was a spelling mistake and corrected it to ‘backing’ vocals!… The approach to recording need with the introduction of multi track studios. This did not affect me greatly although when I worked with Dave Edmunds once, he told me he thought 64 acoustic guitars was one too many on a track! My favourite gig was playing with The Blues Band and Manfred Mann at the old Town and Country Club theatre in Kentish Town, London for Tom McGuinness’s 50th birthday.
=
Q27 (5 votes):
Is there even a small chance of a Dire Straits reunion?
A27:
No reunion I am afraid.
=
Q28 (5 votes):
What’s your relation with Terry Williams? Did you suggest him to Mark? Did you handover your skills to him upon leaving?
A28:
I knew Terry Williams from my days at Rockfield Studios in Wales but I played no part in his introduction to Dire Straits.
=
Q29 (5 votes):
Are there songs of which the album version was vastly different than what you guys originally had in mind and how did that come about?
A29:
Generally, the songs were not performed live prior to recording.
=
Q30 (5 votes):
Are you happy?
A30:
Yes. I will be even happier when Covid 19 is over!
=
Q31 (4 votes):
Do you enjoy less stardom now?
A31:
Yes, very much so!
=
Q32 (4 votes):
What have you been doing after Dire Straits?
A32:
Right now, I am working on a very exciting new project called SLIM PICKIN’s with Marcus Cliffe on bass (formerly with Mark Knopfler, Eric Clapton, Al Green to name but a few), Luca Boscagin (just completed his solo album with Jason Rebello and was part of the Jim Mullen quartet and plays with many jazz artists on the London scene) as well as Sam Broadbere on keys and James Bradshaw and Megan Thomas our vocalists. Sam, Megan and James are young musicians starting out on their musical journey. We will be performing a virtual/live gig on January 22nd and tickets will be on sale online soon. Please go to my fb page, PICK WITHERS FOUNDER MEMBER DIRE STRAITS or my Instagram page, PICK WITHERS OFFICIAL for updates and details. Musically, I will be revisiting r&b songs that I played when I first started playing in bands when I was 17 years of age and, I am fascinated in applying the experience I have gained so far and revisiting the start of my career, before bands started writing their own songs/material.
=

Q33 (2 votes):
What’s your opinion on the various band featuring members of DS such as The Straits, DSL & Dire Straits Experience? Were you invited?
A33:
I would rather not comment on DSL, DS Experience etc. I can only comment on my work with DS.

[Jules]

And the SPANISH CITY FACEBOOK GROUP

Q1. The band you are playing now have Marcus Cliffe as a bass player, who is connected with Mark. Have you ever played with him before?
A1. I have played with Marcus before.  He and I played together in The Dave Kelly Band and we toured Germany and the U.K.  Dave Kelly is a much respected blues singer and slide guitar player.

Q2. Is there any leader in your new band, or is a collective work?
A2. It started with my idea and as we go along, I hope it will be more collective but we have to build on that.

Q3. Will your new band play your own songs or any other´s songs?
A3. At the moment, we just play carefully selected rhythmn and blues songs usually with very strong vocals.

Q4. You still have the rithm playing drums as we can see in the videos, Do you consider the age (in terms of agility) is that significant for musicians?
A4. When you have more experience, you play with maturity and play as a group much more successfully and you are not trying to prove anything.

Q5. Do you think streaming live concerts as a business are here to stay after pandemic?
A5. I prefer to play live with an audience and you can judge very quickly how they are responding.  Streaming concerts is a useful addition and I think it will continue.

Q6. What connection did you have with Phill Lynott, and how it started.
A6. Phil Lynott was a fan of Dire Straits in the very early days and came along to at least 3 gigs. He offered advice on record labels and he played bass for one song at the famous Rainbow Theatre in London. My wife used to work for Thin Lizzy’s management back in 1972 and he was a great friend of hers.  She has far more stories about Phil than me!

Q7. What are your favourite songs and the favourite album that you recorded with Dire Straits.
A7. My favourite songs are  Water of Love, Once Upon A Time In the West and Skateaway.  What I enjoy these last few years is hearing a song on the radio, especially late at night when I am going to sleep and I smile at the memory.

Q8. About the three tours you did with Dire Straits, what are your considerations about the live band between 1977 and 1981?. Are there any shows that you consider especially striking for you?
A.8 I enjoyed it mostly when Alan Clark joined the band and Hal replaced David.  There is a show on YouTube from German TV Rock Palast .  The first song is Once Upon A Time In The West.  When I first discovered this, I had forgotten how we had extended the song.  It was both well performed and well conceived.

Q9. About the musical proposal of the original formation, how the dynamics and creative process worked in 1977 and 1979 and how that changed in 1980 with the departure of David and the entry of Alan and Hal?
A9. Both Mark and I really wanted to add keyboards after Communique as Barry Beckett had so perfectly demonstrated what they added.  Both John and David did not want to have a keyboard player added as they thought we would ruin what they thought was ‘awinning formula’. Thankfully, Roy Bittan of the East Street Band played on Making Movies and it was a fait accomplit.  After that, we had to have keyboards to cover the parts.

Q10. How do you remember working with Bob Dylan?
A10. I was initially very nervous as I was desperate to succeed.  Thankfully, after the first day’s recording everything settled down and we worked very quickly, especially as Bob would sing what would be the master vocal on the initial backing tracks.  This meant he would only try to record no more than 3 times.  Mark and I were only in the studio for 10 days and it passed very quickly, which usually means you were having a good time!

Q11. You were in Spain with the band twice, but never playing live, only TV promos. What are your memories of Spain? Have you been there any other time?
A11. We only came to Spain for a day to do the TV in Madrid.  I remember having a nice meal in the old quarter of Madrid and having a guided tour of the Museo del Prado and seeing Velazquez’  paintings.  I have visited Spain for holidays quite a few times and have many friends there and spent a lot of time in Ibiza too.

Q12. What musicians, bands or styles did you influence the most at the beginning?. And Now?
A12. In the beginning, it was easy because there was so little music available,  just radio and 2 tv channels.  My earliest influences were The Shadows, who had instrumental hits and as there was no singing, obviously, the musicianship had to be of the highest quality.  Also, I remember very distinctly The Everly Brothers records,  especially Kathy’s Clown as the drums are very prominent on that record.  Later, I was a big fan of Weather Report, James Taylor, Jackson Browne, Randy Newman, Crosby Stills and Nash, Joni Mitchell.  In all these instances, the musical accompaniment is an integral part of the song.  I also love Keith Jarrett, anything he does,  John Coltrane, Django Reinhardt, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and the big swing bands, particularly a Duke Ellington and Count Basie.  I enjoy blues music as it ages very well, like a bottle of wine.

Q13. What song you played with Dire Straits did you enjoyed the most, live and studio?
Q13. Live Setting Me Up and recording, Skateaway

Q14. In Werchter 81, the last gig of the tour, you started dancing instead of playing the drums at the beginning of Expresso Love . What were you thinking at that time? Had that consequences with Mark?
A14. There was a problem in Werchter with the back line (equipment) so we extended the intro.  I was fooling around while they tried to fix the problem.

Q15. Do you know personally any of the other Drummers that have played with Mark? Any that you like especially?
A15. I knew Terry Williams before he played with Dire Straits.  We both recorded at Rockfield Studios. I like Steve Ferrone particularly as he played with Tom Petty.

Q16. Do you still talk with David Knopfler? Where you close one each other in the band, any kind of friendship?
A16. No answer. He decided not to answer this.

Q17. What did you think about Alan joining the band? How he influenced the dynamics of the band (musically speaking)?
A17. I was thrilled when Alan joined not only because he was a great player and I had something to bounce off but he was great company off stage.  We would go swimming, play frisbee and hang out together.

Q18. Do you keep any recording of that time (audio or video) unreleased? Would you be allowed to share?
A18. I do not know of any unreleased material.

Q19. What drummer/s influenced you the most by that time? and any favourite from today´s music?
A19. Drummers who influenced me:  Steve Gadd, Jim Keltner, Russ Kunkel and latterly I really enjoy Jojo Mayer.  There are many drummers who I admire but there are too many to mention here.

Q20. How do you remember the Private Dancer version recorded with Mark´s voice? same arrangements?
A20. I did not play on the recording of Private Dancer.

Q21. You were part of the "Sultans of Swing" rithm, did you contribute anything to it, or was all created by Mark?
A21. I was not told what to play and never was.

Q22. Why did you decide not to attend the R&R Hall Of Fame Induction ceremony? Have you regret not attending later on?
A22. I am not good at self congratulatory occasions although it was an honour to have been inducted.

Q23. Do you remember any song that didn't do for any album that deserved to be?
A23. No there were no songs that weren’t included that I liked.

Q24Listening to the first Straits records and some concerts from that era, there are things you play that remind me of jazz drummers and even to what Stuart Copeland does at times. Did you have any jazz training or jazz interest at the time?
A24. I have studied jazz from books as in my early years it was the only access to education.  There was not an established pathway for people to learn an instrument especially outside of London.

Q25. Did you record all together in the studio or one by one?
A25 We recorded together but the only part that was saved and survived onto the record was the drum part.

Q26. What did you like most about touring/recording and what did you hate most?
A26. I enjoy recording with anybody because it is a fine analysis of your playing ability.  Much like people say the camera does not lie, the studio microphone is even more clinical and everything is laid bare.  All your faults,  all your mistakes will be there for all to hear.  I like touring so that I visit different countries and am able to have the possibility to buy unusual percussion instruments that I would not have encountered had I stayed in England.  I hate recording sometimes when you do not have a good rapport with the sound engineer.  I hate the element of touring which means you are always waiting for someone to come down from their room, to be ready to go to the sound check!

[TheTimeWasWrong]

Wonderful to finally hear something from him! It seems he has better memories of Mark and Alan than he has of John and David. Quite painful to read he was glad David left the band

Both John and David did not want to have a keyboard player added as they thought we would ruin what they thought was ‘awinning formula’.

As much as I love the original DS sound, I’m glad they’ve moved forward. Makes no sense to keep making the same records.

Funny that he’s in touch with Jack!

[quizzaciously]

Wonderful to finally hear something from him! It seems he has better memories of Mark and Alan than he has of John and David. Quite painful to read he was glad David left the band

Both John and David did not want to have a keyboard player added as they thought we would ruin what they thought was ‘awinning formula’.

As much as I love the original DS sound, I’m glad they’ve moved forward. Makes no sense to keep making the same records.

Funny that he’s in touch with Jack!

This is nonsense for sure. It's funny how for these guys it was already "a winning formula", but for Mark, it was only the beginning of shaping the sound. I thought that it was quite obvious they started as a 4-piece just because there was not enough money and the music was simple enough.

[Robson]

Thanks jbaent. Lots of interesting information.

[Jules]

Tickets for the concert available here:


https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/pick-withers-and-his-band-slim-pickins-live-from-liverpool-tickets-130883033677

[herlock]

Very interesting stuff ! I'm quite amazed that:
1) He seems to be no fan of Dave's. The only question he does not answer...
2) He doesn't seem to have any resentment against Mark. In fact he says that Mark never told him what to play !
3) He pushed for keyboards. I thought I read somewhere that he left because Mark would put one keyboardist then 2 and that he felt his drums would be marginalized with all these keyboards. Well he says he left because he felt he would be marginalized, but not because of the keyboards...it seems that playing too loud is a big issue for him (he also said this in the video interviews).
4) He was not involved in any unreleased songs ? And he didn't play on the first version of Private Dancer ? Hard to believe, as he attented the LOG sessions ?!
5) His favorite songs from DS seem to change every time the question is asked. OUATITW ? setting me up ? Water of Love ? Wild west end ?...

[quizzaciously]

Very interesting stuff ! I'm quite amazed that:
1) He seems to be no fan of Dave's. The only question he does not answer...
2) He doesn't seem to have any resentment against Mark. In fact he says that Mark never told him what to play !
3) He pushed for keyboards. I thought I read somewhere that he left because Mark would put one keyboardist then 2 and that he felt his drums would be marginalized with all these keyboards. Well he says he left because he felt he would be marginalized, but not because of the keyboards...it seems that playing too loud is a big issue for him (he also said this in the video interviews).
4) He was not involved in any unreleased songs ? And he didn't play on the first version of Private Dancer ? Hard to believe, as he attented the LOG sessions ?!
5) His favorite songs from DS seem to change every time the question is asked. OUATITW ? setting me up ? Water of Love ? Wild west end ?...

1)
2) I think Mark never told him what to play simply because Mark had no extensive drummer experience and working with drummers in general, and Pick was so great anyway, that's exactly the case where no words needed to be said, just the best type of partnership.
3) I think by "his drums would be marginalized with all these keyboards" he meant that the music will change so much that his drums would become a lesser part of this music, and to be honest, he was actually right. He didn't mean he left because of the keyboard, but rather because because of keyboards music changed dramatically.
4) That only further drives home the point that there were no unreleased songs, unfortunately. But that's to be expected, considering Mark's perfectionism.
5) Answer to that question changes every minute if you ask me

[KnopfleRick]

It`s amazing to read all these great memories of the DS era.
Thanks for posting the interview, jbaent. 

[hunter]

If you haven't already, you should listen to the interviews I posted in another thread. Interesting stories.

[straitsway75]

I don't know why, but reading Pick's words comes to mind De Niro's line in the movie 'Bronx': '...... wasted talent ' 

[binone]

Pick´s answer about Sacred Loving song:

I am unfolding the mystery of the song.  Pick is absolutely definite that it was NOT, absolutely NOT presented to Charlie Gillett!  It is definitely David singing.   They only ever included What's The Matter Baby written by David.  I think David may have presented other songs to Mark but they did not make it. People are making the Sacred Loving song far more important than it actually was.  Pick seriously does not even remember it even now when I played to him.  There will always be songs that don't make a record.   Songwriters discard songs every day.  It's part of the job! .It is crazy to suggest that this was on final demo sent to Charlie Gillett.  It most definitely was not!

[Robson]

The demo tape from 24.07.1977 includes Sacred Loving.

Walking The Wild West End - first title
Sultans Of Swing
Down To The Waterline
Sacred Loving
Water Of Love

[hunter]

My guess is that Pick only considers the songs that were recorded after being signed to the record label and as such doesn't think of the demo songs as "unreleased".

[the visitor]

Great to have an interview,  be thankful.

Quite astounded at some of the reaction though : I really enjoyed reading Picks answers and dont really feel that he has 'profited' from me in any way.  If you want to feel like that look no further than Mark Knopfler himself  who is happy to sell you a £300 minature crappy plastic guitar and would never dream of giving even a half honest interview to fans which could be posted on forums for fanatics like this.  Get some perspective....