Chris Whitten interview

[Robson]

The BiA tour was about the same length and it was happy was it not?

I thought about that too.

[TheTimeWasWrong]

Sure I agree - hi guys.
Some people are pointing out that Mark completely called the shots 100%, then you and another are making out it was my idea to play Sultans that way. Nope.
The person who started the thread took the most extreme negative view, but I'm glad to see most others pointed out Pick had a similar experience, Manu turned down the tour and so did Porcaro actually.
It wasn't exactly that I didn't like Dire Straits. Their albums weren't in my CD player at the time. Mainly I had heard how difficult Mark was to work with. I had just done McCartney for three years. I knew how to work at the highest level, with extremely talented artists. When someone doesn't smile at you for a two hour show, for 350 shows and never once pats you on the back for a job well done in 1.5 years -that IS someone who is difficult to work with.
We rehearsed for a couple of months.
When we set up on the actual touring stage for the first time my drums were placed at the back right, high above Mark and John. When we started playing Mark said he couldn't feel the drums. He instructed me to play on my own, kept saying play louder in his mic until I was playing as hard as I could. At that point he said great, keep it like that.
So for most of a two hour show I was aways playing as loud as I could. Which IMO didn't suit the music and yes, ruined songs with a light feel like Sultans of Swing.
It's funny because last year Pick did a bunch of interviews and said exactly the same thing happened to him in the early 80's. One of the main reasons he left DS. He was constantly being told to play louder until he felt he was just bashing the drums the entire show. I never knew that until I watched his recent interviews.
Back to the '92 tour, of course as a professional I tried to play my absolute best all the time, and play the music in a way that honoured the people who had paid a lot of money to come see the show. If you are ing t d something for over a year, you might as well do it to the best of your ability, take some pride in it.
Ed Bicknel has said publicly it was the most gruelling godawful depressing tour Dire Straits ever did. I don't think Mark wanted to do the tour from the start. His head was already in that Nashville space. I think he did the tour to promote the album, give John, Guy and Alan a good send off (and pay day), but once he realised the enormity of what he'd signed up to, over a year on the road, he just became an unhappy camper, miserable and borderline angry the whole time.

Hi Chris, thanks for sharing your point of view! As a kid, I watched the On The Night VHS so many times I still more or less know all your fills and grooves. Of course, when I got older, I got to know some background info on the OES tour and listened to many other tours, but I still have that same warm feeling when I listen to or see the OTN recording

[quizzaciously]

The BiA tour was about the same length and it was happy was it not?

I thought about that too.

It's easier the first time I already forgot it from John's book, but I remember he said it was still insanely long and it still would affect personal life. How it can't?? It's basically like you're in the army now.

[NicoMK]

The BiA tour was about the same length and it was happy was it not?

Maybe the main issue was not the length only.

Haven't I heard many times that Mark himself didn't quite want to make the OES record, that this last opus was a contract thing with Philips? Chris mentioned in one of his posts above that Mark did the tour for Alan, John and Guy, so we can assume that the story was more or less the same with making the record.

Also, wasn't it short after the OES tour that Mark divorced from I can't remember who? -- sorry I'm not much into personal matters -- but if MK had marital issues at the time, it certainly didn't help leaving the house for two years lol.

And the schedule, yes… considering the fact they had already done a huge tour 5 years before, maybe they didn't quite feel like doing it again. Pretty certain when you watch videos from the last part of the tour that none of them seemed to have much fun, understandably. 

[rpb424]

Alan Clark mentions on his website about how he reluctantly left Clapton’s band (which he described as the best he’s ever been in) to go back to DS and make the OES album. I can only imagine that it was a contractual thing. He also called the OES tour ‘soul-less’ (although that wording has since changed).

[2manyguitars]

OES wasn't contractual. That was the live at the bbc release a few years later.

[hunter]

Reading Chris' comments, I'm reminded of some of Tommy Mandel's remarks. He even had a chapter (in an unpublished memoir) called Herr K. A not-so-unsubtle way of comparing Mark with Der Führer ... And Mandel's stint was back in 82/83? Not so sure the BiA tour was a joyride either.

[Chris W]

I've worked with quite a few big stars and I have no doubt Mark would have told Jeff what to play and told him if he wasn't happy about something.
I have never discussed it with anyone, but John says in interviews he had lunch with Mark one day and Mark out of the blue suggested they make the OES album.
I would not be surprised if that was true.
The BIA tour was very happy. It was the point at which DS really became a huge arena rock act. The album was selling big as were the singles - Walk Of Life and Money For Nothing.
OES was not as successful.
The material on OES shows Mark's transition to the smaller scale Nashville approach. But the tour was yet another huge stadium extravaganza. I never thought Mark felt comfortable playing Money. In the 5 years since BIA he'd moved on.
The OES tour was going to be a massive pay check for the main guys. The potential money and adulation can suck you in. But the reality is hard work. The tour was gruelling and relentless.
John seemed to be loving it, but Mark had a dark cloud over him most days from my perspective.
There was no party after the final show. We got on a plane from Zaragoza to Barcelona and as far as I remember most of us just went to bed.

[dustyvalentino]

Thanks for the insight Chris, most appreciated.

One more question - did you steal MK’s sausages?

[Klaus74]

Hello Chris. 
Many thanks for your "first hand" information on beeing in the band, and on some tour-information on the subject of OES-Worldtour.

We, as music-lovers, collectors and concert-visitors, see and feel the live-spirit on the shows, but i guess, not many people can imagine the hard background-work, the time-schedules, stage-work, and so on. So it is really thrilling, to hear some background-information from the hand of a band-member. Many thank´s for that.

Dear Chris, what do you think about the positive experiences during that huge tour, are there some, on your personal view ?? Were you, and the other bandmembers, clearly involved in the tour-organization-processes, like the selection of cities, countries, suitable venues indoor or outdoor. ?? What do you think, according to your experience as a bandmember, why does Dire Straits not played in Japan during OES-Worldtour ??
 

[Robson]

Or in Poland? 

There were plans

[relaxcoustic]

"I’ll put it on the list. I don’t actually think i ‘nailed’ it. I think I understand better how it should be played now"

As per the above quote from earlier in the discussion.
I already admitted it should have been played differently, but that option was never really given to me.
On the McCartney tour I was valued and nurtured. I was allowed to basically play how I wanted, and I did play loud rock most of the show, but sometimes very light on songs like The Long And Winding Road
On the OES tour Mark basically told everyone what to play, except maybe Paul Franklin who he greatly admired.

Hello Chris I just wanted to say Hi, I absolutely adored your drumming. My favourite part from On the Night is the second verse of Romeo and Juliet heading into the chorus. Absolutely thrilled every time.
Also, do you have any funny anecdotes to share from the tour?
Anyways cheers you're a legend

[Terry01]

"I’ll put it on the list. I don’t actually think i ‘nailed’ it. I think I understand better how it should be played now"

As per the above quote from earlier in the discussion.
I already admitted it should have been played differently, but that option was never really given to me.
On the McCartney tour I was valued and nurtured. I was allowed to basically play how I wanted, and I did play loud rock most of the show, but sometimes very light on songs like The Long And Winding Road
On the OES tour Mark basically told everyone what to play, except maybe Paul Franklin who he greatly admired.

Hello Chris! I´ts really a honour for me talk with you. Im a big fan of you and Dire Straits.
I´m a 20 years old drummer and i want to know if you can, tell me about the gear and brands you used during the OES Tour (what types of drum heads, cymbals, brand of drum, pedals, sticks, etc).  During the live concerts you appears with small headphones, what you´re listening in there?
PD: What you think about Terry Williams and Pick Withers drumming?

I send you greetings from Argentina, and sorry for my bad english.
With love, Enzo.

[herlock]

Yes, what I have read here from the person claiming to be Chris W. does not seem unrealistic to me, unfortunately... I didn't see any insult, just a fair account of how MK could behave when unhappy in his personal life. The sentence that hurt me most was the one about not having a single word nor gesture of appreciation towards CW in 350 shows for the hard work done. This really hurts, and is not the MK we have been knowing in his solo career. I guess MK himself would now acknowledged that he has behaved like an ass back in 1992...

[superval99]

As much as I would like to disbelieve Chris W's post, I'm pretty sure that it is true.    MK did not seem very happy on the OES tour, and who could blame him - he was going through a divorce at that time, but that doesn't excuse him treating someone badly!   

We are 30 years on now and Mark eventually found happiness with Kitty.  He is a different person these days and tomorrow is his 25th wedding anniversary.   So I hope we can move on now and not dwell on something that happened so long ago. 

Let's wish him a happy 25th wedding anniversary!