Chris Whitten interview

[Knopflerfan]

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!   

Good point, well made there Superval with regards their 25th wedding anniversary...

[dustyvalentino]

By the way Chris, can I say that your drumming on World Shut Your Mouth is fantastic.

[Chris W]

Mark in Canada

[Chris W]

The advertising says it all.
(I took the shot).

Yes, I can't remember any time Mark smiled at me during the show, or had a good word to say about my performance.
On the flight to Barcelona after the final show he sat in silence. There was no end of tour party. Ed Bicknel is on record as saying it was the grimmest tour ayone involved had ever worked on.
My instagram account is:
chriswhittenmusic

[dustyvalentino]

Without being nosey, was the tour at least worth doing financially, or could you have made more and been happier doing session work?

[Jules]

The advertising says it all.
(I took the shot).

Yes, I can't remember any time Mark smiled at me during the show, or had a good word to say about my performance.
On the flight to Barcelona after the final show he sat in silence. There was no end of tour party. Ed Bicknel is on record as saying it was the grimmest tour ayone involved had ever worked on.
My instagram account is:
chriswhittenmusic

Can't believe that the leader of a band you are playing for doesn't says you a thing during a two years tour, how bad from MK... I'm sorry for you.

Did you had any relation of friendship with any of the musicians? It is a very long tour and many hotel rooms, travels around the world.

[Chris W]

The only way I could complete the tour was due to Chris White.

I don't intend to do a running commentary or post regularly.
It came up on my radar that someone has mischaracterised my podcast for Darko Audio. If anyone was insulted it was me - that I needed therapy my playing was so bad.
I haven't insulted Mark, I just tried to correct some of the guess work that arose out of the first post in the thread.
As I said earlier, I talk about it again in a more recent podcast:
https://www.drummersresource.com/chris-whitten-interview/

Obviously it would have to be a very dedicated scam if I got myself on two separate podcasts and said the same things I've posted here.

[Chris W]

Certainly he wanted proof of identity but with a little elegance and respect we can disagree... And again, with the times that run today on false identities and "infox "News, I don't find this out of place.

I don't have to prove anything, but just to reiterate, I didn't start the discussion. Someone else started it to repeat some negative things I said about my time in DS.
So if it isn't me, it would have to be an impostor in multiple podcasts as well.
I would urge you and others to check out the Drummers Resource podcast I linked to above.

[quizzaciously]

I think as long as the audience had no clue that the tour was "grumpy", everything is okay. I think the drama here is a bit exaggerated since you can't not have fun playing such good songs for so many people, it's impossible. I'm sure, should Mark be in a better place in his life and so many things would not keep falling on him at the same time, including the tour itself, the tour would be a much better experience. Personally, I loved my "On The Night" DVD and spent so many hours with it, it gave me one of the happiest musical memories, and that's just a DVD. Can't imagine visiting actual shows back then!

[superval99]

I think as long as the audience had no clue that the tour was "grumpy", everything is okay. I think the drama here is a bit exaggerated since you can't not have fun playing such good songs for so many people, it's impossible. I'm sure, should Mark be in a better place in his life and so many things would not keep falling on him at the same time, including the tour itself, the tour would be a much better experience. Personally, I loved my "On The Night" DVD and spent so many hours with it, it gave me one of the happiest musical memories, and that's just a DVD. Can't imagine visiting actual shows back then!

I liked OTN too, but I liked Basel '92 much more and I played it over and over and never tired of watching!   Sultans was one of my favourites at that time, but now I much prefer the 4-piece versions.

[Robson]

I remember a great concert in Basel. June 28, 1992. Broadcast to many countries. Fantastic atmosphere.

[qjamesfloyd]

I enjoy listening and watching On The Night a lot, what happened between Mark and the band is their business, not mine, but it was a long time ago now, and Mark is a different person now, I am sure he was a different person when he started his solo career, he just needed a different focus I think, there a more people who have good things to say about him than negative, I am sure the likes of Chet Atkins, EmmyLou Harris, the 96's etc would have found him out by now, Guy would have jumped ship long ago, and John Illsley wouldn't still have Mark as a close friend if he was the type of person he was painted as being years ago, we all change over time, it's natural, I am sure we all have behaved a certain way when younger that we wouldn't do when older.

[Robson]

"we all change over time, it's natural, I am sure we all have behaved a certain way when younger that we wouldn't do when older.

 

[NicoMK]

Yes, I can't remember any time Mark smiled at me during the show, or had a good word to say about my performance.
On the flight to Barcelona after the final show he sat in silence. There was no end of tour party.

I feel sorry that it happened this way between you (at least) and Mark.

The episode in the plane is just as sad. No party after such a big tour, whether you enjoyed it or not, is just incredible. No thankyous to the whole band either? No excuses for Mark but hell, I wouldn't have wanted to be in his head at the time.

[superval99]

I enjoy listening and watching On The Night a lot, what happened between Mark and the band is their business, not mine, but it was a long time ago now, and Mark is a different person now, I am sure he was a different person when he started his solo career, he just needed a different focus I think, there a more people who have good things to say about him than negative, I am sure the likes of Chet Atkins, EmmyLou Harris, the 96's etc would have found him out by now, Guy would have jumped ship long ago, and John Illsley wouldn't still have Mark as a close friend if he was the type of person he was painted as being years ago, we all change over time, it's natural, I am sure we all have behaved a certain way when younger that we wouldn't do when older.

 I wonder if Mark treated the rest of the band in the same way as he treated Chris -  not speaking or smiling to them for two years - or was it just Chris?   I find that very difficult to imagine, even though I know it wasn't a happy tour for MK or other band members.  Also I wonder how did Chris get along with the rest of the band?