Alan Clark plays new single Romeo and Juliet (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

[dustyvalentino]

I really wonder where this negative attitude towards Alan Clark and Phil Palmer comes from. If Mark Knopfler is not so interested in honoring the Dire Straits legacy, I'm grateful that at least other musicians care about it. They don't pretend that it's their songs - but they keep saying what great songs MK wrote there. And every time they play something of his, he earns money without having to do anything. So it's good for all sides.

I'm convinced that musicians like Alan Clark have earned quite a lot of merit in terms of arrangements on the tracks. Without Alan, Guy etc. maybe some pieces would not be as we know and love them today. One should get rid of the idea that the brilliant Mark Knopfler - just because he is the composer - has planned everything down to the last detail. Without Guy's lick in "Walk Of Life" it might not have become such a hit.

Phil Palmer is one of the most successful session guitarists around for a reason. I wonder when and where he ever behaved arrogantly or unsympathetically, as is claimed here. So far he was the only guitarist who challenged Mark Knopfler technically - and was allowed to do so to a certain extent - Richard is never allowed to show what he can do.

Well, Phil wrote a song slagging MK for one thing.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[dustyvalentino]

The album will be released 21st September 2021

1. I & I
2, Romeo & Juliet
3. Big River
4. Have I told You Lately That I Love You
5. Licence To Kill
6. Private Dancer
7. Brothers In Arms
8. Going Home
9. Love Over Gold
10. The North
Love Over Gold - Bonus digital download only track.

Every track except 1 has a conection to Mark, although I don't know the song The North. I guess the talk about Mark and Alan not getting on can't be true, Mark would have to have ok'd these songs to be released.

Is Have I Told You Lately the Van Morrison song?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[qjamesfloyd]

I haven't seen the album credits, Alan doesn't seem to have played on the album Avalon Sunset, might be the Rod Stewart version?

[Tomcaster]

I love this song!!!

[dustyvalentino]

I haven't seen the album credits, Alan doesn't seem to have played on the album Avalon Sunset, might be the Rod Stewart version?

Apparently on this:

https://www.allmusic.com/album/youre-in-my-heart-rod-stewart-with-the-royal-philharmonic-orchestra-mw0003320490/credits


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[dmg]

I really wonder where this negative attitude towards Alan Clark and Phil Palmer comes from. If Mark Knopfler is not so interested in honoring the Dire Straits legacy, I'm grateful that at least other musicians care about it. They don't pretend that it's their songs - but they keep saying what great songs MK wrote there. And every time they play something of his, he earns money without having to do anything. So it's good for all sides.

I'm convinced that musicians like Alan Clark have earned quite a lot of merit in terms of arrangements on the tracks. Without Alan, Guy etc. maybe some pieces would not be as we know and love them today. One should get rid of the idea that the brilliant Mark Knopfler - just because he is the composer - has planned everything down to the last detail. Without Guy's lick in "Walk Of Life" it might not have become such a hit.

Phil Palmer is one of the most successful session guitarists around for a reason. I wonder when and where he ever behaved arrogantly or unsympathetically, as is claimed here. So far he was the only guitarist who challenged Mark Knopfler technically - and was allowed to do so to a certain extent - Richard is never allowed to show what he can do.

I can't speak for everyone but it has never been my belief that every song is the product of Mark Knopfler 100%.  The DS albums were labelled DS for a reason and DS were credited (on OES anyway) as being Mark, John, Guy and Alan.  I don't get why Alan feels the need to promote himself more than any of the others, especially as his name is already there and he is already credited.  Is it because John is the founding member and Guy was kept on?  We'll never know.

[ds1984]

Regarding Alan exact input nobody knows the thruth here.

the point is that officially all songs are written by MK, Alan Clark was never credited for anything,
so stating to have been a big part of the arragement is a very bold statement from many points of view

he even states that outside Dire Straits he is "meticulous" about being credited, but with Dire Straits zero credits ?
and why ? it's just a bunch of BS imo

Moreover I have checked with Mimmo Carrata, the biggest collector in the world as many of you know,
he knows everything and has everything (including Telegraph Road Studio without the fade out
and Tunnel of Love Studio with MK's guitar intro and so many other stuff,
I will go to his home sooner or later and then report everything here,
we have known for 30 years and don't know why I haven't gone yet (well the other side of italy is not close actually),
he has invited me many times and promised I will be stunned),
well the point is that he says Alan Clark has written nothing and arranged nothing.

This is only your opinion.


Collecting acetates is one thing, being in the secrets of the business is another one.

To my known Mimmo Carrata was not in the studio with both Alan and Mark when developping stuff for Dire Straits.

Again I don't know the thruth about Alan's claim but what I know from my connection in the music business is that there is a common practice to pay instead of giving public credit. You can even buy a song credited with your name on it.

By the way Mick Taylor claims to have had the same issue while being a Rolling Stone.

[quizzaciously]

All I know is I'd hate to be a member of a band like this. People just can't share credits and money such that everyone is happy and leave all this mess behind. But it also depends on the type of person. Guy worked silently and steadily and look where he's now, Mark's producer and musical director. And where's Alan?

[ds1984]

Where would be Guy without Mark ?

Where is John once outside of Dire Straits?

And Pick Withers, such a talented drummer that went off the rader after leaving the band?

 

[quizzaciously]

Where would be Guy without Mark ?

Where is John once outside of Dire Straits?

And Pick Withers, such a talented drummer that went off the rader after leaving the band?

Exactly... At least John remains the co-owner of DS and made enough money so he can be a painter or a pub owner. And being a professional musician is nothing like that. I'd hate to be a musician because in order to stay afloat you either need to work 365 days a year or be someone like Mark Knopfler. So staying under the radar is not a decision that people make, it's called life.

[Jules]

Where would be Guy without Mark ?

Where is John once outside of Dire Straits?

And Pick Withers, such a talented drummer that went off the rader after leaving the band?

John is millionaire as DS (the company) were (and still are) MK and John.

The rest of DS musicians are not millionaire because they were paid as musicians, they were not DS in terms of anytime DS get play on a radio or a DS song is played live by whatever band, MK and John gets money, the rest none.

John was so important for the band, in musical terms, that Alan or Guy?

John is the millionaire and can spend all his life painting without economic worries. Alan and Guy should keep busy working to pay the rent.

[Love Expresso]

I have no insight in stuff like this. But you can't bring me off the fact that the whole "Straits" Band project was an insult and an offence and clearly planned as such. I now saw the track list of Alan Clarks forthcoming compilation. To say the tracks are from many contributions over the years is a bold interpretation. Not a single of those tracks would have seen the presence of Alan Clark without the MK connection. Even I and I from Bob is MK related. Everything is MK related in this list.
He makes it sound like DS or MK was one part of a rich musical varied life, but obviously it isn't. And that says it all really. It's clearly an ego thing, more on the psychological side and, yes, of course! on the monetary one. (which is a valid reason and should not denied by AC, would have made it much more believable.)
Artistically, it's a poor try to make one self shine brighter than it really does. Midlife crisis, I can relate to that.

LE
 

[quizzaciously]

Where would be Guy without Mark ?

Where is John once outside of Dire Straits?

And Pick Withers, such a talented drummer that went off the rader after leaving the band?

John is millionaire as DS (the company) were (and still are) MK and John.

The rest of DS musicians are not millionaire because they were paid as musicians, they were not DS in terms of anytime DS get play on a radio or a DS song is played live by whatever band, MK and John gets money, the rest none.

John was so important for the band, in musical terms, that Alan or Guy?

John is the millionaire and can spend all his life painting without economic worries. Alan and Guy should keep busy working to pay the rent.

I think Mark and John are just two extremely similar characters and that allowed them to stay together till the end of DS and even to this day. John, as you can see in the long run, is a smart guy. He never expressed to be more prominent, never tried to push his own songs, recorded solo albums without leaving the band, from what I understand he was dealing with the business side of things in DS a lot, drove a car, helped to collect money for the first record, and when it all ended he was like "so be it". So he deserves everything in my opinion. Should other guys be as smart as him, DS would probably produce more millionaires than just MK, John, and probably Ed

I think everyone who played in DS knew that they will be remembered as a Dire Straits member. Heck, even Mark can't escape this. He's stamped with DS for life. This is a power of a brand, imagine it wasn't a band, and they would be just session musicians who played with MK. But as it was a "band without a band", I think Alan still can't get over it. I tend to think that Dire Straits were less of a band than Mark's current band...

Anyway, history is tough and hopefully, John's book would shine a light on more things.

[Jules]

I have no insight in stuff like this. But you can't bring me off the fact that the whole "Straits" Band project was an insult and an offence and clearly planned as such. I now saw the track list of Alan Clarks forthcoming compilation. To say the tracks are from many contributions over the years is a bold interpretation. Not a single of those tracks would have seen the presence of Alan Clark without the MK connection. Even I and I from Bob is MK related. Everything is MK related in this list.
He makes it sound like DS or MK was one part of a rich musical varied life, but obviously it isn't. And that says it all really. It's clearly an ego thing, more on the psychological side and, yes, of course! on the monetary one. (which is a valid reason and should not denied by AC, would have made it much more believable.)
Artistically, it's a poor try to make one self shine brighter than it really does. Midlife crisis, I can relate to that.

LE

Agree with the Straits project. Actually the first gig they did at the RAh it was said it was for charity so it looked right, but it went so well that they decided to keep playing, according to them, to provide the fans the enjoyment of those songs, played by some of the band members, which is something some would agree, others don't, as in the end, with that name is getting gigs under the DS umbrella. I think that nowadays, with their new name, they should announce themselves just as LEGACY and play songs from DS, Clapton, The Buggles etc, thinking that they have Trevor Horn, and Alan, Phil and Steve Ferrone played with Clapton. The way they do it still looks like milking the DS name, which is legal to do, and in the end they are musicians and work is work, and at the same time, MK gets his money everytime they play his songs.

About his record, the most important records in which Alan got to play was with MK or related with MK, so there is no way to exit from that link. But there are no Clapton songs there which is curious, maybe he didn't included Clapton songs as he wasn't involved in the studio with him except for some songs that maybe are not the most famous ones.

Any record one does celebrating his own career it's an ego thing. That's pretty obvious.

[quizzaciously]

I have no insight in stuff like this. But you can't bring me off the fact that the whole "Straits" Band project was an insult and an offence and clearly planned as such. I now saw the track list of Alan Clarks forthcoming compilation. To say the tracks are from many contributions over the years is a bold interpretation. Not a single of those tracks would have seen the presence of Alan Clark without the MK connection. Even I and I from Bob is MK related. Everything is MK related in this list.
He makes it sound like DS or MK was one part of a rich musical varied life, but obviously it isn't. And that says it all really. It's clearly an ego thing, more on the psychological side and, yes, of course! on the monetary one. (which is a valid reason and should not denied by AC, would have made it much more believable.)
Artistically, it's a poor try to make one self shine brighter than it really does. Midlife crisis, I can relate to that.

LE

Agree with the Straits project. Actually the first gig they did at the RAh it was said it was for charity so it looked right, but it went so well that they decided to keep playing, according to them, to provide the fans the enjoyment of those songs, played by some of the band members, which is something some would agree, others don't, as in the end, with that name is getting gigs under the DS umbrella. I think that nowadays, with their new name, they should announce themselves just as LEGACY and play songs from DS, Clapton, The Buggles etc, thinking that they have Trevor Horn, and Alan, Phil and Steve Ferrone played with Clapton. The way they do it still looks like milking the DS name, which is legal to do, and in the end they are musicians and work is work, and at the same time, MK gets his money everytime they play his songs.

About his record, the most important records in which Alan got to play was with MK or related with MK, so there is no way to exit from that link. But there are no Clapton songs there which is curious, maybe he didn't included Clapton songs as he wasn't involved in the studio with him except for some songs that maybe are not the most famous ones.

Any record one does celebrating his own career it's an ego thing. That's pretty obvious.

This is what I'm talking about, one can barely survive after being a member of a really big band or brand. Of course, everything that Alan does is MK-related because working on MK songs is a high point of careers for many many many people (including me haha), the way you deal with this is another story. John Illsley also acknowledges the fact that he's stamped with Dire Straits' name, and he actually performed Dire Straits songs himself. But he never made a tribute band and never tried to replace Mark with somebody else, he just played the songs.

I feel really sorry for those guys who made this tribute thing going, I genuinely think that they had good intentions and people had fun on the shows, but with these guys, something feels off anyway. And remember that the greatest man alive is Danny Cummings, who managed to play in Mark's band and in the tribute band at the same time. What a legend!