New message from Richard Bennett

[Jackal]

Richie man is up early:


Dublin, Ireland
06-Oct-2011
It's was a great last week of rehearsals and a few days off in London that included a visit to the Imperial War Museum and The Tate Britain.  The Tate currently has an exhibit of modern 20th Century British artists including an in depth look at the work of John Craxton, which I really loved. Several notable dinners, one being Poppie's of Spitalfields, the best fish, chips and mushy peas I've had in a great long while.  Another high point of our days off was an in-store performance at Rough Trade Records of The Real Tuesday Weld accompanying Glen Duncan reading from his new novel, The Last Werewolf.  Dark, smart and funny.  If you're not familiar with Weld, go to You Tube and check out The Show Must Go On and Bath Time In Clerkenwell.  There are loads more of vids after that.  The Real Tuesday Weld is a real fave of mine.

We arrived in Dublin yesterday, did a little sound check at the O 2 Arena then beat a hasty path back to the bar for a few rounds of Guinness.

Tonight was our first show of this little jaunt round Europe and the UK.  Unusual in that it is not our tour, but rather Bob Dylan's and Mark is the opening artist.  What that means is we do 70 minutes then Bob does 70 minutes.  Strange because it is so short from our usual set and I suppose the same holds for Bob as well.  It was all very relaxed tonight and a great kick off to this tour.  It felt like we'd never taken a break from the last tour, everything simply fell into place and sounded fantastic... even on this first night.  The other cool thing about our shortened set is that we're doing a few new tunes that have yet to be released.  We were all smiles on stage tonight and all smiles when we returned to the dressing room to find that our tour manager hero Pete McKay, had installed a barrel and tap of Guinness which was christened the Guinness Cow and made quick work of.  Fortified with the creamy stuff we wandered out to see some of Bob's show catching Tangled Up In Blue, Don't Think Twice and a few others.  Bob at 70 years old is a role model.. still rocking.

Tomorrow's another day off that we'll use to travel to Glasgow where we play the day after.

So long,

Richard

[Rollergirl]

The other cool thing about our shortened set is that we're doing a few new tunes that have yet to be released

Cool indeed, Mr B!

[JF]

Never have to be nervous about Richard stealing the spotlight   .)

I agree
I just don't understand why he's "needed" in studio "just" to play some additionnal parts which could be played by any other studio musician , or by Mark, without any big change in the overall sound.

IMHO, if Richard wasn't on studio albums, they wouldn't sound so different
Of course, Live is another thing, and I agree that he add some beautiful touch on live versions

Richard part on "I dug up a diamond" is awesome

yes, live
but in studio, its' only Mark.
Well that's what I reckon, but of course, can't be 100% sure  

Richard's lead part on Born to run is also pretty cool.

yes, live again  

Richard plays great lead when he gets the chance, check out Summer of Love and Love and Happiness

Yes I agree, I pointed Summer of love in my post  

And Love and Hapiness features his typical tremolo sounds, like on many other songs (maybe too many  )

Just my guess, but I reckon he's playing the riff on Do America too...

I don't think so, sounds like typical Mark's fingerstyle to me
but of course can't be 100% sure  
http://www.mk-guitar.com/blog/gear-on-all-songs-for-all-albums-wiki/gear-on-album-sailing-to-philadelphia/#Track%206%20-%20Do%20America


However, it's never pointed, but I reckon that he's playing lead on Sucker Row
http://www.mk-guitar.com/blog/gear-on-all-songs-for-all-albums-wiki/gear-on-album-shangri-la/#Track%203%20-%20Sucker%20row

I can't see why Chuck Ainlay would have ommited a guitar :
http://www.mark-knopfler-news.co.uk/frameset.html
go to "releases" --> "shangri-la" (bottom) --> "Guitars used in the Shangri-La recording sessions"


Considering the fact that Mark used "sessions musicians" during his whole career, I don't see the point to have 2nd guitarist in studio, as Mark could have played all parts, and having a 2nd guitarist only on tours.
If you listen to LOG album : what is  the interest to have Hal Lindes in studio ?
On Private Investigations, I can't hear what he 's playing. I reckon that Mark plays all parts.
But Hal is miming guitar on the clip ! I just find this a little bit ridiculous.
Same on OES : do you think that Phil Palmer add some "particular sound ideas" to the album ?

Many bands have only one guitarist which play all parts in studio, and then they bring up a session musician for gigs.

I guess that Mark could have done this way, but just an idea, and MHO  

[Pottel]

update yesterday. not a word on marks work though...
he New Year 
06-Feb-2012 
I hope everyone had good holidays and a happy new year.  It's been an unseasonably mild winter here in Nashville, topping the high 60's last week and the mid-50's this week.  That's all good news for our Weber b.b.q. kettle and my thin blood, but something's not right.  There are strange things afoot the last few years with the weather patterns everywhere.  I'm just sayin'.......

My friend Bo Ramsey and I co-produced a wonderful album for singer and songwriter Iris DeMent just prior to Christmas.  A collection of songs that is everything Southern from the heavy vines and death of a child, to dark gothic tales disguised in Sunday school piano saturated with Old Man River.  We broke for the holidays then came back in January for a few days to finish up.  I'm not sure when it will be released but I'll keep you posted.

I've also been doing some recording with Vince Gill again, this time he's producing Ashley Monroe. Ashley is one third of The Pistol Annies along with Miranda Lambert and Angelina Presley.  All three are immensely talented songwriters, singers and artists individually as well as their combined success as the Annies.  Due to that success, a major record label is in the process of signing Ashley and the recordings we did that Vince supervised are the beginnings of her album.  As always it's nothing but a joy to work with Vince at his studio where we all set up in the same room facing each other and play live music together. 

We got a call from Emmylou a couple of weeks back asking us to join her at The Ryman Auditorium for a special performance of The Grand Ole Opry.  It was a combined celebration of her 20th anniversary as an Opry artist as well as the 20th anniversary of her live album At The Ryman.  I was fortunate to have produced that record there with my pal Allen Reynolds back in 1991.  At that time the Ryman was no longer a working venue for shows, the Opry having left for a modern theatre in 1974.  The wonderful auditorium had fallen on very hard times, disrepair and was being used only as a destination for tourists to walk through and have a picture taken on the famous stage.  It was in these squalid and somewhat unsafe conditions Emmy's album was recorded.  When it was released 20 years ago it refocused the general public as well as the owner's of the Ryman to what a valuable venue it was, not only for it's past but also it's future potential.  Shortly after, the Ryman Auditorium's structural problems were addressed and was completely restored making it a modern facility while keeping it historically sound. The Ryman is now packed every night with audiences enjoying all types of music and shows and The Grand Ole Opry returns each year in the winter to it's most famous home.  Emmy's show the other night was fantastic with guests, Rodney Crowell, Vince, Shawn Colvin, Buddy Miller, Kimmie Rhodes and more.  It was great sitting on those hundred year old oak pews, seeing and hearing all that music.

After a 6 month hiatus from my own record, I wandered back to my pal George Bradfute's studio and recorded a tune that I wrote last autumn while on tour with Mark and Dylan, a song that came to me on the Penarth Pier in Wales on a bleak and blustery afternoon.  I actually called it Penarth while I worked on the tune, but have now changed the title.  So, another one to throw on the pile that will eventually become the new album sometime this autumn.

I'll be heading into the studio to produce a new record for Phil Lee in March.  I've done three records with him already and they're always great fun.  Phil is a guy who writes songs with a wonderfully twisted angle and I'm a big fan of his.

My friend Dave Peterson and I have been talking about gathering some songs, players and studio time to make a record that I'll produce.  Dave's one of the finest country/bluegrass singers going and couldn't be a nicer guy.  Not sure if or when that will take place, but I sure hope it does.

That's about it for the time being.  Here's wishing everyone a belated happy and healthy 2012.  It's a mad old world but we're lucky stiffs to still be spinning round on it.  Here's to another good turn.

Richard
 

[DIFFICULTTOBELIEVE]

New Note from Nashville.

20-Apr-2012  
What HAVE I been doing?  For starters, I'm listening to a great new album as I peck this out, called It Ain't Necessarily So...a fantastic record of finger style acoustic guitar solos by my old buddy Howard Emerson. I met Howard while recording some sides for Eric Anderson back in Los Angeles so many years ago it doesn't bear thinking about.  Howard was working with Eric at the time, came out to L.A. for the sessions and we ended up hanging out for a few days.  Howard's made several great records over the years, but I have to say this one's my fave.  Find out more about him at www.howardemerson.com.

Another record I'm completely in love with is the new one from The Pines, Dark So Gold.  It's dark, melodic and hauntingly elegant.  I won't try to explain any further except to say it's on Red House Records and you should check The Pines out at www.the pinesmusic.com

I played a rare Nashville gig last night with Iris DeMent at The Belcourt Theatre.  The Belcourt was built in the late 20's as a movie house and over the years has served as the home to The Grand Ole Opry prior to the show's relocation to The Ryman Auditorium in the 1940's.  Having produced Iris' new album, along with Bo Ramsey, it was a real honour to share the boards with her for a little live music. Actually, a lot of live music.  We did a couple of dozen songs, a lot to learn, but well worth it.  Dave Jacques played bass, Bryan Owings on drums, Iris playing piano and guitar and myself, all played on her new record and we we're joined by Richard McLauren who played steel and mandolin.  Richard engineered the record.  So it was a comfortable gathering and sounded great on stage.  No word yet on when Iris' new record will be out but I'll let you know.

I've been doing some session work for folks as well as finally getting back to my own record.  I have some new tunes going that I'm really looking forward to recording.  I've also been producing and playing on a new album for my pal Phil Lee, three days of rough and ready recording that yielded a dozen songs that have a unique quality all to themselves.  That combined with Phil's jaundiced eye view of the world and a brilliantly skewed sense of humour in his lyrics makes this the best Phil Lee record yet.  We're not quite finished but as always I'll let you know when it's available.

There's a brand new book about the famed and fabled Wrecking Crew by Kent Hartman, tracing the story of those great L.A. musicians of the 60's who played on so many hits and the soundtrack to many of our lives.  I was fortunate to have come up in the recording studios with those guys though just a couple of years past the time frame of their classic period.  Still, from 1968 onward, I worked with them all.  I spoke with the author a couple of years ago and I am apparently in the book, complete with photo.  I haven't seen it yet but am awfully flattered to be mentioned in such historic company.

And speaking of books, it's the centennial of Woody Guthrie, born in Oklahoma in 1912.  I recently read a brilliantly written and comprehensive biography of Woody called Rambin' Man by Ed Cray.  Wherever you get you music, on line, download, record store... however, it's time to listen to Woody again.  These are songs that speak to the very times we're going through now, much as they did in the Great Depression and World War II when they were written and recorded.

Hope you are all well and enjoying this early spring/summer.

Richard
 

[Jules]

Nothing interesting for us 

[Jackal]

Nothing interesting for us 

Awww! I think a lot of the stuff Richard writes is interesting. Gives a good view into the world of a professional musician. That Richard worked with the Wrecking Crew is pretty amazing. Check this out:

 

[Jules]

I mean, as a Knopfler fans 

[Love Expresso]

Hi,

Richard has updated his page with a "Summer Soon" post. Among other interesting news (about Sheryl Crow's new album, but also some sad news) I copied from his site the MK related part that AMITes are interested in the most I guess:

I've recently heard the final mixes of the album we did with Mark Knopfler last year and I feel like it's the best record we've all made together...stem to stern, from the songs, playing and singing to the recording and sound of it.  Most probably know already that it's to be called Privateering and released in September. A generous helping of 20 songs and one to savour for many years to come.
 

Sounds good, doesn't it? Visit his page to read it completely!

LE

[dmg]

I like when he said "one to savour for many years to come." Is this another Speedway?  Of course, like Guy he always says its the best album they've ever done!

[Love Expresso]

I think "the one" meant "the generous helping of 20 songs"? However, if you are nit-picking, you could sound out these lines that it could be indeed his last album for years.... but I am sure he just means the songs are SO great - which I do not doubt... As I said earlier: The new songs are companions for the rest of my life, some more, some less...

LE

[ds1984]

This is just the usual thing. Imagine Guy or Richard saying "the new album is pretty good but the one before this one was better..."

The new album is always the best one until it is not new anymore. From that point, the answer become "they are all too good to choose one".

[twm]

I'd not seen that bit of film about The Wrecking Crew, so that was interesting but does anyone know when the phrase "The Wrecking Crew" first came into use to describe these musicians?

The name seems to refer to almost any gathering of top L.A. session musicians these days but, for me, it will always be associated with Phil Spector's 1960s recordings, though I'm not sure it was used at that time. I have a copy of Rob Finnis's 1975 book "The Phil Spector Story", which I haven't read in a long while admittedly, and I don't recall a mention of "The Wrecking Crew" as a collective name for the studio session musicians. Maybe my memory is at fault.

Also, I was pleased to see Richard mention Woody Guthrie. The Ed Cray book he cites ("Rambling Man") is very good and probably the more comprehensive but I always enjoyed the earlier book, "Woody Guthrie - A Life", which was written by Joe Klein.

There's an album called "Woody Guthrie - Library of Congress Recordings" [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_of_Congress_Recordings ], in which Guthrie talks to folklorist and collector Alan Lomax and plays a few songs. Recorded in 1940, these recordings were not released until 1964 on Elektra and then re-released by Rounder Records in the 1980s. I think the set was issued on CD by Proper in the UK (I seem to recall seeing this). These are not perfect audio and not pristine but, more importantly, they are not desiccated recordings.  It's like a couple of old buddies, slightly drunk, chatting away about Guthrie's life and music.  They kind of pretend that they've never met before and, when I first heard these recordings, I was all but mesmerised.

The classic Guthrie album, though, is "Dust Bowl Ballads" [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dust_Bowl_Ballads]. It is an album of songs on a single subject, the American Dust Bowl and its effects. Even though it refers to events over 75 years ago, its themes are timeless. The Dust Bowl and its effects can reveal a parallel in the economic strife and turmoil of today and maybe Guthrie's themes will be reflected in "Privateering". We shall see.