Just The Drummer In The Band...

[quizzaciously]

This is all very interesting. Terry Williams was the drummer on the Brothers In Arms tour. And the setlist included Ride Across The River and Your Latest Trick. And we know that Terry was great at concerts, but not in the studio? But I understand the subtle differences:)

One of the best quotes I know is "Your band is as good as your drummer". A drummer and a bass player are the foundation everything else is built on top of, rhythm-section is the most important part of all this. I still remember working as a roadie on jazz festivals and listening to drummers and bass players essentially providing 80% of the experience on soundcheck. It's jazz, it's swing, it's the feel, drive, and emotion, it's everything.

The difference is very subtle, but not so much. Pete Best played with The Beatles for 2 years before being famously fired and swapped to Ringo Starr to record in the studio. Fortunately, we do have recordings with Pete, and it's quite obvious why they would do this, he just wasn't great, and the studio amplified it 1000 times. Even Ringo was replaced by a studio drummer to record "Love Me Do", and he felt that he would also be fired. But we all know how it went for him.

So never underestimate the importance of the drummer. Mark got EXTREMELY lucky having a drummer as good as Mr Withers and got equally unlucky with his departure, having to resort to changing drummers as gloves for the rest of his career. Now, don't get me wrong, Terry IS a great drummer and always has been, just maybe not suitable for every song out there, I think Mr Dorfsman explained it best.

For Mark's first solo album, should he still prefer to stick with Dire Straits, it would most certainly have John Illsley replaced as well because songs demanded the same versatility from bass as drums in Brothers In Arms and On Every Street. As we know, this is pretty much what happened anyway, and John Illsley was replaced with mighty Glenn Worth who can play any bass and any bass line in existence. And even with "One World", John was already replaced for 1 song.

[ds1984]

But Dire Straits was not a jazz band.

It's a rock 'n' roll orchestra and from the moment you can keep with the tempo you are good enough to play some rock.

[quizzaciously]

But Dire Straits was not a jazz band.

It's a rock 'n' roll orchestra and from the moment you can keep with the tempo you are good enough to play some rock.

Exactly! Terry Williams undoubtedly provided the best rock 'n' roll background Mark and fans could only dream of. It does sound great live and on the record, the energy, and the character is top-notch. Terry is an amazing drummer favoured by many.

But just like not every actor could play in theatre or improvise, some situations require a different approach. You won't be hiring a great actor to film a commercial, it needs to be polished and look good, perfect, not exactly have a character.

Apparently, Mark and Neil went after this glossy shine mentioned in an article on recording BiA, and that's something Terry could not deliver. Once again Mark did everything for Terry to stay in the band and brought him to Montserrat, but songs demanded some sacrifices.

[Matchstickman]

It is hard to deny that the drumming on BIA simply sounds "right". It just fits. Maybe I would have liked some more oomph in MFN, but there are still small nuances here and there that fit the song and Mark's work.

It seems a bit odd, though, that Omar had to play on everything (except the MFN intro). YLT and RATR seem to have odd time signatures and off-beats, so that's understandable, but Walk of Life? Or what did they keep by Terry on that one?

[ds1984]

How many studio records are featuring hired musician performing parts instead of the regular band member?

Sometimes fully credited for doing so.
Sometimes only appearing in the thank section without more details.
Sometimes publicly uncredited.

[Chris W]

It sounds like Neil Dofrsman instigated the drummer change on BIA.
I saw the same thing on the McCartney album we all worked on. Neil's idea is to hire the top two or three drummers in the world, which is fine, but it doesn't suit every project.
Omar Hakim and Jeff Porcaro are in the top five studio drummers category, Porcaro first or second on that list.
Those guys don't want to tour, well not when they can live at home, earn more money and record a dozen or more albums in a year.
Mark obviously took Terry out to Monserrat fully expecting him to be the drummer on the album, until Neil persuaded him otherwise.
BTW, most studio drummers can cut a track having never heard it before the session, so Hakim is not unusual in that regard. It's part of the job.

[ds1984]

Studio musician was a full time job. I don't know if it is still the case now.

A famous guitarist in the circle of parisian studios has also explained why he did never tour despite liking performing on stage : over the time the different record producers that employs him had put him on first position when they needed a session guitarist.

Going on the road would have made loose him that position, so part of his job was somewhat to always remain available.

 

[Chris W]

That's right on both counts.
Not much regular work for studio musicians since piracy and streaming, so they are on the road now.
Back in the day you made more money in the studio than on the road, and yes, someone would have taken your place if you weren't available.

[hunter v2.0]

I seem to remember Paul Franklin said he had similar concerns when he was considering whether to join the DS touring band. He has never expressed any regrets as far as I know.

[JF]

And even with "One World", John was already replaced for 1 song.

He was also replaced in "why worry" by Neil Jason

[ds1984]

And even with "One World", John was already replaced for 1 song.

He was also replaced in "why worry" by Neil Jason

No, according to Wikipedia refering to John Illsley's book : 

Neil Jason – bass on "One World"[17][59]
Tony Levin – Chapman Stick on "Why Worry"[60]

[Jules]

I'm saying if you want to celebrate Terry Williams, not having led his own band is the least thing I would highlight.
It's irrelevant.

I find it totally relevant.

Terry never wanted to have his own band because what he was, he was just the drummer in the band, not the star in the band.

Totally relevant.

And perfectly well highlighted by Quizzy. Actually that's the thing that called my attention too when I saw that documentary the first time. Terry is as humble as great drummer he was.

[Jules]

And even with "One World", John was already replaced for 1 song.

He was also replaced in "why worry" by Neil Jason

No, according to Wikipedia refering to John Illsley's book : 

Neil Jason – bass on "One World"[17][59]
Tony Levin – Chapman Stick on "Why Worry"[60]

John's book is full of inaccuracies, and I think that was one of them.

For example, he says after Mandela's concert, Terry Williams left the band. He didn't left the band. He played with DS in Newcastle and according to dsis newsletters, in Egham charity concerts in 1989, and thanks to Chuck Ainlay, we know Terry was at the start of the OES recording sessions and after that, he was left out not only from the record but from the touring band, that's a little later to Mandela's concert and I won't say he actually left the band at all but was replaced totally.

Also John says he was harmed during Going home in one of the last shows in Spain in 1992. They never played that song in that tour and actually that happened in 1985 in Bilbao gig, is well documented by the press.

Just a few examples of his inaccuracies in his book. And they are totally logical, he lived a lot of things and they are mixed in his memory, for him those things are memories, for as they are facts, that's why sometimes fans knows better than the musicians themselves, as Guy Fletcher says in his forum from time to time, "you know us better than we do"

[hunter v2.0]

I'm saying if you want to celebrate Terry Williams, not having led his own band is the least thing I would highlight.
It's irrelevant.

I find it totally relevant.

Terry never wanted to have his own band because what he was, he was just the drummer in the band, not the star in the band.

Totally relevant.

And perfectly well highlighted by Quizzy. Actually that's the thing that called my attention too when I saw that documentary the first time. Terry is as humble as great drummer he was.

Terry does indeed seem like a lovely, humble guy, but not everyone has the ability, and/or even wants, to be a bandleader, though. But that doesn't take anything away from this his achievements or greatness as a drummer.

[Jules]

I'm saying if you want to celebrate Terry Williams, not having led his own band is the least thing I would highlight.
It's irrelevant.

I find it totally relevant.

Terry never wanted to have his own band because what he was, he was just the drummer in the band, not the star in the band.

Totally relevant.

And perfectly well highlighted by Quizzy. Actually that's the thing that called my attention too when I saw that documentary the first time. Terry is as humble as great drummer he was.

Terry does indeed seem like a lovely, humble guy, but not everyone has the ability, and/or even wants, to be a bandleader, though. But that doesn't take anything away from this achievements or greatness as a drummer.

I play drums in a very amateur way and I totally identify with him. I can't read music, actually I don't want to read music because when I do it I got distracted and loose it, so I play by heart, same than Terry, as the song really tells you what to play. I would never do it as a studio musician, but I would have lot of fun playing with my friends.

Terry got to play with some of the greatest, which is a big achievement for any musician. And he's a Loveland down to hearth person.

I felt sad when I saw him playing in the Guitars festival in Sevilla in 92 instead of being with DS. He played a hell of a gig! I missed him with DS.