Special Q & A with Ed Bicknell - QUESTION THREAD

[shortfin]

Hi Ed, it is a magnificent gift you are giving us, thank you.

Three questions, but you can pick one:
- we know many artists make special requests for tours, in the sense of things they always want to find in the dressing room, or special food. Such requests from MK?
- What do you think of Mark as producer of the DS records?
- John Illsey speaks very badly in his book about DS's Italian concerts, at the level of organisation above all. Do you confirm his impressions? (I am Italian)

[forjum]

Dear Ed,
thanks for your replies. Very nice facts to know about.
For most of us OES tour was the first and only time we saw DS.  It is quite sad to read about being so hard for almost everyone involved who has talked about it. I love every bit of it, and the new expanded On The Night has been a gift.
Question... There were a few names of musicians that could have done it but declined... Jeff Porcaro, Vince Gill, Manu Katché¿?...  Were there any other musicians proposed that finally did not make it?
This question could be used for other tours, if you are so kind.
Again, thank you very much.

[hunter v2.0]

Dear Ed,

A great big thank you for doing this, and I'm pleased to read that you're actually enjoying it. It's so interesting what you say about MK really being a two-hit wonder. Sure he's a talented songwriter, hardworking and an unbelievable guitar player, but was he so much better than say Richard Thompson or Ry Cooder? I've always thought he was extremely lucky to be in the right place at the right time twice. And listening to his (very long) solo albums, it is evident that not everything he creates is gold. The two albums that have stuck with me are the first and second DS albums. They are just amazing in every respect much due to the true band feel that comes across, Mark's fantastic guitar work, Pick's drumming, and that they for some reason sound timeless.

Forgive me the rambling. I do have a question, and it's not DS/MK related. Since you're passionate about music, I assume you have a top-notch sound system, or maybe even a dedicated listening room. Would you care to tell us what your sound system consists of (components and brands)?

Cheers!

[the visitor]

Question from a family member.

Hi Ed.  Thanks for squeezing my bro in.  Moving on...

Do you think that there are any music producers out there or were considered who would have brought something better to either Dire Straits output or Marks solo career? My feeling is with the latter and OES he would have definitely benefitted from some more overtly outside influence but really interested in your view and wther other producers were ever considered during your tenure as manager.

[koobaa]

Many thanks for doing it for us - get-a-lifers, Ed. It's an absolute highlight in the history of this Forum.

Following up on hunter's great question above (who hunted my original question - re "was he so much better than..." ), I'd like to know your opinion on why DS was as successful as they became. I was listening the other day to Chris Rea, similar age to MK, with some really good songs, interesting deep voice, characteristic guitar playing (slide), (red strat is his thing too btw) etc. Many ingredients for potential huge success are there and yet, he got nowhere near the level of DS/MK popularity. He was quite popular in Europe but rest of the world doesn't know him.
So, what was it that made DS so huge? Surely more than just being at the right place and time? Although it must happen at some point if you want a serious success I suppose. When asked about these things, MK always says that you really must want to do it, regardless of the ups and downs in your life, you got to be addicted to it, it has to be compulsory. But surely there must be other factors that make someone a world act instead of a toast of the town. Does (good) management play a key role? BTW, I always loved the name of your company - Damage Management. Says a lot about your sense of humour  Is that what it comes down to at this high level? Damage management?

[Rolo]

Hi Ed, a family member would like to know: Do you think Mark going solo was always inevitable from more or less the beginning of Dire Straits?

Good one!

[dustyvalentino]

Hi Ed

My, um, sister, Busty Valentino, has this question for you:

Who were the top acts you worked with, and also the more “challenging”, during your pre DS days at Hull University and as an agent?

[JF]

Hi Ed and thanks again for you disponibility, huge sens of humour, kindness, and mindblowing informations for all of us

one of my blog followers asks me always the same question : is it true that Mark doesn't choose what songs are released or not on an album ?
is it really the record compagny who decides this ?

for example, who decided to put Eastbound train as B-side and not on the album ? same for Badges, stickers, posters and T-shirts, or Millionaire blues and Kingdom come... lonesome wild blues (NHB), gravy train, my claim to fame... (I just gave examples during the time you had the job)

[Brunno Nunes]

Dear Ed, it is a privilege to have this opportunity that you have given us, to come across so much valuable information that you provide, some paradigm shifts, all of this through a contagious sense of humor, many smiles and reflections came to me.

I am one of the few fans here who has never had the opportunity to see a Dire Straits or Mark Knopfler show. I would have loved it if Dire Straits had ever come to Brazil. I never knew if this was ever considered and the exact reasons why they never came to South America.

After acquiring all the official Dire Straits material in the late 90s, I delved deep into bootlegs and discovered a new world. There are two Dire Straits, the studio and the live. No famous band's history will be complete without going through the bootleg universe. (In my opinion), unfortunately, due to commercial and logistical reasons, DS's official live recordings have never revealed the full experience of a band's show. (At this point, I would like to highlight the importance of bootlegs, which reveal another dimension of the band that the official discography of most bands like DS is not capable of offering. Believe me, this brings great happiness to the most dedicated fans. Those who are into this already have everything official material, it's a matter of honor), Alchemy and On The Night were examples of this for decades, only last year they were released in full. If it weren't for the bootlegs, we would never know what the On Location tour 80/81 was like, or the legendary BIA Tour 85/86, just to name a few examples. I used to be a very dreamy fan, I longed for years to watch the Alchemy video in its entirety, with Portobello Belle, the footage of the show in Paris 1983, Wembley 85 in its entirety, outtakes, demos... none of this has come to light to this day, but some pleasant surprises came after a long time, such as the live 78/92 box set, especially the TOTALLY UNRELEASED last show of the original quartet, Rainbow Theatre, London, UK, 20th-21st December 1979, which brings my favorite "incarnation" in terms of sound, I'm a purist DS fan, I love above all that sound of the original quartet.

Mentioned all this to ask a complex question, why aren't there penguins at the North Pole, there are only penguins at the South Pole? Have you ever stopped to think about this aspect of existence? 😅

Of course I'm joking a little, my question is related to the Communique tour 79,, it was the only tour in which Dire Straits toured the United States on two separate occasions, between February and April 79 and September and October 79. I read somewhere that the second American tour was not successful, paradoxically for me it is strange, judging by the bootlegs available, the band is even sharper, with a wider repertoire. What could you say about this period of the last tour with the original line-up? Any notable shows, it seems to me that the Pink Pop Festival, Geleen, The Netherlands, June 4th 1979 was the first time the band performed for a huge audience, probably more than 50,000 spectators in the audience. In the only available DS video of this festival, there is a rare scene where it shows you with sunglasses 😎 watching the band, just before they play Lady Writer.

That's it for now.
I wish you much happiness and health in your life, Ed, you seem to have a remarkably rejuvenated spirit, I love people like that.

[Rolo]

Hello, Mr. Edward Scissorhands
(now i remembered about a 90's porn movie Edward penis hands.... go figure why) So many emotions from my youth

Enough with this nonsense, Rolo.
The guy have high blood pressure (don't say the magic word)

You talked about producers and one thing that still amazes me is the first DS album. Comunique is better in terms of sound. The guitars are cristal clear, drums are big, even J bass is quite good on this album. However, there are the Muff's touch on the first record that is, to my point of view, amazing. For me, the magic happened at Mark's guitar tone. I don't know about it, but to me, that tone it's all Muff's magic.
That mystical chorus/vibrato almost cracked clean tone is magical. And never reproduced live. It's all studio.
Another Muff's touch, to my ears, is that In The Gallery was raised a half-step after the recordings. Well, there was too many songs in A...

Seems to me that Muff got some issues with MK, because he said that D (i almost sayed the magic word) was a great player and good as anyone. (Thank God that D's guitars is almost unaudibles on that record, proven that the 'anti-Golias's' guitars was, at least, weak)
Maybe the little brother would have red light syndrom, who knows...

You talked about Mark was unable to record for Michael Jackson.
People always imagined about a partnership between Gilmour and Mark. However, i always felt that Roger Waters was artistically more "adequated" to a collab with Mark.
Both are "inspired" by wars and pipes.
Did Roger ever made an aproach with you or Mark? I really like his albums "The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking" (with Eric) and "Amused to Death" (with Jeff) 

Ah, another one:
Is well know that, at the 90's, MK often spoke about a Unplugged MTV wicth never happened.
How close a MTV Unplugged Mark Knopfler was to happen?
(i have my toughts, but i'll won't say it)

My very good friend Brunno Nunes talked about you guys touring on South America and i remember when you guys came to Brazil (STP Tour). I think that the brazilian media didn't do the proper cover. (I remember to see an MK very short interview on a kid's show called 'Turma da Xuxa'). Seems that was a mess.
I don't know the Rudy's influence on the Brazil mess. He is argentinian, so... HA!
 
Ed, thank you again.
If you get plans to next summer in Portugal, don't call me.
I am a pain in the ass.

cheers, Ed the Scissorhands.

[dustyvalentino]

“Muff’s touch”

[Rolo]

“Muff’s touch”

 
Go figure...

[JF]

if we were talking about Gilmour, we would say the (big) Muff's touch 

[hunter v2.0]

Thanks, Ed, for your answer about your sound system. I'm sure it's lovely. Personally, putting some money into a better-than-average playback system and taking the time to learn about proper speaker setup, have been some of the most rewarding things I've done. The music just comes alive in a very different way. Especially well-recorded music like DS and MK, not to mention ECM albums, of which I'm a great fan and collector. Talk about a vast and varied catalog of artists, many totally obscure, who just create the most amazing and amazing-sounding music. Fantastic.

A question, if I may, this time about Mark. One of the things I admire the most about him as a live performer is how effortlessly he plays lead lines behind his vocals. Many famous singer-guitarists don't, or can't. I mean, take Lady Writer for instance. An uptempo song, a mouthful lyrically, and then to play those intricate lines with precision and without messing up the singing. In your opinion, or from observation, is that just something he has a gift for, or did he practice a lot to achieve that kind of independency?

Thank you, and cheers.

[dr]

Good morning Ed,
a dear friend of mine from Italy asked me to pass this question to you, he thanks you in advance for a possible answer, whatever will be.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WILLY DEVILLE:
An interview to Mr. Deville released in 2006:

I wanted to ask you about the album you made with Mark Knopfler, I can't remember its title ("Miracle" Willy supplied) how did that come about? Was he assigned to produce you by your label or did it come about some other way?
It was Mark's wife Lourdes who came up with the idea. She said to him that you don't sing like Willy and he doesn't play guitar like you,

Nobody plays guitar like him.
That's for sure, but you really like his stuff so why don't you do an album together?
So I went over to London to do this album. It wasn't easy because we didn't want it to sound like a Dire Straits' album, and his guitar playing is so unique that it was hard to do. But nothing good is going to be easy. I know that I spent the whole time really trying to impress Mark, I wanted it to be good.
But, yeah it was his wife Lourdes who was responsible more than anyone else for that album. She's a really great lady, really nice. I still really like that album, especially "Southern Politician".

In an interview with you on the Live In The Lowlands DVD you talked about Mark's reaction to the song "Storybook Love"...
Oh yeah that was funny. I played him what I had and he looked at me and said how did you know about that. I said what, and he said that he was working on a movie with Rob Reiner called the Princess Bride and I'd just written a song that told the story. He got on the phone and phoned Rob and told him, and Reiner said to get it out to him as soon as possible. So we did it up rough and sent it off and he loved it.
The next thing I know I'm standing backstage and listening to Dudley Moore and Liza Manelli introduce me before going out to sing "Storybook Song" at the Oscars. There I was standing backstage with Tom Selleck and Karl Malden, waiting to onstage. It was weird...

Well Ed, this is my question:

it has always been very strange for me that Deville who was so musically distant from Mark, he had composed a song that fitted perfectly in terms of music and lyrics with The Princess Bride soundtrack, at the right time in the right place.  My question is:  is it possible that Deville had secretly listened to the Mark's early recordings of The Princess Bride main theme through Lourdes before and then he wrote his song ("Lourdes who was responsible more than anyone else for that album", cit. Willy Deville) ?  OK, it seems to be sci-fi but the Mark's reaction was so natural and spontaneous ..( "Oh yeah that was funny. I played him what I had and he looked at me and said how did you know about that. I said what, and he said that he was working on a movie with Rob Reiner called the Princess Bride and I'd just written a song that told the story")

Thank you so much Ed for your time.