Working For Mark Knopfler
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- Опубліковано 27 чер 2023
- Tim O'Brien talks about touring in Mark Knopfler's band.
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Right, I’m shocked that I love this approach to music so much.
Not only is MK an amazing musician, but he's one of the few guys in the business I consistently hear is very humble and easy to get along with.
Gunners_Mat
In the eighties he came to Australia and was invited to drive in the celebrity race at the Melbourne grand prix. Local celebrity John Blackman, also in the race told how he introduced himself to Knopfler, and got the cold shoulder, Knopfler wouldn’t talk to him or anyone else in the race and was rude to the media and acted like a total a-hole. On the day of the race I think Knopfler was
the fastest qualifier. He flew off the mark and at the first turn he ran off the track, hit the barriers and broke his collarbone. I can tell you there was a quiet grin of satisfaction on many faces when
that happened. Maybe you think he has changed now but back then he was an arrogant, rude,
piece of crap!
This video makes me happy because it confirms that Knopfler is what I thought he was.
My favourite story about Mark Knopfler; He said in one interview that some people like writings songs, some like arranging & recording them, and some like playing them live. Often songwriters don't like one or more of these three aspects. But Mark says he absolutely loves All of them. He likes creating a song, then he really enjoys arranging and recording them, and then he loves playing live to give joy and entertainment to his audience. Nuff said. Lovely stories from Tim O'Brien.
Although Mark Knopfler is understandably appreciated as being a guitar great, he also happens to be one of the very best lyricists IMO
Absolutely! I love his stories/songs.
Yes, he is one of the very best lyricists. He makes songs about actual people. That's what I like the most about them.
Helps to be an English major.
@@velmex12 Yeah but I am thinking that Mark would have a far superior grasp of English than any teacher that I ever had in school ! lol
@@marciocintra2988 Yes, even Bob Dylan was impressed by Mark's lyrics during Dire Straits early songs.
Great interview. We backed DS in 1979 on the Sultans Of Swing tour around the UK, previously we’d done gigs with them around the London scene, Marquee Club etc. They drove themselves in a hire car and we all stayed in the same hotels, not rubbish, but certainly not 5*. Mark and drummer Pick were our favourites, helpful and friendly. They were very focused then and hardly drank anything. We helped them out! Happy days.
Knofler is an awesome musician. His name is already written down in rock history.
Where can I find rock history?
@@whynottalklikeapirat Arr Matey, It's all about ye wherever you look and or listen.
@@steveoconnor7069Aaah but wherever I look and listen I find myself in the present rather than in history. And when I look through my bedroom, where I am currently at, I find no sign of it (and I was even out playing a gig last night - rather non-historical in scope -and the closest evidence of any contemporary connection to rock history is the sweaty t-shir I threw in the corner upon my return) Be that as it may - where in all this surrounding rockhistoryness may I find his name written down - or indeed “hewn in rock” as it were?
So many things about Knopfler and his story continue to fascinate me. He was paying rent and teaching English in the mid-70s and by the mid-80s he was leading the biggest band in the world. He was also best friends with Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton and Chet Atkins. These men were very famous and very talented and they all loved our Mark. That tells us he is honest, kind, builds rapport, maintains trust and can even nurture a rival ego.
What the same story as sting and they are from the same areA
they were never the biggest band in the world.
@@TheJpep2424 They played 20 nights in a row to wrap up the Brothers In Arm tour. There was no bigger band in 1986. Even CCR were the biggest band in the world for a brief period in 1969. Get over yourself!
@@TheJpep2424 yea they were
He was also very good friends with Phil Everly of the Everly brothers
Gibbs's shut up and listen interview style is the very best. Everyone he interviews seems really relaxed and it just flows so honestly from the artists every time. These are gems that will be around forever.
Amen to that!
I’m sure there’s some questions asked, but we just get the good stuff.
Yeah, Tim is a great interview. All have been for that matter. The Kenny Vaughn stuff is pure gold.
I’d have given anything if Otis could’ve gotten a sit down with Jeff Beck, but not sure the “shut up and listen” style would’ve worked. Jeff wasn’t much of a rambler.
Robert Zimmerman, get your arse over to Otis’ house! (Yeah, right).
Otis is the best.
100% 👍🏼👍🏼. He lets the story teller tell their story their way.
Probably goes along with his age and maturity. Not to throw anyone under the bus but younger interviewers 20’s -30’s ish , are terrible interviewers on UA-cam I feel. Because they always have to be talking and there’s a lot less asking questions. They’re mostly more concerned with getting views , which is fine , but they’re doing it distastefully and wrong.
I have seen Knopfler live several times. Always incredible.
Knopfler is gracious to audience, introducing all band members, little stories.
I think you can see that by watching his behavior on stage. He's totally focused on what he does, but not showy. He is totally who he is.
Mostly agree. At Berkeley in 2019, he called out someone in the audience shining a bright light right in his face. Stopped mid song and told him to turn the f-ER off. Then continued the song. Amazing show.
I thought I would regret watching this as I'm a big fan of Mark Knopfler. On the contrary it more or less confirmed what I've always thought. A great insight to someone that I consider to be one greatest songwriters and musicians of all time.
What a fantastic clip! I've been a touring musician for 25 years, and a TM for 15, and these stories sound like a dream. It's the kind of music, crew and atmosphere anyone would dream of. And who's better than Knopfler?!
Mark Knopfler is one of rhe guys at the very top of my list of musical heroes. Hearing these musings from Tim O. , another of my favorites, is simply an inspirational joy.
Communique is one of my all time favourite albums. Very underrated.
Single-Handed Sailor is hypnotic imaginative fabulous story….
@@sealisa1398Yeah I agree. I have never listened to that one before. The outro guitar goes on and on
thats my favorite album with DS too!!
@@sealisa1398 Such fantastic metaphors in that song. "The mother and her baby and the college of war. In the concrete graves."
True story: When I was a teenager I managed to get Mark's towel, at the end of the show. He used to come on stage rubbing his guitar with a towel, then tossed it on the floor. I kept my eye on it and at the end I asked a stage hand to toss it to me. The towel had the hotel logo on it, LOL.
First concert I saw was Dire Straits. 1984 or so in Los Angeles.
lucky dog you
I LOVE Knopfler's 'round' sounding fingerstyle guitar approach!
Great insider story. I've seen Mark many times and he's one of my great musical heroes -- particularly his later solo stuff.
Great stuff. Mark has it all, top of the game musician, incredibly underrated songwriter and vocalist......such a great talent!
You use that word "underrated" ... I don't think it means what you think it means.
He's one of the most highly acclaimed songwriters of his generation.
Incredibly underrated? You sure?!!
I appreciate the brilliance of MK, and all his music. But: Tim is also brilliant and I like this story about touring with Mark. Very cool insider stuff. If you don't know Tim, he's also the whole package: writer, singer, instrumentalist. I wish I could have seen one of these shows. But I have heard Tim many times and always been uplifted. Go Mark Knopfler; Go Tim O'Brien!!!
Great interview, of course. “. . .we’re fools to make war on our Brothers in Arms.” Wrote that line with tears in my eyes, just like every time I play that song. 🙏🏻
Love these road stories. Had no idea Tim toured with Knopfler...the guy gets around.
Those are some great Knopfler stories, I really enjoyed them.
Hello rylieriley .did you hear about the story behind sultan of swings. Very funny 😊
Thanks for this. I loved the stories of passionate people creating musical experiences for us all. Mark is a legend.
Tim talking about Mark... Can't get any better. Love both. Thanks Otis.
4:16 Song about stock car racing is Speedway At Nazareth, the guy that started McDonald’s is Boom Like That, and retiring cargo ships is So Far from the Clyde.
Many of Mark's full concerts are on UA-cam. I love to watch each concert from each city. And yes, you can see how Mark is the concert director.
Always Loved Dire Straits The first solo record I fell in love with and wore out was Shangri La . I'm a little young to see Dire Straits but saw his solo act about ten years ago and it was probably top 5 concert I ever saw.
Me too but probably top 3 behind Pink Floyd and Page and Plant. Sometimes that number changes according
to my mood and number of beverages! LOL
Otis, you're hitting it out of the park with these interviews!
One of favourite tours was Mark with Emmylou Harris. The stock car song is Speedway to Nazereth which is a masterpiece
Isn't that song about Indycar?
That song has such a unique, hypnotic rhythm and the way it keeps building until the end is amazing. I burned a cd of MK "car songs" which quickly turned into two discs...cars, motorcycles, trucks, race cars...all heavenly. I usually google the vehicle in the lyric to see what he was thinking about.....the giant Mark X jag, the Cobra, the Silver Eagle....
The stock car racing song is Speedway at Nazareth and the McDonald's song is Boom Like That.
Telegraph Road is the one that really blows me away --- a song about the birth, life and death of a small town over about a 100 year span.
Also Song for Sonny fascinates me -- as the forgotten fighter that catapulted Ali to fame by defeating him.
IMHO he and John Prine are about the best of the best.
Thanks for clarifying that. I knew he wasn’t describing Telegraph Road, which is an epic song and one of my favorites of all time. I lived in the Metropolitan Detroit area and there is a Telegraph Road that starts in Colorado through Ohio as a rural road and in Michigan becomes a major multi-lane road. At the time the song was released I always wondered if Knopfler was referencing the actual road. I was driving on Telegraph Road during rush hour one evening playing the song when the lyrics about six lanes of traffic, three lanes moving slow came up. He had to be singing about this road, I thought. There was no internet back then so I couldn’t easily look it up. Of course he was singing not just about a road but what it represented, being the advance of society resulting in the working man getting screwed in the end. I later found out that on tour, his bus travelled Telegraph Road through rural Ohio into Michigan ending up in Pontiac no doubt, where the town was suffering from the economy and closing down shops, thus inspiring the song. A truly epic song, that holds a lot of meaning for me.
@@Mr_Rob_otto Not from Michigan but I know the Detroit area some. Did you ever go to Callahan's Music Hall in Auburn Hills ? I heard it is now closed. Telegraph Road definitely one of my favorite all time songs. Blessed to have seen it Live 3 times, with Dire Straits/Mark Knopfler and friends.
The first time I saw Tim O'brien play live he sat in with Phish in June 1999 in Antioch,TN outside of Nashville and he played fiddle on several songs one being "Doin my time" that he also sang. I'll never forget it was awesome!. Jerry Douglas and Ronnie McCoury were also out there with Phish doing their version of bluegrass music. He wasn't there in June 2000 at the same venue but several if not all the McCoury band was there, Sam Bush, Ricky Skaggs were there and Wynona Judd came out and sang Freebird for the encore but Tim O'brien only sat in with them twice ever the first being at Red Rocks in 1996. I know this has nothing to do with this interview but seeing these videos reminded me of that show at the old amphitheater
Big thanks for posting this Otis, it's always interesting to hear new stories about Mark Knopfler. I've seen Knopfler live three times in my life, and I've seen David Gilmour live two times. Mark and David are my two personal favorite guitar players, cause no one else plays as beautiful as Mark and David. They are both on the top of the podium. If there's anyone who haven't heard Dylans masterpice album, Slow Train Coming, check it up, cause Mark is playing guitar on it.
Ditto on favorites 👍
Agree ... David and Mark are best of the best!
Interesting that so many people choose the two of them together. And agreed, they have a style, tone and ear for melody that marks them apart from everyone else, but keeps them in the same category as each other. My two favourites as well.
The thing about Knopfler and Gilmore isn't the speed of play or how many rifts they're putting out.
Rather, it's the spaces between their chords or expressions that allow the sound to wallow in your ear, heart and soul.
Obviously not a musician here 🤫
Big thanks for all the comments, I think that all of you are puttning the hammer right on the nail. There is something very special and unique with Mark Knopfler and David Gilmour. They never play any drop away notes, every single guitar tone is there for a reason, and both of them are playing every guitar tone with 180 % feeling and perfectionism.
Wow! What a great recounting of Tims experience on the road with MK and company. I'm a huge MK fan and I find it so very interesting listening to someone who's actually been in the band recounting stories . I've always thought Mark was a perfectionist but had no idea to what extent. THe story about playing banjo during what must have been Speedawy at Nazerath was great as I can only imagine what he thought when Mark and Richard were doing their dueling Les Pauls at the end of that classic song! And then the story about the one glass of wine lol...Sounded like Mark took it all in stride . Side note on Sailing to Philladelphia. I was at the Greek Theatre in LA for The Sailing tour and Mark brought out Jackson Browne to do Sailing to Philladelphia song with him, Jackson totally screwed the words up too so Tim's in good company ! Thanks for posting !!!
You're probably right, but "Speedway" is about Indy cars and "The Car Was The One" is about stock cars. My guess is that Tim doesn't care about the difference. I love both Knopfler's and O'Brien's music. "Odd Man In" ca. 1991 is one of my all time favorites. I agree, this was a terriffic interview. Not really an interview, as much as a series of anecdotes with a little commentary on true musical greatness, and what a glass of wine can do.
I’m pretty sure the stock car racing song is ‘Speedway At Nazareth’. Great tune with an interesting outro. The Mason and Dixon song is ‘Sailing To Philadelphia’
That was a fantastic interview. I've listened to 3 or 4 of them and you're starting to grow on me Otis. All have been well done. You've got a new subscriber.
Tim's a talented and interesting fella. When he mentioned two of my favorite songwriters, Steve Earle and John Prine and then brought up Mark's songwriting ability it was kind of a light bulb moment for me. I've never really put that much emphasis on Knoplers lyrics because his guitar playing just grabs my attention so much. But now I'll be looking at his songs in a new light, because he is a great lyricist.
Great interview. A lot of wonderful insight there.
I love how Mark paints a picture with his songs. A soundscape that blends so well with the lyrics. I can so often 'see' his songs.
I see the big wheel turning with neons burning up above. I can see, hear, and smell the roar of dust and diesel as he stood and watched her walk away.
I see the barman ringing the last orders bell and shouting 'Goodnight thank you now it's time to go home'.
And so many others.
His solos grace the painted picture and take the song from here to there. I mean....they are not just fills. They have variation in space, speed, tone, and volume.
Yeah...i like him...Pffff.
I see them too, each one like a short play!
"You just realize how good the guy is."
Tim O'Brian on Mark Knofler.
True enough, Tim O'Brian but you ain't chopped liver either, brother. I have been awed by you for years.
Gosh! I love these interviews. Keep it up, Otis.
Marvelous stories. Thank you for sharing them so generously. The first leg of the tour started in Seattle on 18th April, 2010. I had the pleasure of seeing the band on this tour in the US in Temecula, and from the front row in Prague.
That tour was stunning. Good to know Mark had such good people backing him up.
Great video! The two songs he references are "Speedway at Nazareth" and "Sailing to Philadelphia."
Yeah, he's mixed up Speedway with Telegraph Road.
Once again your interview winds through many waters and lovely countryside. Always a nice trip. Thanks
Thank you, Otis, for introducing me to Tim O'Brien's music. What a joyous find! Tim, you have another new fan.
Sailing to Philadelphia & Romeo & Juliet - caught them in their first tour in States in the 80's in Philly @ the Tower Theater. The show was suppose to be at the Grendel's Lair , but they sold out in seconds they moved the show to the Tower Theater.
What’s interesting is that they played again at he tour theatre again early 2000’s, and the Sailing to Philadelphia (the wine story in this interview) was particularly well received, especially the chorus, “We are Sailing to Philadelphia.” At that time Mark sang both characters’ lines, but on the last tour in 2019, long time drummer and percussionist Danny Cummings sang the second character (James Taylor) part.
Love his music and what he writes about
I'm very much heartened to hear that MK seems like a really nice supportive guy to his band.
And I'm definitely in the "not even one" policy when it comes to drinking before performances. I used to have a couple (sometimes more) but I found that as I got more confident I didn't need that to get up on stage and play, and even one drink noticeably affects my performance. My enjoyment of the evening up until I play is basically the same with one beer as it is with zero, so when I joined the band I'm in currently I decided that I wouldn't drink (alcohol) before or during performances. Fortunately most venues tend to have at least a couple of decent alcohol-free beers. After I've played I like to have a few but only when the actual work is done.
Ive heard Phil Palmer who served as Mark's sideman for the On Every Street Tour talk similarly of the exacting detail MK puts into rehearsals. There was one song they were working on in the studio where Phil did something close to 20 takes for one small section - and in the end Mark said the first one was the one they would use. To have that quality of listening and hearing alone is quite something.
Yet another gem. Thnx otis
Great share Otis! Keep em coming!
Another great interview! Thank you Otis and Tim!
Great stuff! Thanks Otis & Tim.
Nice to hear all about the workings behind scenes, how much joy Tim had and also about the acknowledgment of contributing to something that's bigger than any one person, even if it is centred on one person
thanks for posting. great interview
Great Interview Otis- thank you!
Another excellent interview with some great behind the scenes insights into our heroes
Keep em coming Otis. These interviews are gold! What a nice bloke Tim is
A thoroughly captivating interview, I enjoyed every second of it.
thanks for this. great interview!
Thanks Otis. Love Tim O. I've seen him many times in some great configurations. Love hearing these stories.
got to meet Mark a few years ago nice guy.
Thanks for this wonderful post......Made me smile!!
Have loved MK and TOB for as long as I can remember. Thanks, really enjoyed that!
What a great interview. Thank you so much - subscribed!
Thank you for sharing such great stories, All that detail in the approach, and still kinda loose about it. Thanks for those great insights. All best from Netherlands, Michael
Oddly, my favorite interviews are with people I don’t know. Great channel, Mr. Gibbs. Keep the content rolling-we love it!
That was really enjoyable, great to have these kind of insights and particularly a perspective from a muso who isn't otherwise experienced or totally a fan of MK. Felt like a genuine discovery followed by earnt admiration.
Immensely enjoyable, been a subscriber for a while now, haven't heard a bad story yet , thank you
thank you for this nice interview
Wonderful interview.
Incredible insight here. So great. Thanks so much for this.
Great final story! Awesome listening to this!
Great story-telling! I could listen to these all day..
What a great perspective that you get from your interviewees!
Mark's work for other people is amazing too. The guitar on "Valentine" for Bryan Ferry is possibly the most beautiful that I've ever heard. It's almost like a zither, and the melodic choices are just a bit off and startling. Ferry has some amazing guitarists that he works with, so I figured that it was one of his usual 8 or 10 geniuses. When I heard it was Mark, it snapped perfectly into place and I'm sure I smiled for quite a while with the realization. Of course it was him. How could it have been anyone else?
Brian Ferry also comes from the North East of England, a little mining village called Witton le Wear, in County Durham. Some of my ancestors lived there in the 18th century.
@@AnneDowson-vp8lg Great attention to detail. I am from England near Liverpool. I knew Bryan Ferry was from County Durham but not exactly which village. I knew he came from a working class background. I assume you are referring to people who emigrated to America at some point.
More Tim! Thanks Otis!
Interesting stories as always. Great channel! Still watching as I type.
So glad I got to see Mark on his last tour, for the first and probably last time at the 02 arena in London, back in 2019 I think.. the Dire Straits songs he played were obviously a highlight but the song "My Bacon Roll" was amazing.. so much feeling in a song about breakfast!!
Fantastic Interview !!!
Very enjoyable to hear stories about Mark. Thank you.
Thanks, Otis and Tim. I love MK.
What a great interview
The stock car song might be "Speedway at Nazareth". Great "sounds like what it says" song.
Excellent inteview - loved Hot Rize back in the day. Just increases my respect for Tim O'Brien to hear this. Oh, and Mark Knopfler!
Great interview!
This was really cool. Thanks
Yeah man, I've been asking the same question about alcohol....is just a little OK?? A resounding...NOPE! I won $200 in a pool match tonight drinking water. My new best friend :))
Wonderful interview. Love the honesty. No ass kissing. Raw and honest. Fab.
A great story about my all-time favorite. Sadly, Mark has stopped touring. Thx, Otis
Really sad to hear that. Really hoped I’d have one more chance to see him again
So did I. Been waiting for 20 years while the council faffed about building an entertainment arena for Bradford, and now when it's nearly ready, all the people I really wanted to see are either retired or dead!
Being one myself.....i love musicians, noone understands half of what we say and they twist or make up the other half about us😂. You rock Otis ...hats off my friend
Always enjoy your guests and the topics and stories. Always seemed that Mark wanted to explore other instruments, music, and I loved his soundtrack for the film "Local Hero". Since the writer/director, Bill Forsyth(love him), is from Scotland, I had to go look up the soundtrack when you mentioned John McCusker to see if he happened to be one of the musicians on that soundtrack. Was back in the early 80's though, wasn't it, that film? I think so.....Tony Levin was on bass, and one of the Brecker bros. on Sax.
My late Australian friend Leigh Fordham did lights for Mark Knofler on a few tours. He told me that Knofler told him that Sultans of swing was about Harry Vanda and George Young from The Easybeats. I have no way of knowing if it is true, but I really hope so. Thanks for another great video. You should come to Australia some time, Cheers, M
I hope not, because the real band that inspired the song played an awful gig then called themselves the Sultans of Swing for the last bit of irony.
Unless he just wanted a couple of names.
Professor of Rock mentioned this, that the 'George' was George Young
❤ lovely insight
Thank you for bringing this too the party
Buckinghamshire uk
What a really nice guy. Other thing Mark has been is a great judge of who to hire and when to let them go
Gawd dang. Otis, these stories are gold ..
This is fantastic for me, Dire Straits were my favourite band as a kid and the main reason I learned guitar, and to hear these stories of how it was touring with Mark is really interesting. Also that he was such a perfectionist with everything and heard everything is impressive. Shame about all that wine and food gone to waste! 🙂
Best interview yet Otis.
Your style is perfect. Stay frosty, Mr. Gibbs.
Interesting interview. It caused me to recall an article in Rolling Stone almost 40 years ago (!) that described Knopfler as being very much in control of the band, mandating exactly what would happen when, and what every note would be, leading to the firing from Dire Straits of his co-founder and brother David.
I'm a great fan boy of Tim O'Brien! His version of "Farewell Angelina" is one of my favourite songs!