(It may be recalled that, in the mid-1970s, original Dire Straits drummer Pick Withers was the house drummer at Edmunds Rockfield Studio.) Though he also recorded several solo albums (including Glass and Never Told a Soul), this British musician is most famous as the bassist of the Grammy By 12 or 13, I was listening to [folk rock icon] Bob Dylan, says Mark. After the end of the Dire Straits tour in 1986, guitarist Jack Sonni stays on in Australia for a while. John passed away in 1683. I enjoy getting emails from 18year old Chinese kids saying that they enjoy my music and asking what bass I used on this song or that. Terry Williams does not play on any of Love Sculptures recordings; he joins in the dying days of the band. Other acts to whom Alan Clark lends his services include Splinter, Gallagher & Lyle and Lindisfarne. Inspired by the Beatles, he saved his pocket money for months to buy a Rosetti Lucky Seven guitar. Firstly, Hendrix and Clapton are products of the 1960s while Knopfler came to light in the more cynical 1970s when worshipping any guitarist was a less acceptable practice. It is released on 20 September. As the song nears its climax, it sounds like Knopfler is borrowing from Bruce Springsteen (whose keyboardist Roy Bittan appeared on Making Movies) for lines like these: But believe in me baby and Ill take you away / From out of this darkness and into the day / From these rivers of headlights, these rivers of rain / From the anger that lives on these streets with these names / Cos Ive run every red light on memory lane / Ive seen desperation explode into flames / And I dont want to see it again The title track, Love Over Gold, suggests that art is more valuable than commerce. I needed a rest. As events unfold, Knopflers pronouncement of the bands dissolution proves to be a bit premature. 57), is a tone poem soldiers lament. Change). Hes singing the song. It is the first CD album to sell over a million copies and to outsell its vinyl counterpart. 47); Shangri-La (2004) (UK no. Graduating from that institution, the younger Knopfler brother found employment as a social worker in London. The next move for Dire Straits is to seek advice from disc jockey Charlie Gillett. Session guitarist Elliott Randall (perhaps best known for playing on the 1972 Steely Dan song Reelin In The Years (US no. 58), the story of a roller girl skating around the big city, is a zippy number that gives the album its title: Shes making movies on vacation / She dont know what it means. Actually, a real title track Making Movies is recorded, but doesnt end up on the album. Dire Straits honed their craft playing the local Albany Empire and that same year recorded a five-track demo, including Sultans Of Swing, thanks to the 500 Johns grandmother left him in her will. Producer Jimmy Iovine had previously served as a recording engineer for U.S. rock star Bruce Springsteen. 1, AUS no. He tours with Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel in 1979 and 1981 and with Roxy Music on the tour to promote their album Avalon (1982) (UK no. This song was left off Love Over Gold but is reincarnated here with a lead vocal from U.K. singer Gerry Rafferty. In November 1983, Dire Straits leader Mark Knopfler marries his second wife, Lourdes Salomone. Chris Whitten also plays in The Dire Straits Experience from 2012. 4, US no. Jacks wife does not remain on the scene and so he raises the two girls as a single parent. John Ilsley, Sr John is also best known as, Though he also recorded several solo albums , this British musician is most famous as the bassist of the Grammy-winning rock band Dire Straits. Your Latest Trick (UK no. While at that school, the 13 year old takes up playing saxophone. Dire Straits Mark Knopfler becomes the darling of a new generation [of] relatively well-to-do compact disc buyers.. On their first album, Opening Time (1972), Brewers Droop consists of: Ron Watts (vocals, percussion), John Alimony Slim Mackay (guitar, vocals), Steve Darrington (keyboards, reeds), Malcolm Barrett (bass) and Bob Walker (drums). Paul Franklin serves alongside Mark Knopfler in the 1990 Notting Hillbillies project before joining Dire Straits in 1991. He excels at third person narratives but his writing is less often personal. France and Germany get You And Your Friend, an atmospheric and vaguely sinister song with pointed guitar work. On Every Street (1991) (UK no. He first starts playing the drums in the Boys Brigade, a Christian youth organisation in England. 62, AUS no. John Illsley: My Life in Dire Straits Two more songs are lifted from On Every Street as singles but only for European markets. The rest of the album consists of moody, atmospheric instrumentals. Illsley's marriage went on to the rocks when his wife, Paula, heard Tracey had moved into the Point Piper flat, according to a 1988 column by Dorian Wild. Her band is called The Paranoyds (or The Paranoids). Mark Knopflers vocals are more hushed and the guitar-picking is quietly reflective. Jeff Jones plays drums on their first two albums, Revelation (1969) and 2 Ozs Of Plastic With A Whole In The Middle (1969). His marriage to Kathy White comes to an end. Brothers In Arms is recorded from November 1984 to March 1985 at AIR Studios in Montserrat, a British overseas territory in the Caribbean. In 2015 Alan Clark has a new band, Y-Company: Jamie Squire (vocals, guitar), Adam Phillips (guitar), Alan Clark (keyboards), Jake Newman (bass) and Andy Treacey (drums). Love Over Gold is an album of songs filled with lengthy, experimental passages. Note: Three additional songs are created for Love Over Gold but do not end up on the album. A (non-charting) EP, Live At Knebworth, is released in 1990 to mark the occasion. This is paid for with five hundred pounds that bassist John Illsley inherits from his late grandmother. Mark Knopfler leaves his job as a journalist and returns to school. The three formed a band with Marks pal, drummer David Pick Withers. For Illsley, becoming a pro musician was the realisation of a dream that formed listening to Little Richard and Elvis on Radio Luxembourg, courtesy of his brother Wills crystal radio set at home in Market Harborough. Next, Terry Williams has a short stint in Neverland Express (1981-1982), the backing group for U.S. singer Meatloaf. In 1973 Mark Knopfler moves to London. The featured song is the purposefully silly Twisting By The Pool (UK no. After a few months of rehearsals and a show at the Rock Garden, Dire Straits make a demo recording. The debut album, Dire Straits (1978) (UK no. Alan Clark attends Chester-le-Street Grammar School. Terry Williams goes on to join Dire Straits in November 1982. (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) for services to music. This fuzz sound is said to be a happy accident that results from Mark Knopfler using a closely-miked Gibson Les Paul electric guitar rather than his more familiar instruments in an attempt to replicate the sound of U.S. boogie rock act ZZ Top. 53) on 10 January 1983. When he is 15, Guy starts studying audio engineering at DJM Studios in London. John Illsley goes on to work as a trainee for a timber firm. In 2013 he forms a band called SadGirl. Making Movies was closer to what I like to do, says Mark Knopfler. When Dire Straits go on a concert tour in 1980 to promote Making Movies, the group expands to a five-piece outfit with two new official members: Alan Clark (keyboards) and Hal Lindes (guitar). We all had day jobs until we got a whacking big advance from Polygram [sic David probably means Phonogram].. Sultans Of Swing (UK no. The name is suggested by a musician flatmate of Pick Withers. Had Mark and I been 18 and not 29 we might have been seduced by the glamour, but we knew the deal Virgin were offering wasnt great.. Guy Fletcher appears on many of the solo albums by former Dire Straits leader Mark Knopfler. The role of Knopflers guitar work is acknowledged in the bands first logo: a Fender Stratocaster guitar with the words Dire Straits inscribed across it in cursive script. The song becomes a hit in the U.S.A. and this triggers sales in the U.K. and Sultans Of Swing goes on to also be a hit in the home country of Dire Straits. Jack Sonni goes on to work for Line 6, a digital technology organisation for musicians. In 1977 Pick Withers is briefly a member of folk rock act Magna Carta, a band fronted by Chris Simpson (vocals, guitar). 41); Get Lucky (2009) (UK no. 41) with country rock singer Emmylou Harris; Real Live Roadrunning (2006) in concert with Emmylou Harris; Kill To Get Crimson (2007) (UK no. David Withers becomes a professional musician at 17 years of age when he is in a band called The Primitives. His companions in this project are: Phil Palmer (guitar), Chris White (saxophone) and Steve Ferrone (drums). Local Hero (1983), released in March, is the soundtrack to the movie of the same name. There are portrait songs where there is a character, and there are situation songs where Im in the pictureOther times, I could be reading a book and traveling and there is a collision of time and placeTheres a geography to the thing., With his roles as vocalist, lead guitarist and songwriter, it is not surprising that there is an impression that Mark Knopfler is always the main force behind Dire Straits and that, in essence, Dire Straits is a one-man show.. Jack Sonni is born John Thomas Sonni on 9 December 1954 in Indiana, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. Illsley had Gilletts home address, so he and Mark delivered their demo, not expecting much. An uncredited second guitarist, Sid McGinnis, also plays on Making Movies. Dire Straits reassemble for the second wedding of the groups ex-bassist John Illsley on 19 June 1999. Dire Straits world tour winds up at the Sydney Entertainment Centre in Australia on 26 April 1986. Dire Straits' John Illsley: 'I dont want to pass vast amounts of 1), is released on 7 October. 66, AUS no. 38, AUS no. Between the release of the first single by Dire Straits and the launch of their debut album, the group begins their first full-scale tour as a headline act though the tour does not end until after the album comes out. 27, AUS no. I feel really blessed. John Illsley is a keen painter as well as being a musician. One of those who hear the merit in Dire Straits is Johnny Stainze, a recent appointee to Phonogram Records. He is the son of Erwin Knopfler and Louisa Mary Knopfler. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. The 1985-1986 world tour to promote Brothers In Arms kicks off in Split, Yugoslavia (now Croatia) on 25 April 1985 almost a month before the album is released. Dire Straits rockportraits The lad is taught to play by his childhood friend, Richard Storer. Find album reviews, track lists, credits, awards and more at AllMusic. WebJohn Illsley of Dire Straits. He works as a session musician before joining Dire Straits as the drummer for their 1991-1992 world tour. Grammys and Brits followed, but the Dutch awarded them first. Kitty Aldridges acting credits include Room with a View (1985), Maurice (1987) and Slipstream (1989). Muff Winwood produces Dire Straits with commendable restraint and understanding. Unlike later album by Dire Straits, this recording sounds dirty and full of raw grittiness. Brothers In Arms has the Dire Straits recording debuts for both Guy Fletcher (keyboards, guitar) and Jack Sonni (guitar). She was working for Warner Bros. Records when Mark met her. Bassist and founding member John Illsley - along with guitarist and frontman Mark Knopfler, the band's sole constant His first guitar was a Rosetti Lucky Seven - the same choice as Beatle George Harrison and Rolling Stone Keith Richards. 43); Knopfler produces Bap Kennedys The Sailors Revenge (2012); Privateering (2012) (UK no. Rounding out the contents of Making Movies are: two hard-rocking tracks, Expresso Love and Solid Rock; a semi-acoustic piece akin to Romeo And Juliet called Hand In Hand; and the closing track, Les Boys, a camp goof. 3, UK no. Although this is Mark Knopflers first movie soundtrack, he will provide more such soundtracks over subsequent years. During his recent interview, John Illsley reflected on the challenges Mark Knopfler faced after the bands massive success. Dire Straits keyboardist Alan Clark is one of the musicians on this recording. Brgerl. Bassist Derrick Timms leaves and is replaced by Steve Nachi. 16, AUS no. 20, UK no. See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, order back issues and use the historic Daily Express newspaper archive. The group amends their name, changing from Brewers Droop to, simply, The Droop. Former Dire Straits drummer Chris Whitten composes the music for the comedy Brazen Hussies (1996) as well as Lynda La Plantes Killer Net (1998) and Lynda La Plantes Mind Games (2001). He was born in Hungary and is Jewish. 1, US no. The response was extraordinary. Mark Knopfler first meets Pick Withers when both of them work on an aborted solo recording by Rod Clements, the bassist of British folk rock band Lindisfarne. Father-of-four John now lives in Hampshire with his second wife Stephanie, with a second home in France. Photo: 14). 14, AUS no. However, the decision is made for Dire Straits to add an official additional keyboardist. Shortly after the release of Love Over Gold, drummer Pick Withers leaves Dire Straits. David Knopfler begins singing and playing in folk clubs when he is 14. Industrial Disease (US no. Sting gest a co-writing credit with Mark Knopfler on Money For Nothing, not so much for I want my MTV but because he sings that line to the tune of the 1980 Police hit Dont Stand So Close To Me (UK no. 22). The first single from Brothers In Arms is the laid-back and low-key So Far Away (UK no. In the late 1970s, Jack Sonni plays some gigs with his own band, The Leisure Class. He tells Mark that the guitarist is harder to get hold of than Elvis. Heavy Fuel (UK no. It was the first of six hit studio albums. Tunnel Of Love, a tale of romance in a seaside carnival, is also interpreted by some as Dire Straits own story of their rise to fame: And the big wheel keep on turning / Neon burning up above / And Im just high on this world. Tunnel Of Love showcases a new dynamism in the bands sound and is less laid-back and melancholy. When it becomes clear that Jack Sonni will have to raise his children alone, he resigns from Dire Straits in 1988. 2 & 3 (2016). John Illsley - VIII (Album Review) March 04, 2022 in Album Reviews, Classic Rock, Singer-Songwriter For many, John Illsley will always be the imposing figure standing next to Mark Knopfler as Dire Straits left the London pub circuit behind and achieved worldwide domination via their fifth album Brothers In Arms'. 8, US no. Mr Illsley has two children from his first marriage and two with wife Stephanie. They live in Hampshire. How did your childhood influence your attitude to money? I grew up in Leicester and, because there was still a hangover from the war, I had a simple upbringing. Williams contributions to Brothers In Arms are minimal but he and Omar Hakim are both credited as drummers on this album. We were fortunate a lot of people liked it. Instead, an animated version of a large, brutish workman mouths Knopflers lyrics while his skinny offsider lip synchs Stings harmonies. Biography Dire Straits - John Illsley 55, AUS no. John Illsley of Dire Straits & His Band WebJohn Illsley. Some see the influence of J. J. Cales laid-back blues-rock guitar-picking in Dire Straits music. The On Every Street tour is said to be a disappointment, with many tickets going unsold in both the U.S. and Europe. The final show takes place in Zaragoza, Spain, on 9 October 1992. When Mark comes to live with his sibling, he is the third person in the residence. Mark and Kitty have two daughters, Isabella (born in 1998) and Katya Ruby Rose (born in 2003). Terry Williams is born Terrence Williams on 11 January 1948 in Swansea, Wales. The promotion of Communique concludes with U.K. concerts, the last of which is on 21 December 1979 in London. 25); Tracker (2015) (UK no. 8, US no. The next stop for Terry Williams is the Welsh group Man (1970-1976). Dire Straits appear at the Live Aid show on 13 July 1985 at Wembley Stadium in London. In 2006, Sonni leaves corporate life behind and begins writing a personal memoir. Guys mother, Barbara, was a session music singer. It was a moment of madness, he grins. The other residents of Farrer House were bemused when a big limo turned up to take us to the airport, he smiles. "A stunning Although The Notting Hillbillies look like an ongoing project, they release only one album, MissingPresumed Having A Good Time (1990) (UK no. Pick Withers takes on that role. The albums cover painting by Chuck Loyola is an indistinct, blurry image of what appears to be a young woman on an upper storey of a bleak, spartan, high-rise building. Brewers Droop also releases a (non-album) single, Sweet Thing, in 1972. The Time Jumpers issue the following albums: Jumpin Time (2007), The Time Jumpers (2012) and Kid Sister (2016). John marries his second wife, Stephanie, WebJohn Illsley was born on 24 June, 1949 in Leicester, Leicestershire, England, UK, is an Actor, Music Department, Soundtrack. Dire Straits: The Inside Story of 6) (from which comes the single Your Own Sweet Way) before dissolving. Theres not an accent on the music, theres an accent on popularity. John Illsley - Glass Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic The first seven tracks on this set were recorded for BBC Live in Concert on 22 July 1978; the eighth track, Tunnel Of Love, comes from The Old Grey Whistle Test on 31 January 1981. Illsley found his future bandmate lying comatose on the concrete floor of his flat with a Gibson electric guitar across his chest, surrounded by a detritus of dog ends and empty Newcastle Brown bottles. Brothers In Arms (1985) (UK no. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); sonicnet.com Dire Straits no author credited as at 28 August 2001, Friday On My Mind by Ed Nimmervoll (Five Mile Press, 2004) p. 147, The Rolling Stone Rock Almanac by the Editors of Rolling Stone magazine (Papermac, 1984) p. 296, The Illustrated Rock Handbook edited by Roxanne Streeter, Ray Bonds (Salamander Books, 1983) p. 63, 131, wikipedia.org as at 26 July 2017, 3 January 2019, buddharadioprep.rzero.com Sultans of Swing: The Untold Story of Dire Straits by Paul Rees as at 30 July 2017, The Daily Telegraph (U.K. newspaper) Mark Knopfler: How Did We Avoid Disaster interview conducted by Neil McCormick (5 September 2012) (reproduced on telegraph.co.uk), Internet Movie Database imdb.com as at 1 August 2017, The Sunday Mail (U.K. newspaper) I Really Was in Dire StraitsBut Now Ive Beaten the Cancer I had for 15 Years: John Illsley Tells for the First Time how he was Saved from Chronic Leukaemia interview conducted by Alice Smellie (18 May 2014) (reproduced on dailymail.co.uk), The Watford Observer (U.K. newspaper) Former Dire Straits Bassist John Illsley Opens up about Finding Out he had Leukaemia and Writing his New Album in Hospital interview conducted by Laura Enfield (2 October 2014) (reproduced on watfordobserver.co.uk), TVE (Madrid, Spain) John Illsley interview (5 May 1992) via 5 (above) [John Illsley], davidknopfler.com via 5 (above) [John Illsley], Dire Straits Sleeve notes by Charlie Gillett (Vertigo/Mercury Records Ltd, 1996 reissue) p. 2, allmusic.com Dire Straits by Stephen Thomas Erlewine as at 31 July 2017, Guitar World 100 Greatest Guitar Solos: No. WebJohn Illsleys age is 73. 9) released in November by U.S. duo Steely Dan. 80), released in September. This disc goes multi-platinum in the U.S., selling nine million copies. 52, AUS no. He releases the following recordings after Dire Straits folds in 1995: Golden Heart (1996) (UK no. Former Dire Straits saxophonist Chris White is involved in both of the latter day groups playing the music of Dire Straits, The Straits (2011) and The Dire Straits Experience (from 2012). Additionally, David Knopfler pens two books: Bluffers Guide to the Music Business (1996) and Bloodstones and Rhythmic Beasts (2005). Dire Straits leader Mark Knopfler produces Bob Dylans album Infidels (1983) (US no. 4, AUS no. John Illsley 8) is perhaps the closest thing to a ballad yet assayed by Dire Straits. After David and Anna split, Anna Perrera becomes a novelist, publishing her first book in 2001. Rockpile has a rather unusual existence, providing backing on solo albums by group leaders Dave Edmunds and Nick Lowe. Dire Straits leader Mark Knopfler makes a guest appearance on Illsleys second album, just as he did on the bassists first solo outing. John Illsley talks Dire Straits, Long Shadows and favourite The disc is co-produced by Neil Dorfsman and Dire Straits leader Mark Knopfler. Beautiful You (2008) is credited to John Illsley and Greg Pearle. Illsley now lives in Hampshire, with his second wife Stephanie and his four children. He owns a local pub, the East End Arms, located in the hamlet of East End between Lymington and Beaulieu, and which has been listed by critics as one of the Fifty Best Pubs Around Britain. The full line-up is: Pat Moran (vocals), Ray Martinez (guitar), Kips Brown (keyboards), Adrian Maloney (bass) and Pique Withers (drums). 12);Altamira (2016) with Evelyn Glennie [soundtrack]; and Down The Road To Wherever (2018) (UK no. When Dire Straits go on tour in 1983 to promote both Love Over Gold and the ExtendedancEPlay EP, they are joined by Tommy Mandel (keyboards) to help ease the burden on keyboardist Alan Clark. Knopflers lyrics also get in the barb You play the git-tar on the MTV. Ironically, the computer animated video for Money For Nothing is a huge MTV hit. By current technological standards, it looks very primitive but, at the time, the animation was state-of-the-art. The Dire Straits Tour commences on 6 June 1978 at the Lafayett Club in Wolverhampton. 1, AUS no. 54, AUS no. 12, AUS no. 3, US no. Dire Straits are on the bill at Londons Wembley Stadium on 18 July 1988 for the 70th birthday celebration honouring South African political identity Nelson Mandela. Bassist John Illsley says, Sting used to come to Montserrat to go windsurfing, and he came up for supper at the studio. The punchy Lady Writer (UK no. Finally, Brewers Droop dissolves at the end of 1973. 25), The Welsh Connection (1976) and Alls Well That Ends Well (1977). It darts in and out like a brightly coloured fish passing through seaweed. This is Marks daytime job for three years. 95) is the relatively unsuccessful single from Communique.
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