Mark Knopfler

Happy 75 To Legendary DIRE STRAITS Maestro And Guitar Wizard MARK KNOPFLER

Posted on by JL

12 August 2024

Happy 75 to MARK KNOPFLER. The Dire Straits legend and
guitar wizard, was born on 12 August 1949 in Glasgow, Scotland.

With DS Knopfler recorded/released 6 LPs between 1978 and 1991. All here.
With a total of almost 120 million sold copies of their longplayers, they are
one of best-selling music artists of all time.

Even if you never heard any of those albums there’s a very great possibly that you
know the group’s 1978 blockbuster hit Sultans Of Swing, that has at this very moment
more than 1 billion streams on Spotify and more than 380 millions view on YT.

As a solo artist he has 10 albums on his résumé with this year’s highly entertaining
LP One Deep River as the most recent one. Two Pairs of Hands is one of the 3 singles
on that new record.

He is one of those no-retirement-for-me musicians (Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, Willie Nelson, John Cale, Paul McCartney, and more) who will create music until their last breath. One of those artists who have music in their DNA. It’s in their soul, in their heart, it’s their life.

Over the years Knopfler, just like his dear friend Bob Dylan, started to look back and embrace the roots of music, giving it their personal twist, and let us all enjoy along.
Happy B!

ONE DEEP RIVER


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Knopfler: Story

MARK KNOPFLER – Former Sultan Of Swing Serves A Sonic Cocktail Of Roots Music On New Wholehearted Album ‘ONE DEEP RIVER’

Posted on by JL

13 April 2024


Press photo

74-year-old guitar wizard/songsmith MARK KNOPFLER is one of those
70s no-retirement for us musicians who will write/record/release until their
last breath. They have music in their DNA and it streams non-stop through
their veins.

Over the years Knopfler, just like his dear friend Bob Dylan, started to look back and embrace the roots of music, giving it their personal twist, and let us all enjoy along.

His new, 10th album, baptized ONE DEEP RIVER is out today.

Order info here.

UNCUT (British monthly): “Characterised by a laid-back, full-band sound, this heartfelt
music exudes the warm thrill of catching up and looking back among old friends.”

Sparkling single ‘Ahead Of The Game’

TUTV: No arty farty blah-blah, no special effects, no fake commercial BS for Mark Knopler. Only authentic music from the heart and soul is what counts for him. And he created some affecting new of it for this new record.

He serves another refined and flavored sonic cocktail of roots, blues, folk, country, pop and rock. 12 wholehearted, tender, melancholic and melodic musings with, as always, Knopfler‘s warm voice and his sparkling guitar play at the centre of it all.

The ambiance is mellow, cosy and romantically entertaining. It all sounds like if an old friend comes around to dredge up old memories and to dig up unforgettable stories for the umpteenth time together, that put a nostalgic smile on your face and makes you forget about the daily rat race outside.

Let that friend do the talking about then and now right
here in this short 3-part interview (total of 12 minutes).

Dim the lights,
lit a candle,
sit down,
have a drink,
relax and enjoy.


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Knopfler: Instagram – Website

MARK KNOPFLER Has A Special 4-Track EP ‘THE BOY’ Out On RECORD STORE DAY – 20 April 2024

Posted on by JL

2 April 2024

Former Dire Straits singer-songwriter/guitar hero MARK KNOPFLER
has a special 4-track EP, named THE BOY, out on Record Store Day,
April 20.

The EP is inspired by Mark’s childhood captivation with the giant funfair
held every year on Newcastle Town Moor. The four tracks connect themes
of the fairgrounds and their boxing booths commonplace in the Britain
of the 50s and early 60s.

Find your local record store HERE.

As all of Knopfler‘s fans know, his 10th solo album, titled
One Deep River is slated for release on April 12th.

All 3 singles (so far)


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Mark Knopfler: Instagram – Facebook – All Solo Albums

MARK KNOPFLER – Imperishable Songmaster Sparkles Again On New Piece ‘TWO PAIR OF HANDS’ From His Forthcoming LP

Posted on by JL

New striking strokes

27 March 2024


Press photo

74-year-old guitar hero/songwriter MARK KNOPFLER is one of those
70s genial musicians who will record/release new songs until their
last breath.

The former sultan of swing isn’t a man who is interested in acting like
a celebrity/rock star. All that matters is his musical muse. With Dire Straits
he sold millions of albums between 1978 and 1991.

Over the years Knopfler, just like his dear friend Bob Dylan, started to look back,
to all things roots, blues, folk, and country, gave it their personal twist, and let
us all enjoy along. His new, 10th album, baptized ONE DEEP RIVER will see the
day of light on April 12th.

Press info: “One Deep River offers an unstoppable flow of future Knopfler classics, with their customarily learned lyrics and refined guitar textures. They draw on a lifetime of genre-crossing ingredients and influences in blues, folk, rock and beyond, and as usual, reveal their charms with unhurried grace and depth.”

Following first single Watch Me Gone and follow up Ahead Of The Game we get a third taster from the upcoming longplayer. TWO PAIRS OF HANDS is another feel-good, easy-going tune with Knopfler‘s ever soothing voice shining in the middle, for the evening hours, after another rat race day.

“We got the roller coaster piling along
The power and the glory with the song
Holy moly, where did the time go?
I told you, baby, now you know

[Pre-Chorus]
I’m keeping the balls in the air
When I’m up here on the band
There’ll be a little bit here and there
Still be trying to understand

[Chorus]
But they’ll all be in the air
When I’m up here on the band
What it is, I’m juggling here
I’ve only got two pairs of hands

[Verse 2]
There’s a pin-drop, they follow a thread
And a lonе voice cries out overhеad
When the thunder bursts in the velvet night
There’s joy and wonder and delight

[Pre-Chorus]
I’m keeping the balls in the air
Tryna keep up with the band
There’ll be a little bit here and there
I might get covered by the drifting sand

[Chorus]
But they’ll all be in the air
When I’m up here on the band
What it is, I’m juggling here
I’ve only got two pairs of hands

[Verse 3]
They’re back in the streets and into the bars
The trams and the trains and back in their cars
Holy moly, where did the time go?
I told you, baby, now you know

[Pre-Chorus]
I’m keeping the balls in the air
Tryna keep up with the band
There’ll be a little bit here and there
Might get covered by the drifting sand

[Chorus]
But they’ll all be in the air
When I’m up here on the band
What it is, I’m juggling here
I’ve only got two pairs of hands

All 3 singles


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Mark Knopfler: Instagram – Facebook – All Solo Albums

MARK KNOPFLER Does LOCAL HERO Movie Theme ‘GOING HOME’ Again… With 54 Famous Rock Guitarists

Posted on by JL

New striking strokes

15 March 2024

Former Dire Straits guitar hero MARK KNOPFLER has his
new, 10th, solo album One Deep River out on 12 April.

But first this.

Knopfler wanted/did a new version of the theme song he wrote
for the 1983 film Local Hero. But not just a reimagined take.

He invited no less than 54 rock guitar stars to play along on GOING HOME: THEME OF
THE LOCAL HERO. Among them celebs such as David Gilmour, Brian May, Eric Clapton, Sting, Sheryl Crow, Buddy Guy, Joan Jett, Nile Rodgers, Pete Townshend, Tony Iommi, Duane Eddy, Ronnie Wood, Peter Frampton, Joe Walsh, Joan Armatrading, Steve Vai,, Tom Morello and the last musical performance by Jeff Beck. Also present are Roger Daltrey on harmonica, and Ringo Starr and his son Zak Starkey on drums.

Knopfler: “What I really want to do, more than anything else, is just to thank each and
every one for this sterling response. I really had no idea that it was going to be like this.
It hit Guy (note: Guy Fletcher, his longtime producer) and I quite early on that we had to
extend this piece somehow, to take in the number of people who joined in.”

The song had its premiere at the football stadium of England’s
Premier League team Newcastle United earlier this month.

“That reception for the new version of ‘Going Home’ from the Newcastle fans was something that will live with me forever,. Can’t tell you what it means to me for the song to be so integral to this region. It’s a fantastic thing, it’s something I can be proud of forever. I’ve tried to get people to imagine what it’s like. It’s a tremendous feeling to be in St James Park when it plays.”

LISTEN

No Retirement For Former DIRE STRAITS Maestro MARK KNOPFLER – New Album, First Single

Posted on by JL

New striking strokes

25 January 2024


Press photo

I guess MARK KNOPFLER doesn’t need an introduction. The now 74-year-old Scottish guitar hero wrote/recorded/released 6 LPs with Dire Straits between 1978 and 1991.

In 1996 he had his first solo album Golden Heart out.
He also released 9 soundtrack albums, so far.

Over the years he turned more to softer music, to folk, country and roots
vibes. His new, 10th album, titled ONE DEEP RIVER lands on April 12th.

Press info: “The record offers an unstoppable flow of future Knopfler classics, with their customarily learned lyrics and refined guitar textures. They draw on a lifetime of genre-crossing ingredients and influences in blues, folk, rock and beyond, and as usual, reveal their charms with unhurried grace and depth.”

First single AHEAD OF THE GAME is described as a wistful, perhaps autobiographical,
story about a singer/songwriter struggling to make it, set to a distinctively Knopfleresque classic riff.

It’s a smooth, melodic, country-flavored tune with his trademark sparkling guitar play.


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Mark Knopfler: Instagram – Facebook

Amazing Artwork! MARK KNOFLER 20 Years Ago

Posted on by JL

Artist: MARK KNOPFLER (Dire Straits)

Artwork: Cover of his 3rd solo LP The Ragpicker’s Dream.
Released 20 years ago this year (September 2022)

The photograph was taken by Elliott Erwitt and titled
“Spain, Valencia, 1952, Robert and Mary Frank”. The photo
was also the cover of two books: The Marriage Artist by
Andrew Winer and Ancient Light by John Banville.

What a romantic beauty!

Stream album on Spotify…

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MARK KNOPFLER: Facebook