How to make a million in dire straits

Press, 1 February 1986, Page 14

How to make a million in dire straits

Rockin’ and rollin’ their way round the world right ripw are Dire Straits, one of the most high-rated groups ever to hammer the pop charts. John Smallwood reports.

When Dire Straits jet into Christchurch in March oh the last leg of their-world tour they will here;.chalked up nearly 270 gigs in 25 countries. “Going bff on a tour like this must be like going off to war,” said Dire Straits founder and guitarist Mark Knopfler. "You wave goodbye to your loved ones and then you push off. But we all like touring and we’re game to play. anywhere except South Africa.” On this trip their opening concert was In Israel in May, 1985. Three continents and nearly a year later, on March 30, they will take their final curtain calls in Darwin, Northern Australia, and head for home. They have come out of a lengthy sabbatical to show themselves on stage on this gruelling tour instead of being the faceless wonders behind a record label. Over the years there have been several changes in the Dire Straits line up but two founder members are still the leaders, Mark Knopfler and bassist Jdhnllls-ley.:-Mark'was the fuse that helped the group to explode on to the pop scene: He was born 35 years ago in Glasgow, the son of

a Hungarian Jewish immigrant who arrived in Britain in the 1930 s hoping to find a better life, and dropping right into the disastrous depression years. Mark grew up to Newcastle upon Tyne, which was his mother’s home town, and where his father got an architect’s job with the local authority. Mark did reasonably well at school, and was so musically inclined that his father bought him his first guitar. Despite this encouraging lead-in to a musical career young Mark decided he would like to have a bash at journalism, and after courses at a technical college he became a junior reporter on the Yorkshire Evening Post, in the industrial city of Leeds. He tells the story of his last day on the paper: “I was at the police courts as usual, because my shorthand was good, when I got a phone call from the news editor. He knew I was into music because I played at the office parties at Christmas time. “He said something like, ‘Look lad, there’s this pop star or whatever, called Jimmy Henderson or something, who's just snuffed it. Have you heard of him? Can you,let us have something?’ Fif-

teen minutes later I’d done a piece off the top of my head about the death of Jimmy Hendrix. I quit the paper in disgust that night” He got on to the English Literature course at Leeds University, and again did well in his studies, but a dark cloud enveloped his success: his marriage to childhood sweetheard Cathy hit the rocks after his graduation. He admits he' had a “dreadful time” getting over the break. He moved south, answering the magnetic Call of London, and became a jack-of-all-trades to keep himself together before becoming a teacher. By this time he had started playing regularly with a band called Cafe Racers, and was getting more and more convinced of his musical brilliance. He reckoned he was “bloody good.” Mark’s brother, David, who could turn his fingers to strumming uncomplicated chords on a guitar, moved down to London, and by chance shared flat with bassist John Illsley. They, and Mark, teamed up with drummer Pick Withers — and that was the beginning of Dire Straits, in a tiny flat on a fun-down council estate in darkest Deptford, in. Lon-

don’s East End. They,started off playing in various dives close to home, then one week after they had paid their rent, they pooled their resources and raised a grand total of $l2O to record a demo tape at a North London recording studio. Asked to give the name of their group they unanimously chose “Dire Straits” because there was no argument about that being what they were in! Their first album, “Sultans of Swing,” was a world-wide smash-hit. They were on their way to being millionaires. Since 1978 Dire Straits and Mark Knopfler with his songs, his voice and his guitar, have notched up sales of 17 millions with six albums. Platinum discs have come with four albums, and they have got no fewer than 21 golds. They have all tried hard not to let. success go to their heads, and have avoided . rich living, in plush surroundings. They have done their share of charity work — and want to do more, saying, “You only need so much money to live.” Mark has put some of his money into three houses — one in London, one in New York, and one for his parents in Bristol, in the west of England. \ Three months into the present tour, Mark got back into the British charts with the Dire Straits hit single ‘‘Money

for Nothing.” He also discovered that song-writing can have its pitfalls. He was branded as a “gaybasher” because of remarks about “faggots” in the song.

Gays were furious over, his duet with Sting, where they sing “See the little faggot with the ear-ring and make-up.” But Mark defended the song. He said: “It was written after an experience in New York store — I was repeating exactly a conversation I overheard there.” His new. wife Lourdes Salomone was

there to prove it! Mark does not pretend that turning inspiration into successful pop songs comes easily. For instance, he confessed that he mentally turned himself into a woman to write one of his hits. "Sometimes you just have to get into the minds of other people,” he said, “and in the case of ‘Private Dancer’ I. became a woman.’’ These days he is not only known for his songs. He is also record producing and was. responsible for Bob Dylan’s album “Infidels.” He has

also broken into movies, providing the critically acclaimed soundtracks for David Putnam’s “Local Hero,” and “Cal.” “One of the nice things about film music,” said Mark, “is that it is designed to enhance someone else’s vision. That aspect of it appeals to me greatly.” There is no doubt that he’s Sincere when he says: “I feel like I’m the luckiest guy in' the world. And the happiest. I don’t know anyone who is happier than l am. I’m doing what I really love to do.” — Copyright Duo