David Knopfler
David Knopfler is a successful solo artist, and recently a published poet.
Born on December 27th, 1952, in Glasgow, Scotland, David Knopfler is an accomplished songwriter and musician. As well as a successful solo artist, David is a founding member of British rock band Dire Straits, a successful solo artist, and recently a published poet.
David played rhythm guitar on Dire Straits’ first two albums, “Dire Straits” and “Communique”. During the recording of Making Movies, he left the group to pursue a solo career.
After leaving Dire Straits, David released his first solo album in 1983 titled Release. Behind the Lines, his second album was released in 1985 and Cut the Wire in 1986. 1988 saw the release of his fourth album, Lips Against the Steel. – released in the U.S. by Cypress Records.
Copyright Juliette, www.knopfler.com
Table of Contents
Lifelines in 1991 was recorded in Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios. David released The Giver in 1993. (MESA/Bluemoon in the US). It’s sparse acoustic arrangements brought strong critical acclaim. Co-produced with Harry Bogdanovs, Small Mercies and Wishbones followed in 1995 & 2001. Chris Rea guested on Wishbones.
His latest CD, Ship of Dreams was released in 2004. A book of poetry has been recently published with the title “Blood Stones and Rhythmic Beasts” by UK’s BlackWing books (Released 6 May 2005. ISBN 0-9550260).
Recent co-writing projects have included co-writes with Amilia Spicer, Mack Starks, Megan Slankard, and Wendy Lands.
David has also scored the soundtracks for German TV productions including such films as: Treffer (1984), Jakob hinter der blauen Tür (1989) and Der grosse Bellheim.
David Knopfler Solo Discography
- 1983 – Release
- 1985 – Behind The Lines
- 1986 – Cut The Wire
- 1988 – Lips Against The Steel
- 1991 – Lifelines
- 1993 – The Giver
- 1995 – Small Mercies
- 2001 – Wishbones
- 2004 – Ship Of Dreams
David Knopfler Interview
One look at your website tells us how busy you have been, how do you manage such things and still be an independent recording artist?
It’s what I’ve always done so I suppose I’ve picked up quite a lot of experience, which is time-saving in itself.
Was it a tough decision to quit Dire Straits?
It was more a big relief… the fun had gone out of it for me a long while before.
When and how did you first start to play/write music?
Pretty much always have from earliest memories – so song-writing was more like being bi-lingual for me.
What advice would you give to songwriters just beginning their careers?
I’m just about to give a so-called “masterclass” in 30 minutes on just that subject and I’ll be posting my notes online – so I’d recommend your readers look there at knopfler.com for a more detailed reply…
There isn’t really any one thing to say. Maybe the most important thing is to know yourself. If you really are serious about song-writing you don’t choose it – it chooses you. You can’t write about what you don’t know about and finding a way to express your unique insights first presupposes that you have a unique artistic expression. You can improve in all areas by study… Understanding the structure of poetry will improve your literary skills and the better your mastery of your instrument the more musical choices you’ll have.
What is in your cd player now?
Dylan. Predictable huh? Damien Rice is the last CD to get a lot of use on my player.
Do you ever plan on touring with your brother(Mark) or with dire straits again?
No.
Who would you most like to gig with?
The guys I already tour with… my favourite players and people …
- Harry Bogdanovs,
- Martin Ditcham,
- Pete Shaw and
- Megan Slankard.
Copyright Steve Sowerby, www.knopfler.com
Lyric or music first when writing?
Usually lyrics – but no hard and fast rules.
What do you think of the current music scene?
There isn’t really “a scene” per se… not like say 1967… or 1977… there are hundreds of fragmented scenes. What is clear is that the mainstream broadcasters and corporate providers that have to operate for their shareholders and corporate players are ever increasingly out of step with where the heart and soul of where real music is being generated. Art always existed in the margins – but the disparity between the corporate way of doing things and the street beat, with a few honourable exceptions, hasn’t been this distanced since the cultural divide of the sixties. Things fall apart.
What’s next for David Knopfler?
An album to finish – a few tours – and a “masterclass” about to start…
Cheers for your time. Would it be too cheeky to ask for an autograph?
Not cheeky but how do I do that virtually?
Best regs
DK
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