Latest news with #BrothersInArms
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Tartan Army fan who walked to Germany embarking on new challenge for the World Cup
He went viral for his last effort and even got a shout out from famous faces SUPER STRIDER Tartan Army fan who walked to Germany embarking on new challenge for the World Cup Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A TARTAN Army superfan who walked to Germany for the Euros is embarking on another monumental challenge. Craig Ferguson, 21, went viral for his thousand-mile stride from Hampden Park to Munich for the national side's first game of the 2024 tournament. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Craig Ferguson is embarking on yet another challenge Credit: Tom Farmer 4 Craig will be on the march again Credit: PA 4 He will now be doing something ahead of the World Cup Credit: Tom Farmer He donned a specially made sports kilt as he trekked through six countries for mental health charity Brothers In Arms. Craig, from Paisley, is now setting out on yet another walking challenge - this time attempting to walk the length of Scotland, one year after his march to Munich. The football-daft lad wants to embark on the Scotland stride to celebrate next World Cup in North America. Craig said: 'Exactly one year on from my walk to Germany, I think it's time for a new challenge. 'With the World Cup fastly approaching next year and everyone hoping that Scotland qualifies, in the meantime, Im away for a little wander to keep myself busy.' He added: 'On June 14, I will start at the Mull of Galloway lighthouse, the most southerly point and make the near 400-mile journey to the most northerly point in mainland Scotland. 'I'll be walking the length of Scotland. 'As with last summer this will be raising vital funds and awareness for men's mental health and the charity of choice will again be Brothers In Arms.' Craig's first trek to Germany raised over £77,000 and he was made an official ambassador for the charity. He was even nominated for a FIFA Award for his monumental trek across Europe. Hero's welcome for inspirational Scotland fan who walked 1000 miles to Munich His trek to Germany was inspired by The Proclaimers hit song 500 miles. The young football fan gained so much attention that the musical duo even gave him a shout out. He received a hero's welcome after arriving in the German city, with Tartan Army fans gathering round to get him a well-deserved pint. Craig added: 'The journey will take me along iconic routes like the West Highland Way and the Great Glen Way. I'll be passing some of Scotland's most famous landmarks, all leading to Dunnet Head — the northernmost point on the mainland.'
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Legendary ‘70s Rocker, 75, Celebrates 47th Anniversary of Beloved Hit Song
One of the most distinct bands to come out of the '70s and '80s was Dire Straits. The band had an incredibly unique sound, propelling them into the history books of rock music. Albums like their self titled debut, and their commercial smash hit "Brothers in Arms," which is one of the ten best-selling albums in UK history. The band have created countless hits, the two most notable being "Money For Nothing," and "Sultans of Swing." The latter song was their first big hit, propelled by the vocals and unique guitar playing of Mark Knopfler. Knopfler has been the driving force of the band's sound, and his unique finger-style guitar technique has provided his playing an unmistakable sound. "Sultans of Swing" is an instantly recognizable, classic song because of Knopfler, so of course, he deserves to celebrate the song's anniversary. The song is incredibly important in rock history, and fans recognized this in the comments. "We just do not get stuff like this anymore. Incredible." "What a song." "A glorious masterpiece." It's safe to say that the song has stood the test of time. We'll all be rocking out to this classic for many years to come. 🎬SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox🎬
BBC News
22-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
The Staffordshire men boxing to 'release the hurt inside'
A man who was previously addicted to drugs and alcohol says boxing replaced his vices and helped him turn his life European champion boxer Ewan Welsh made a bet in the pub with his friend that he was going to get into the epileptic seizure while in the ring meant the end of his time as an athlete, but coaching others gave him another avenue to went on to set up the "Brothers In Arms" group at Korefitness in Silverdale, Staffordshire, where men can learn to box and open up about their issues. Participant Ethan Mourn said the retired boxer's group was a place where he felt able to talk."I was in a kind of dark place, confused and bit emotional, but then I came here, spoke to Ewan and he's helped me quite a lot," he said. Another participant, Josh Shepard, said he lost his job after his dad and cousin died within the space of six felt boxing with the group helped him, and that he also benefitted from chatting to others."The gym just didn't do it for me," he said. "Just punching a bag really does just release a lot inside hurt."He said he was hooked after his first session, and the brew and biscuits at the end were an important reason for attending."There's nowhere I'd rather be," he added. Ben Betts, a mental health coach at the group, explained working out helped release endorphins, which in turn enabled the men to feel more able to open up."Even if you're having a really bad week, you can come here and hit the bag, release your evil energies," he said. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
How Guy Fletcher and a classic ‘80s synth became Dire Straits' secret weapon on Brothers In Arms
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Set to celebrate its 40th anniversary on Saturday 17 May, Dire Straits' Brothers In Arms is many things - not least the album that's viewed as the one that turned the world on to the compact disc. A synth record, though? Surely not. This after all, was a band helmed by Mark Knopfler, who in 1985 was one of the most famous guitarists in the world (though not quite as famous as Marty McFly, obviously). And just look at that Brothers In Arms album cover - it's got a photo of a guitar on it, for crying out loud! Dig a little deeper, though, and you discover that there was another sheriff in town - Guy Fletcher - and he was packing a rather different kind of music-making pistol. Then an up-and-coming keyboard player, Fletcher had worked with Knopfler on his two most recent soundtrack albums, Cal and Comfort and Joy. Taken from the films of the same name, these were both released in 1984. "Guy had turned up at my house one day in a Hillman Hunter," Knopfler tells Paul Sexton in the liner notes for the new 40th anniversary edition of Brothers In Arms. "He knocked on the door with a synthesizer under his arm and we started working together." It was around this time that Knopfler got his hands on a New England Digital Synclavier, the digital synth/sampler/workstation keyboard that was taking the music industry by storm. Its sounds came to define the '80s, being used on huge albums by Michael Jackson (Thriller, Bad), Genesis (Invisible Touch) and - thanks to Trevor Horn - Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Yes and Grace Jones. Owning it was one thing, though: mastering it was quite another. "I used to look at it dubiously and wonder if I'd ever learn how to use it," says Knopfler. Dire Straits bassist John Illsley, meanwhile, remembers that "Everybody was going 'Does anybody know how to work this thing?'' Help, though, was at hand. 'Guy had joined by then,' says Illsley. 'Without him there, we would have probably been completely lost." "It was part and parcel of what Guy was doing, and he managed to get it to make sense,' confirms Knopfler. Fletcher, meanwhile, suggests that it was partly his technological know-how that got him into the band. "I guess I sort of proved to Mark that I could handle something that was like an airbus manual," he says. "It was a quite a complicated thing, but we did those two films together, with a few other musicians, so joining the band wasn't really even talked about. It was just 'We're going into rehearsals next week, see you there' and next thing we know, we're in Montserrat." It was here, on a Caribbean island, that Brothers In Arms was recorded. The location was George Martin's Air Studios, which later fell victim to both a hurricane and volcano eruption, and now lies derelict. Back then, though, it was state of the art, with a Sony 24-track digital tape machine providing the opportunity to make pristine recordings. As Fletcher, explains, though, this presented another potential problem. "We had digital, and it was a new format at the time,' he remembers. 'We were, like everybody, a bit blown away by what digital can do, but it also had its difficulties in reining it in, because it was very easy to get carried away. Neil Dorfsman [producer] did an amazing job in retaining the analogue feel of the album, and being faithful to the songs." Those songs, though, definitely sound of their time, and the Synclavier's influence was huge. The video below from ElectronicSupersonic, which features remakes of some of the most famous synth parts on Brothers In Arms using Arturia's Synclavier-V emulation and some other software instruments, confirms that the machine is all over it. Pretty much every song features some of that New England Digital sauce: check out the intro to Money For Nothing and lead sound on Walk Of Life if you want to hear just a couple of very famous examples. In fact, the Synclavier is there right from the start, during the intro and throughout album opener So Far Away, and it sticks around until the end, on the title track. Let's give thanks to Guy Fletcher and his synth mastery, then: Dire Straits' secret weapon. We'll never know how many of Brothers In Arms' 30 million sales he was responsible for, but without him and the Synclavier, we can say that the album would have sounded very different.
South China Morning Post
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Dire Straits' Knopfler, Illsley tell story of recording Brothers In Arms as album reissued
Mark Knopfler and John Illsley have differing memories of the creation of Dire Straits' most successful album. 'It was like any other album,' says the former frontman and songwriter Knopfler, 75, almost stoically. In contrast, bassist Illsley, also 75, and still close friends with his former bandmate, said he immediately recognised that the band's fifth studio album could be something special. 'I knew instinctively we had some great material here,' he says. 'We were going to have a really good album.' Play Illsley was proved right. Brothers In Arms, featuring classics like 'Money For Nothing' and 'Walk Of Life', became a global success, selling more than 30 million copies and becoming one of the bestselling albums in music history. A new edition is now being released to mark its 40th anniversary.
