Latest news with #MarkKnopfler
South Wales Argus
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- South Wales Argus
The best events to visit in Newport and beyond this weekend
One highlight is the local band, The Scowles, and a food pop-up hog roast at Monmouthshire Upcycle Events on Station Road, Chepstow, on Saturday, August 16. The event starts at 6 pm and entry is free. There is also a Dire Straits tribute event, Strait Up, at Newport Memorial Hall on Saturday, August 16, from 8.30 pm to 10.30 pm. The tribute band will capture the essence and energy of Mark Knopfler and his world-famous band, playing popular hits. Doors open at 8 pm and the entry fee is £15. Seating is on a first-come basis. Legacy in Newport is hosting 'Get It Sexy - Summer Edition' on Saturday, August 16, from 9 pm to 3 am. This is Newport's biggest summer event with 80 per cent pure Gyaldem tunes, including dancehall, Afrobeats, and R&B. Special guest DJ Eazy from Bristol will be performing alongside DJ Flipz and DJ Pandora. There will be free giveaways all night, including sweets, candy floss, and sunglasses. The last entry is at 1.30 am. The Cwmbran Centre is hosting a Food, Craft & Gift Market on Saturday, August 16, from 9 am to 5 pm. This is a great opportunity to support local talent and find unique, handmade gifts, freshly baked goods, and artisan food. There will also be local artists and makers. The Llanyravon Manor Family Fun Day is set for Sunday, August 17, from 11 am to 4 pm. This event will feature market stalls, an orchard tea room, a bouncy castle, mascots, garden games, face painting, and more. The Toodle Pips will be performing at Lower House on Oak Street, Cwmbran, on Sunday, August 17, at 4.30 pm. The Kustom Kulture RC Drift Comp is taking place at Unit 11, Panteg Industrial Estate, Griffithstown, Pontypool, on Sunday, August 17, at 2 pm. This event will showcase their new surface and layout. The Chepstow Classic Car Show, plus auto jumble and collector's fair, is happening at Chepstow Racecourse on Sunday, August 17, from 10 am to 3 pm. There will be hundreds of classic cars on show, stalls selling auto jumble and collectables, and food stalls. The Monmouthshire Show, a one-day agricultural show, is taking place on Sunday, August 17, at Monmouthshire Showground from 9 am to 6 pm. The event will feature main ring entertainment such as the Extreme Mountain Bike Show and Scurry, side attractions like the Mini Pony Show and BubbleMan, livestock, trade stands, a food festival, crafts, home and garden classes, a fun dog show, music, and more. The Alright? Illustration Fair is taking place at St Mary's Priory Church, Chepstow, on Saturday, August 16, from 10 am to 4 pm. The fair will feature over 30 creatives from all over the UK. The Green Man Festival is taking place in Crickhowell, Powys, on August 16 and 17. The festival will feature a variety of music genres, a comedy tent, kids' areas, and wellbeing zones.
Yahoo
12-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Famous birthdays for Aug. 12: Casey Affleck, Jim Beaver
Aug. 12 (UPI) -- Those born on this date are under the sign of Leo. They include: -- Pope Blessed Innocent XI in 1611 -- Artist Abbott Thayer in 1849 -- Educator/poet Katharine Lee Bates in 1859 -- Filmmaker Cecil B. DeMille in 1881 -- Physicist Erwin Schrodinger in 1887 -- Actor/filmmaker Cantinfla in 1911 -- Guinness World Records founders Norris and Ross McWhirter in 1925 -- Businessman/activist George Soros in 1930 (age 95) -- Writer William Goldman in 1931 -- Actor George Hamilton in 1939 (age 86) -- Actor Dana Ivey in 1941 (age 84) -- Musician Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits) in 1949 (age 76) -- Actor Jim Beaver in 1950 (age 75) -- Writer Ann Martin in 1955 (age 70) -- Actor Bruce Greenwood in 1956 (age 69) -- Musician Roy Hay (Culture Club) in 1961 (age 64) -- Musician Sir Mix-a-Lot in 1963 (age 62) -- Actor Peter Krause in 1965 (age 60) -- Actor Brent Sexton in 1967 (age 58) -- Actor Rebecca Gayheart in 1971 (age 54) -- International Tennis Hall of Fame member Pete Sampras in 1971 (age 54) -- Actor Yvette Nicole Brown in 1971 (age 54) -- Comedian Michael Ian Black in 1971 (age 54) -- Actor Casey Affleck in 1975 (age 50) -- Actor Leah Pipes in 1988 (age 37) -- Actor Lakeith Stanfield in 1991 (age 34) -- Actor/model Cara Delevingne in 1992 (age 33) -- Actor Imani Hakim in 1993 (age 32) -- Olympic rugby player Ilona Maher in 1996 (age 29) -- Actor Rudy Pankow in 1997 (age 28) -- Actor Iman Vellani in 2002 (age 23) Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The 5 classic Dire Straits songs that aren't on their No. 1 album 'Brothers in Arms'
Along with U2 and The Police, Dire Straits were among the most successful bands from the British Isles in the 1980s. Their fifth studio album, 1985's Brothers in Arms sold in staggering numbers, earning Platinum or Diamond status in 10 countries, storming to the No. 1 spot on album charts each and every time. Yet, in many ways, it was a last gasp for the beloved band; they'd take six years to record and release a followup, and by that time, popular tastes had changed, with grunge all the rage. (1991's On Every Street still made it to No. 1 in eight countries, no mean feat.) The overwhelming success of Brothers in Arms tends to overshadow the catalog of fine work Dire Straits had already created. So on the 40th anniversary of the release of Brothers in Arms, here are five great Dire Straits tunes from the records that came before it. 'Once Upon a Time in the West' from (1979) After the slow-burn success of Dire Straits' self-titled debut LP, Communiqué was met with a more modest reception. But the album arguably built on the first record's strengths. The understated 'Once Upon a Time in the West' added some reggae textures to the band's rootsy approach. The song would remain a staple of Dire Straits' live set; it featured prominently in an epic version, opening their 1984 live album (see below). 'Tunnel of Love' from (1980) Opening with the strains of Rodgers and Hammerstein's 'Carousel Waltz,' Dire Straits' 'Tunnel of Love' signaled Mark Knopfler's move toward grand, sweeping musical works. The evocative song showcases emotional depth, exceptional instrumental work and some of Knopfler's finest lyrics, rivaling Bruce Springsteen (who would write a 'Tunnel of Love' of his own a few years later). 'Telegraph Road' from (1982) Mark Knopfler's gift for creating wide-screen, epic songs continued on Dire Straits' fourth studio LP. The album's single, 'Industrial Disease' would be the only tune on the five-song album to come in under six minutes. Yet at fourteen minutes plus, 'Telegraph Road' never wastes a second. Knopfler's lyrics were inspired in part by the Nobel Prize winning novel Growth of the Soil by Norwegian author Knut Hamsun. 'Twisting by the Pool' from (1983) Brothers in Arms displayed some playful humor in songs like 'Money for Nothing,' but the MTV hit wasn't Dire Straits' first tune with a bit of whimsy. A three-day recording session in Fall 1982 yielded four new songs for the group, including this fun and uptempo track. The uncharacteristic 'Twisting by the Pool' made it onto the singles charts in the U.S., UK and New Zealand; it reached the No. 1 spot in the latter. 'Going Home: Theme of the Local Hero' from (1984) While guitarist and songwriter Mark Knopfler formally launched his solo career after Dire Straits broke up in 1995, he had already been active outside the band for more than a decade. His first recorded work outside the group was composing, recording and producing the soundtrack for the well-received 1983 film Local Hero. On tour, Dire Straits featured the movie's stirring instrumental theme song in a full-band version; it's a highlight of the Alchemy album. Visit the Goldmine store for vinyl, CDs, box sets, collectibles, music history books and limited-edition, Goldmine-only exclusives. An online store specifically for music collectors. Click HERE!
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🎬
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.
