Dire Straits Story How Dire Straits the band was started

In the lyrics of Love Over Gold Mark Knopfler states it takes, ” Mind over Matter,” to get you back to reality and your feet back on the ground.? At his last gig in Edinburgh, there’s a lane that runs down a slope next to the Playhouse Theatre across from the hotel I’d been staying in.

I saw that a small crowd had gathered at one of the stage doors so crossing over Leith Street I sauntered down the cobbled back street, that as a child I’d used to get to the Calton Hill. With the memories in my mind of the old tenements now gone at the bottom of the lane, I saw a black limousine turn the corner and head up the hill towards the group a mixture of about twelve adults and children. Myself having not quite got to them the car passed and stopped directly in front of me, the driver door opened and out steps Marks manager Paul Crockford, he is now standing right in front of me and giving me a very thoughtful stare.

I now think to myself Knopfler must definitely see me, so I look into the car and in the back seat is Mark, his eyes are closed and his face is puffed up like someone holding their breath and desperately needing oxygen, suddenly with his eyes still closed he swings round and Crockford opens the back door and the star of the show gets out with his back to me, with a last suspicious look at me Crockford slams the door shut and follows Mark in through the stage door. Dumbfounded I watch the pair disappear into the theatre, now that I can get passed the car the small crowd of onlookers start to disperse except a guy with his son who hesitantly go through the door followed by myself.

Knopfler is now on a landing where some one must have informed him about the young fan and his father below, and they are given the ok to proceed up the stairs, so taking my chance I call out, ” Macbeth is rocking to night,” those were the last words I said when I was leaving the house in Deptford when Mark asked me where I was going after the lyrics session. He was bending down to sign something for the youngster, when the words I’d called out seem to penetrate through his obviously dazed mind, and I’m saying that because he didn’t look to where the shout had come from, but turned to Crockford and said,” That’s the guy,” and Crockford answered, ” What guy,” making Knopfler still not looking in my direction answer in a  frustrated tone, ” The guy, the guy,” now Crockford seemed to think for a moment, and putting a friendly hand on Marks shoulder told his star in a convincing tone, ” There’s not a guy Mark,” and ushered him through a door away from the confused onlookers and the guy.

I’ve heard of hypnotism but mind control, and what about the mind over matter line, it didn’t seem to be working that day, Mark was out of it, and seemingly to make sure there would be no repeat of what happened for memories sake, the venue in the Playhouse Theatre that had been used for years for knopfler gigs was suddenly no more and transferred through to Glasgow. I can understand all those with their hands in Knopfler’s pockets ex wife’s and children, including John Illsley and all those managers who have got rich through Dire Straits, having memory loss about my part in the game. And we know the management make the artiste’s in the band sign something like a vow of silence, but in the name of the Wee Man was it really necessary to  have so many people to become subjected to a conspiracy to commit fraud.

When I worked with the Citizens Advice, I was dealing with redundancy claims, and a large building company wanted to fight against one of their workers claims, I told them was their reputation worth losing than the money the worker was entitled too remaining in their bank account, seems Paul Crockford and co wouldn’t have taken the same advice.

I’d been hitting it of with Mark Knopfler like the vibe you get when the drink takes you over and everyone suddenly gets the same buzz, except the driver whose sober and not enjoying being left out, and that was John Illsley who wasn’t on the same cloud and having threatened me once was now acting like a nasty sick Romeo who would have been jealous if it had been a doctor taking Mark’s pulse. When you have a six foot four male hovering over you and giving out the warning signs, that say ‘I’ve got my eye on you pal,’ for reasons only he and Mark seems to know about, I thought to myself if the guy feels left out and suspicious of me, then I’ll invite him to join in, it seemed to work in the many schools and playgrounds I’d studied and played in, so lets give it a shot, so with Mark sitting on the arm of the chair and myself on the floor using the seats cushion as a desk, I asked Illsley where he’d been before we met.

Looking down from his lofty perch his eyes narrowing wondering what I was up to, answered like a criminal being quizzed by the old Bill, ‘ I was getting Coffee Beans,” he stated and as a forethought said, ‘From Angellucci’s,” like someone who had afternoon tea in the Café Royal every Saturday and wanted to add, ‘Don’t you,’ and with that forced out of him gave me a sneer and went back to sitting with his book on the settee, ‘And a pick up for the guitar,’ Mark added but got no answer, so I wrote on the note paper.

Stepping out to Angellucci’s for my coffee beans, checking out the movies and the magazines.

Earlier that morning I’d seen Illsley sitting at a window seat in a coffee bar, and I’d gone in and the girl behind the counter was a darling, and when she asked me what I wanted, I replied, ” I want to marry you,’ that brought a great big smile from a very lovely and very bored counter assistant. Hence the next line.

Waitress she watches me crossing from the Barocco Bar, I’m getting a pick up for my steel guitar, I saw you walking out Shaftsbury Avenue, excuse me talking, ‘ I want to marry you,’ this is seventh heaven street to me, don’t be so proud, your just another angel in the crowd, and I’m walking in the wild west end, walking with your wild best friend.

The last two lines I hoped would help Illsley and I bond together, of course that didn’t happen, then or now, and like his interest in joining Mark and I with the lyrics, I drifted back to things that had happened in my own life. I’d met Carl Douglas who sang Kung Fu Fighting when I was working in a bar, I’d told him about my lyric writing and he seemed interested offering to have me join him on tour, but a woman came into my life and I took a job with London Transport as a conductor, then driver on the number eleven bus from Liverpool Street to Hammersmith Broadway, and that’s where I saw the Lions and the Starlings, and my conductress, it was Mark who suggested the number nineteen bus route as it probably ran through Deptford.

And my conductress on the number nineteen she was a honey, pink toe nails and hands all dirty with money, greasy hair easy smile, made me feel nineteen for a while.

And I did go down to China Town, a agency had given me a job card and I was lost and surrounded by cooked ducks, and I was starving, but the scene of those fried birds took away my appetite, and I climbed the stairs hoping to get my directions, knocking on the door and getting no answer, I opened the door to see four Chinese guys counting the money from a table covered with the stuff, they all lifted their heads and looked at me then resumed what they’d been doing, I closed the door almost knocking over a tray of dead ducks, and here is the story.

And I went down China town, in the backroom it’s a man’s world, all the money go down, duck inside a doorway got a duck to eat, right now feels alright now, you and me we can’t beat.

I’ll dedicate the next part of the lyric to Gary Holton who died of Heroin Poisoning, whose journey through the drugs scene ended in tragedy, from speed to downers, I met him in a club in London in the 70s. God rest his soul.

And a gogo dancing girl yes I saw her, the D.J. he says here’s Mandy for ye, I feel alright to see her, but she’s paid to do that stuff, she’s dancing high I move on by, the close ups can get rough, when your walking in the wild west end.

This lyric took about fifteen minutes to write, and I still got no response from Illsley, but I did impress Mark Knopfler.

Stepping out to Angellucci’s for my coffee beans, Checking out the movies and the magazines, Waitress she watches me crossing from the Barocco bar, I’m getting a pick up for my steel guitar, I saw you walking out Shaftsbury Avenue, Excuse me talking I wanna marry you, This is seventh heaven street to me, Don’t be so proud, your just another angel in the crowd, And I’m walking in the wild west end, Walking with your wild best friend.

And my conductress on the number nineteen, She was a honey, Pink toe nails hands dirty with money, Greasy hair easy smile, Made me feel nineteen for a while. And I went down to Chinatown, In the backroom it’s a man’s world, All the money go down, Duck inside the doorway, gotta duck to eat, Right now feels alright now, You and me we can’t beat.

And a gogo dancing girl yes I saw her, The D.J. he say here’s Mandy for ye, I feel alright to see her, But she’s paid to do that stuff, She’s dancing high I move on by, The close ups can get rough, When your walking in the wild west end…..Robert Marshal

When  I  came  back  on  the  scene  in  2006,  John  Illsley  contacted  Mark  Knopfler  and  proposed  reforming  Dire  Straits,  the  answer  was  no  no  no. Was  this  because he  was  having  such  a  good  time  posturing  with  other  celebrities,  who  hadn’t  yet  been  informed  he  wasn’t  being  truthful  about  who  had  written  the  lyrics  to  Dire  Straits  hits  like   Sultans  of  Swing,  and  he  was  filling  his  belly  with  the  fruits  of  deceit  and  enjoying  every  moment  before  the  table  was  chopped  up  for  firewood,  bringing  to  a  end  the  phone  calls  for  him  to  collaborate  on  others  stars  albums, no  no  no . Then  perhaps  Illsley  had  been  to  hasty   and  expected  with  my  return  our  collaboration together  could  bring  the  old  Dire  Straits  back  together,  but  how  could  that  reunion  ever  happen,  Illsley’s  enthusiasm  didn’t  seem  to  get  approval  from  Knopfler  who  was  touring  with Emmy Lou  Harris,  and  hadn’t  he   been  told  by  his  friend  Mark,  that  he  had  already  sold  the  rights  of  the  songs  and  the  lyrics  written  by  Robert  Marshal to  the  major  record  companies  Polydor for  example  and  had  spent  the  money,  and  as  that  was  never  part  of  our  agreement  made  in  Deptford,  and  just  outright  theft  and  fraudulent  dealings  with  those  record  companies  he’d  obviously  duped  into  buying  someone  else’s  Intellectual Property  he  had  to  say  no  no  no.  You’d  think  surely  after  all  the  records  D.S.  sold  would  money  be  a  problem  to  Mark,  or  maybe  the  truth  is  you  just  can’t  get  enough  of   the  stuff,  and  your  reputation  means  nothing  as  long  as  you’ve  got  a  healthy  bank  balance.  No  no  no  when  I  met  him  his  opening  gambit  was, ” Are  you  the  guy  whose  going  to  make  me  a  millionaire,” didn’t  seem  like  a  greedy  geezer  to  me, or  maybe  yes yes yes.?

It  was  then  Illsley  decided  to  put  away  his  learn  to  paint  book,  close  his  studio  and  hide  his  paint  pots,  and  make  believe  he  could  handle  the  lead  guitar  role  and  give  his  bass  position  to  someone  else,  and  with  him  singing  he  had  some  of  the  ingredients  that  were  once  Dire Straits, but  without  Mark  there  was  no-one  able  to  take  on  the  lead  guitar,  and  certainly  not  Illsley  whose  come  back  into  the music  business,  has  been  a  financial  disaster  according  to  him.  I’ve  got  to  pay  for  our  equipment  being  stored  and  the  roadies  wages  and  there’s  the  venue  costs,  and  a  hundred  or  so  paying  punters  isn’t  going  to  cover  the  expenses,  he  moaned. However  Mister  big  spender Illsley  has  again  overlooked  the  reality  of  the  situation, its  mostly  the  money  he’s  pocketed  that  should  have  gone  to  Robert  Marshal  he’s  spending,  and  he’s  got  the  balls  to  complain, money  for  nothing  mate  remember.

Andy Greene writing for the Rolling Stone Magazine made a profound statement when he said, with Mark Knopfler not even showing up when Dire Straits were inducted into the Rock an Roll Hall of Fame did this mean he’d finished with the band that had brought him wealth and fame globally.

But surely if you have decided on something as massive as this, that gave you a career and taken up so much of your time, you cannot just scrap the group take up as solo performer playing Folk music, and turn your back on the Rock industry and the fans. When I first met Mark Knopfler he stood behind a couch that Illsley was sitting on kidding on he was reading a book for a exam he was about to take at the Brubeck College that he and Mark were attending as Mature students. And for some reason that stunned Illsley, and made me question his motives, he told me Illsley was his brother, but the way Knopfler has acted so ungraciously to the fans of Dire Straits, and the way Illsley brushed me aside giving a two fingered salute for everything I’d done for them, I’d say they were joined at the hip and twins.

So are the twins really surprised that they themselves are now being ripped of, by the same minded people who can see there is money to be made from Knopfler and Illsley’s lack of humanities, a course that Illsley was studying for that seems to have gone a wry as their fall from grace proves, and in steps the Vultures, that for some reason upsets John Illsley. Why because some of his former employees or band members are about to go on tour calling their band Dire Straits, then sensibly as a afterthought add Legacy just in case Mark comes out of his echo trip, and with our differences settled, show this group of chancers who owns Dire Straits.

John Illsley the person I blame for the break up and downfall of Dire Straits the band and its reputation, stated in the Rolling Stone or whined, I said to them, if you are going to do that, I take it he means Clarke and co calling the group Dire Straits, will you please call the band something else, it would be like some people getting together and calling themselves the Stones or the Floyd, you can’t really do that, you were members of the band for a while, but you don’t own the name, can you please call it something else.

What a hypocrite, and neither do you Illsley, or Mark Knopfler, I gave the band its name and that is why the Legacy or any other tribute band can call their group Dire Straits, and its because of your underhand dealings they can do it, and until you and Mark recognize the major part I played in Dire Straits and stop this idiocy, you will find the same lack of respect that you showed to me, will come back to haunt you.

You have already ruined Mark’s reputation in the music industry, and he is a talented musician, while you are just a impostor a jack of all trades a master of none, and that was said by a gallery owner where your paintings were hidden in a corner of his studio, so I’m really glad to see you are now getting your comeuppances for the rotten way you have treated people, and I can name a few.

You once claimed and I have it in writing with your signature, that you took offence at being called a Plagiarist, if you weren’t one Illsley, the Plagiarists that are now Plagiarizing you wouldn’t be getting away with it, makes you think doesn’t it. Robert

That is the communication being flouted on the Amarkintime website, and the conspiracies of what that means is being speculated like a dog with a bone. If Mark Knopfler has something to say, he’s taken a very long time to say it. When I came out with my part in the formation of Dire Straits, it was reckoned by the fans, Mark would have something to say about that, and my claim would be erased by his rich and famous lawyers, instead he said nothing, and by his silence the fans were left with the fact that I was telling the truth. For a rock star he has not only neglected his army of followers, but the public in General, his father came to this country as a refugee fleeing from the Nazi’s, and made his home in Scotland,and we the Scots trusted him and his family to be like us, where the doors were open and where we learned to help and share with our neighbours. I’m afraid Mark has taken the John Illsley bankers son aptitude of what’s mine is mine and I’m keeping it. But to put that type of disgraceful thinking into reality, no its not yours or Illsley’s it belongs too, I wrote the lyrics and gave the band the name of Dire Straits, so the bankers son is a twister, and the son of a refugee is a accomplice? And if that’s their mind set in come the other Vultures to pick the body clean, instead of being paid for the Royalties for coming up with the idea of Money for Nothing, the lyrics I wrote are being plagiarized by television companies who know Knopfler wont dispute the case, and there are plenty of them doing it. So we can see why those refugee’s and immigrants who have come into this and other countries, are looked upon with suspicion when one of our greatest musicians has allowed his reputation to be belittled by his so called friend, when he has so more to lose, no you cannot polish a doo doo Mark, but it can be flushed down the toilet with the rest of the shite, and is that your only announcement, I’d say your going to retire and hope you can make a living from the studio you bought from my money, and I’m in no doubt that you and Illsley claim the Government pension of 150 pounds and the 200 cold weather payment. I honestly don’t know why you contacted me, unless it was just to humiliate me for some reason that I know nothing about, but its back fired something I’d say Illsley is used too, however your character must definitely be having self issues, remember he was the straight and not in our game, and now your going to be like a thief in the night and scuttle away, with whats left of the loot, eh pal. Robert

Most of the photo’s that were taken at the Plaque unveiling outside the house in Deptford have been well  scrutinized by Illsley, and any crowd scenes have been  scrapped in case I was seen talking to Mark Knopfler, which might be used in evidence. However he  couldn’t erase them all and guess who he is  glaring at, yes me, and its the same threatening look I got from him when Mark had gone out of the room, and he warned me that, ” Mark was his property, and I’d better back of or else,” ?. And he did that twice, until the look on my face told Mark there had been trouble between myself and I take it his boyfriend, and I wasn’t going to put up with a jealous guy. He told me he could handle the six foot four Illsley, and I took him literally and we proceeded to go on writing the lyrics for the Dire Straits album, even though when ever I looked in Illsley’s direction, just like the photo on the left, his eyes were boring into me and its not a pretty sight.?

When I realized after quite a while of sending emails to Mark, that they didn’t want to know how I was, but were waiting on me sending lyrics to them, and that was why they’d answered my email, and wanted Lyrics for Nothing without a meeting. That’s when I began asking myself why would these two guys who have had all this success and money through my lyrics and ideas, not want to see me. The first thought that came to mind was, I’d not paid Mark for the three lines of Cocaine I’d sniffed up my nose, and he was so in need of the fifteen quid I’d left him in Dire Straits. Then I thought of Illsey’s jealousy and that got nearer to the truth especially with what had happened to David Knopfler, not even the guys brother was safe from Illsley and his over obsessional feelings about Mark, in fact he’s a control freak, even trying to set up David and myself to keep me away from Mark.?

However another thought came to mind, as I was leaving the flat Mark said to Illsley, ” He doesn’t think hes going to be in the band,” so I retorted back that he cannot write lyrics, and after reading a article written by Bill Forsyth, Im beginning to believe my words must have stung the young Mark Knopfler’s ego, but what about my feelings pal, do they not count, and of course your brothers, you must know by now Illsley mixed it for him, and he’s still at it now, and still a Jealous Guy. Robert.

Just the naming of the album Down the Road …….Wherever, sounds to me as if a bored person had been coerced into doing something they didn’t want to do, and were being forced to add something to the title of a album someone else had come up with, and added Whatever and it was changed to Wherever. And considering the lyrics and musical content all seem to be in Guy Fletcher’s name, with one track alone being Mark Knopfler, to call this HAM SANDWICH of a album a Mark Knopfler album is just another example of bad management and poor judgement of choosing your friends.

When this album was released, it had taken three years for the maestro to do so, and in that time he could have contacted me and brought this stupidity to a end, instead he has sulked and hidden away in the hope this nightmare his friend John Illsley has caused by turning his back on the person who had written the lyrics of the Dire Straits album continues. And Mark’s reputation slumps as does his album sales, D.T.R.W. reached no 17 in the charts then fell to 61 staggered back down to 59 and vanished into the mists of a has been, and as it disappeared it past Private Investigations Dire Straits propped up by Sultans of Swing lyrics by Robert Marshal holding strong for months in the charts? The money from this album keeping Illsley in pocket money and the Knopflers in a life style, through their ingratitude and obvious ignorance to wanting to know about my well being, they obviously do not deserve.

Ive watched more Scrooge movies this Christmas on T.V. that I as a child went to see in the Cinema, and as Knopfler and Illsley are only two years younger than me, and must have seen it to. But I seem to see old Scrooge as a tyrant deserving to get the ghosts of the past to give him his just deserts, and the old miser repents and starts anew by seeing his faults and sharing his good fortune on those who helped him to achieve his wealth. The difference between that Scrooge and Illsley and Knopfler and co, that old miser didn’t need the help of the fans to keep his business afloat, and when you lose the fans trust, you have lost their respect. In a recent interview on the radio in Scotland Mark said, he had now found humility, but its the truth and honesty the fans want from him. He listened to me once before and the history of a band called Dire Straits was started, he for some reason has chosen to ignore me, and like Scrooge is meeting the ghosts of time gone past. So lets us see if the Ghost of the NEW YEAR to COME, remembering  he does say he’s Scottish, changes him back to being a Mr Nice Guy, who with his new found humility seeks out the friends from his past who care about him and his career and can help him recover from the Scrooge addiction, before he all he sees in the Albert Hall are the ghosts of fans that were and empty seats.

Though I only caught the last part of the Ken Bruce show with Mark Knopfler, it proved to me he hasn’t yet lost his sense of humour, and that he knows or reads what I write about him. In my blog I stated he should be singing,” If I were a Rich Man,” a song about a Jewish immigrants dream in a country where there is hope to prosper if you have the talent and are willing to be guided towards that goal, by someone who though talented had already used up their own gift and handed it to you? The Boxer by Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel and the line,” I’m just a poor boy,” was not exactly you Mark, and it sounded to me like you were mocking those of us, for I do not believe for a minute you know, ” Where the poorer people go,” and unlike the original lyricists of the song, who obviously did know and did care, though I know you were just having a jest, your take of a classic song and lyrics was like a saw tearing through metal.?

When you deviate away from your strengths like being a great guitarist, and try and sing a popular song made famous by two people who can sing, your heading for trouble, and I will repeat myself again, I know what you were trying to prove, and in honesty your fans would have rather heard a song from Whatever. I knew you could imitate another persons voice, and that was proved on the Dire Straits album, and you know what I’m talking about, but Mark you have got to wind yourself back, get back on that motor bike and be a Rock and Roll artist, you’ve become the Harry that I wrote about on Sultans of Swing, Rockers don’t retire Mark they fight on to the very end. ” If I were a rich man,”…

On the 6th July 1978 the Dire Straits Album was released  songs by Mark Knopfler, lyrics written by Robert Marshal and kindly reproduced by Straitjacket Songs.

The band Mark Knopfler lead guitarist, rhythm guitarist David Knopfler, bass guitarist John Illsley, drums David Pick Withers.This was the beginning of a journey into the music industry for three of the group, who would never have believed it was possible. Though there is a claim a band existed called the Cafe Racers, the only Cafe Racer was a motor bike and perhaps owned by one of the Knopflers, and the only band that played or recorded Sultans of Swing, were Dire Straits. David Pick Withers was the only member of the band who was a professional musician, the youngest player David Knopfler was working for The Social Work Department in London and sharing a one bedroom house South of the Thames in Deptford with John Illsley, who was a mature student at Goldsmiths College, and when Mark Knopfler arrived in London he became a student at the same College and joined the other two at the house in Deptford.

Mark Knopfler and Illsley were both at a age 25 that was to old to join a punk band, though Illsley used to invite young would be punk guitarists back to the house on a Tuesday, and as already quoted to mainly tune their guitars, so any thoughts of forming a band were never in reality within their sights or capabilities. You can Jam till your fingers bleed but it takes something everyone can join in on that doesn’t have any of their stamps on it to make them jell together equally, and that was the lyrics that belonged to none of them, though only Mark Knopfler and Illsley knew the truth about who had written them, that is why even though the older Knopfler tried to include his own lyrics into the first Dire Straits album, it was more productive and prudent to just stick to those written outside the trio by Robert Marshal.

With the introduction into the group of David Pick Withers, the band was formed, and with his knowledge and contacts in the business people in the industry started taking notice, and though the band played a few gigs in Camden Town, it was in Europe where they scored their biggest fans. Punk was a English thing Rock and Roll was Universal, and the latter time of the 70s was dry of of that type of music so the Dire Straits album slotted in nicely into a niche made for their flair. Though it also started the cracks of jealousy to appear when their second album was released, this time songs and lyrics all written by Mark Knopfler, the hedonistic thread missing from the first album by having a stranger write the lyrics had gone, and the bickering and fighting for recognition had begun. Happy Birthday guys.

They say every picture tells a story, and that you can fool the public some of the time, but not all of the time. So has Mark Freuder Knopfler O.B.E. thrown in the towel and allowed the pack of a so called brotherhood to take over his life and ruin his reputation and career. When the Beatles were given the O.B.E. it was returned because of a political gesture, so shouldn’t Mark return his as a noble gesture or share the honor with the lyricist who wrote the groups hit lyrics.

And what idiot convinced him to accept it in the first place, he says he was a lecturer, so by this act of accepting the gong it doesn’t actually seem like his ethics were honest as a educationalist, in fact the opposite to what we’d expect from one, if your allowing students to copy or say plagiarize to get a pass you shouldn’t be in the job in the first place, and of course opening yourself up to be blackmailed, so Mark give it back.

You’ve already surrounded yourself with a brotherhood of back stabbers, jealous of your fame how you play guitar, and still you call them friends, its now ten years since I tried to get to speak to you, and every time we got close, the hulking shadow of Illsley appeared and put another nail in your and my coffin. And talking about coffins Mark if the shadow thinks this blog will die with me he’s wrong I have made sure many years will pass before this story closes, unless you come clean and stop cheating with the exam papers. Its not difficult to be honest pal and I can assure you, it gets rid of all the stench and rubbish you have surrounded yourself with, it stops the lies and gets rid of the liars.

Between your music and my lyrics we gave something good to a hell of a lot of people, to see it all being exploited and turned into a mockery by a handful of your choice of friends, and you doing nothing about it only proves what Ive been saying, an O.B.E you could have been knighted, and  all concerned should have been proud to share that honor with you, but because of greed and jealousy its all gone down the drain. Illsley started this and you have allowed it to continue, your the boss pal, he’s made his money, its you who has the gift and its you who has the highest to fall.