By the time Dire Straits recorded this show at London's famed Hammersmith Odeon Theater in the summer of 1983, they had become one of the most critically acclaimed rock bands on the planet. With singer/songwriter/guitarist Mark Knopfler at the helm, they had already released three platinum albums, and were out with a brand new fourth album, entitled Love over Gold. King Biscuit Flower Hour broadcast this shortened set, but the entire performance from this night was released on Alchemy, the band's first live…entire summary
Mark Knopfler - vocals, guitars
John Illsley - bass, vocals
Hal Lindes - guitar
Terry Williams - drums
Alan Clark - keyboards
Tom Mandel - keyboards
Mel Collins - saxophone
Joop DeKorte - percussion
By the time Dire Straits recorded this show at London's famed Hammersmith Odeon Theater in the summer of 1983, they had become one of the most critically acclaimed rock bands on the planet. With singer/songwriter/guitarist Mark Knopfler at the helm, they had already released three platinum albums, and were out with a brand new fourth album, entitled Love over Gold. King Biscuit Flower Hour broadcast this shortened set, but the entire performance from this night was released on Alchemy, the band's first live album, along with other radio faves not heard here, such as "Sultans of Swing."
By this time, only Mark Knopfler and bassist/vocalist John Illsley remained from the original quartet. Although Illsley stayed on as bassist, by the time the 1983 tour commenced, Dire Straits had mainly become a backing band for Knopfler, who was undoubtedly the creative leader of the group. Shortly after they finished recording Love over Gold, original drummer Pick Withers was replaced by former Rockpile skin basher Terry Williams, and a few years earlier Knopfler's brother, David, had departed to pursue a solo career. He was replaced by Hal Lindes, who appears on guitar during this tour. Keyboardists Alan Clark and Tom Mandel are also added; their presence changed the sound of the band's live show dramatically. Finally, percussionist Joop DeKorte gave the band a further energetic shot in the arm.
Read more about Dire Straits in Crawdaddy!:
"Mark Knopfler: Kill to Get Crimson"
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