Dear everyone,

Well, I'm back from my hols in Spain and I'm feeling a lot more lively - it's amazing what a bit of sunshine can do! Of course, there are distinct disadvantages of going on holiday when you are the sole person doing a particular job (as with me and the Info Service) because there's nobody to do your work while you're away! I've come back to an enormous box of mail, so if you're waiting for a reply to anything, don't hold your breath, it will take me about a month to get through it all.

Quite a number of the letters I've opened so far have contained comments on the "On The Night" live album and video, so I'm keeping them to pass on to the band. Most of you seem to be very pleased with them, and the album's done pretty well so far for a live album, with world-wide sales of 1.5 million. For those of you who are interested in these things, below is a list of highest chart position reached in various countries (many countries haven't sent figures in yet). This list is correct at time of typing:

Australia No. 5, Austria No. 9, Belgium No. 2, Canada No. 37, Denmark No. 7, France No. 1, Finland No. 9, Ireland No. 22, Italy No. 2, Japan No. 22, Germany No. 7, Holland No. 2, Norway No. 3, Portugal No. 5, Spain No. 1, Sweden No. 29, Switzerland No. 11. The "Encores" four-track has also done pretty well, and is No. 1 in France and Spain so in those two countries the band have a double No. 1. On my holiday, I kept hearing "Your Latest Trick" in bars and clubs - no escape from it!

Some of the letters I've opened have contained a few moans about the album mainly asking why certain tracks weren't included. Of course everyone has their favourite track, but basically unless the band were to do an all-night-concert and play every song they've ever recorded, and release the whole lot, it's impossible to please everybody... I would personally have liked to hear [I Think I] "Love You Too Much" and "Setting Me Up" on the album, but I don't make these decisions. A lot of you have asked why "Sultans" [Of Swing] wasn't included, and the only explanation I can give you is... it wasn't chosen by the band!

On with the rest of the news (what there is of it!):

LEEDS GIG

Mark is playing a gig with fellow Hillbillies Brendan Croker and Steve Phillips at The Town & Country, Cookridge Street, Leeds, on Saturday 3rd July. We are not selling tickets from here because it's really Brendan's gig, but you should call the venue if you want to go (0532) 540540. Tickets are £8.50. Doors open 7.00pm, and there's a support group called The Silver Donkey Band, and a local comedian as compere. I'm told that word has now got out in Leeds and so it's no longer a well-kept secret, so I just hope there are some tickets left when you call. See, can't keep MK off a stage for long!.

FACTS AND FIGURES

Since I get asked things like this all the time (are all you DSIS members statisticians or something?) here are the attendance figures for the "On Every Street" tour:

UK	447,630
Europe	2,385,865
Australasia	259,049
USA/Canada	452,295
TOTAL	3,544,839

Total album sales of all Dire Straits albums worldwide are now just over 71 million!

THE CD PRICE WAR

Fans living in the UK probably noticed that the group's manager Ed Bicknell was getting almost as much press/radio/TV coverage as the group a few weeks ago in fact he's become quite a celebrity! For those of you who missed it, here's a brief synopsis of what it was all about.

The issue is the price of CDs in this country, which at around £14.00, we consider to be too high. Many shops, notably the large "chains" of stores such as Our Price, Virgin, HMV, Tower etc., are trying to make them more affordable to the public by discounting them heavily, and this means that they are often retailing them for almost the same price as they buy them wholesale from the record companies, thus reducing their own profit margins to practically nothing.

Ed and several other managers of major acts are questioning the whole pricing structure of cds in other words WHY the record companies are charging so much for them and how this money is being accounted for.

There was a House Of Commons Select Committee investigation, who heard evidence from all sides managers, the Consumers Association, all the major retailers and the British Phonographic Industry. The House Of Commons Committee recommended that the price be cut by £2.00 per CD, and also that the whole record industry be investigated by the Mergers and Monopolies Commission to see if it is operating against the public interest as a "cartel". Whether the record companies will take much notice of this is yet to be seen, and in any case not all of the reduction would be passed on to the punter in the street since the retailers will want to reintroduce their normal profit margin again, but we live in hope...

MARK KNOPFLER - DOCTOR OF MUSIC

At the beginning of May, Mark was awarded an Honorary Music Degree by Newcastle University, and here's the picture... I still think the headband looks better!

PRESS DONE AND TO BE DONE

Mark did a limited amount of promotion around the release of the "On The Night" album including the following in the UK: "Rock Compact Disc" magazine, Johnny Walker Radio 1, and Robin Ross Independent Local Radio syndication. He also made a brief appearance on "Tomorrow's World" demonstrating a new LED guitar. Overseas, the main interviews were 2Le Soir" (Belgium), "Clarin" (Argentina), "Telerama" (France), and a syndicated interview for Germany, which was for press/radio/TV, including "Audio Magazine", "Fachblatt", "Cosmopolitan", Radio SFB, Radio Bremen, Radio NDR, "Traugott" (Vox TV), "Airplay" and "Showplay" (Premiere TV), and "Bravo TV" (RTL2).

He also stunned us all by agreeing to get up at 4 AM a couple of weeks back to appear on "Rockline" for Global Satellite Network in the USA. This programme goes out live, so the time difference meant he had to be in the UK studio at that unearthly hour for the live linkup (actually I don't think he got up early, I don't think he went to bed at all!).

There are a couple of others still outstanding he may be doing "Globo TV" for Brazil and "60 Minutes" for Australia.

One of the UK papers, The Daily Mail, in conjunction with Radio 1, recently polled readers and listeners for their all-time Top 100 albums. "Brothers In Arms" came 8th, beaten by 1) "Stars" - Simply Red, 2) "Sgt. Pepper" - Beatles, 3) "The Joshua Tree" - U2, 4) "Bat Out Of Hell" - Meatloaf, 5) "Dark Side Of The Moon" - Pink Floyd, 6) "Out Of Time" - REM, and 7) "Thriller" - Michael Jackson. Quite how "Bat Out Of Hell" got in there I don't know I mean, have you LISTENED to it??? As for REM, I thought Spitting Images takeoff of "Shiny Happy People" (which they entitled Whiny Crappy People) summed them up perfectly... Still, that's just my opinion.

"ON THE NIGHT" PROMOTIONAL STUFF

We have here in the office a number of shop-counter cardboard promotional displays, and they are really too bulky for me to send out. Anyone who is going to be in the area and wants to come in and collect one you are welcome to do so. Just telephone first - we will then write your name on the box and it will be reserved for you until you collect it.

OTHER BAND MEMBERS

I'm not putting anything in this newsletter about what they are doing, since I want to get it sent out as soon as possible, and I haven't managed to catch up with them all yet after my holiday. I will do a complete roundup in the next newsletter (end of August). Full details and track listing of Mark's Screenplaying (best of soundtracks) album will also be in the August letter.

'CALLING ELVIS' PUPPETS

Once again these are being included in a "Thunderbirds" exhibition in the UK - this time in Blackpool. If you want to go and see them, here are the details: Thunderbirds and the World of Gerry Anderson Exhibition, Wintergardens, Church Street, Blackpool. Exhibition already open, runs till the end of November. Opening times 10am - 10pm every day. For further information, telephone the Wintergardens on (0253) 25252.

BACKSTAGE SECURITY SIGNS/LIMITED EDITION GUITAR

The "signs" offer proved one of the most popular offers we have ever run, and I'm afraid we are completely sold out now. With regard to the free prize draw we ran for the limited edition guitar prints, a massive 92 percent of all DSIS members sent in for them! ...

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Hope you liked the prints, and sorry to all those of you who didn't get one!

MEMORABILIA AUCTION

 

 

 

 

In March of this year, I sent off cheques to The Terrence Higgins Trust and the Elton John Aids Foundation - for £2,151.75 each. This was the money raised from our spring auction - so thanks to all of you who bid for the various items.

On the left is a copy of the letter I received back from Elton's office, which I thought you might like to read.

 

 

 

 

SOME AMUSING ITEMS FOR YOU

Below you will find a wonderful cartoon sent in by DSIS member Jose Luis from Vigo, Spain. Actually, Jose, it's fairly quiet now, but during the tour - yes, this is what it was like! Thanks!

 

 

 

This little quote appeared in The Times. Since Carl Leighton Pope doesn't promote Dire Straits shows, I don't know why he used Mark as an example, but it gave us a good laugh anyway...

 

And this is part of a letter send in by a DSIS member who successfully bid for an item in the auction (I won't embarrass him by naming him!).

For those of you not familiar with these things, the Aids charity is The TERRENCE Higgins Trust. ALEX Higgins is a snooker player who of brilliant talent, but who has a bit of a problem with the demon alcohol!!! When deciding where to donate the charity money I receive, I'm not sure that Alex would be deemed a particularly worthwhile cause!!!

MARK/AARON NEVILLE/HANK MARVIN/TV DOCUMENTARY

Mark recently played on a track entitled "Don't Fall Apart On Me Tonight" for Aaron Neville's forthcoming album. He is also just about to record a version of the Shadows song "Nivram" with Hank Marvin, with proceeds to go to Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy. This latter session came about through a Granada TV documentary, in which both Mark and Hank are to appear. It is due to be screened on the UK TV in the autumn (and probably other countries later) to celebrate "Forty Years Of The Fender Strat".

DISCOGRAPHY

We've got an updated UK disgraphy here now, so if you want a copy, send a stamped addressed A5 envelope...

BANKNOTES AND IRC'S

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COMPETITION

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OK, that's all for now. Sorry there's so little news, but I think things will be very quiet here until at least the end of the year.

Best wishes for now,

PS. I know several of you met him at various shows in the past, so I'm sure you'll be very sorry to hear that Mark's dad Erwin died a few weeks ago, aged 84.