STYX

After forming a band which would be known a “TW4” a few years prior, neighbors Dennis DeYoung and brothers Chuck and John Panozzo enroll at Chicago State University. Although the band had already performed in, and around, the Chicago area, C.S.U. would become the group’s base. The trio hooks up with another student, John Curulewski, who takes over the helm on guitar.
Guitarists James “JY” Young- who was performing with a rival band in Chicago-joins the quartet. The new line-up begins taking a different direction with more musical experiments, with classical/rock fusions and electronic trickeries.
The band’s demo is heard by the Wooden Nickel label, who would subsequently offer the band a recording contract the following year.

The band is renamed STYX after a mythological river if the dead-a decision made by the band members. STYX I is released. The single, “Best Thing” (written by DeYoung and “JY”), reaches the Top 100 on the charts by the end of the year.
STYX II is released, and although it doesn’t chart immediately, the Dennis DeYoung penned ballad, “Lady”, gets considerable airplay on Chicago radio. The band concentrates on their touring efforts in support of the single’s success, and creates a vast following of fans. The band will release The Serpent Is Rising toward the end of the year.
The Serpent is Rising cracks the Top 200 Albums Chart in February, followed up by Man of Miracles, which reaches even higher position in November. “Lady” would be re-released as a single with national promotion, and the song would be propelled to #6 on the U.S. charts.
STYX II rockets up the charts as a result of the success of “Lady.” It would reach #20, and sell over 500,000 units. In September, after searching for a larger and more supportive label, STYX would sign with powerhouse A&M Records. Two months later, Equinox, featuring the single “Lorelei”-would be the first A&M release, immediately reaching gold status (and eventually going platinum). At the end of the year, guitarist John Curulewski would leave the band. The band’s road manager recommends 23-year-old Tommy Shaw-then guitarist for Chicago based band “MS Funk”-as a replacement. A week after auditioning, Tommy Shaw joined the band.

On July 7th (7/7/77), the band released The Grand Illusion.
In January, A&M Records releases the single “Come Sail Away,” which would enter the Top 10. The parent album, The Grand Illusion, hits #6 as a result of the single’s success, and eventually becomes the first album from STYX to go platinum. The singles, “Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man),” and “Miss America” contribute to the success of the album. Later in the year, the band would follow up with another platinum-selling album (reaching #6) titled, Pieces of Eight, featuring the hit singles, “Blue Collar Man (Long Nights),” “Renegade,” and “Sing for the Day.”
A national Gallup poll would reveal that STYX is the most popular rock band with teenagers (13-19 year olds). By December, the band’s newest album release, Cornerstone, would hit #2 on the U.S. charts, earning the band it’s third consecutive platinum album. The singles, “Babe” (reaching #1 on the charts and becoming their highest-selling single of their career), “Why Me,” and “Borrowed Time” generate mass sales.
Beginning early in the year, STYX would embark on an ambitious 110 date, six-month North American tour. In April, the album Paradise Theatre would be released, soon reaching platinum success (STYX would now have four consecutive platinum albums under their belt), and remaining at #1 on the U.S. charts for three weeks. Two hit singles-“The Best of Times” and “Too Much Time on My Hands”-reach #3 and #9, respectively, on the U.S. charts. The band would become the first in the history of rock ‘n’ roll to have four consecutive triple-platinum albums.
STYX releases concept album, Kilroy Was Here, and will tour in support of it most of the year. A stage act is built around the album, in which costumed band members have roles and dialogue in addition to performing songs. It would become one of the most ambitious rock ‘n’ roll tours ever. The single “Mr. Roboto,” reaches #3, and becomes the second million-selling single in the band’s history (“Babe” being the first). Another single, “Don’t Let It End,” also goes Top 10.
The band releases a double live album titled, Caught in the Act. Although the album is well received by the record buying public, both Dennis DeYoung and Tommy Shaw decide to pursue solo projects (also on A&M records). Subsequently, the band is put on hold. Dennis DeYoung’s Desert Moon and Tommy Shaw’s Girls With Guns both enter top 50.
In December, Tommy Shaw releases What If, which enters the Top 100, and spawns a single, “Ever Since the World Began.”
Dennis DeYoung releases second solo album, Back to the World, and will also contribute a single (not from album), “This Is the Time,” to the movie, “The Karate Kid Part II.” James Young released his first solo effort, City Slicker, a collaboration with Jan Hammer.
Dennis DeYoung releases another solo album, entitled Bloomchild (on MCA)
Tommy Shaw forms a new band, Damn Yankees, with former Night Ranger vocalist/bassist Jack Blades, guitar virtuoso Ted Nugent, and drummer Michael Cartellone. The self-titled debut album will produce two hit singles, “High Enough” and “Coming of Age,” and will eventually sell over 2 million copies on Warner Bros. Records. The band tours extensively with Bad Company, and the album reaches #26. Toward the end of the year, STYX will reunite without Shaw (replaced by Glen Burtnik), and will release the album, Edge of the Century, which begins to garner acclaim.
A single from Edge of the Century titled, “Show Me the Way,” begins chart ascension into the Top 10 during the Gulf War. With the success of the single, STYX joins an elite group of acts who have had Top 10 hits under each of the last four United States Presidents (and Top 10 hits in three different decades).
Damn Yankees release their second effort, Don’t Tread, on Warner Bros. Records. The album, which features the singles “ Don’t Tread” and “Where Are You Goin’ Now?, would eventually reach platinum status. The video for the title track would be aired throughout the 1992 Olympics.
In addition to playing the roll of Pontius Pilate in the national company of Jesus Christ Superstar (to rave reviews), Dennis DeYoung cuts an album of show tunes for Atlantic Records entitled 10 on Broadway.
STYX release Greatest Hits: Volume 1, featuring a re-recorded version of “Lady” with Tommy Shaw (who had not yet joined the band when it was originally recorded). Tommy Shaw and Jack Blades release an album, Hallucination, as Shaw*Blades (Warner Bros. Records). The album would be co-produced by Don Gehman of REM/John Mellencamp fame. James Young forms the James Young Group, with other Chicago musicians and tours in support of their album, Raised by Wolves (Absolute/Whitehouse).
In May, the classic (and most successful) line-up returns with “The Return to the Paradise Theatre” tour, which was seen in over 50 cities. Greatest Hits: Volume II was released in the summer featuring a few new songs. For the first time in thirteen years, Dennis DeYoung, James Young, Tommy Shaw, and Chuck Panozzo were “Rockin’ The Paradise.” Again…
1997: In May, CMC International Records, a division of BMG Entertainment, releases a double album of new studio tracks plus live recording of Greatest Hits from the ’96 tour, appropriately titled, Return to Paradise. Due to popular demand, STYX embarks on a 50-city North American tour in support of the release.
1998: Tommy Shaw releases a solo album in CMC, 7 Deadly Zens and hits the road opening shows for Lynyrd Skynyrd. Dennis DeYoung returns to his theatrical calling as his “Hunchback of Notre Dame” enjoys a successful run in Nashville. The band starts making plans for a new studio album-the classic line-up’s first in 16 years.
1999: The band goes in to the studio in Chicago and Los Angeles to record Brave New World which is released on June 29th. A tour begins in July, which will run through the end of the year.
2000: The band embarks on a 40 city co-headline tour with REO Speedwagon. The tour is so successful that the two bands record and release a double live album and DVD, “Arch Allies – Live at Riverport”. They then extend the tour (to date, Styx and REO have played over 90 shows together, consistently generating hugely successful box office numbers.)
2001: Styxworld Live 2001 is released, containing tracks recorded in Canada, Japan and Germany. The band continues its heavy touring schedule, playing 121 shows, including a 40 city tour with Bad Company that donates over $100,000 to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s Education Fund, marking the first time in history that the Rock Hall attaches its name to a tour.
2002: Styx plays over 90 shows and records a new studio album, set for release in the winter of 2003.
2003: Styx releases Cyclorama on February 18, 2003. The band tours extensively throughout the year in support of the record.
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RAMONES

Ever since their first appearance, the Ramones have been called revolutionary, wild and an authentic sui generis band. Many of the new kids on the scene strive to these qualities, but the Ramones have somehow managed to stay one of a kind and remain a hot topic for over a decade after they disbanded.
The title of being the first punk rock band definitely belongs to the Ramones.

Although bands like the Stooges and the New York Dolls came before them and introduced the new punk aesthetic and bands that immediately followed, such as the Sex Pistols, unveiled the latent violence of the music and made it more explicit, contribution of the Ramones was somewhat different. They managed to crystallize the musical ideals of the genre by dissolving rock & roll down to its bare essentials - four chords, catchy melody endorsed by seductively fatuous lyrics. While relying on the sound rooted deeply in the early ‘60s that belonged to pre-Beatles mixture of rock & roll and pop, the Ramones considerably speeded up the tempo and thus created a revolutionary sound.

Their breakthrough that was both theoretical and musical quickly put them on the map of the emerging New York punk rock scene. Despite their peers such as Patti Smith, Television, Talking Heads, and Richard Hell were more intellectual and self-consciously artistic than the Ramones, it never endangered their position of scene leaders because they appealed to different mentality. They shamelessly turned rock conventions inside out and celebrated bathetic pop culture with stylized stupidity. Their first four albums established a new pattern for American punk and hardcore for the following twenty years.

And for the next two decades the Ramones themselves were major figures, playing basically the same music without significantly changing their style much. There were some punk diehards, including several of their colleagues, that claimed the band's lasting career wound up overthrowing the ideals the band originally stood for. However, the Ramones always celebrated not just the punk aesthetic, but the music itself.

The Ramones’ intriguing story began in the Forest Hills section of Queens, New York back in 1974. The band was originally a trio consisting of Joey Ramone (vocals, drums; born Jeffrey Hyman, May 19, 1951), Johnny Ramone (guitar; born John Cummings, Oct. 8, 1951), and Dee Dee Ramone (bass; born Douglas Colvin, Sept. 18, 1952). Tommy Ramone (born Tom Erdelyi, Jan. 29, 1952) was also there from the start, acting as the group's manager. All of the band members adopted the last name "Ramone" and dressed in torn blue jeans and leather jackets, which was their homage to '50s greaser rockers. Band made their first appearance on March 30, 1974, at New York's Performance Studio. Two months later, Tommy became the band's drummer and Joey switched to vocals. By the end of that summer, the Ramones were residents at CBGB's. For the next year, they had regular shows at the nightclub, which attracted many fans that will later turn to dedicated cult and inspired other artists to form bands with similar ideals. Although their sets lasted no more than approximately 20 minutes, they featured a brutal barrage of short, barely two-minute songs that made them legendary. Their uncompromising style secured them a recording contract with Sire by the end of 1975. Discounting Patti Smith, the Ramones were the first NY punk band to sign a contract.

The debut album simply named "Ramones" was released early in 1976 on a limited budget of 6,000 dollars. Resulting material was released in the spring and apart from gaining some critical attention, it also managed to climb to 111 on the U.S. album charts. On July 4, the Ramones made their debut appearance in Britain, where their popularity was rapidly increasing. Their powerful records made significant influence on a new generation of bands. All throughout 1976, the Ramones toured constantly in search for new followers, inaugurating nearly 20 years of relentless touring. As the year ended, the band released their second album, again with a simplified title "Ramones Leave Home". Even though the album itself just scraped the U.S. charts, it became a genuine hit in England in the spring of 1977, peaking at number 48. By the summer of 1977, the Sex Pistols and the Ramones were seen as the two key bands in the punk rock (r)evolution. The difference was that at one point Pistols imploded and the Ramones kept on rolling. After the great success of hit "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker that climbed to U.K. Top 40, the band released their third album “Rocket to Russia” in the fall of 1977.

Despite leaving the band in the spring of 1977, Tommy Ramone produced the group's subsequent album. Former Voidoid’s Marc Bee took his place and immediately changed his name to Marky Ramone. With the new drummer in place, the Ramones recorded their fourth album “Road to Ruin” and released it in the fall. It marked the band's first attempt to soften their sound by pursuing bubblegum, girl group, surf, and '60s pop influences. Besides, it was the first of their albums to run over half an hour. The sound was more accessible, but it didn't gain the band a noticeably larger following. Same goes to “Rock N' Roll High School”, a film from 1977 directed by Roger Corman in which the Ramones had a pivotal part. It caused a noticeable creative intermission, thus the soundtrack to “Rock N' Roll High School” and the U.K.-only live album “It's Alive” were the band's only releases of 1979. They spent most of the year in the studio recording their fifth album with legendary '60s pop producer Phil Spector. He remixed a number of older Ramones songs and was also responsible for the title song to Corman’s movie, which was the first track released from their joint sessions. The final result of their collaboration saw light in January of 1980 under the name of “End of the Century” and earned assorted reviews. The reception of the album was rather lukewarm, since the record's cover of the Ronettes' "Baby I Love You" became the only Top Ten British hit and in America none of the singles made an impact. However, the record ironically became their biggest hit, peaking at number 44.

Their attempts at crossover success continued with their sixth album called “Pleasant Dreams”, which was released in 1981. Former Hollies and 10cc member Graham Gouldman was responsible for the production, still the record was a commercial disappointment in both America and England. During 1982 the Ramones were relatively quiet, spending most of their time on tour. The band’s alleged great return was planned with the album called “Subterranean Jungle”, which was released in the spring of 1983. This time the production was entrusted to Ritchie Cordell and Glen Koltkin, who were heads of the American indie label Beserkley Records. However, the results were disappointing again. Not only did “Subterranean Jungle” fail to gain the larger audience the band desired, it continued the decline of their diehard fan base, as well as their downfall in the eyes of many rock critics. Not long after the album's release, Marky Ramone left the band and was replaced by Richard Beau, who was a former member of the Velveteens. According to the custom of the band, he changed his name to Richie Ramone.

After the line-up refreshment, the Ramones released “Too Tough to Die” in 1984. It was their belated response to America's sprouting hardcore punk scene that was produced by Tommy Erdelyi to a large extent. Along with restoring their artistic reputation, the album provided a hit single "Bonzo Goes to Bitburg," which was a cynical critic of President Ronald Reagan's 1985 visit to Germany. Although the sound of “Too Tough to Die” was widely accepted, the Ramones introduced a more simplified, stylized and conventional approach to their songwriting formula with their 1986's “Animal Boy”. It set a blueprint that group followed for the remaining ten years of their career. Following the release of 1987's “Halfway to Sanity”, Richie Ramone left the band and Marky Ramone re-joined the group. One year later, the band released “Ramones Mania”, a certain career retrospective. In 1989, the Ramones wrote the theme song for the Stephen King’s movie Pet Semetary. The track was also included on “Brain Drain”, released in the summer of the same year. After its release, the group's bassist Dee Dee Ramone left the band to pursue a career as a rapper called Dee Dee King. His debut rap recording failed miserably however, so he formed the band Chinese Dragons. Dee Dee was replaced by Christopher John Ward who took the name C.J. Ramone.

In the early '90s, the Ramones decided it’s time to sober up, with both Joey and Marky undergoing alcoholism treatment. The band returned to studio in 1992, first releasing the “Loco Live” and then “Mondo Bizarro”, which was their first studio album in three years. The latter turned out to be a commercial failure, as did their 1994 covers album, “Acid Eaters”.

On the other hand, the release of “Acid Eaters” earned them respect of the mainstream guitar rock audience in America who finally embraced punk rock in the form of young bands like Green Day and the Offspring. Since they felt the climate wasn’t quite right for the crossover success they had longed for over decades, the Ramones quickly composed and released “Adios Amigos”, claiming that unless the new album sold in substantial figures, they will disband after a final farewell tour. Although the album spent only two weeks in the charts,the Ramones embarked on a long farewell tour that was set throughout the rest of 1995. Just when they reached the verge of splitting, they got an offer to play at the sixth Lollapalooza. They accepted and toured with the festival that summer. As the tour drew to its end, the Ramones parted ways, two decades after the release of their first album. Only a few years later, Joey Ramone passed away at age 49 on April 15, 2001, as the victim of lymphoma. No longer than a year after Joey's death, Dee Dee Ramone was found dead in his home in Los Angeles on June 5, 2002. A for Johnny Ramone, he passed away two years later on September 15, 2004 after a long battle with cancer.

Source

www.ramones.net
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DIRE STRAITS

June 1977 - Nov 1977. English graduate and former Yorkshire Evening Post journalist, Mark Knopfler, (born Aug. 12, 1949, Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland), a part time teacher and pub rock player and songwriter, having spent two months with northern UK band Brewers Droop, before forming Café Racers, is sharing a flat with fellow group members in Deptford, South London. His cohorts are social worker and guitarist brother, David Knopfler, (born Dec. 27th 1952, Glasgow), and sociology undergraduate and bank manager's son John Illsley (born June 24th 1949, Leicester, England), and they frequently jam and rehearse Mark's own material.

They are joined by Pick Withers, (born April 4th 1948). Under the name of Mark's previous band, Café Racers, the line up debuts at a punk festival, headlined by Squeeze, on waste ground behind Farrar House. A friend of Pick's - seeing their financial plight - suggests the name Dire Straits, which they do for their second gig - supporting Squeeze at the local legendary Albany Theatre.

The band scrapes together ￡120 and records a demo tape at Pathway Studios, North London, Mark and John take the tape round to Charlie Gillett, a DJ with Radio London, and, unknown to the band, Charlie plays the tape on his "Honky Tonk" show. Oct 1977. Phonogram Records' A and R man, John Stainze, one of many impressed by the broadcast demos, tracks down the band, and after strong competition, signs it to Phonogram's Vertigo label for the world, excluding The USA.

Nov 1977. Billed as Dire Straights, the band plays London's Hope and Anchor pub.

Dec 1977. Ed Bicknell, (former drummer in Jess Conrad's band), then an agent at NEMS Agency, hears the band's tape when Stainze enquires about an agency deal for it and, after seeing the group perform at Dingwalls club in London, asks to manage them. An informal agreement is reached, and Ed puts the band on as support on the forthcoming Talking Heads UK tour, where Dire Straits get an encore every night.

1978

Feb 14 1978 - Mar 8 1978. Dire Straits record their first LP at Basing Street Studios in London, with producer Muff Winwood (The project will cost ￡12,500 including artwork to complete).

Mar/Apr 1978. Residency at the Marquee Club, London. Shows sold out to great reviews

May 1978. Dire Straits tour the UK supporting Climax Blues Band, and also make their first visit to Europe where they support Styx (Paris, Hamburg and the Hague). "Sultans Of Swing" is released in the UK. It enters the charts in the lower thirties, and drops out the following week.

June 8 1978. The bands first album is released in the UK, it enters the Top 50, gets to 37 then drops out. The band's first headlining UK tour ends with two sold out shows at the Marquee. Meanwhile, a deal has been concluded for the group's record to be released on Warner Brothers in The USA.

July 1978. The first album is released in Belgium and Holland.

Sept 1978. Mark visits the Muscle Shoals Studios, AL, meeting producer Jerry Wexler and playing on a Mavis Staples' session. A deal is struck with Wexler and Muscle Shoals keyboard player Barry Beckett, for them to produce Dire Straits' second album.

Oct 1978. Album sales increase in Europe, and "Sultans Of Swing" is released as a single there and does well. The band tour Holland, Belgium and W. Germany to sell-out crowds.

Nov 1 - 18 1978. Sell-out British university tour - new material played for the first time.

Nov 1978. The band's debut album, having been released in The USA on Oct 20, is receiving widespread initial airplay reaction.

Nov 27 1978. Band departs for Compass Point Studios, Nassau, Bahamas, to record second album, "Communiqué". Meanwhile a debut US tour is set up for the following
February.

Dec 1978. First album reaches number 1 in Australia, and goes gold in New Zealand. It is also developing into a massive hit in The USA, Canada, Germany, Holland, Belgium and France.


1979

Jan 1 - 10 1979. Mixing of "Communiqué" album at Muscle Shoals, Alabama.

Feb 1979. First album goes to number 1 in France. Goes platinum in Australia and New Zealand, (where it is number 3). "Sultans Of Swing" is at number 4 in Australia. Band decide that "Communiqué" should be released world-wide in June.

Feb 23 - Apr 3 1979. Dire Straits debut US tour. 51 sold out shows in 38 days, over 300 interviews, and dozens of radio studio visits. When the band get to New York, they are told the album has just gone gold, and as they get to Los Angeles, it goes platinum. Bob Dylan sees the band and invites Mark and Pick to play on his next LP. Meanwhile the first album goes to number 2 on the American Billboard Charts (41 weeks), and the single goes to number 5 in Canada.At the same time, things are going well in Europe: "Dire Straits" goes gold in Germany, and takes off in Denmark and Sweden.

April 7 1979. Phonogram UK decide to re-activate "Sultans Of Swing", and it hits UK #8 and US #4.

Apr 21 1979. Boosted by the success of "Sultans Of Swing", the album "Dire Straits" hits UK #5 (The album will eventually be a million seller in both the UK and US, and will spend 132 weeks on the UK survey).

May 1 - 12 1979. Mark and Pick work with Bob Dylan in Muscle Shoals on his forthcoming album "Slow Train Coming"

June 5 1979. Release of "Communiqué".

June 1979. Sold out UK tour. The group are presented with gold albums for "Dire Straits" and for the pre-sales of "Communiqué".
"Communiqué" becomes the first LP EVER to enter the German charts at number 1 in it's first week of release (and the first LP is still at number 3 in that country)

June 30 1979. The album "Communiqué", once again entirely written by Mark and released to coincide with another sell-out UK and European tour hits UK #5.

Aug 4 1979. The album "Communiqué" makes US #11.

Aug 11 1979. The extracted "Lady Writer" peaks at UK #51.

Aug 25 1979. "Lady Writer" makes US #45.

Sept 1979. Second USA tour. "Communiqué" is now a world-wide hit, while in many countries, the first album is still in the top 10. Both albums have now gone gold and platinum in South Africa, the Scandinavian countries, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, the UK, USA and Canada. "Communiqué" enters the New Zealand chart at number 1.

Nov 1979. Sold out tour of Holland, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway. Dire Straits become only the third act ever to sell out the 14,000 seat Scandinavian Hall in Gothenburg.


1980

Apr 1980. Phil Lynott's Album "Solo in Soho", featuring Mark's distinctive fret-work, makes UK #28.

July 25 1980. After a month's recording sessions for the next album with new producer Jimmy Iovine, (He has been engineer/mixer on Bruce Springsteen's "Born To Run" LP and producer on Patti Smith's "Easter" LP). David Knopfler quits the band to pursue a solo career, which will yield the albums "Release" (UK #82, 1983), "Behind The Lines"
(1985), "Cut The Wire" (1987) and "Lips Against The Steel" (1988). New York session man Sid McGinnis replaces him temporarily.

Sep 1980. Following auditions, Hal Lindes (born June 30th 1953, Monterey, CA), ex-darling, and Alan Clark (born Mar. 5th 1952, Durham, England) are recruited on guitar and keyboard respectively.

Oct 17 1980. Release of "Making Movies" and Mark sets off on a short press tour of Europe to promote it.

Oct 20 - Nov 3 1980. Sold out North American tour including appearances by band on TV shows "Fridays" and "Solid Gold".

Dec 1 - Dec 24 1980. Sold out UK tour. Group interrupt tour on December 19 and 20 to do two dates in Dortmund, Germany, with Roxy Music and Talking Heads. The shows are titled "Rock Pop" and are televised throughout Europe in January 1981. One of the largest music show television audiences in history.

Dec 6 1980. Steely Dan's Album "Gaucho", featuring Mark on guest guitar, enters the US chart.

1981

Jan 1981. "Making Movies", with assistant from E Street Band keyboardist Roy Bittan, reaches US #19.

Jan 31 1981. The single "Skateaway" peaks at US #58.

Feb 14 1981. "Making Movies", assisted by the still climbing single "Romeo And Juliet" hits a belated UK chart peak of #4.

Feb 21 1981. "Romeo And Juliet" hits UK #8.

Mar/Apr 1981. Recently returned from a successful appearance at the San Remo Song Festival in Italy, the band embarks on its debut tour of Australia and New Zealand. Five sold out shows in Melbourne, four in Adelaide and seven in Sidney. The concert in Auckland turns out to be the highest-grossing show in the group's history so far…

Apr 11 1981. "Skateaway" makes UK #37.

May/Jun 1981. Tour of Northern Europe. All shows sold out and in Stockholm, band out-draws Wings and even local heroes Abba!

June/July 1981. Tour of Southern Europe, again all sold out. Over a quarter of a million people see the band at the Italian shows alone.

Oct 17 1981. "Tunnel Of Love" single peaks at UK #54.

1982

Feb 1982. Mark is invited by film producer David Puttnam to compose and perform the soundtrack score to Bill Forsyth's "Local Hero" movie. (He is also currently featured on Van Morrison's latest album, "Beautiful Vision".)

Mar 1 1982. The band begins recording it's fourth album. Immediately afterwards, Pick Withers leaves the band.

Apr 1982. Phil Lynott's album, "The Phil Lynott Album", including Mark's lead guitar on the track "Ode To Liberty" (which he also co-produced), is released.

Jul 1982. "Local Hero" soundtrack music is recorded, after Mark visits location shooting in Scotland.

Aug 1982. UK release of "Private Investigations" which goes on to become the band's most successful British single to date.. reached number 2 in the UK charts, behind Survivor's "Eye Of The Tiger", after only two weeks. Even though it was extremely long for a single, most radio DJ's actually played the entire song and didn't even speak over
it…

Sep 24 1982. World-wide release of "Love Over Gold". Band set off on TV and press tour of Europe.. On their return, they audition drummers, and select Terry Williams, ex-Man and Dave Edmunds band Rockpile, to replace Pick.

Oct 1982. Mark suddenly decides he wants to do a rock 'n' roll EP. "Twisting By The Pool" is recorded very quickly in London, and is Terry's first work with the band.

Oct 2 1982. The album "Love Over Gold", featuring the 14 minute opus "Telegraph Road", hits UK #1, where it stays for four weeks.

Nov 2 1982. Mark and Terry record with Phil Everly in London.

Nov 13 1982. "Love Over Gold" reaches US #19.

Nov 30 - Dec 21 1982. 22-date sold out UK tour. Tommy Mandel has joined the band for touring purposes on additional keyboards - Alan hasn't enough fingers to play all the parts! The four Wembley Arena shows are oversubscribed tenfold…..Meanwhile "Love Over Gold" has sold over 2 million copies and has reached number 1 in 16 countries, and number 2 in another four.

1983

Jan 1983. Mark and Alan go to New York to put the finishing touches to the "Local Hero" LP.

Jan 14 1983. "Twisting By The Pool" released world-wide, goes on to reach number 14 in the UK, and charts in several other countries too.

Jan 22 1983. The single "Industrial Disease" peaks at US #75.

Feb 8 1983. Dire Straits wins Best British Group at the second BRIT awards, at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London.

Feb 13 1983. Band go to Australia for the biggest-grossing tour ever undertaken in that territory. "Twisting By The Pool" goes to number 1 in Australia and number 2 in New Zealand.

Mar 12 1983. Mark's solo single, "Going Home", the theme from "Local Hero", debuts at its UK #56 peak.

Mar 26 1983. In Auckland, New Zealand, Dire Straits draw the largest public gathering ever in the history of New Zealand (62,000) and play to a further 36,000 in Wellington.

Apr 1983. Marketed in the US as a mini album, "Twisting By The Pool" makes US #53.

Apr 2 - 5 1983. Debut tour of Japan.

Apr 11 - May 8 1983. Mark in New York, co-producing and performing on Bob Dylan's "Infidels" album. He's assisted by Alan Clark, Mick Taylor (ex-Stones), Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare.

May 1983. Mark's "Local Hero" soundtrack album reaches UK #14.

May 5 1983. "Private Investigations" wins the Outstanding British Lyric category at the 28th annual Novello Awards, at London's Grosvenor House Hotel.

May July 1983. Sold out tour of Europe. During this tour, 12 shows are recorded for a possible live album. ("We decided subsequently to use a later recording made in London" - see July).

July 12 1983. Dire Straits play the first ever open air concert in Yugoslavia, at Zagreb. It is the largest rock concert in that country to date. They all fly back to the UK the next day, and leave immediately for an open air show in Dublin.

July 20 1983. Dire Straits headline a charity show for the Prince of Wales' Trust, at the Dominion Theatre, London, in the presence of Their Royal Highnesses, the Prince and Princess of Wales. Duran Duran are the opening act.

July 22/23 1983. Two special shows at Hammersmith Odeon, London, which are filmed for the forthcoming live LP/cassette/compact disc/video. Probably two of the best live shows the band have done to date. When Mark is mixing the shows for the "Alchemy" release, he decides not to have any overdubs or re-recording done at all, thus "Alchemy" is a truly live album (mistakes and all), unlike most so-called live albums which are heavily re-recorded and edited.

Summer/Autumn 1983. After mixing "Alchemy", Mark and John play on David Knopfler's solo LP "Release". Mark goes on to act as musical director and composer for David Putnam's next film "Cal" starring John Lynch and Helen Mirren, and also Bill Forsyth's next film "Comfort And Joy" starring Bill Patterson. John Illsley goes on to record his first solo album "Never Told A Soul", which includes session from Mark and Terry.

Nov 1983. Mark Marries Lourdes Salomon at Kensington Register Office, London.

1984

Feb 25 1984. Double A side single, "Love Over Gold/Solid Rock" (both live versions), makes UK #50.

Mar 1984. The album "Alchemy - Dire Straits Live" hits UK #3.

Spring 1984. "Alchemy" subsequently goes platinum in the UK, Eire, and Portugal, and double platinum in Australia and New Zealand. It reached number 1 in Greece and New Zealand, and reached the Top Ten in other countries, not bad going for a double live album.

Apr 19 1984. "Going Home" wins the Best Film Theme Or Song category at the 29th annual Ivor Novello Awards, again held at London's Grosvenor House Hotel.

May 1984. "Alchemy" makes US #46.

June 1984. Mark Knopfler produces "The Knife" LP by Aztec Camera. John Illsley releases the solo album "Never Told A Soul" on vertigo.

Autumn 1984. Mark's music for "Comfort And Joy" (his second score for director Bill Forsyth),released on three-track 12" EP, and his music for "Cal" released on LP/cassette/CD to coincide with the release of the film.

Oct 1984. Mark's soundtrack album "Cal" reaches UK #65. The album "Knife", by Aztec Camera and produced by Mark reaches UK #14 and US #175.

Late 1984. Recording commences for "Brothers In Arms", the album is recorded using the band's own digital 24-track machine at Air Studios, Monserrat, West Indies, throughout the winter and is finished at the Power Station Studios, New York. Hal Lindes leaves the band halfway through recording. Mark subsequently plays all guitar parts on
the record.

1985

Mar 23 1985. Tina Turner hits US #7 with the Knopfler-penned "Private Dancer" single (a left over from material written for the album "Love Over Gold").

Apr 1985. Single "So Far Away" released.

Band have replaced Hal Lindes - the new guitarist is Jack Sonni, a friend of Mark's who worked at Rudy's Music Stop, 48th Street, New York. They also add Guy Fletcher (born May 25 1960), formerly with Roxy Music and many sessions, on additional keyboards, and later, Chris White on sax ,late of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra.

New seven piece band rehearse for tour, in Yugoslavia.

The start of the "Live In '85" mega-tour, which went on to visit 23 different countries, 117 cities, and consisted of about 250 shows seen between two and a half and three million people. The tour commenced in Split, Yugoslavia, and ended over a year later in Sydney, Australia. In Australia alone, the group travelled 22,000 miles, and played to 810,000
fans. At various stages along the way, trucks were added or taken off, depending on the venue sizes, and at one point there were 11 trucks of equipment on the road, carrying 52 tonnes of gear. There were nearly 50 people travelling on the road (band, crew, office staff, catering staff, etc).

May 4 1985. The single "So Far Away" reaches UK #20.

May 17 1985.. World-wide release of "Brothers In Arms". Recorded with the Line-up of Mark Knopfler, John Illsley, Alan Clark, Terry Williams and Guy Fletcher, the album ships platinum in the UK (i.e. it is platinum on advance orders before coming out), and the project is the largest-ever ship of compact discs in history. LP enters UK charts at Number 1 on May 25, and holds the top slot for three weeks. Two tracks from the album eventually get used in episodes of "Miami Vice". "Brothers In Arms" is used in the
episode entitled "Out Where The Buses Don't Run", and "Ride Across The River" is used in "Knock Knock...Who's There".


June 15 1985. Bryan Ferry's Album "Boys And Girls" , featuring session fret-work by Mark hits UK #1.

June 27 1985. Dire Straits is awarded the 1985 Silver Clef for Outstanding Services to British Music by the Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Centre.

Summer 1985. "Brothers In Arms" is at number 1 in Canada, USA, Brazil, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Eire, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, Turkey, Yugoslavia, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Israel, and South Africa. It is in the top ten in every country it was released in, and
is also selling well in countries, which have no charts (e.g. Bolivia, Colombia, Uruguay, Singapore, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, and most African countries).
July 1985. On UK section of tour, band sell out an unprecedented 13 nights at Wembley Arena (and could probably have done another 13 judging by ticket applications). On July 4th, one of the hottest days of the year, Prince Charles and Princess Diana attend the show. A week later, band appear at Live Aid on July 13th at Wembley Stadium in the afternoon
(another scorching hot day) and also play the Arena in the evening. Live Aid goes out live to over 80% of the total number of television sets in existence throughout the world. Over a billion people watched it - making it the biggest rock and TV event in history.

Alan Clark leaves the band, and Guy Fletcher joins on keyboards, for the tour.

Immediately after the last show at Wembley, band leave for tour of Canada and The USA, the Shows sell out one after the other, dates are added, and the band hardly get a day off.

Aug 10 1985. The single "Money For Nothing", featuring co-writer Sting on lead-in vocals (the immortal "I want my MTV") and taken from the album "Brothers In Arms" hits UK #4.

Aug 31 1985. The album "Brothers In Arms" begins a nine-week tenure at US #1. It will top charts in 25 countries and eventually sell over 20 million albums world-wide.

Sept 21 1985. Aided by an innovative animated Steve Barron-directed promo video which gets heavy MTV and other US TV exposure, the single "Money For Nothing" tops the charts for the first of three weeks, the band's biggest US hit, and its first million-selling single.

Oct 1985. Last US show October 13th. Band fly direct to Europe for tour till November 30th.

Dec 1985. Band fly home to UK and immediately start second leg of UK tour, starting with 21 shows back-to-back, including 7 nights at Hammersmith Odeon, which they play in preference to the larger Wembley Arena for the sake of the fans. A few days break over Christmas, then Scottish shows over the New Year.

The title track, "Brothers In Arms" is released as a single, and reaches UK #16. (It is notable as the first ever commercially issued CD-single in the UK, a limited pressing of 400 copies).

1986

Jan 1986. Band leaves for Sydney to start rehearsals.

Jan 25 1986. The single "Walk Of Life" hits US #7.

Feb 1986 "Walk Of Life" hits UK #2.

Feb 10 1986. Dire Straits is named Best British Group, for the second time, at the fifth annual BRIT awards, at London's Grosvenor House Hotel.

Feb 25 1986. They win the Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group with vocal category for "Money For Nothing", while the album "Brothers In Arms" is named Best Engineered Recording (Non Classical) and Mark snares the Best Country Instrumental Performance category with one of his original guitar heroes, Chet Atkins, for the song "Cosmic Square Dance" from the album "Stay Tuned", at the 28th annual Grammy Awards.

Feb - Apr 1986. Tour of Australia and New Zealand. Includes a 13-night stint in Melbourne and 21 night at the Sydney Entertainment Centre. The final show of the tour is April 26th, and is screened live on TV throughout Australia and New Zealand.
Apr 26 1986. Single "So Far Away" reaches US #19.

May 1986. The single "Your Latest Trick" reaches UK #26.

Mark, his acoustic guitar-maker Steve Phillips and Brendan Croker play at the Grove, a small folk club in Leeds, England, as a prelude to a more formal forthcoming collaboration.

Mid 1986. By now "Brothers In Arms" has gone 6 times platinum in the UK, 10 times platinum in Canada, 5 times platinum in the USA, 10 times platinum in Australia and a staggering 15 times platinum in New Zealand. It held the number 1 slot in Australia longer than any other LP, and has now become the best-selling compact disc ever to be released in the world.

June 1986. Mark races in the Mille Miglia car race in Italy, then produces two tracks for Tina Turner's "break every Rule" album ("Overnight Sensation" which he wrote himself, and "Paradise Is Here" by Paul Brady).

June 20 1986.Mark and John appear at Wembley Arena for a special Prince's Trust 10th Anniversary concert, attended by Prince Charles and Princess Diana. They play as part of a "super-group" also features Elton John, Mark King, Tina Turner, Eric Clapton, Rod Stewart, Paul McCartney, Phil Collins and a host of others. Later screened on TV in the UK and subsequently in many other countries throughout the world.

Summer 1986. Mark records a short piece of music for inclusion in the Martin Scorsese film "Color Of Money" (starring Tom Cruise and Paul Newman) and also records the music for a television documentary on Prince Charles and Princess Diana, titled "In Private In Public", shown on ITN in the UK and subsequently all over the world..

Sep 15 1986. "Money For Nothing" wins the Best Video and Best Group Video categories at the third annual MTV Video Music Awards, broadcast simultaneously from the Universal Amphitheatre, Universal City, CA, and The Palladium, New York. (The song lyric "I want my MTV" has become the cable station's catch-phrase).

Oct 24 1986. The group's sound engineer, Peter Grange, is killed in a road accident in Gloucestershire, England.

Oct 25 1986. In a celebrity car race before the Australian Grand Prix, Mark breaks his collarbone in an accident.

1987

Jan 1987. Mark guests at one of Eric Clapton's annual concert marathons at London's Royal Albert Hall.

Feb 9 1987. "Brothers In Arms" is named Best British Album at the sixth annual BRIT Awards, held at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London.

Feb 24 1987. "Dire Straits Brothers In Arms" wins the Best Music Video, Long Form category at the 29th annual Grammy Awards.

March - May 1987. Mark joins a host of artists (Including Paul McCartney, Boy George and Mark King) to record a version of "Let It Be" to raise money for the families of the Zeebrugge ferry disaster victims - the single reached number 1 and stayed at the top of the charts for three weeks.

Mark joins Chet Atkins to do a short set at the Secret Policeman's Ball at the London Palladium, with all proceeds going to Amnesty International and subsequently flies to Nashville at the beginning of May to appear in a TV special "Tribute to Chet Atkins".

June 1987. John releases a single under the name "K. Wallis B and the Dark Shades of Night".

Aug 1 1987. "Money For Nothing" is the first music video broadcast on MTV Europe.

Sep 1987. Mark wins three Ascap Awards for "So Far Away", Money For Nothing" and "Walk of Life".

Nov 1987. Benefiting from the advent of compact disc, The album "Brothers In Arms" sells its three-millionth copy in the UK, becoming Britain's all-time best-selling album, and its second biggest selling recording of any kind. (Only the Band Aid's single "Do They Know Its Christmas" has a higher UK sales total.)

Nov 9 1987. Mark's wife Lourdes gives birth to twin boys - Benji and Joseph, who will inspire their daddy's composition, "I Love You Too Much", (which is subsequently recorded by Jeff Healey).

Nov 9 1987. "The Princess Bride" film soundtrack album is released.

1988

Feb 1988. Willy De Ville's album "Miracles", produced by Mark, is released by Polydor.

Apr 1988. Mark works with Bob Dylan on Dylan's album "Down In The Groove".

Spring/Summer 1988. Mark works on Randy Newman's new album scheduled for a September 1988 release.

May 1988. John's second solo album entitled "Glass" is released on Vertigo.

June 5/6 1988. Mark and Alan perform with Eric Clapton's band at the Prince's Trust shows at London's Royal Albert Hall.

June 8/9 1988. Dire Straits perform two warm up shows (Fan Club only) at Hammersmith Odeon.

June 11 1988. The group Headline the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday concert at London's Wembley Arena appearing with Simple Minds, Whitney Houston, Sting and others. Televised world-wide, with Eric Clapton guesting as second guitarist, the show helps the album "Brothers In Arms" back into the Top 20 after 162 weeks on the chart.

July 1988. Mark guests on Joan Armatrading's album "The Shouting Stage".

Sep/Oct 1988. Mark and Alan Join Eric Clapton for his US tour.

Sep 15 1988. After much speculation, Mark announces the official end of Dire Straits.

Oct 17 1988. The group release "Money For Nothing" Simultaneously on album, cassette and compact disc. Spanning 10 years of the groups career. It includes live versions of "Twisting By The Pool" and "Telegraph Road", goes straight to the top, on week of release. A multi-platinum success in the UK, in the US it peaks at #62, although the track listing is criticised.

Nov 5 1988. The extracted re-issue, "Sultans Of Swing", peaks at UK #62.

1989

Mar 1989. Dire Straits are featured on the Greenpeace supporting album "Rainbow Warriors", initially launched in Russia. (US country act Highway 101 hits US Country #2 with the single "Setting Me Up", originally written by Mark for Waylon Jennings in 1984, while the Judds' album "River Of Time", featuring their version of Mark's "Water Of Love", with the artist on guest guitar, is released the following month.)

Apr 1989. Mark and John (as Dire Straits) are honoured with the Outstanding Contribution To British Music at the 34th annual Ivor Novello Awards lunch, at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London.

Sep 11 1989. Jim Henson's "The Ghost Of Faffner Hall", on which Mark is one of many guests, airs on HBO-TV.

1990

Mar 17 1990. The Notting Hillbillies' album "Missing - Presumed Having A Good Time" debuts at UK #2. Mark has formed the band in a deliberate attempt to return to a more low-key performing act, with old friends Steve Phillips, Brendan Croker, (who teamed with Steve Phillips in 1976 in Nev and Norris), and Guy Fletcher, with whom Mark has been producing Croker and Phillips at his Notting Hill, London, Home Studio. Ed Bicknell, Dire Straits manager, is appointed drummer

Apr 2 1990. They embark on a UK tour, taking in 41 gigs in 43 days around Britain through April and May.

Apr 19 1990. Mark appears alongside David Gilmour, Mark King, Lemmy and Gary Moore, as witnesses in a comedy drama courthouse sketch on BBC-TV's "French and Saunders", and they end the sketch jamming together.

Apr 21 1990. The album "Missing - Presumed Having A Good Time" makes US #52.

May 19 1990. A modest venue Notting Hillbillies UK tour ends. They then appear on NBC-TV's "Saturday Night Live" with the line-up augmented by Nashville based Paul Franklin on pedal steel and Marcus Cliff (of Croker's Five O'clock Shadows) on bass.

June 30 1990. Mark joins Phil Collins and Genesis, Pink Floyd, Robert Plant, Paul McCartney, Cliff Richard and The Shadows, Status Quo, Elton John, Eric Clapton and Tears For Fears, all previously Silver Clef winners, on a star-studded bill at Knebworth Park, Knebworth, Herts, England, in aid of the Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Centre.

Jul 1 1990. Mark and John, and the bands manager, Ed Bicknell, decide, over lunch at the Halcyon Hotel, Holland Park, to reconvene Dire Straits to record their sixth studio album and plan a parallel world tour.

Nov 24 1990. "Neck And Neck", a Mark Knopfler and Chet Atkins guitar-laden duet album, debuts at its UK #41 peak.

Dec 1 1990. "Neck And Neck" peaks at US #127. (During the year, Mark has also released his soundtrack score to "Last Exit To Brooklyn").

1991

Feb 1991. While recording for a New Dire Straits album project at London's Air Studios, Mark contributes a guitar solo to "Voices That Care", a David Foster and Linda Thompson Jenner-composed and organised charity record to benefit the American Red Cross Gulf Crisis Fund.

Feb 20 1991. Mark and Chet Atkins win the Best Country Vocal Collaboration category for "Poor Boy Blues" and Best Country Instrumental Performance for "So Soft, Your Goodbye" at the 33rd annual Grammy Awards, at New York's Radio City Music Hall.

Aug 23 1991. The first date of a two year, 300-gig world tour begins in Dublin, with the line-up comprising Mark Knopfler, John Illsley, Guy Fletcher, Alan Clarke, Phil Palmer (guitar), Chris White (sax), Paul Franklin (pedal steel), Chris Whitten (drums) and Danny Cummings (percussion). They will play to 7.1 million paying fans.

Aug 31 1991. The single "Calling Elvis" debuts at its UK #21 peak.

Sep 21 1991. Dire Straits' first new album in over six years, "On Every Street" enters at UK #1. Engineers for the album were Bill Schnee and Chuck Ainley, with production credited to Mark Knopfler and Dire Straits, and mixed by Neil Dorfsman. Bob Clearmountain mixes one track "Heavy Fuel"

Oct 5 1991. The album "On Every Street" reaches US #12.

Oct 29 1991. The band plays five sell-out shows at the Sydney Entertainment Centre, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, grossing AUS $2,078,830 from a combined audience of 45,573.

Nov 2 1991. The single "Heavy Fuel" bows out at it's UK #55 peak.

1992

Feb26 1992. The group plays to a sell-out crowd of 16,000 at New York's Madison Square Garden, during the North American Leg of its tour.

Feb 29 1992. The single "On Every Street" debuts at its UK #42 peak.

June 3 - 8 1992. Dire Straits performs at London's Earls Court, during a UK trek which includes stadium dates at Cardiff Arms Park, Gateshead Athletic Stadium, Maine Road Manchester and Woburm Abbey.

June 27 1992. The single "The Bug" charts for a week at UK # 67.

June 30 1992. German leg of the tour opens at the Schleyerhalle, Stuttgart.

Sep 29 1992. "Dire Straits Live : Rendezvous With The Sultans Of Swing" pay-per-view broadcast airs from Arenes De N?mes, Provence, France.

Oct 6 - 7 1992. Their world tour now reaches the Plaza De Toros De Las Ventas in Madrid, Spain.

1993

May 8 1993. Mark receives an honorary music doctorate from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England.

May 22 1993. The EP "Encores" and album "On The Night", a 76 minute live album recorded at Les Arenes, N?mes, and the Feyenoord Stadium, Rotterdam, Netherlands, debut at their respective UK #31 and #4 peaks.

June 5 1993. The album "On The Night" makes US #116.

1994

Sep 1994. A tribute album to Arthur Alexander, "Adios Amigo", including Mark's pairing with Chuck Jackson on the track "You Better Move On" is released in the US.

Oct 14 1994. Mark's "The Bug" is honoured at the 14th ASCAP dinner at London's Park Lane Hotel.

1995

July 8 1995. The album "Live At The BBC", released by Windsong Records, featuring six tracks from the group's debut album, and "What's The Matter Baby" recorded at the Paris Theatre in July 1978 and "Tunnel Of Love" from a 1981 edition of The "Old Grey Whistle Test", peaks at UK #71.

1996

Jan 2 1996. A tribute album "Notfadeaway: Remembering Buddy Holly", including Mark's version of "Learning The Game" with Waylon Jennings, is released in the US.

Mar 16 1996. Mark's single "Darling Pretty" reaches UK #33 in its week of entry. It is a taster for his solo album "Golden Heart", released on Vertigo on the 25th. Recorded over the past two years in Dublin, Eire and Nashville, TN, it includes guest appearances by former Dire Straits Colleague Guy Fletcher, Vince Gill, Paul Brady and the Chieftains'.

May 25 1996. The single "Cannibals" hits UK #42.

Jun 15 1996. Four albums re-enter the UK chart after being digitally re-mastered. "Brothers In Arms" re-enters the UK album chart at #19, "Love Over Gold" at #68, (now 199 weeks on the chart), "Dire Straits" at #69 (131 weeks), and "Making Movies" at #70 (250 weeks).

Dec 21 1996. The single "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" by Dunblane featuring Mark Knopfler, debuts at UK #1.
1997

Sep 1997 Mark was one of the artists who performed for Sir George Martin's "Music For Montserrat Concert" at the Royal Albert Hall, London.
1998

April/May 1998. Mark's debut solo UK tour backed by a five-piece band.

Apr 6 1998. The album "Golden Heart" enters at its UK #9 peak.

Sep 26 1998. The album "Brothers In Arms" clocks up it's 222nd week on the UK album chart, already certified 13 times platinum in the UK, that's 3.9 million copies.

Oct 31 1998. The greatest hits album "Sultans Of Swing" debuts at its UK #6 peak.

1998. Mark also releases soundtracks for "Metroland" and "Wag The Dog".Mark's third wife, Kitty Aldridge, gives birth to daughter Isabella.

2000

April 2000. The greatest hits compilation "Sultans Of Swing" is released on DVD.

Mark's soundtrack album to the film "Road To Glory" is due for release in September, 2000.
September 22. Mark appears on the Michael Parkinson Show at 21:30 on UK's BBC1. He plays his new Solo single "What It Is" and talks briefly of his childhood and his inspirations

September 23. UK's "Music Week" reports. Mark Knopfler's first solo project in four years is also already winning friends at radio and retail, including in Italy where his
single "What It Is" has just entered the sales chart at number seven and in Spain where it debuted at four. Knopfler recently performed the track on the very first
Italian Top Of The Pops in Rome and will be further embarking over the next few months on a number of key TV appearances across Europe. These will include
Germany's Geld Oder Liebe and Harold Schmidt Show and Italy's Quelli Che 11 Calcio. On September 27 he will also appear on David Letterman in the US, where
he is handled by Warner. He will visit Argentina, Brazil and Mexico in November, and South Africa and Australasia next February after which he is contemplating
going out on tour.

October 7 "Sailing To Philadelphia" enters the UK album charts at #4.
2001

December 2001 Virgin Radio UK, issues a Top 500 compiled from listeners votes, and
Dire Straits are listed at:-
66…Romeo And Juliet
83…Money For Nothing
103…Sultans Of Swing
457…Walk Of Life
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DEEP PURPLE

It all started in 1968 when Chris Curtis, an ex-Searcher, formed a group withDave Curtiss (no relation, note different spelling) on bass, Bobby Woodman-Clarke on drums and brought in ex-Artwoods organist Jon Lord (born 9 June 1941, Leicester, England) and ex-Johnny Kidd andThe Pirates bassist, Nick Simper (born 3 November 1946, Southall, Middlesex).Nick had survived the car crash that had killed Johnny Kidd in 1966. GuitaristRitchie Blackmore (born 14 April 1945, Weston-super-Mare, England) joined inrehearsals for this new act initially dubbed Roundabout. Curtis dropped outwithin days, and when Dave and Bobby also proved incompatible, two members ofMaze, Rod Evans (born 19 January 1945, Edinburgh, Scotland; vocals) and IanPaice (born 29 June 1948, Nottinghamshire; drums), replaced them.

Having adopted the Deep Purple name (apparently inspired by Ritchie'sgrandmother's favorite song) following a brief Scandinavian tour in April 1968(where they played as Roundabout, "in case they flopped"), the quintetbegan recording their debut album, which they patterned on USA group VanillaFudge. "Shades of Deep Purple" thus included dramatic rearrangementsof well-known songs, including a faithful cover of Hendrix's version of"Hey Joe" and the Joe South-penned, Billy Joe Royal hit"Hush", the latter hitting US #4 in 1968 but not troubling the UKchart-compilers one bit.
Lengthy tours ensued as the group, all but ignored at home, steadfastly courtedthe burgeoning American concert circuit. "The Book Of Taliesyn" and"Deep Purple" albums also featured several excellent reworkings,notably "Kentucky Woman" (Neil Diamond) and "River Deep MountainHigh" (Ike And Tina Turner). The lengthy intro section to "RiverDeep" was a dramatic work-out of the theme from the then recently releasedStanley Kubrick sci-fi classic film "2001: A Space Odyssey". Thispiece was based on Richard Strauss' "Thus Spake Zarathustra" and JonLord's classical leanings would soon culminate in a self-composed full-lengthwork performed at the Royal Albert Hall in September 1969.

The band also drew acclaim for their original material and the dramaticinterplay between Lord and Blackmore. In concert these guitar/organ duels couldgo on for over 20 minutes!

In July 1969 both Evans and Simper were axed from the line-up, which was thenbuoyed by the arrival of Ian Gillan (born 19 August 1945, Hounslow, Middlesex,England; vocals) and Roger Glover (born 30 November 1945, Brecon, Wales; bass)from the pop group Episode Six. Acknowledged by aficionados as the"classic" Deep Purple line-up (forever onwards known as Mark II), thereshaped quintet made its album debut on the grandiose "Concerto For GroupAnd Orchestra", scored by Lord and recorded with the Royal PhilharmonicOrchestra conducted by Malcolm Arnold (later sir Malcolm).

Its hard rock successor, "In Rock", established the group as aleading heavy metal attraction and introduced such enduring favorites as"Speed King" and "Child In Time." Gillan's powerfulsilver-throated vocals brought a third dimension to their sound and thisnew-found popularity in the UK was enhanced when the single, "BlackNight" reached number 2. "Strange Kind Of Woman" followed itinto the Top 10 (reaching #8 in Feb 1971), while "Fireball" and "Machine Head" both toppedthe album charts. The latter included the riff-laden "Smoke On TheWater", based on a real incident involving Frank Zappa and The Mothersand an infamous Montreaux concert.

Although the platinum-selling "Made In Japan" captured their liveprowess in full flight, relations within the band grew increasingly strained,and "Who Do We Think We Are!" would be the end of this highlysuccessful line-up. The departures of Gillan and Glover robbed DeepPurple of an expressive frontman and imaginative arranger, although DavidCoverdale (born 22 September 1949, Saltburn-by-the-Sea, Lancashire, England;vocals) and Glenn Hughes (born 21 August 1952, Penkridge, Staffordshire;ex-Trapeze, bass & vocals) brought a new impetus to the act."Burn" and "Stormbringer" both reached the Top 10, butBlackmore grew increasingly dissatisfied with the group's direction and in May1975 left to form Rainbow. US guitarist Tommy Bolin (born 18 April 1951, SiouxCity, Idaho), formerly of the James Gang and who had impressed Coverdale withhis playing on Billy Cobham's "Spectrum", joined Deep Purple for"Come Taste The Band", but his jazz/soul style was incompatible withthe group's heavy metal sound, and a now-tiring act folded in 1976 following afarewell UK tour.

Bolin died of a heroin overdose within months of Purple's demise. Judiciousarchives and 'best of' releases kept the group in the public eye, as did thehigh profile enjoyed by its several ex-members. Successful off-shoot bandsinclude Whitesnake, Rainbow and Gillan. Pressure for a reunion bore fruit in1984 when Gillan, Lord, Blackmore, Glover and Paice (the original Mark II)completed "Perfect Strangers". A whole new generation of fansdiscovered Deep Purple through this release and subsequent US, Japaneseand European tour. A second album, "The House Of Blue Light",followed, but recurring animosity between Gillan and Blackmore resulted in thesinger's departure following the disappointing live album "Nobody'sPerfect" which included a 1988 rehearsal re-working of their first hit"Hush".

Joe Lynn Turner, one of Blackmore's many Rainbow vocalists, joined and gave theband more of an AOR (Adult-Orientated Rock) direction. After a disappointingSlaves & Masters album released in 1990 (though Fire In The Basement isclassic 70s Purple), better sense prevailed. Gillan was re-admitted for histhird stint, uncomfortably sharing stage and studio with Blackmore. The line-upremained stable while the band recorded "The Battle Rages On" albumreleased in 1993, but Blackmore jumped ship once more during the tour thatfollowed. The tour was completed courtesy of US guitar whizzkid Joe Satriani.Contractual obligations however, meant his tenure could only be short-term andPurple hurriedly enlisted Steve Morse (ex-Kansas, Dixie Dregs, The Steve MorseBand, et al) (born 28 July 1954, Hamilton, Ohio) as his replacement to recordPurpendicular released early in 1996.

Setting off on tour again, they took a fresh look at their 70s repertoire; tourhighlights were captured on the "Live at the Olympia" CD (1997) with forgottenfavorites jostling for position against new material from the "Purpendicular"set. Suddenly they felt they could have fun again, and the concerts wereenlivened by dropping old faves like "Lazy" and "SpaceTruckin'" in favour of new material and songs from the back catalogue thathad seldom if ever been played (such as "Bloodsucker", "No OneCame" and "Rat Bat Blue").

1998's "Abandon" album had all the classic rock attitude, nasty guitars, poundingdrums and driving bass to scratch that R.O.C.K. itch. The album included abrilliant reworking of "In Rock"'s "Bloodsucker" (retitled"Bludsucker") and the Floydish-style "Watching The Sky"amongst other driving rock tracks.

In 1999 Deep Purple had a very successful tour of Australia and Europe.

Jon Lord retired in 2002 and was replaced by journeyman keyboardist Don Airey. This new line-up, which left Ian Paice as the only original member, released the stunning "Bananas" album in August 2003. Both a return-to-form and a look to the future, the "Bananas" album was well-accepted by the rock community at large.

The Legend marches on...

Beginners' Guide:
Newcomers to Deep Purple with a big budget should start with the 1999 "Shades(1968-1998)" 4CD box set released by Rhino Records. Praised by criticsand fans alike as an excellent retrospective of this great band, with all theirclassic tracks as well as enough rarities to keep collectors happy.
Those of you on a tighter budget would do well to start with "Made In Japan",the 1973 live album recorded on tour in Japan in August 1972. Arguably one ofthe all-time greatest live albums ever.

In 1999 EMI released "30: The Very Best Of Deep Purple" compilation CD which isas good a retrospective on 1 CD that one can hope to find ("Child In Time" isedited though... horror!). It is also available as a double CD with more tracksand longer versions of a number of their classic singles.
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BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN

Μία από τις μεγαλύτερες προσωπικότητες της rock, ο Bruce Springsteen ποτέ δε σταμάτησε να αφουγκράζεται τους προβληματισμούς και να “πιάνει” τον σφυγμό της αμερικανικής κοινωνίας. Τραγούδησε τις αγωνίες της αμερικανικής εργατικής τάξης στο ξεκίνημα της καριέρας του στη δεκαετία του ’70, εξέφρασε τους προβληματισμούς του για τα αδιέξοδα κατά την περίοδο της διακυβέρνησης του Ronald Reagan στις αρχές της δεκαετίας του ’80, στήριξε τον Barack Obama στα τέλη του 2008.

Ως μουσικός, πήρε το… χρίσμα του “σωτήρα της rock” από εκείνους που στο πρόσωπό του έβλεπαν ένα φαινόμενο που συνδύαζε το μπρίο του rock του ’50 με τη στοχαστικότητα του ’60, στην εποχή του ’70. Η ώθηση που του έδωσε ο δίσκος “Born to Run” (1975) τον βοήθησε να γεμίζει μεγάλα στάδια στις συναυλίες του και σχεδόν μια δεκαετία αργότερα, το “Born in the USA” (1984) τον ανέδειξε σε σταρ πρώτου μεγέθους. Με την ωριμότητα ενός δοκιμασμένου δημιουργού, ο “The Boss” (το προσωνύμιο λέγεται ότι απέκτησε επειδή ήταν υπεύθυνος για τη συλλογή των χρημάτων στις συναυλίες στα πολύ πρώιμα βήματα της καριέρας του με αυτούς που αργότερα σχημάτισαν την E Street Band) δεν παύει να αυξάνει τους πιστούς οπαδούς του σε κάθε δισκογραφικό βήμα του.
Γιος ενός οδηγού λεωφορείου και μιας γραμματέως, ο Ιρλανδοϊταλικής καταγωγής Bruce Springsteen γεννήθηκε στις 23 Απριλίου του 1949 και μεγάλωσε στο Freehold του New Jersey.
Σε ηλικία 13 ετών ξεκίνησε να παίζει κιθάρα σε διάφορα τοπικά γκρουπ, με έμφαση στο garage rock. Τα πρώτα του βήματα στη δισκογραφία έγιναν όταν στις αρχές του 1972 υπέγραψε συμβόλαιο με την Columbia. Περίπου έναν χρόνο αργότερα,τον Ιανουάριο του 1973, κυκλοφόρησε το “Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ” , μέρος όπου σύχναζε σαν έφηβος. Το άλμπουμ πούλησε μόλις 25.000 αντίτυπα, με ορισμένες κριτικές να αποτολμούν να κάνουν λόγο για έναν “νέο Dylan”, ίσως λόγω των “πυκνογραμμένων“ στίχων και του μάλλον “ακουστικού” συνολικά αποτελέσματος στην πρώτη προσπάθεια του Springsteen. Παρόμοια τύχη είχε και ο δεύτερος δίσκος του, “The Wild, The Innocent and the E Street Shuffle” (Σεπτέμβριος 1973). Από τότε μέχρι σήμερα, και τα δύο άλμπουμ έχουν γίνει πλατινένια.
Στη συνέχεια, ο Springsteen αποφάσισε να δώσει βάρος στη σκηνική του παρουσία και την περίφημη E Street Band, που με μικροαλλαγές στη σύνθεση, περιόδευσε τις ΗΠΑ αποτελούμενη από τον σαξοφωνίστα Clarence Clemons, τον κιθαρίστα “Miami” Steve Van Zandt, τον κιμπορντίστα Danny Federici, τον πιανίστα Roy Bittan, τον μπασίστα Garry Tallent και τον ντράμερ Max Weinberg. Οι προσεγμένοι φωτισμοί και ο ήχος, οι καλοδουλεμένες, αυτοσχέδιες ιστορίες που χρησιμοποιούσε σαν εισαγωγή στα τραγούδια του με τη βοήθεια των μελών της μπάντας και η γενικότερη δραματοποιημένη παρουσίαση των κομματιών, συνετέλεσαν στον σχηματισμό ενός ρεύματος ένθερμων υποστηρικτών. Εντυπωσιασμένος έπειτα από ένα τέτοιο live την άνοιξη του 1974 στη Μασσαχουσέτη, ο κριτικός Jon Landau έγραψε στη Real Paper:

“Είδα το μέλλον του ροκ εν ρολ και το όνομά του είναι Bruce Springsteen”.
Τη φράση χρησιμοποίησε η Columbia για να προωθήσει το νέο φαινόμενο, που –ευτυχώς για εκείνη- ανήκε στο δυναμικό της. Οι διθυραμβικές κριτικές άρχισαν να διαδέχονται η μία την άλλη, προετοιμάζοντας το έδαφος για το πρώτο βήμα προς την ευρύτερη αναγνωρισιμότητα. Το “Born to Run” , τον Αύγουστο του 1975,έφτασε στο Νο 3 του Billboard και μπήκε στο βρετανικό Top 10, ενώ το ομώνυμο τραγούδι ανέβηκε στο Νο 23 του Billboard και μπήκε στο αγγλικό Τop 40. Το “δύσκολο τρίτο άλμπουμ” ήταν η πρώτη φωτεινή στιγμή για τον Springsteen και την E Street Band, που σύντομα ξεκίνησαν περιοδεία στην Αμερική, εν μέσω ταυτόχρονων εξωφύλλων σε μεγάλα περιοδικά, όπως το Time και το Newsweek.
Δικαστικές διαμάχες με τον πρώην μάνατζέρ του, Mike Appel, κράτησαν τον Springsteen εκτός στούντιο για τα επόμενα δύο χρόνια.
Το διάστημα αποδείχθηκε κρίσιμο, καθώς με την επανεμφάνισή του με το “Darkness On The Edge Of Town”,Ιούνιος 1978, “νέο αίμα” στο μουσικό στερέωμα αποτελούσαν η punk και το new wave, με αποτέλεσμα το είδος που εκπροσωπούσε εκείνος να έχει περάσει σε δεύτερο πλάνο. Το άλμπουμ αυτό αντικατόπτριζε τη δύσκολη, συναισθηματικά, περίοδο από την οποία έβγαινε, ενώ παράλληλα, τραγουδούσε για τα προβλήματα της εργατικής τάξης και τις ελπίδες που κάνουν τους συμπατριώτες του να συνεχίζουν, σε κομμάτια όπως το ομώνυμο ,ε το άλμπουμ, και στα “Promised Land”, “Badlands”, “Adam Raised a Caine”. Ο δίσκος γνώρισε σχετική επιτυχία, χωρίς να κατορθώσει να φθάσει εκείνη του “Born to Run”.
Με το “Born in the USA” τον Ιούνιο του 1984, ο Springsteen εκτοξεύτηκε στo No 1. Όποιος δεν τον ήξερε μέχρι τότε, τον έμαθε. Επτά σινγκλ –“Dancing in the Dark” (No 2, 1984. Κέρδισε Grammy, ενώ το βιντεοκλίπ έχει σκηνοθετήσει ο Brian De Palma), “Cover Me” (No 7, 1984), “Born in the USA” (No 9, 1984), “I’m on Fire” (No 6, 1985), “Glory Days” (No 5, 1985), “I’m Goin’ Down” (No 9, 1985) και “My Hometown” (No 6, 1985)- κράτησαν το άλμπουμ στο αμερικανικό Top 10 και εκείνον σε παγκόσμια περιοδεία για περισσότερο από δύο χρόνια.
Παρά το γεγονός ότι ο ίδιος εξερευνούσε τη σκοτεινή πλευρά του “αμερικανικού ονείρου” σε ένα άλμπουμ με εξώφυλλο την αμερικανική σημαία, πολλοί φαν, σε συνδυασμό με τον ξεσηκωτικό ρυθμό του ομώνυμου κομματιού, προέβαλλαν σε αυτό τα πατριωτικά τους συναισθήματα, αν και το τραγούδι μιλά για τα αδιέξοδα ενός βετεράνου του πολέμου στο Βιετνάμ. Η προσπάθεια του Ρέιγκαν να αντιστρέψει τη σημειολογία του μηνύματος “Born in the USA” χρησιμοποιώντας το στην προεκλογική του εκστρατεία το 1984, συνάντησε… τοίχο, αφού ο Springsteen αντέδρασε, παρουσιάζοντας στις συναυλίες του το έργο εργατικών, περιβαλλοντικών και κοινωνικών ακτιβιστών. Παράλληλα, το 1985, συμμετείχε στην κίνηση USA for Africa και το κομμάτι “We Are the World”.
Ακολούθησε το πιο εσωστρεφές “Tunnel of Love”,τον Οκτώβριο του 1987, που περιλαμβάνει μερικά από τα πιο προσωπικά κομμάτια του Springsteen, συμπεριλαμβανομένων των “Tunnel of Love” (No 9, 1987, κέρδισε βραβείο Grammy), “Brilliant Disguise” (No 5, 1987), “One Step Up” (No 13, 1988).
Εκείνη την περίοδο διέλυσε δύο σχέσεις: αφενός χώρισε από την πρώτη σύζυγό του, το μοντέλο και ηθοποιό Julianne Phillips και παντρεύτηκε την τραγουδίστρια Patti Scialfa που είχε γίνει μέλος της E Street Band, με την οποία και έχουν τρία παιδιά, τον Evan James, τη Jessica Rae και τον Sam Ryan. Αφετέρου, έπειτα από δεκαπέντε χρόνια, διέλυσε την E Street Band τον Νοέμβριο του 1989. Κατόπιν, μεσολάβησε μια πενταετία έως ότου παρουσιάσει νέα δισκογραφική δουλειά.
Τον Μάρτιο του 1992 κυκλοφόρησε ταυτοχρόνως τα άλμπουμ “Human Touch” (No 2, 1992) και “Lucky Town” (No 3, 1992), τα οποία, ωστόσο, δεν έγιναν πλατινένια. Επίσης, ηχογράφησε ένα MTV Unplugged (1993) που κυκλοφόρησε στην Ευρώπη. Ήταν η χρονιά του “Streets of Philadelphia”, που ηχογράφησε για το ομώνυμο φιλμ του Jonathan Demme, στο οποίο ο Tom Hanks κέρδισε Όσκαρ για τον ρόλο ενός ομοφυλόφιλου δικηγόρου που απολύεται από την εταιρεία όπου δούλευε μόλις μαθεύεται ότι πάσχει από AIDS. Όσκαρ Καλύτερου Τραγουδιού κέρδισε και το κομμάτι, (Νο 9, 1994), που σάρωσε τα βραβεία Grammy.
Τον Φεβρουάριο του 1995 κυκλοφόρησε τα Greatest Hits που ανέβηκαν κατευθείαν στο Νο 1 και ξαναμάζεψε την E Street Band για μερικές νέες ηχογραφήσεις. Ακολούθησε το “The Ghost of Tom Joad”, τον Νοέμβριο του 1995, που αναφέρεται στον ήρωα του βιβλίου του John Steinbeck, “Τα σταφύλια της οργής”. Τραγούδι για τον Tom Joad είχε γράψει και ο σπουδαίος στις ΗΠΑ folk τραγουδιστής, Woody Guthrie (14/7/1912 – 3/10/1967), επιρροές από τον οποίο έχει ο Springsteen, όπως και ο Bob Dylan. Το άλμπουμ, που μιλά για τα προβλήματα κοινωνικών και ταξικών διακρίσεων στην Αμερική των τελών του 20ού αιώνα, κέρδισε Grammy Καλύτερου Σύγχρονου Φολκ Δίσκου. Κατόπιν, ο Springsteen ξεκίνησε σόλο περιοδεία και τον Νοέμβριο του 1998 μπήκε στο Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame.
Το 1999 ξανασυνάντησε την E Street Band για μια περιοδεία που διήρκεσε έως τα μέσα του 2000 και τον Ιούλιο του 2002 κυκλοφόρησαν το “The Rising”. Ο επόμενος δίσκος ήταν το “Devils and Dust” (2005) που έκανε είσοδο κατευθείαν στο αμερικανικό Νο 1 και το 2006 κυκλοφόρησε το “We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions”, φόρο τιμής στον Pete Seeger (3/5/1919), έτερο μεγάλο όνομα της αμερικανικής folk.
Ακολούθησε το “Live In Dublin” ,το 2007, με ηχογραφήσεις από τις συναυλίες που έδωσε για το Seeger Sessions και το φθινόπωρο του 2007 κυκλοφόρησε το “Magic” με την Ε Street Band. Ξεκίνησαν νέα περιοδεία, στη διάρκεια της οποίας ο κιμπορντίστας Danny Federici πέθανε από καρκίνο. Στην οικογένεια της E Street Band, ωστόσο, τη θέση του πήρε ο γιος του, Jason. Η περιοδεία ολοκληρώθηκε στα τέλη του 2008, όταν ο Springsteen ξεκίνησε να δίνει συναυλίες υποστηρίζοντας τον υποψήφιο με τους Δημοκρατικούς γερουσιαστή Barack Obama, και παρουσιάζοντας τον Νοέμβριο του 2008 μέρος του υλικού από το νέο άλμπουμ του, “Working on a Dream”. Ο δίσκος κυκλοφόρησε στις 27 Ιανουαρίου του 2009.
Αυτό τ’οποίο θα καθορίσει τη θέση του Springsteen στην ιστορία του Rock’n’Roll, όταν ξεχαστούν οι συναυλίες στα μεγάλα στάδια,θα είναι τα τραγούδια τα οποία έγραψε κι ένας δίσκος σταθμός,στον κατάλογο της δισκογραφίας του,θα είναι το Nebraska.
Σ’αυτό το δίσκο είναι βαθειά συναισθηματικός,σε σχέση με τις ρίζες του,πιό παραδοσιακός και πιό μυστηριώδης.Τα σημάδια είχαν φανεί απ’το The River,που μπορεί να χαρακτηριστεί ο προπομπός του Nebraska.
Κομμάτια όπως το Stolen Car ή το Wreck on the Highway και το Independence Day,έδειξαν τον Springsteen,μέσα από Folk και Hillbilly δρόμους,να κοιτάζει μέσα του, επιρρεασμένος απ’τον Hank Williams τον Jimmy Rodgers και τον Woody Guthrie.
Η απλότητα του Nebraska και η διάθεση του Springsteen ν’αποκαλύψει τόσα γιά τον εαυτό του,έκανε θαύματα.Τα τραγούδια ακούγονται «αληθινά» και ο ίδιος δείχνει πως μπορεί να «μιλήσει» στο κοινό του,χωρίς τη βοήθεια της ορχήστρας.

Όπως είπε και ο Johnny Cash :

«Είναι ωραίο να βλέπεις κάποιον σα τον Bruce να παίρνει μιά ακουστική κιθάρα και να δείχνει αυτό που έχει στο κοινό του».
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AEROSMITH

Οι Aerosmith είναι ένα αμερικάνικο συγκρότημα της hard rock μουσικής σκηνής, το οποίο δημιουργήθηκε το 1970 από τον τραγουδιστή Steven Tyler και τον κιθαρίστα Joe Perry. Το εν λόγω δίδυμο πλαισιώθηκε από τον μπασίστα Tom Hamilton, τον κιθαρίστα Brad Whitford και τον ντράμερ Joey Kramer. Το 1972 υπέγραψαν συμβόλαιο με την εταιρεία Columbia records και το επόμενο έτος κυκλοφόρησε ο πρώτος τους δίσκος με τίτλο Aerosmith. Ο επόμενος τους δίσκος, Get Your Wings παρέμεινε για 86 εβδομάδες στον κατάλογο των δίσκων με τις περισσότερες πωλήσεις (charts) των Ηνωμένων Πολιτειών.

Ένας από τους πιο επιτυχημένους δίσκους τους, το Toys in the Attic, κυκλοφόρησε το 1975 (#11 στις Η.Π.Α.) και έγινε ακόμη πιο επιτυχημένος μετά την επανακυκλοφορία του τραγουδιού Dream On το οποίο ανέβηκε στα 10 πρώτα του καταλόγου των σινγκλ (7"). Το 1976 ηχογράφησαν τον δίσκο Rocks (#3) που έγινε πλατινένιος, το 1977 το Draw the Line, το 1978 το ζωντανά ηχογραφημένο Live Bootleg και το 1979 το Night in the Ruts, μετά την κυκλοφορία του οποίου ο Joe Perry και ο Brad Whitford αποχώρησαν από το συγκρότημα.
Οι Aerosmith τους αντικατέστησαν με τους Jimmy Crespo και Rick Dufay. Μέσα στο έτος 1980 κυκλοφόρησαν τη συλλογή Greatest Hits, δίσκος ο οποίος θα πουλήσει 6 εκατομμύρια αντίτυπα μέχρι τις μέρες μας. Το 1982, οι Aerosmith κυκλοφόρησαν το Rock in a Hard Place και το 1985 το Done with Mirrors ενώ ένα χρόνο νωρίτερα είχαν επιστρέψει οι Joe Perry και Brad Whitford. Με το δίσκο Permanent Vacation του 1987 ξανακέρδισαν τη χαμένη δημοτικότητα τους και έκαναν μεγάλη επιτυχία με τους δίσκους Pump του 1989, Get A Grip του 1993 και Nine Lives του 1997.

Το 1998 συμμετείχαν στο soundtrack της ταινίας Armaggeddon με το τραγούδι I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing που έφτασε στο #1 του αμερικανικού καταλόγου επιτυχιών. Επίσης, κυκλοφόρησαν το δίσκο Just Push Play το 2001 και το Honkin' on Bobo το 2004.

Μέχρι και το 2010, οι Aerosmith έχουν πουλήσει περισσότερα από 150 εκατομμύρια αντίτυπα, έχουν 25 χρυσούς, πλατινένιους ή πολυπλατινένιους δίσκους και 4 βραβεία Grammy, ενώ από το 2001 είναι μέλη του Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame.
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Gary Moore

Ο Moore γεννήθηκε στο Μπέλφαστ της Βόρειας Ιρλανδίας, στις 4 Απριλίου 1952. Ξεκίνησε τη μουσική του καριέρα πολύ μικρός – αγόρασε την πρώτη του, χιλιοταλαιπωρημένη ακουστική κιθάρα στην ηλικία των οκτώ και μια λίγο καλύτερη στα δέκα τέσσερα. Εμαθε να παίζει με το δεξί, αντιγράφοντας άλλους κιθαρίστας, ενώ ήταν, στην πραγματικότητα, αριστερόχειρας! Όπως και τόσοι άλλοι, μυήθηκε στο rock’n’roll αρχικά ακούγοντας τον Elvis Presley και μετά τους Beatles.

Βλέποντας από κοντά τον Jimmy Hendrix και τους Bluesbreakers του John Mayall να παίζουν στη μικρή του πόλη, στα μέσα του ’60, γνώρισε τον πλούσιο κόσμο της blues. Η τέχνη της κιθάρας, μέσα στα πλαίσια της blues, όπως την άκουσε από τον μαγικό Peter Green, έδωσε τροφή στο εκκολαπτόμενο ταλέντο του Moore και, σύντομα, τον ανέδειξε σ’ ένα παιδί – θαύμα της μουσικής.

Ο Peter Green, μάλιστα, ο κιθαρίστας των Fleetwood Mac, βοήθησε σημαντικά στο χτίσιμο της καριέρας του Moore – το χρέος αποδόθηκε και με το παραπάνω, όταν ο Gary κυκλοφόρησε, το 1995, το άλμπουμ «Blues for Greeny», αποτελούμενο αποκλειστικά από συνθέσεις του Green, έναν από καρδιάς φόρο τιμής στον μέντορά του. Στην ηχογράφηση ο Moore χρησιμοποίησε τη διάσημη κιθάρα Les Paul του Green, την οποία και αγόρασε αργότερα ώστε, όπως είπε ο Green, «ν’ αποκτήσει ένα καλύτερο σπίτι…».

Το πρώτο αξιομνημόνευτο συγκρότημα του Moore, οι Skid Row, εξασφάλισαν ένα συμβόλαιο με τη δισκογραφική του CBS το 1970. Ο Gary είχε, ήδη, εγκατασταθεί στο Δουβλίνο και είχε γίνει φίλος με τον Philip Lynott, που αποτελούσε και τη φωνή των Skid Row μέχρι πριν την υπογραφή του συμβολαίου. Ο Gary ηχογράφησε τρία άλμπουμ με το συγκρότημα κι έκανε περιοδεία στην Αμερική, ανοίγοντας για τους Allman Brothers και τους Mountain, μεταξύ άλλων, προτού αποχωρήσει από τους Skid Row για να κάνει σόλο καριέρα. Αυτό δεν κράτησε πολύ, μια και ο Gary γρήγορα ξανασυνδέθηκε με τον Philip Lynott, ως αντικαταστάτης του Eric Bell στους Thin Lizzy. Αν κι έμεινε στο συγκρότημα για σχετικά μικρό διάστημα, επέστρεψε και πάλι στο line-up τους μετά την αποχώρηση του Brian Robertson το 1977 και ξανά, για τελευταία φορά, το 1978, για την περιοδεία «Black Rose».

Η σόλο καριέρα του Gary ξεκίνησε ουσιαστικά το 1979, με το υποβλητικό κι εξαιρετικά επιτυχημένο single «Parisienne Walkways», που συνδύαζε τη μελωδική blues κιθάρα του Gary με τη μελαγχολική φωνή του Philip Lynott. Το single μπήκε στο βρετανικό Top 10 τον Απρίλιο της ίδιας χρονιάς και το άλμπουμ που ακολούθησε, με τίτλο «Back on the Streets» έγινε επίσης δεκτό με ενθουσιασμό.

Στα τέλη της δεκαετίας του ’70 και στις αρχές του ’80 ο Moore έμοιαζε να ψάχνει ανήσυχα για το ιδανικό μουσικό ύφος που θα πλαισίωνε το ταλέντο του. Μια επανασύνδεση με τον Philip Lynott το 1985, είχε ως καρπό το δυνατό single «Out in the Fields». Επειτα ο Gary εξερεύνησε τις κέλτικες ρίζες του με το άλμπουμ «Wild Frontier» (1987), αλλά στην πραγματικότητα έφτασε στο απόγειο της δημιουργικότητάς του το 1990, με το άλμπουμ «Still Got the Blues», το οποίο γνώρισε τεράστια κριτική κι εμπορική επιτυχία. Τόσο σε αυτό, όσο και στο επόμενο άλμπουμ του, «After Hours», συμμετείχαν θρύλοι της blues –και όχι μόνο- μουσικής, όπως οι Albert King, B.B. King, Albert Collins και George Harrison, κι είναι απόδειξη του τεράστιου ταλέντου του Gary ότι στάθηκε επάξια δίπλα σ’ αυτές τις ιστορικές φιγούρες.

Εκείνη την περίοδο, άλλωστε, ο Moore συνεργάστηκε με τους Traveling Wilburys, παίζοντας το χαρακτηριστικό κιθαριστικό σόλο στο τραγούδι «She’s My Baby», στο άλμπουμ «Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3». Ο Moore θυμάται πώς προέκυψε αυτή η συνεργασία: «Ενα βράδυ πήγα στο σπίτι του George Harrison όπου συνάντησα τον Bob Dylan. Θυμάμαι πως είχε απαλά χέρια καθώς και μια διατροφολόγο να ταξιδεύει μαζί του, ήταν πολύ ντροπαλός και με το ζόρι είπε δύο κουβέντες. Λίγες μέρες αργότερα ο George μου είπε, ‘θέλει να ξέρει ο Bob αν θα είσαι με το συγκρότημά του στην επόμενη περιοδεία του’. Δεν το πίστευα, είχα ακούσει όλες αυτές τις ιστορίες για τον Bob, ότι στις συναυλίες δεν έπαιζε αυτά που είχαν κάνει πρόβα και αυτοσχεδίαζε στη σκηνή. Χάρηκα που μου το ζήτησε γιατί ήμουν σίγουρα θαυμαστής του».

Το 1994 ο Moore συνεργάστηκε με τους Ginger Baker και Jack Bruce στο συγκρότημα BBM, με τους οποίους κυκλοφόρησε κι ένα εξαιρετικό άλμπουμ, πριν συνεχίσει με τη σόλο καριέρα του.

Με το άλμπουμ «Back to the Blues» (2001), ο Moore επέστρεψε, πραγματικά, στα νερά της blues με ανανεωμένη πίστη και δύναμη, μετά τα πιο πειραματικά άλμπουμ «Dark Days in Paradise» (1997) και «A Different Beat» (1999). Μια συλλογή δέκα τραγουδιών που συνδυάζει υπέροχα πρωτότυπα τραγούδια του Moore με τολμηρές διασκευές κλασικών κομματιών.

Ωστόσο, έχοντας συνηθίσει τους θαυμαστές του και τους κριτικούς σε εκπλήξεις, το 2002 ο Gary Moore «επιτέθηκε» στη μουσική σκηνή με την πιο απαιτητική συλλογή τραγουδιών του από την εποχή του ’80, αναγκάζοντας, για άλλη μια φορά, το κοινό να επανεκτιμήσει όποια γνώμη ή προδιάθεση μπορεί να είχε σχηματίσει για το πρόσωπό του. Αυτή τη φορά, ο Moore είχε αποφασίσει να μοιραστεί τα φώτα των προβολέων, ενώνοντας τις δυνάμεις του με τον μπασίστα των Skunk Anansie, Cass Lewis, και τον ντράμερ των Primal Scream, Darrin Mooney, σχηματίζοντας τους Scars, ένα εκρηκτικό τρίο. Το άλμπουμ «Scars» ολοκληρώθηκε στις αρχές του 2002 και στη συνέχεια το συγκρότημα κυκλοφόρησε σε CD και DVD το «Live at the Monsters of Rock» (2003), το οποίο περιλάμβανε το σετ της μπάντας από δύο συναυλίες της περιοδείας της Μεγάλης Βρετανίας τον Μάιο 2003. Αυτή η ζωντανή ηχογράφηση διατρέχει μια μεγάλη γκάμα όλων των μουσικών τάσεων και της πορείας του Moore.

Το 2004 κυκλοφόρησε το «Power of the Blues», μάλλον το πιο «ακατέργαστο» άλμπουμ του Moore. Τα δέκα τραγούδια, που ηχογραφήθηκαν ως επί το πλείστον ζωντανά στο στούντιο, κινούνται από το σκληρό rock/blues του ομότιτλου κομματιού, μέσω του ρυθμικού «Can’t Find my Baby», ως το στοιχειωτικό «Torn Inside».

Τον Αύγουστο του 2005, ο Moore ξανασυναντήθηκε με τους παλιούς του φίλους, τους Thin Lizzy, για μία και μοναδική συναυλία στο Δουβλίνο. Η βραδιά μαγνητοσκοπήθηκε και κυκλοφόρησε το 2006 σε DVD, με τον τίτλο «Gary Moore and Friends, One Night in Dublin, A Tribute to Phil Lynott».
Το 2006, ο Moore μπήκε ξανά στο στούντιο και ηχογράφησε το «Old New Ballads Blues», το οποίο φιλοξενούσε μια σειρά από γεμάτες έμπνευση διασκευές τραγουδιών blues, μαζί με εκπληκτικά καινούρια κομμάτια.

Με το τελευταίο του άλμπουμ, «Close as you Get», ο Gary συνεχίζει προς μια παρόμοια κατεύθυνση. Αναμειγνύει πρωτότυπες μελωδίες με ενδιαφέρουσες διασκευές που ανακάλυψε διερευνώντας το υλικό για την πρόσφατη ραδιοφωνική εκπομπή του, με τον τίτλο «Blues Power», στον βρετανικό διαδικτυακό ραδιοσταθμό Planet Rock. Το «Close as you Get» αναδεικνύει το μοναδικό ταλέντο του Moore ως κιθαρίστα και κερδίζει μια θέση στις πιο αναγνωρισμένες κυκλοφορίες του 2007.
Το 2008, ο Gary περιοδεύει στον κόσμο, παρουσιάζοντας το «Close as you Get». Δίνει συναυλίες σε πολλές ευρωπαϊκές πρωτεύουσες και συμμετέχει σε μουσικά φεστιβάλ στη Γερμανία, τη Ρωσία και τις χώρες της Βαλτικής, την Ελβετία, τη Σουηδία, την Ισπανία και τη Μεγάλη Βρετανία.
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DELERIUM

There's an old adage that says, "Music soothes the savage beast." If that is indeed true, then music is needed now more than ever in these crazy times. Enter Delerium. Bill Leeb, who helped bring integrity and depth to the pop charts a few years ago with the hit 'Silence,' is back with the moving, eloquent 'Chimera'.
"It gives you a cool vibe, and you walk away feeling better," Leeb says of the new album.
"I want it to be a bit of a journey, not just one style. It's more of a record of a mystical journey that provokes your moods inside and your thoughts about your day and about life; things that aren't driven by trends or time."

Chimera succeeds in achieving all of Leeb's goals. From the opening one-two punch of the world-tinged 'Love,' which features vocals by newcomer Zoe Johnston, and the first single, the cerebral pop of 'After All,' through the haunting 'Serenity' and the soothing 'Magic,' a track highlighted by the sultry crooning of singer Julee Cruise, 'Chimera' finds Delerium returning to the form of 1997's breakthrough album, 'Karma'.

'Chimera' marks a reunion of Leeb and Rhys Fuller after a brief separation following 'Karma'. As a result Leeb recorded 2000's 'Poem' on his own, while Fulber established a successful venture with the critically acclaimed Conjure One project.

Leeb says that the Canadian pair, which has been working together since starting seminal industrial act Frontline Assembly in the mid '80s, each learned lessons during the time they worked on their own. Ultimately though their reunion came down to both of them learning to appreciate what they had already accomplished with Delerium. "At the end of the day, when you look at it, maybe Delerium wasn't such a bad thing and there was room for all of it," Leeb says. "And just having time apart, people growing, life changes everybody. It's not like we ever had a fallout; we got to a certain level and he felt it was time to move on."

Leeb wants everyone to know that the two voices behind Delerium's biggest successes have reunited, and made, what he proudly calls, the best album they've ever done. Of 'Chimera', Leeb says, "There are tracks, like the chill-out, jazzier kind of numbers, that are a bit more of a departure from Delerium. We've sort of interwoven those with a world sound, and we've never done that on any record before," he says. "It gives you more to listen to than a one-dimensional world record; there are a lot of different elements. This is a more musically accomplished record."

Leeb is the architect behind 'Chimera's' sonically uplifting and diverse soundscape, but, as has always been the case with Delerium, he had plenty of help in bringing his vision to fruition.

Chimera features a wide array of vocalists, ranging from the aforementioned Cruise and familiar Delerium collaborator Leigh Nash (of Sixpence None the Richer), who appears on 'Run For It,' to Rachel Fuller on 'Touched' and Kristy Thirsk on the album's epic finale, 'Returning.'

One might expect that after more than a decade as Delerium, and collaborations with the likes of Sarah McLachlan and Matthew Sweet, Leeb would have the art of picking vocalists down to a science. While Leeb says it's always a tricky endeavor, he knows now what he is looking for in singers.

"The thing I like the most is it a true collaboration. We send them a song and we don't ever say, 'We're looking for this type of style.' We give them a song, then we get it back, and it's really the most fun, because it's never what you expect. So then it is a real true collaboration," he says.

That approach, of which he says, "I don't know if anybody else does things the way we do. I think we've always done things a little out of the ordinary," is how 'Magic' came to be. "Julee Cruise sent back her idea, and we were like, 'Oh, this is really cool.''

As for doing things out of the ordinary, that's just the way Leeb approaches his music. "I've always felt more like an outsider," he says "Rhys and I have never had a major label kind of deal; we've never had a manager; we've never played that game." he adds. But Delerium certainly isn't coming out unnoticed after the success of 'Silence.' Five years after the song became an international smash, topping the dance charts in the U.S., Britain, and more, Leeb is still modestly amazed by the song's popularity. "There was no rhyme or reason why that one went so big, it just did. There wasn't even a video for it when that happened," he recalls.

He also can tell you though when he knew the song had truly arrived. "To me, the highlight of the whole thing was, on New Year's Eve on the Judge Jules show on BBC and Radio One in London, which was the most listened to show, and they broadcast it worldwide on the Internet, they played 'Silence' as the song to bring in the new year. That kind of said it all. Rhys and I were listening to that at midnight with our jaws hanging down. We couldn't believe that was the song England would bring the New Year in with."

"I thought Kristy's track came out great and it was nice to have her back on board because she kind of helped launch Delerium," Leeb says. "Our first sort of official hit was 'Flowers Become Screens' and 'Incantation.' And she actually sang on both of those, so Kristy coming back that was another thing that was a returning a bit too."

When it comes down to it, that's what 'Chimera' is really about, believes Leeb. "The two guys who invented Delerium and put out pretty classy records together have reunited after doing their own things for a while and have put together what I think is, in some ways, the best record we've ever done," he says. And it couldn't have come at a better time.
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U2

Οι U2 είναι ροκ μουσικό συγκρότημα από το Δουβλίνο, της Ιρλανδίας. Το συγκρότημα αποτελούν οι Bono (φωνητικά και κιθάρα), The Edge (κιθάρα, πλήκτρα και φωνητικά), Άνταμ Κλέιτον (μπάσο) και Λάρρυ Μιούλεν Τζούνιορ (ντραμς και κρουστά).
Το συγκρότημα δημιουργήθηκε το 1976 οταν τα μέλη του ήταν έφηβοι με περιορισμένη μουσική κατάρτιση. Στα μέσα της δεκαετίας του 1980 το συγκρότημα έγινε παγκόσμια γνωστό, ξεχωρίζοντας για τον ήχο τους, την παθιασμένη φωνή του Bono και την υψηλή ποιότητα του ήχου της κιθάρας του Edge.

Η επιτυχία των συναυλιών τους ήταν μεγαλύτερη από την αντίστοιχη εμπορική, μέχρι το άλμπουμ που κυκλοφόρησαν το 1987, «The Joshua Tree», που εκτίναξε τη φήμη του συγκροτήματος «από ήρωες σε superstars» σύμφωνα με το μουσικό περιοδικό Rolling Stone. Οι U2 εναρμονίστηκαν επιτυχώς με την επανάσταση της εναλλακτικής ροκ επαναπροσδιορίζοντας την εικόνα τους με το άλμπουμ του 1991 «Achtung Baby» και την περιοδεία που το ακολούθησε με τίτλο «Zoo TV Tour». Παρόμοιοι πειραματισμοί συνεχίστηκαν καθ' όλη τη διάρκεια της δεκαετίας του 1990. Από το 2000 κι έπειτα, ακολούθησαν έναν περισσότερο συμβατικό ήχο που συγκρατεί στοιχεία από τις προγενέστερες δουλειές τους.
Οι U2 έχουν πουλήσει διεθνώς περισσότερα από 140 εκατομμύρια albums και έχουν κερδίσει 22 Βραβεία Γκράμι, περισσότερα από οποιαδήποτε άλλο συγκρότημα. Το 2005, η μπάντα εισήλθε στο «Rock and Roll Hall of Fame». Το Rolling Stone τους τοποθέτησε στο #22 της λίστας των 100 μεγαλύτερων καλλιτεχνών όλων των εποχών. Κατά τη διάρκεια της καριέρας τους, σε ομαδικό και προσωπικό επίπεδο, πρωτοστάτησαν στον αγώνα υπέρ των ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων και για σκοπούς κοινωνικού δικαίου, όπως στο πλευρό της Διεθνούς Αμνηστίας, της Καμπάνιας του Ο.Η.Ε., και της καμπάνιας του Bono με τίτλο «DATA» (Debt, AIDS, Trade in Africa).
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PLACEBO

Οι Placebo ιδρύθηκαν από τους Brian Molko (φωνή και κιθάρα) και Stefan Olsdal (μπάσο) όταν αυτοί γνωρίστηκαν τυχαία το 1994. Αν και αρχικά είχαν το όνομα Ashtray Heart, το συγκρότημα σύντομα κατέληξε στο όνομα Placebo. Αρχικά ο ντράμερ του σχήματος ήταν ο Robert Schultzberg, αλλά αργότερα ο Steve Hewitt πήρε τη θέση του το 1997. Ο τελευταίος ανακοίνωσε , τον Οκτώβριο του 2007, την αποχώρηση του από το συγκρότημα λόγω προσωπικών και μουσικών διαφορών. Οι μεγάλες επιτυχίες τους στην Βρετανία ήταν τα singles "Pure Morning" και "Nancy Boy" φτάνοντας και τα δύο στο top ten. Αργότερα, οι Placebo απέκτησαν μεγάλη φήμη στην Ευρώπη ειδικά με το album Sleeping With Ghosts το 2003, που ήταν μία πιο περιπετειώδης απόπειρα με πειραματισμούς επηρεασμένους από τη χορευτική μουσική και λιγότερο «κλασικό» ήχο κιθάρας, αν και κράτησαν το καθιερωμένο τους ύφος για πολλά τραγούδια, όπως για παράδειγμα το "The Bitter End". Δείτε περισσότερα... See more...