5. BOOTLEGS

Q: What is the "Brothers In Conversation"-bootleg?

A: In fact it's an interview-bootleg. It contains NO music. Sleeve is similar to the Brothers In Arms sleeve. It costs as much as a regular CD.

Q: I've found a Straits-record, called "The Ballads". It looks like an official release.

A: In fact, this is a "counterfeit", illegal collection from official records. It has the Vertigo-logo on it, but Dire Straits, nor Polygram have nothing to do with it, so it's NOT an official release.

Q: Was the bootleg "Around South America" really recorded in South America?

A: The bootleg "Around South America" was not recorded in South America. This has been taken from the BBC 'Live In 85' TV show, partially recorded at London's Wembley Arena 10.07.85, during the Brothers In Arms tour. Some tracks from the official Alchemy album have been mixed in: ‘Solid Rock,’ ‘Expresso Love’ and ‘Romeo and Juliet.’

There are at least ten different CDs with the same show. Possibly the best one sound-wise is the now unavailable "Walk Of Life," which was an Australian 'protection-gap'-CD. This was also released as "Perfect Investigations."

"Around South America" is also available with a different cover, on the New Keruac Line label (NKL 1017).

For more information about Dire Straits bootlegs, take a look at Neck and Neck, the Mark Knopfler Homepage.

Q: What is the Swan Hunter and why is it called that?

A: The Swan Hunter is a shipyard in Newcastle. In 1993 the Notting Hillbillies (with Alan Clark on keyboards, instead of Guy) took part in a charity gig for the Swan Hunter shipyard. The bootleg, which is available now (check Neck and Neck for details), sounds perfect, because it is a soundboard recording.

Q: What is Mark Knopfler's attitude towards audience recordings and bootlegs?

A: Mark Knopfler and Damage Management allowed audience recordings during the recent 1996 Golden Heart tour. Not only that, but Damage Management bothered to specifically instruct the venue to allow people to bring recording equipment in, when venue administration wanted to prohibit it. This makes Mark Knopfler and Damage Management very audience-recording friendly.

It also looks like Mark's personal attitude towards the recordings of illegal origin (bootlegs) is more or less "welcoming." On the Notting Hillbillies’ charity concert, knowing that there was recording equipment in the audience during one of the songs, he said to the audience something like: "Sing with me if you want to make it on the bootleg."

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