I like how John Beaudin just gives so much time to David Knopfler to speak and let him elaborate what he wants to say. I mean, so many interviewers keep you tight and don't really listen to you but rather do control you. John Beaudin ask an open question and then - listens. I like that way.

"When you wanted to meet a friend you went down the road and hoped they were there" - so true!

There was friction between David and Mark. I’ve read in many articles that Mark didn’t treat David very well while he was in the band. Mark would say David wasn’t good enough. That’s the one things that always bothered me about Mark. David seems so down to earth and not full of himself. I’m glad he’s doing well.

Dave is pure class

I really admire David. Authentic and grounded. Love his father. Thanks for letting David talk.

Dire straits are my favourite band!!

I honesty think their early stuff was their best.

David's story of how he played Mark's Strat copy behind his back, so bittersweet. One brother destined to live in the shadow of the other. But he broke out of that and created a musical career for himself. Shame that they are still estranged.

Guys, I have always followed Dire Straits, I love their music from the first album to the last, just as I continue to follow Mark, David, Dire Straits Legacy, Expierience and everything related to them and over time I have formed my own idea about Dire Straits. Knopfler brothers. Mark was the undisputed great talent and I love his style and everything he produced and I will always thank him for that. behind the undisputed talent there is a man, with his character which does not necessarily have to be perfect, with his insecurities, who was young, had pressure, and who perhaps at the time was not even very serene, so it could be that at certain times it wasn't easy to work with him... and this perhaps especially concerns his brother David because I don't think working together as a family has ever been easy... Let alone for public figures. David took another path and it was absolutely his right to do so. But I think the problem with their relationship wasn't so much the fact that David left, but something that happened later regarding royalties, a dispute between Straits' former manager and David...according to which the latter he claimed that his royalty money was essentially being withheld unfairly and according to David, Mark basically didn't take his defense. I don't know if this is true, but whatever happened now, years have passed, both are of an age and have children who perhaps don't know each other and I hope with all my heart that even if I never have to see them play together again (which instead, I would really like a reunion of the two brothers) I hope one day they can put aside all the misunderstandings and can hug each other again... and I hope so especially for them at this point in their lives.

When I first heard Dire Straits I just loved their sound! All extremely talented boys and so well recorded! I loved the music but I was drawn to Mark Knopfler as a masterful, soulful guitarist singer-songwriter! ... it's a great bonus that he is a baritone and so am I.

It’s very very hard having a older brother who is a genius and is obviously going to be the centre of global attention , it’s ok if your just a band member actually it’s great he makes you a success too, but when it’s your older brother it hurts like hell.

David is an incredible guitar player and writer.

David is a ridiculously great writer. I wish he'd put some of his talent into a novel.

When social history beats rock history. Thankyou John & David.

David seems such a nice, lovable, humble guy. Love all of his insightful answers on the interview, specially concerning his crafting of songs and storytelling; very diplomatic concerning certain topics from the past too.

I have David Knopflers album "Lifelines" from 1991. I wouldn't say it sounds like Dire Straits but funny enough.. It probably sounds more like Dire Straits than most Mark Knopflers soloalbums. I would say it is a pretty good album. Might be worth checking out if you have all the Dire Straits albums and want something not too unlike it!

David's last two albums... Oh my goodness... Masterpieces.

David about Mark: ‘I spent a lot of time doing therapy and dealing with my issues and ghosts and demons,’ ‘Maybe Mark has, too. I don’t know what he does. Of course, it casts a huge shadow on both our lives and on our families. We’ve got cousins who don’t know each other.’ ‘By that time he was “king”,’ David says. ‘But he was the bloke I’d shared a bedroom with. How could I be deferential to him? Mark and I had a different vision of what we were up to. I was building a democracy, and Mark was making an autocracy.’

Great stuff! "People are like islands, slowly they drift apart." Phaps ppl should just know that and not fight against it. I mean you drift into another island, downstream. You will then have more room for this if you are not clinging on to the past.

More great little nuggets from David, thank you!

David’s recent solo album is beautiful you guys should definitely check it out

In my humble opinion, the pure and refreshing sound of DS (first 2 albums) was lost when David left the band...Maybe Mark wanted to turn towards a more commercial sound and songwriting and forced his way out. Pick Withers took the opportunity to run as soon as he could... and he went as far as he could, and John (who was not an exceptional bassist, a virtuoso, not even close...) jumped on the bandwagon of the business, even doing administrative and commercial management tasks... meanwhile, all kinds of musicians and technicians passed by along the way (like John Suhr, with whom it seems things didn't end well either...) In short, Mark is a very good guitarist and a brilliant composer who was clear about what he wanted to achieve, and who was also clear that the best way to fail in his purpose was to try to please everyone.

Great interview. Thank you

David's comment that back then there was no Google or KZfaq to learn. I felt the same. It was hard to find chords of Rock Bnads in the 70's.

Now it is time for a Mark interview

You can't help but get the feeling that there's probably not a great deal of love lost between the two brothers, even now. I think it's tolerably well-known that David's at that time inability to meet the demands of Mark's songs was a major cause of the enmity between them that ultimately led to David's departure from DS...or that was Mark's perception, certainly. That said, I think that Mark may have lauded it over his brother somewhat. Tensions within rock bands often run high at the best of times and when you add a big brother/little brother element into it, it's almost inevitably going to be a powder keg likely to explode, unfortunately.

Great Band Dire straits

Great interview

I wonder if Mark has changed somewhat , he seems more mellow from the videos I've watched with him and Emmylou Harris.

What about “Sacred Loving” the one Dire Straits song that David wrote and sang?

David Knopfler is one of my favorite artists, and i have all of his albums in my collect, except the latest release, as its always out of stock (why?). I simply do not like Marks music, has no depth of soul, and Davids voice is miles better. Thanks for the music David, love from Australia.

Mark never had warm eyes seems to me, when he smiles it is nice

It’s as simple as this, Mark was the guitar master, the great songwriter. He’s a one off and that’s why people listen to him and buy his music! On the other hand, David wasn’t a success because that’s just show biz! But on the bright side David still has his hair!

❤

Rocky Stream Music.

Elvis v Priscilla...Mark v David...think about it folks...

Every feature on David always trys to paint Mark in a bad light its getting really old.

What does David say @ 1:19: "Mark is a tripple leo" ???

father a hungarian refugee

Having a personal discourse with David, I must say he is not What he appears.He is terribly filled with conflict and will not allow a different opinion.He will Block you at the drop of a hat.He comes across so benign...He is hate filled.

Mark Knopfler is a great performer and song writer, but almost certainly has some sort of narcissistic personality disorder. The way he always repeats the exact same stories about how he started without a real amp, finger picking etc is like a rehearsed spiel that he knows works to impress and make him appear as a humble and unassuming working class lad. Whenever someone works that hard on their image, alarm bells should go off.