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albums and forthcoming releases

Sailing To Philadelphia : release date on September 25th 2000
(updated 01.07.2000)

The new album called "Sailing To Philadelphia", is scheduled to be worldwide released on September 25th 2000. A single will be released in early September called "What It Is" and a video to accompany the single will be filmed in Scotland at the end of June.

There will be two versions of the album :

• Sailing to Philadelphia features a duet with James Taylor
• The Last Laugh features a duet with Van Morrison
• Silvertown Blues and One More Matinee feature vocals from Chris Drifford and Glenn Tilbrook of Squeeze
• Speedway At Nazareth and Prairie Wedding feature vocals from Gillian Welch and David Rawlings

During all the recordings sessions in Nashville over the past three years, Mark wrote and recorded 29 tracks (including Shut Up And Deal, Two Skinny Kids and It's Been A While), which the largest amount of songs he wrote for a single album. The basic-band musicians are the same as the first solo album : Richard Bennet (guitar), Glenn Work (bass), Guy Fletcher (keyboards), Jim Cox (piano) and Chad Cromwell (drums)

According to Damage Management, the new album will be more atmospheric than "Golden Heart", it will be more in the mould of "Love Over Gold".

Between September and December Mark is expected to embark upon the most extensive promotion campaign of his career. Plans are being made for him to visit as many countries as possible, although there is no finalised list at the moment. He will give interviews for radio and TV, perform radio and TV concert specials with a live band and do playbacks. A live tour may follow depending on how well the new album does.

"A Shot At Glory" soundtrack
(01.07.2000 - MKNews)

Mark is currently working on a new filmscore for a dependently produced film called A Shot At Glory. The film is being directed by Michael Corrente and stars Robert Duvall, Michael Keaton, Morag Hood, Brian Cox and Scottish footballer Ally McCoist. Mark is expected to finish this soundtrack by late-june.

The movie will be shown at the Toronto Film Festival in september. We currently don't have information about the movie's release date, but it'll be accompanied by the soundtrack.

Plans for Mark to score a Robert Redford/Jake Eberts produced film based on the book The Legend of Bagger Vance have been dropped.

Sun Records celebration
(01.06.2000 - MKNews)

Various artists are getting together to record a compilation album celebrating the legendary Sun Records record label. Among those who will be contributing to the project are Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, The Who, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, Brian May, Van Morrison and Bonnie Rait. There will also be an accompanying film with interviews and songs.

The first recording session for this compilation has taken place at Abbey Road's famous No2 Studio at which three songs were recorded. The Italian singer Zucchero recorded a Charlie Rich song called Who Will The Next Fool Be, Brian Ferry recorded Elvis' Don't Be Cruel and Mark did a Jerry Lee Lewis number entitled Rock 'n' Roll Ruby. The backing band on all three tracks was:

Mark Knopfler - guitars/Scotty Moore - guitars/D.J. Fontana - drums/Marcus Cliffe - bass/Chris White - sax/Jools Holland - organ, piano.

The recording process has only just begun and so we have no information about labels or release dates but we expect that it will be a double CD. There are no plans for Mark to record any further material for this album.

'Comic Relief' Feature
(02.01.2000 - MKNews)

Knopfler has written and recorded the underscore for a 30 minute 'Comic Relief' animated feature called 'Robbie the Reindeer'. He has written a short disco pastiche called 'Get Busy', sung by Knopfler and Guy Fletcher. A second composition, a song sung by actress Jane Horrocks and Mikey Graham from Boyzone, called 'The Other Side of the Moon', has been co-written by Knopfler, Fletcher and screenwriters Andy Riley and Kevin Cecil.

'Robbie the Reindeer' was televised at 2.30 p.m. on BBC1 on Christmas Day, December 25th, and released on video by BBC Worldwide.

various stuff

Mark Knopfler guitar donation
(01.05.2000 - MKNews)

F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone held a charity gala dinner at the Dorchester Hotel in London on Wednesday, 19th April, to mark the Formula One World Championship’s 50th anniversary. The evening raised just under $3 million for the NSPCC appeal (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children), through sporting memorabilia auctions and other forms of money raising. Among the items auctioned was a guitar donated by Mark. This was a Japanese fiesta red Hank Marvin reissue Strat which Mark has kept at home for about two years and which he used to write some of the material for the new solo album. This guitar, along with two others from Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason and Chris Rea, were all sold to self-confessed music fanatic Jacques Villeneuve, for $70,000.

Mark Knopfler gets and "Order of Britsh Empire"
(02.04.2000 - MKNews)

Congratulations to Mark who has been awarded an OBE in the Queen's New Years Honours list. He was invested with the OBE at Buckingham Palace on the 30th of March. An OBE is the Order of the British Empire medal which is one of a number of national honours which can be conferred on individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the life of the country.