MARK KNOPFLER
NEW SINGLE
‘TWO PAIRS OF HANDS’
AVAILABLE NOW (27th MARCH)
I’m keeping the balls in the air
Trying to keep up with the band
There’ll be a little bit here and there
Might get covered by the drifting sand
But they’ll all be in the air
When I’m up here on the band
What it is, I’m juggling here
I’ve only got two pairs of hands
Mark Knopfler will release a new single entitled Two Pairs Of Hands on 27th March on his British Grove label via EMI. It is the third song to be taken from his eagerly awaited forthcoming album One Deep River, which will be released on 12th April.
On Two Pairs Of Hands, Knopfler, with a twinkle in his eye, captures the nerve jangling seat of the pants exhilaration of live performance.
Says Mark: “‘Two Pairs of Hands’ would just be a song trying to explain what it’s like coping with all of the info and trying to collate everything when you’re standing in the middle of the stage with a huge band. You’ve got a big audience around you and you’re just trying to process all of this stuff at the same time.”
Two Pairs of Hands is written by Mark Knopfler and produced by Guy Fletcher and Mark Knopfler, and was recorded at Knopfler’s British Grove Studios in London. The band on Two Pairs Of Hands features Mark Knopfler on guitars, Jim Cox and Guy Fletcher on keyboards, Glenn Worf on bass, Ian Thomas on drums, Danny Cummings on percussion, Richard Bennett on guitar, and Greg Leisz on lap steel.
Mark Knopfler, singer-songwriter, record producer and composer, is one of the most successful musicians the UK has ever produced and is often cited as one of the greatest guitarists of all time. He first came to prominence in the 80s as leader of Dire Straits, who created many of the signature songs of the era. Knopfler broke up the band in 1995 and set off on a new path as a solo artist. In the ensuing years Knopfler has released nine solo albums of sophisticated rootsy rock and has continued to tour the globe with his band. Over the years, Mark has written the music for several films, including Local Hero, Cal, The Princess Bride, Last Exit To Brooklyn and Wag The Dog and has played and recorded with a number of artists, including Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Emmylou Harris, Tina Turner, Randy Newman and Chet Atkins. Knopfler was made an OBE in 1999 and was given the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at the Ivor Novellos in 2012.
2024 has already been a very busy year for Mark. In January the Mark Knopfler Guitar Collection was auctioned at Christies, with several of the guitars selling for record breaking sums. On 15th March Mark Knopfler’s Guitar Heroes released a spine tingling reworking of his song ‘Going Home (Theme From Local Hero)’ by a who’s who of legendary guitarists for the Teenage Cancer Trust and Teen Cancer America.
Mark has teamed up with Brian Johnson, the singer from rock legends AC/DC, to make a new six part TV series for Sky Arts entitled ‘Johnson & Knopfler’s Music Legends’. The two friends take a fascinating look at the history of popular music alongside various special guests including Tom Jones, Sam Fender, Carlos Santana, Cyndi Lauper, Nile Rodgers, Emmylou Harris and Vince Gill. The series will air on Sky Arts from 25th April ’24.
One Deep River will be Mark Knopfler’s tenth solo studio album. The album is available to pre-order here: https://markknopfler.lnk.to/ODRPR
FOLLOW MARK KNOPFLER
My life is a soundtrack, i track my life through music, photography is my passion, my escape, my expression. Without both i have pieces missing, thankfully i’m blessed and get to combine both.
Born in Manchester, lived in Australia for 22 years where i was heavily involved in the Australian Music Industry, firstly in bands (Singer) and then managing bands (all original), I moved back to the UK, Wales specifically 10 years ago and married my childhood sweetheart and life is good.
