School of Music

Knopfler makes mark on prized album image

Rock guitarist and Leeds alumnus joins gallery … with thanks to Pete Smith

Dire Straits guitarist and songwriter Mark Knopfler, who is also an English graduate of the University of Leeds, has signed an art edition print of the photograph that adorns one of the group's key albums

Brothers in Arms, a hugely successful release for a band who have spent 30 years in the spotlight, provides the image for a specially framed version presented to the University's School of Music on October 18th, 2010.

The album sleeve photograph, featuring a distinctive steel guitar, was taken by Deborah Finegold. It has been signed by Mark Knopfler who spent time as a journalist including a spell at the Leeds-based Yorkshire Evening Post before his instrumental and composing skills transformed him into a global rock star.

The one-off edition, provided by the St Paul's Gallery in Birmingham who look after Finegold's work, was secured by Pete Smith, a Leeds University alumnus who also served as the Students' Union's Entertainment Secretary in the early 1970s.

Smith has spent almost 40 years in the rock business, managing Ray Davies and the Kinks, Yes and the Chieftains among others. He has also shared a long association with the artist Sir Peter Blake, whose striking collage for the Beatles' 1967 album Sgt Pepper has been dubbed 'the Mona Lisa of rock'n'roll'.

In 2005, Pete Smith was responsible for establishing the Peter Blake Music Art Gallery in the School of Music. The permanent exhibition shows around 20 of Blake's classic album sleeve images included that renowned Beatles image.

He has since added a signed edition of Jeff Wayne's The War of the Worlds and now the Dire Straits' sleeve joins the wider collection of major album works in the School's possession.

Dr Simon Warner, Lecturer in Popular Music Studies in the department, co-directed the original Blake gallery unveiling and has remained a close collaborator with Pete Smith since.

He commented: 'We are grateful once more to Pete for sourcing another unique artwork which represents an important slice of popular music history and also an intriguing element in the University's story as Mark Knopfler was a student here.

The Brothers in Arms edition has been framed in the distinctive green colour of the University of Leeds adding to its appeal. 'Pete has been a loyal supporter of his old university for many, many years, and this remarkable, indeed unique, collection of signed rock artworks gives huge pleasure to all who study or visit the Music department.

 

Date Published: 01 November 2010
Keywords: Pete Smith, Mark Knopfler, Simon Warner