Alan Clark

Alan Clark (born 5 March 1952) is an English musician who was the first keyboardist and co-producer of the rock band Dire Straits. In 2018, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a significant member of the band.

Early life As a six-year-old child, Clark received piano lessons. From the age of nine years, he taught himself. At the age of 13 and while still a pupil at Chester-le-Street Grammar School, he began to play Hammond organ in working men's clubs in the northeast of England, and thereafter forged a successful career in music which included playing with a reformed Geordie which featured Brian Johnson (who would later join AC/DC), playing and recording with a duo called Splinter who were signed to George Harrison's Dark Horse label, playing and recording with Gallagher & Lyle, and playing on a tour of major UK festivals with Lindisfarne.

Career

Clark joined Dire Straits in 1980, first appearing on their fourth studio album Love over Gold (1982). In 1983 he played on Bob Dylan's album Infidels and also on Dylan's following Empire Burlesque album. Clark also worked with Knopfler on some of his film soundtrack work, most notably Knopfler's most successful soundtrack on the film Local Hero, in which he also makes an appearance as a piano player. He has also worked with Mark's brother David on his solo albums. Throughout his time with Dire Straits, he also played on Tina Turner's album Private Dancer, played on Eric Clapton's album Journeyman and joined him on the Journeyman World Tour, as well as playing in the "Orchestra Nights" performances with the National Philharmonic Orchestra and Michael Kamen during Clapton's 24 Nights concerts at the Royal Albert Hall in 1990 and 1991. He co-wrote with Clapton the score for the film Communion (1989).

Clark has also played and recorded with other artists including, among others:

Jon Anderson Joan Armatrading The Bee Gees

He is a member of a band called Dire Straits Legacy, which features himself, Phil Palmer, Steve Ferrone, Trevor Horn, Danny Cummings, Mel Collins, Primi de Biasse and Marco Caviglia, and in 2017 he wrote and produced, with Phil Palmer, an album for the band called Three Chord Trick.

In 2017 he recorded in Real World studios with Italian artist Pacifico.

He is a member of Trevor Horn's band and works/records with Horn on other projects.

In 2019 he co-produced with Trevor Horn and Phil Palmer, Renato Zero's hugely successful record Zero Il Folle and played on several major records including Trevor Horn Reimagines the Eighties and Rod Stewart's You're In My Heart.

In June 2019, he played a solo piano concert at the Milan Piano Festival.

In 2020, he co-wrote and co-produced several tracks on Renato Zero's hugely successful Zerosettanta album.

In Sept 2021, he released his solo piano record Backstory.

Collaborations

Lonesome No More – Gallagher and Lyle Love Over Gold – Dire Straits (1982) ExtendedancEPlay – Dire Straits (1983) Alchemy: Dire Straits Live – Dire Straits (1984) Brothers in Arms – Dire Straits (1985) On Every Street – Dire Straits (1991) On the Night – Dire Straits (1993) Sleepwalking – Gerry Rafferty (1982) Infidels – Bob Dylan (1983) Private Dancer – Tina Turner (1984) Empire Burlesque – Bob Dylan (1985) Down in the Groove – Bob Dylan (1988) Wild Wild West – Escape Club (1988) North and South – Gerry Rafferty (1988) The Shouting Stage – Joan Armatrading (1988) Journeyman – Eric Clapton (1989) Big River – Jimmy Nail (1995) Crocodile Shoes II – Jimmy Nail (1996) Still Waters – Bee Gees (1997) Andromeda Heights – Prefab Sprout (1997) Life Goes On – Gerry Rafferty (2009) Three Chord Trick – Legacy Zero il Folle – Renato Zero 2019 Zerosettanta – Renato Zero 2020 You're in my Heart – Rod Stewart Rest in Blue – Gerry Rafferty 2021 Backstory – Alan Clark 2021 I changed Many Houses – Tiromancino 2021