Straight Knopfler : Dire Straits’ low-profile superstar takes another unexpected step by making an album of country songs with some old friends

Mark Knopfler, the creative spark behind Dire Straits, may have the lowest profile of any superstar in rock. He’s so low-profile, in fact, that most U.S. rock fans would probably object to the word “superstar” being applied to him.

Those same fans, however, would no doubt fail this simple quiz:

How many albums has Dire Straits sold worldwide since the group’s 1979 success with the 15 hit single “Sultans of Swing”?

A. 15 million.

B. 20 million.

C. 60 million.

What is the biggest-selling album ever in Britain?

A. The Beatles’ “Abbey Road.”

B. Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”

C. Dire Straits’ “Brothers in Arms.”

The answer to both questions is C.

One remarkable thing about the sales figure is that Dire Straits had sold almost 40 million of those records before “Brothers in Arms,” the 1985 blockbuster that spawned “Money for Nothing,” the satirical hit single about rock stars’ getting “money for nothin’ and chicks for free.”

A second remarkable thing about Knopfler’s success is that five years have gone by without another Dire Straits album--a lapse that flies in the face of the old pop rule about striking while the sales chart is hot.

Knopfler’s relative low profile in rock and his slow pace with Dire Straits are no accident. By nature, the Englishman is a somewhat retiring, self-effacing man who was mature enough by the time he had his first hit (he was 29) that he was never seduced by the cult of personality so rampant in the rock world.

Rather than rush out Dire Straits albums on a regular schedule, the singer-guitarist has often taken sidesteps into other projects that, while interesting on an artistic level, certainly don’t offer the commercial rewards of another Dire Straits package.

Among the sidesteps just since the last Dire Straits tour ended in 1986: He produced an album for Willy DeVille, wrote the scores for two films (“The Princess Bride” and “Last Exit to Brooklyn”), toured as a member of Eric Clapton’s band and worked on a duet album with guitarist Chet Atkins.

Among his earlier outside projects: producing albums or tracks for such varied artists as Bob Dylan and Tina Turner, as well as writing and performing the scores for the films “Cal” and “Local Hero.”

Given his success, it’s easy to assume that all the sidesteps are part of a strategy designed to keep his creative instincts alive--and keep fans hungry for the next Dire Straits album.

It’s equally easy to think that Knopfler’s low media presence is an attempt to maintain a veil of mystery about him and the band. He tends to spend his time in the studio or relaxing with his family (he’s married and the father of 2-year-old twins) rather than courting the media.

A former journalist, Knopfler, 40, tends to ask as many questions as he answers during interviews. One topic that seemed to intrigue him during an interview in Warner Bros. Records’ Burbank offices was the idea that someone would think his understated approach is part of a grand career strategy.

“The truth is I don’t ponder creative moves,” he said slowly, putting little more body language into his conversation than he does into his poses when facing a camera.

“I am attracted to strategy, I suppose. I like chess and I like organizing teams of people doing things in terms of bands and rehearsing and all that, but I don’t plan long-term career things.

“If you look back, you’ll see I always have been involved in other things in between Dire Straits projects. There is a side of me that is a bit perverse, I suppose. I like to keep busy and it doesn’t have to be on my own project.

“A production job will come up or a tour with Eric (Clapton) or a film, and I want to do it all. Those are all dreams come true for me, and I say, ‘Sure,’ when asked about them. Then, I have to find the time for it, which means a delay in Dire Straits albums. That’s the reason it often takes so long between albums, not any brilliant planning on my part.”

There is, however, a touch of purpose behind the low media profile.

“I think one reason you don’t see a lot of me in the press is my nature,” he said. “I don’t particularly feel comfortable being a personality. In addition, I don’t think it is healthy.

“There are a lot of things that success can give you, and it is important to make the right choices. One of the disadvantages is that you become the object of people’s attention, and that’s bad for me because a lot of my songs--the better ones, in fact--come from observing. . . . The guy in ‘Money for Nothing,’ for instance.

“Also, I’d rather the concentration be on what you’ve done rather than who you are. People never come up and say, ‘I love you.’ They say, ‘I love your music,’ which is exactly the way I want it.”

He paused, then smiled. “Besides, they wouldn’t love me if they knew me anyway.”

Knopfler was in town to talk about the release Tuesday of his latest career sidestep: a collection of mostly old country songs titled “Missing . . . Presumed Having a Good Time,” that is being released under the group name the Notting Hillbillies.

The veteran musician looked surprised when asked if he thought American audiences were going to take the album as some sort of good-natured joke?

“You mean someone might think it’s a joke because of the name hillbillies?” he asked.

“I never thought of that. I actually live in an area of West London called Notting Hill, and the name just sort of came to us one day.”

He paused again, as if weighing the possibility that someone would take the name as a gag.

“I guess country music does have that sort of hillbilly connotation still in America. But it’s different in England. Country music is very much appreciated.

“There’s a big Wembley country festival every year that attracts people from all walks of life, and I’ve always

been a fan of the music--ever since listening to songs like ‘Runaway Train’ and ‘Big Rock Candy Mountain’ as a child.

“I’d rather listen to the sheer beauty of Willie Nelson singing, say, ‘Blue Eyes Cryin’ in the Rain,’ than just about anything else I could think of.”

Pausing once more, he added: “No, this album’s no joke.”

The Notting Hillbillies isn’t a superstar project a la the Traveling Wilburys album--a collection of new songs from a coalition of stars (Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, the late Roy Orbison and Tom Petty).

Knopfler’s three sidekicks in the Notting Hillbillies are virtually unknown in the United States, and the wide range of styles--from Western swing to acoustic blues--is filtered through a distinctively British, folk-country perspective.

Knopfler sings lead on only one tune, his own Dylan-flavored country ballad “Your Own Sweet Way,” while Brendan Croker and Steve Phillips trade off on most of the vocals. The fourth member of the Hillbillies is Dire Straits keyboardist Guy Fletcher.

Except for one new song each from Croker and Phillips, the material is old songs--Charlie Rich’s weary country blues “Feel Like Going Home,” the honky-tonk lament “Bewildered,” the Louvin Brothers’ gospel-country “Weapon of Prayer.”

The project began informally when Knopfler, looking for a way to unwind after an exhausting world tour with Dire Straits, got on stage with Croker and Phillips in a pub in Leeds, England. Knopfler had met Phillips back in his college days and played acoustic country and blues tunes with him in the early ‘70s in pubs and clubs.

Though Knopfler went to London to form a rock band after college, Phillips continued on his own, eventually hooking up with Croker. The three musicians had such a good time in the 1986 pub show that they eventually decided to make an album.

Progress was slow because Knopfler had to tuck the Hillbillies sessions in between his other projects. The album was originally going to be released on a small, British label that specializes in folk, country and other roots music. But Warner Bros. jumped at the chance to release it.

“Though people will no doubt see the album as a dramatic change for me, I feel like I’ve always made this music in a way,” Knopfler said.

“One thing I hope the album does is turn people on to some of the musicians we all admire. I’d be thrilled if someone over the next year tells me he went out after listening to our album and bought a Delmores album or a Charlie Rich album or a Lonnie Johnson album and started doing his own investigation of some of these great artists.”

The Hillbillies tour will last at least a month in Europe, but there are no U.S. dates planned.

Then, it’ll finally be time for the next Dire Straits album.

What about the rumors after the last tour that there wouldn’t be any more Dire Straits albums--that the whole thing had gotten too massive for someone of Knopfler’s private sensibilities?

“Well, it was a pretty grueling experience,” Knopfler said. “We did something like 250 shows, and I didn’t want to touch a guitar for a while. I was actually recorded in an interview saying I’d rather play tennis than play a guitar.

“I was also (put off) by all the talk about the success of the band rather than the music. Size was suddenly the issue. Don’t get me wrong. I love being popular and I love being successful, but I am not going back to Dire Straits just for the roar of the crowd.

“The simple truth is I forgot how much I missed Dire Straits, how much it meant to me. I’ve enjoyed all these projects, but eventually you realize that there’s nothing quite like being home, and Dire Straits is home for me.”