Album: 3 Chord Trick
Artist: Legacy
2017 Forward Music Italy
CD: CA010011701

Alan Clark: piano, keys, vocals
Phil Palmer: guitars, vocals
Marco Caviglia: guitars, vocals
Steve Ferrone: drums, percussion
Danny Cummings: percussion, vocals
Mel Collins: sax
Trevor Horn: bass
Primiano Di Biase: accordion, additional keys

With:
James East: bass
Pino Palladino: bass
Jamie Squire: vocals
Alain Larribet: duduk
Appassionante (Stefania Francabandiera, Giorgia Villa, Mara Tanchis): additional vocals
Daphne Nisi: additional vocals
Chiara Cortez: additional vocals
Anna Fondi: additional vocals
Eleonora Tosto: additional vocals
Valentina Ducros: additional vocals


Produced by Clark/Palmer, co-produced by Ferrone
Recorded at Forward Studios, Rome and Drumroll Studios, Los Angeles
Mixed and mastered at Forward Studios, Rome
Engineer: Stefano Quarta, Eric "ET" Thorngren
Mixing engineer: Quarta
Mastering engineer: Carmine Simeone
Assistant engineer: Andrea Secchi
Artwork & design: Studio Grafite (Alessandro Colella)


Tracks:
1. "Epiphany" [Clark/Palmer] (4:47)
2. "Here and Now" [Clark/Palmer] (5:00)
3. "Jesus Street" [Clark] (3:46)
4. "3 Chord Trick" [Palmer] (4:16)
5. "Looking for America" [Clark] (5:50 in liner notes, 6:21 on CD)
6. "Magdalene" [Clark] (4:20)
7. "Bounty Hunter" [Caviglia/Clark/Palmer] (4:00)
8. "Tell Me Why" [Caviglia/Clark/Palmer] (4:16)
9. "Twisting the Knife" [Palmer] (3:50)
10. "God's Land" [Clark] (4:02)
11. "Two Days Off" [Clark] (4:09)

Orchestral arrangements by Clark


Notes: (****) "Jesus Street" was released as a single.

This is an odd album. It isn't musically odd: it's a nice blues-rock album with a Dire Straits feel to it. This is because Legacy is a Dire Straits spin-off band. Dire Straits was always Mark Knopfler's band, but Clark was in Straits from their fourth album, Love Over Gold (1982). Collins toured with the band 1982-4. Palmer and Cummings worked with the band on their last studio album, 1991's On Every Street, and their final touring in 1991-2. Knopfler retired the band in 1995 and embarked on a solo career (with Cummings playing on his last three albums). Knopfler has rebuffed interest in a reunion, but in 2011, Clark, Palmer and another long-time member Chris White were joined by Ferrone for a one-off charity show as The Straits. This evolved into Dire Straits Legacy, with Palmer as the band's musical director. They have played with several further former Dire Straits members over time (Cummings, John Illsley, Jack Sonni, Pick Withers). In 2017, Dire Straits Legacy then recorded an original studio album, becoming just Legacy for the project, while continuing to tour as DSL. Horn was announced as joining DSL on 29 Nov 2017 and as playing bass with the band live in Jan 2018.

While Horn is given the main credit on bass, it's unclear what he plays and what he doesn't. Initial recording in LA was by Clark, Palmer, Ferrone and Palladino, before sessions moved to Rome and Horn became involved. Horn is involved through knowing Palmer: Palmer and J Squire were both in the 2014 Trevor Horn Band line-up and Palmer has worked with Horn since at least the "Produced by Trevor Horn" show in 2004. Palmer's 2021 autobiography "Session Man" implies Horn's involvement came late and was perhaps minimal. The way his contribution is presented seems to reflect his joining the live band.

But why do I describe this album as odd? Because Horn has no producing credit. When's the last time that Horn has been a player and kept away from producing? The late 1970s? (HP, 27 Jan 18; updated 14 Apr 22)
Return to Home Page