Before arriving at Montserrat, Knopfler had written all the songs and rehearsed them with the band. The studio lineup included Knopfler (guitar), John Illsley (bass), Terry Williams (drums), Alan Clark (piano and Hammond B-3 organ) and Guy Fletcher, who was new to the band, playing a synth rig that consisted of a huge new Yamaha DX1, a couple of Roland keyboards and a Synclavier. The band's second guitarist Hal Lindes was either fired or quit at the start of the sessions (Lindes would be formally replaced in December 1984 by Jack Sonni, a New York-based guitarist and longstanding friend of the band, although Sonni's contribution to the album would be minimal).