Dire Straits were a British rock band formed in London in 1977 by Mark Knopfler, David Knopfler, John Illsley and Pick Withers. They were active from 1977 to 1988 and again from 1990 to 1995.
Brothers in Arms is the fifth studio album by the British rock band Dire Straits, released on 17 May 1985 through Vertigo Records internationally and Warner Bros. Records in the United States. It was the first album in history to sell over one million copies in CD format.
Making Movies is the third studio album by British rock band Dire Straits, released on 17 October 1980 by Vertigo Records internationally, Warner Bros. Records in the United States and Mercury Records in Canada. The album includes the single "Romeo and Juliet", which reached number 8 on the UK Singles Chart, as well as “Tunnel of Love,” featured in the 1982 Richard Gere film An Officer and a Gentleman.
On Every Street is the sixth and final studio album by British rock band Dire Straits, released on 9 September 1991 by Vertigo Records internationally, and by Warner Bros. Records in the United States. The follow-up to the band's massively successful album Brothers in Arms, On Every Street reached the top of the UK Albums Chart and was also certified platinum by the RIAA.
"Sultans of Swing" is a song by British rock band Dire Straits, written by lead vocalist and guitarist Mark Knopfler. The demo of the song was recorded at Pathway Studios, North London, in July 1977 and quickly acquired a following after it was put in rotation on BBC Radio London. Its popularity soon reached record executives, and Dire Straits were offered a contract with Phonogram Records. The song was then re-recorded in February 1978 at Basing Street Studios for the band's eponymous debut album.
Love over Gold is the fourth studio album by British rock band Dire Straits, released on 24 September 1982 by Vertigo Records internationally and by Warner Bros. Records in the United States. The album featured two singles: "Private Investigations," which reached No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart, and "Industrial Disease," which reached No. 9 on Billboard's Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in the United States. The title track was never released as a single, but two years later a live version from Alchemy: Dire Straits Live reached #15 in France, #29 in New Zealand, #43 in the Netherlands and #50 in the band's native United Kingdom. The album reached number one on album charts in Australia, Austria, Italy, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom, as well as number 19 in the United States. Love over Gold was later certified gold in the United States, platinum in France and Germany and double-platinum in Canada and the United Kingdom.
"Money for Nothing" is a song by British rock band Dire Straits, the second track on their fifth studio album Brothers in Arms (1985). It was released as the album's second single on 28 June 1985 through Vertigo Records. The song's lyrics are written from the point of view of two working-class men watching music videos and commenting on what they see. The song features a guest appearance by Sting who sings the signature falsetto introduction, background vocals and a backing chorus of "I want my MTV". The groundbreaking video was the first to be aired on MTV Europe when the network launched on 1 August 1987.
"Calling Elvis" is a song written by Mark Knopfler and performed by British rock band Dire Straits. It first appeared on the final studio album by the band, On Every Street (1991). It was released in August 1991 by Vertigo and Warner Bros. as the first single from that album, peaking at number 21 in the United Kingdom, and reaching the top 10 in numerous other countries. It was included on the 2005 compilation The Best of Dire Straits & Mark Knopfler: Private Investigations. A live version of the song also appears on the 1993 live album On the Night.
On the Night is the second live album by the British rock band Dire Straits, released on 10 May 1993 by Vertigo Records internationally, and by Warner Bros. Records in the United States. The album features many of the band's later hits, including the singles "Walk of Life" and "Money for Nothing". The cover art of the album features dishes of the Very Large Array in central New Mexico.
"Private Dancer" is a song first released and made famous by Tina Turner in 1984. The song was written by Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits, but never fully recorded or released by his band. Turner's recording was produced by John Carter for her fifth solo album of the same name and released as the album's fifth single. The track reached number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number three on the US R&B chart. The song had moderate international success, reaching number 26 on the UK Singles Chart.
"Walk of Life" is a song by the British rock band Dire Straits, being the third track on their fifth studio album Brothers in Arms (1985). It was released as a single in the US in October 1985 and in the UK in January 1986.
"Your Latest Trick" is a song by British rock band Dire Straits, the fourth track on their fifth studio album, Brothers in Arms (1985). It was released as the album's fifth and final single in April 1986 by Vertigo Records. It later appeared on the live album On the Night; the same live version is on Sultans of Swing: The Very Best of Dire Straits. The full-length studio album version was included on the compilation The Best of Dire Straits & Mark Knopfler: Private Investigations.
Twisting by the Pool is a 1983 song by British rock band Dire Straits which appears on ExtendedancEPlay. It was released as a single in 1983, peaking at No. 1 in New Zealand, No. 14 on the UK Singles Chart and at No. 12 on the US Billboard Top Tracks chart.
"Lady Writer" is a 1979 song by Dire Straits, which appears on the band's second album Communiqué. It was written by the band's lead singer, Mark Knopfler.
Encores is a live extended play (EP) by British rock band Dire Straits, released on 10 May 1993, shortly after the release of their live album, On the Night. Although it was an EP, it charted on the singles charts of several countries, including France, Portugal, and Spain, where it debuted at number one in all three countries. It was the band's final release prior to their official dissolution in 1995, when Mark Knopfler decided to embark on a solo career.
The Notting Hillbillies were a country rock project formed by British singer-songwriter Mark Knopfler in May 1986. The group consisted of Knopfler, Steve Phillips, Brendan Croker, Guy Fletcher, Paul Franklin, Marcus Cliffe (bass), and Ed Bicknell (drums). They gave their first performance at a small club in Leeds, and followed up with a tour.
"On Every Street" is the third single and title track from the album of the same name by English rock band Dire Straits.
"The Bug" is a song written by Mark Knopfler and originally recorded by Dire Straits on the final studio album by the band, On Every Street (1991). It was covered by Mary Chapin Carpenter in 1992, and also recorded on the albums Blues Ballads (1996) by The Alex Bollard Assembly and Keep Your Hands to Yourself (2002) by Mike Berry & The Outlaws.
"When It Comes to You" is a song written by Mark Knopfler and recorded by British rock music band Dire Straits for their 1991 album On Every Street. It was covered by American country music artist John Anderson and released in April 1992 as the third single from his album Seminole Wind. Anderson's version peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in the United States and number 2 on the RPM Country Tracks chart in Canada.
"Going Home: Theme of the Local Hero" is an instrumental rock track by Mark Knopfler, and the closing track from the 1983 film Local Hero soundtrack. It was the debut solo single by Knopfler, and charted at number 56 in the UK, at number 26 in the Netherlands and at number 18 in New Zealand. The soundtrack album also features a reprise called "Wild Theme", which consists of Knopfler's acoustic guitar interpretation of the song's melody. Despite its rather modest chart position in Knopfler's native UK, "Going Home" remains one of the artist's most popular songs. The saxophone piece was played by the American jazz saxophonist Michael Brecker. The song is popular among fans of English football, in particular those of Knopfler's home town club, Newcastle United, as it is played as the team runs out before every home game.
