Private Investigations | ||||
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Compilation album by | ||||
Released | 11 November 2005 [1] | |||
Genre | Roots rock | |||
Length | 77:12(CD) 135:52(2CD) 137:57(2CD-U.S.A.) | |||
Label |
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Dire Straits chronology | ||||
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Mark Knopfler chronology | ||||
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Private Investigations: The Best of Dire Straits & Mark Knopfler is the third compilation album by Dire Straits and Scottish-born British singer-songwriter and guitarist Mark Knopfler, released in 2005 by Mercury and Vertigo internationally, and Warner Bros. in the United States. Named after their 1982 hit single, the album consists of material by Dire Straits, with songs selected from the group's six studio albums (excluding the 1979 album Communiqué ) from 1978 up through the group's dissolution in 1995. It also features work from the solo career of the group's singer, songwriter, and guitarist Mark Knopfler, including some of his soundtrack material.
The only previously unreleased track on the album is "All the Roadrunning", a duet with country music singer Emmylou Harris. It was released as a single, reaching #8 in the UK. [2] The United States version omits "Darling Pretty", but adds "Skateaway".
Private Investigations was released in four different versions:
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [3] |
In his review for AllMusic, Thom Jurek gave the album four out of five stars and praised the 2CD release, describing a 1CD version as "a silly thing at best and a hopelessly frustrating one at worst." He concluded that "This is not only a fine collection for fans because of its wonderful sequencing, but the best introduction to the man and the band that one could ask for." [3]
All songs were written by Mark Knopfler, except where indicated.
No. | Title | Artist; original album | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Sultans of Swing" | Dire Straits; Dire Straits , 1978 | 5:48 |
2. | "Love over Gold" | Dire Straits; Love over Gold , 1982 | 6:16 |
3. | "Romeo and Juliet" | Dire Straits; Making Movies , 1980 | 6:00 |
4. | "Tunnel of Love" (Extract from "The Carousel Waltz" by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II) | Dire Straits; Making Movies | 8:10 |
5. | "Private Investigations" (Edit) | Dire Straits; Love over Gold | 5:57 |
6. | "Money for Nothing" (Single edit, featuring Sting; Knopfler, Gordon Sumner) | Dire Straits; Brothers in Arms , 1985 | 4:04 |
7. | "Brothers in Arms" | Dire Straits; Brothers in Arms | 6:57 |
8. | "Walk of Life" | Dire Straits; Brothers in Arms | 4:08 |
9. | "On Every Street" | Dire Straits; On Every Street , 1991 | 5:03 |
10. | "Going Home (Theme from Local Hero )" | Mark Knopfler; Local Hero soundtrack, 1983 | 5:00 |
11. | "Why Aye Man" (Radio Edit) (featuring Jimmy Nail & Tim Healy) | Mark Knopfler; The Ragpicker's Dream , 2002 | 4:09 |
12. | "Boom, Like That" | Mark Knopfler; Shangri-La , 2004 | 5:49 |
13. | "What It Is" | Mark Knopfler; Sailing to Philadelphia , 2000 | 4:56 |
14. | "All the Roadrunning" (featuring Emmylou Harris) | Mark Knopfler; All the Roadrunning , 2006 | 4:49 |
Total length: | 77:13 |
No. | Title | Artist; original album | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Telegraph Road" | Dire Straits; Love over Gold | 14:20 |
2. | "Sultans of Swing" | Dire Straits; Dire Straits | 5:48 |
3. | "Love over Gold" | Dire Straits; Love Over Gold | 6:16 |
4. | "Romeo and Juliet" | Dire Straits; Making Movies | 6:00 |
5. | "Tunnel of Love" (Extract from "The Carousel Waltz" by Rodgers and Hammerstein) | Dire Straits; Making Movies | 8:10 |
6. | "Private Investigations" (Edit) | Dire Straits; Love over Gold | 5:57 |
7. | "So Far Away" | Dire Straits; Brothers in Arms | 5:07 |
8. | "Money for Nothing" (featuring Sting) | Dire Straits; Brothers in Arms | 8:24 |
9. | "Brothers in Arms" | Dire Straits; Brothers in Arms | 6:57 |
10. | "Walk of Life" | Dire Straits; Brothers in Arms | 4:08 |
11. | "Your Latest Trick" | Dire Straits; Brothers in Arms | 6:29 |
No. | Title | Artist; original album | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Calling Elvis" | Dire Straits; On Every Street | 6:24 |
2. | "On Every Street" | Dire Straits; On Every Street | 5:03 |
3. | "Going Home (Theme from Local Hero )" | Mark Knopfler; Local Hero soundtrack | 5:00 |
4. | "Darling Pretty" | Mark Knopfler; Golden Heart | 4:43 |
5. | "The Long Road (Theme from Cal )" | Mark Knopfler; Cal soundtrack | 7:17 |
6. | "Why Aye Man" (Radio Edit) (featuring Jimmy Nail & Tim Healy) | Mark Knopfler; The Ragpicker's Dream | 4:09 |
7. | "Sailing to Philadelphia" (Extended Album Version) (featuring James Taylor) | Mark Knopfler; Sailing to Philadelphia | 5:53 |
8. | "What It Is" | Mark Knopfler; Sailing to Philadelphia | 4:56 |
9. | "The Trawlerman's Song" | Mark Knopfler; Shangri-La | 5:02 |
10. | "Boom, Like That" | Mark Knopfler; Shangri-La | 5:49 |
11. | "All the Roadrunning" (featuring Emmylou Harris) | Mark Knopfler; All the Roadrunning | 4:49 |
Total length: | 135:52 |
No. | Title | Artist; original album | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Telegraph Road" | Dire Straits; Love Over Gold | 14:20 |
2. | "Sultans of Swing" | Dire Straits; Dire Straits | 5:48 |
3. | "Love Over Gold" | Dire Straits; Love Over Gold | 6:18 |
4. | "Romeo and Juliet" | Dire Straits; Making Movies | 6:00 |
5. | "Tunnel of Love" (Extract from "The Carousel Waltz" by Rodgers and Hammerstein) | Dire Straits; Making Movies | 8:10 |
6. | "Skateaway" | Dire Straits; Making Movies | 6:35 |
7. | "Private Investigations" (Edit) | Dire Straits; Love over Gold | 5:59 |
8. | "So Far Away" | Dire Straits; Brothers in Arms | 5:07 |
9. | "Money for Nothing" (featuring Sting) | Dire Straits; Brothers in Arms | 8:24 |
10. | "Walk of Life" | Dire Straits; Brothers in Arms | 4:08 |
11. | "Your Latest Trick" | Dire Straits; Brothers in Arms | 6:29 |
No. | Title | Artist; original album | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Calling Elvis" | Dire Straits; On Every Street | 6:24 |
2. | "On Every Street" | Dire Straits; On Every Street | 5:03 |
3. | "Going Home (Theme from Local Hero )" | Mark Knopfler; Local Hero soundtrack | 5:00 |
4. | "The Long Road (Theme from Cal )" | Mark Knopfler; Cal soundtrack | 7:21 |
5. | "Why Aye Man" (Radio Edit) (featuring Jimmy Nail & Tim Healy) | Mark Knopfler; The Ragpicker's Dream | 4:09 |
6. | "Sailing to Philadelphia" (Extended Album Version) (featuring James Taylor) | Mark Knopfler; Sailing to Philadelphia | 5:53 |
7. | "What It Is" | Mark Knopfler; Sailing to Philadelphia | 4:56 |
8. | "The Trawlerman's Song" | Mark Knopfler; Shangri-La | 5:02 |
9. | "Boom, Like That" | Mark Knopfler; Shangri-La | 5:49 |
10. | "Brothers in Arms" | Dire Straits; Brothers in Arms | 6:57 |
11. | "All the Roadrunning" (featuring Emmylou Harris) | Mark Knopfler; All the Roadrunning | 4:49 |
Total length: | 137:57 |
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
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Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Australia (ARIA) [36] | Platinum | 70,000^ |
Belgium (BEA) [37] | Platinum | 50,000* |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [38] | Platinum | 40,000^ |
Germany (BVMI) [39] | Platinum | 200,000‡ |
Ireland (IRMA) [40] | 2× Platinum | 30,000^ |
Italy (FIMI) [41] | Platinum | 50,000* |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [42] | Platinum | 15,000^ |
Poland (ZPAV) [43] | Platinum | 20,000‡ |
Portugal (AFP) [44] | Platinum | 20,000^ |
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [45] | Platinum | 80,000^ |
Sweden (GLF) [46] | Gold | 30,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [47] | 4× Platinum | 1,200,000‡ |
Summaries | ||
Europe (IFPI) [48] | Platinum | 1,000,000* |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Dire Straits is the debut studio album by the British rock band Dire Straits, released on 9 June 1978 by Vertigo Records internationally, Warner Bros. Records in the United States and Mercury Records in Canada. The album features the hit single "Sultans of Swing", which reached number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 8 on the UK Singles Chart. The album reached the top of the album charts in Germany, Australia and France, number 2 in the United States and number 5 in the United Kingdom. Dire Straits was later certified double platinum in both the United States and the United Kingdom by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) respectively.
Communiqué is the second studio album by British rock band Dire Straits, released on 5 June 1979 by Vertigo Records internationally, Warner Bros. Records in the United States and Mercury Records in Canada. The album featured the single "Lady Writer," which reached number 45 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 51 on the UK Singles Chart. The album reached number one on album charts in Germany, Spain, New Zealand, and Sweden, number 11 in the United States and number 5 in the United Kingdom. Communiqué was later certified gold in the United States, platinum in the United Kingdom and double-platinum in France.
Brothers in Arms is the fifth studio album by the British rock band Dire Straits, released on 17 May 1985, by 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.
Sailing to Philadelphia is the second solo studio album by British singer-songwriter and guitarist Mark Knopfler, released on 25 September 2000 by Vertigo Records internationally, and by Warner Bros. Records in the United States. The album contains featured vocal performances by James Taylor, Van Morrison, and Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook of Squeeze.
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.
Alchemy: Dire Straits Live is the first live album by the British rock band Dire Straits, released on 16 March 1984 by Vertigo Records internationally, and by Warner Bros. Records in the United States. Recorded at the Hammersmith Odeon in London on 22–23 July 1983, the double album features songs from the band's first four albums, the ExtendedancEPlay EP and Mark Knopfler's Local Hero soundtrack. Many of the songs have reworked arrangements and extended instrumental segments. The album cover is taken from a painting by Brett Whiteley.
Shangri-La is the fourth solo studio album by British singer-songwriter and guitarist Mark Knopfler, released on 28 September 2004 by Mercury Records internationally and Warner Bros. Records in the United States. Shangri-La received generally favorable reviews.
The Ragpicker's Dream is the third solo studio album by British singer-songwriter and guitarist Mark Knopfler, released on 30 September 2002 by Mercury Records internationally, and by Warner Bros. Records in the United States. The album received generally favorable reviews upon its release.
Golden Heart is the debut solo studio album by British singer-songwriter and guitarist Mark Knopfler, released on 25 March 1996 by Vertigo Records internationally and Warner Bros. Records in the United States. Following a successful career leading British rock band Dire Straits and composing a string of critically acclaimed film soundtrack albums, Knopfler recorded his first solo album, drawing upon the various musical influences he'd engaged since emerging as a major recording artist in 1978. The album reached the top-10 position on charts in Austria, Belgium, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The album peaked at 105 on the Billboard 200 in the United States.
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.
Money for Nothing is a greatest hits album by British rock band Dire Straits released on 14 October 1988, featuring highlights from the band's first five albums. The vinyl edition omits the song "Telegraph Road" and has a different running order.
"Private Investigations" is a song by the British rock band Dire Straits from their album Love over Gold. It reached number 2 in the United Kingdom, and is one of their biggest chart successes in the UK. The track has appeared on the compilation albums Money for Nothing and Sultans of Swing: The Very Best of Dire Straits, and is the title track to the more recent 2005 compilation, Private Investigations: The Best of Dire Straits & Mark Knopfler.
Sultans of Swing: The Very Best of Dire Straits is the second greatest hits compilation by the British rock band Dire Straits, released on 19 October 1998 by Mercury Records internationally, and by Warner Bros. Records in the United States. The album was originally released, featuring liner notes by Robert Sandall, as both a single CD and a limited edition double CD, with the second CD containing live recordings from Mark Knopfler's first solo tour in 1996. A DVD of the same name was also released, featuring the music videos of all the songs on the single CD version, in addition to short interviews with Mark Knopfler about each song. The album is named after the band's 1978 hit single of the same name. In 2002, a limited edition box set, comprising the two CDs and the DVD, was released as part of Universal's "Sight and Sound" series.
Westlife is the debut studio album by Irish boy band Westlife. The album was released on 1 November 1999 through RCA. The album spawned the five UK number-one hit singles "Swear It Again", "If I Let You Go", "Flying Without Wings", the double A-side "I Have a Dream"/"Seasons in the Sun", and "Fool Again".
Tracker is the eighth solo studio album by the British singer-songwriter and guitarist Mark Knopfler, released on 16 March 2015.