So Far Away (Dire Straits song)

Last updated

"So Far Away"
Dire Straits - So Far Away.jpg
Single by Dire Straits
from the album Brothers in Arms
B-side
Released12 April 1985 [1]
Studio AIR (Salem, Montserrat)
Genre
Length
  • 5:12 (full version)
  • 3:59 (vinyl LP edit)
Label Vertigo
Songwriter(s) Mark Knopfler
Producer(s)
  • Mark Knopfler
  • Neil Dorfsman
Dire Straits singles chronology
"Love over Gold (Live)"
(1984)		"So Far Away"
(1985)		"Money for Nothing"
(1985)

"So Far Away" is a song by British rock band Dire Straits, the opening track on their fifth studio album Brothers in Arms (1985). It became the band's fourth top 20 hit, peaking at number 19. The original studio version of the track appeared on the 2005 compilation The Best of Dire Straits & Mark Knopfler: Private Investigations .

Contents

Reception

Cash Box said that "with a punchy guitar hook [it] should walk right into the Top 10." [4]

Single release

"So Far Away" was the lead single from Brothers in Arms in the UK and Europe on 12 April 1985. [1] The song charted at number 20 in the UK, but also reached the Top 5 in Norway (number 4), Top 10 in Switzerland (number 6) and Sweden (number 7) and Top 40 in Italy (number 33). The single was also released in Australia and peaked at number 22.

After the song climbed to number 29 on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in 1985, "So Far Away" was released a year later as the album's third single in North America, where it peaked at number 3 on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart and number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving Dire Straits a third consecutive Top 20 hit from Brothers in Arms on the Hot 100.

B-side

The 1985 European releases of "So Far Away" featured another track from Brothers in Arms, "Walk of Life". This song would itself be released as the fourth official single from the album in Europe (second in North America) in late 1985 reaching number 7 on the Hot 100 and number 2 in the UK – the band's highest ever charted single in their homeland. The 7" featured an edited version of "So Far Away" that was also used on the LP, but the 12" featured the full length version that was on the CD version. It is sometimes erroneously credited as an extended mix.

In the United States, the song used for the B-side was "If I Had You", from Dire Straits' 1983 EP ExtendedancEPlay . In Canada, a Limited Edition double Vinyl featuring the full length version of "So Far Away" was released, along with live renditions of "Going Home" and "Sultans of Swing", the instrumental section of "Why Worry" and a Mark Knopfler solo effort, "Fear and Hatred".

Live versions

A live version was released as the B-Side of the Knopfler solo single Why Aye Man in 2002. One of the songs on Knopfler's 2006 album, Real Live Roadrunning , is a duet version of "So Far Away" with American country-folk singer Emmylou Harris.

Charts

Chart (1985–1986)Peak
Position
Australia (Kent Music Report) [5] 22
Canadian RPM Singles Chart 24
Dutch Top 40 23
Finnish Singles Chart (Suomen virallinen lista) [6] 13
Irish Singles Chart 14
Italian Singles Chart 33
New Zealand Singles Chart 25
Norwegian Singles Chart 4
Spanish Singles Chart [7] 6
Swedish Singles Chart 7
Swiss Music Charts 6
South African top 20 [8] 5
UK Singles Chart 20
US Billboard Hot 100 19
US Hot Adult Contemporary 3
US Top Rock Tracks 29
US Cash Box Top 100 [9] 15

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [10] Gold30,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI) [11] Silver200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Personnel

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dire Straits</span> British rock band

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Knopfler</span> British musician (born 1949)

Mark Freuder Knopfler is a British guitarist, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He was the lead guitarist, singer and songwriter of the rock band Dire Straits from 1977 to 1995. He pursued a solo career after the band dissolved, and is now an independent artist.

<i>Dire Straits</i> (album) 1978 studio album by Dire Straits

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.

<i>Communiqué</i> (Dire Straits album) 1979 studio album by Dire Straits

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.

<i>Brothers in Arms</i> (album) 1985 studio album by Dire Straits

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.

<i>Making Movies</i> 1980 studio album by Dire Straits

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.

<i>On Every Street</i> 1991 studio album by Dire Straits

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sultans of Swing</span> 1978 single by Dire Straits

"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.

<i>Love over Gold</i> 1982 studio album by Dire Straits

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.

<i>Alchemy: Dire Straits Live</i> 1984 live album by Dire Straits

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Money for Nothing (song)</span> 1985 single by Dire Straits

"Money for Nothing" is a song by British rock band Dire Straits, being 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.

<i>On the Night</i> 1993 live album by Dire Straits

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Private Dancer (Tina Turner song)</span> 1984 single by Tina Turner

"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.

<i>Live at the BBC</i> (Dire Straits album) 1995 live album by Dire Straits

Live at the BBC is a live album by British rock band Dire Straits, released on 26 June 1995 on Vertigo Records internationally, and by Warner Bros. Records in the United States. The album was recorded on 22 July 1978 at BBC Studios in London, with one track recorded on 31 January 1981. The studio versions of the first six songs were released on Dire Straits. Live at the BBC was the band's third live album, preceded by Alchemy: Dire Straits Live (1984) and On the Night (1993).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Romeo and Juliet (Dire Straits song)</span> 1980 song by Dire Straits

"Romeo and Juliet" is a rock song by the British rock band Dire Straits, written by frontman Mark Knopfler. It first appeared on the 1980 album Making Movies and was released as a single in 1981. The song subsequently appeared on the Dire Straits live albums Alchemy and On the Night, and later on Knopfler's live duet album with Emmylou Harris, Real Live Roadrunning. The track was also featured on the greatest hits albums Money for Nothing, Sultans of Swing: The Very Best of Dire Straits, and The Best of Dire Straits & Mark Knopfler: Private Investigations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walk of Life</span> 1985 single by Dire Straits

"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, but had first been available as the B-side of "So Far Away" released several months earlier in advance of the album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Your Latest Trick</span> 1986 single by Dire Straits

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lady Writer</span> 1979 single by Dire Straits

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Setting Me Up</span> 1978 song by Dire Straits

"Setting Me Up" is a song written by Mark Knopfler. It was originally recorded by British rock group Dire Straits on their self-titled debut album but not released as a single. Ken Tucker in Rolling Stone described the song as a "heavenly number" combining humor with bitterness, despite having a typical messed-up romance theme. Tucker noted that the song's impact is enhanced by the growling tone in Knopfler's singing voice and by the song's country music-style guitar solo. Carly Darling in Billboard Magazine praised the song's rockabilly guitar but criticizes the lyrics.

References

  1. 1 2 "Strait and narrow" (PDF). Record Mirror . 6 April 1985. p. 4. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  2. ↑ "Top 10 Dire Straits Songs". Ultimate Classic Rock. 20 July 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  3. ↑ Rose, James (15 September 2015). "30 Years Since: Dire Straits' 'Brothers in Arms' Album". Daily Review . Retrieved 17 January 2020. The opening tracks are pretty conventional pop-rock chart shooters
  4. ↑ "Single Releases" (PDF). Cash Box. 1 March 1986. p. 11. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  5. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 . St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  6. ↑ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava.
  7. ↑ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN   84-8048-639-2.
  8. ↑ "South African Charts 1969–1989: Artists (D)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  9. ↑ "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending April 26, 1986". Archived from the original on 2 October 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) Cash Box magazine.
  10. ↑ "Spanish single certifications – Dire Straits – So Far Away". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España . Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  11. ↑ "British single certifications – Dire Straits – So Far Away". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 24 March 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.