Sultans of Swing: The Very Best of Dire Straits | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Greatest hits album by | ||||
Released | 19 October 1998 | |||
Recorded | 1978–1992 | |||
Genre | Roots rock | |||
Length | 78:59 | |||
Label | ||||
Dire Straits chronology | ||||
|
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
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.
All tracks are written by Mark Knopfler, except where noted
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original album | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Sultans of Swing" | Dire Straits , 1978 | 5:50 | |
2. | "Lady Writer" | Communiqué , 1979 | 3:49 | |
3. | "Romeo and Juliet" | Making Movies , 1980 | 6:05 | |
4. | "Tunnel of Love" (Containing an extract from Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Carousel Waltz") | Making Movies | 8:14 | |
5. | "Private Investigations"" (Edited version) | Love over Gold , 1982 | 5:54 | |
6. | "Twisting by the Pool" | ExtendedancEPlay , 1983 | 3:36 | |
7. | "Love over Gold" (live) | Alchemy: Dire Straits Live , 1984 | 3:40 | |
8. | "So Far Away" (Edited version) | Brothers in Arms , 1985 | 4:03 | |
9. | "Money for Nothing" ( Radio edit ) | Knopfler, Sting | Brothers in Arms | 4:09 |
10. | "Brothers in Arms" ( Radio edit ) | Brothers in Arms | 4:55 | |
11. | "Walk of Life" | Brothers in Arms | 4:12 | |
12. | "Calling Elvis" (Edited version) | On Every Street , 1991 | 4:41 | |
13. | "Heavy Fuel" | On Every Street | 4:54 | |
14. | "On Every Street" (Edited version) | On Every Street | 4:39 | |
15. | "Your Latest Trick" (live) | On the Night , 1993 | 5:41 | |
16. | "Local Hero/Wild Theme" (live) | Encores , 1993 | 4:23 |
The following tracks were recorded live at the Royal Albert Hall on 23 May 1996 by Mark Knopfler.
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Argentina (CAPIF) [31] | Platinum | 60,000^ |
Australia (ARIA) [32] | 6× Platinum | 420,000^ |
Austria (IFPI Austria) [33] | Gold | 25,000* |
Belgium (BEA) [34] | Platinum | 50,000* |
Finland (Musiikkituottajat) [35] | Platinum | 42,743 [35] |
France (SNEP) [36] | Platinum | 300,000* |
Germany (BVMI) [37] | Gold | 250,000^ |
Greece (IFPI Greece) [38] | Gold | 15,000^ |
Hungary (MAHASZ) [39] | Gold | |
Italy (FIMI) [40] | Gold | 50,000* |
Netherlands (NVPI) [41] | Gold | 50,000^ |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [42] | Platinum | 15,000^ |
Norway (IFPI Norway) [43] | Platinum | 50,000* |
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [44] | 2× Platinum | 200,000^ |
Sweden (GLF) [45] | Platinum | 80,000^ |
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [46] | Platinum | 50,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [47] | 2× Platinum | 600,000* |
Summaries | ||
Europe (IFPI) [48] | 4× Platinum | 4,000,000* |
* 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.
The Very Best of... Sting & The Police is a compilation album issued by A&M Records on 3 November 1997, containing a mix of Police songs and Sting's solo works. It originally featured one new track, a remix of the 1978 song "Roxanne" by rap artist Sean "Puffy" Combs. The album was reissued in 1998 by PolyGram International with "Russians" removed and three added tracks: "Seven Days", "Fragile", and "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da". The original European version issued by A&M Records of this compilation instead included these tracks without removing "Russians".
"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.
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 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 discography of English rock band Dire Straits consists of six studio albums, three live albums, three compilation albums, two extended plays and 31 singles. Dire Straits also have sold over 100 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling music artists in the world.
Tracker is the eighth solo studio album by the British singer-songwriter and guitarist Mark Knopfler, released on 16 March 2015.