The Music of DIRE STRAITS

Dire Straits were a british rock band, formed in 1977 by Mark Knopfler (guitar and vocals), his brother David Knopfler (guitar), John Illsley (bass), and Pick Withers (drums), and subsequently managed by Ed Bicknell. Although the band was formed in an era when punk rock reigned, Dire Straits worked within the conventions of classic rock, albeit with a stripped-down sound that appealed to modern audiences weary of the overproduced stadium rock of the 1970s. In their early days, Mark and David requested that pub owners turn down the amps so that patrons could converse while the band played — indicative of their unassuming demeanor. Despite this oddly self-effacing approach to rock and roll, Dire Straits soon became hugely successful with their first album going multi-platinum globally.

The band's best-known songs include "Sultans of Swing," "Romeo and Juliet," "Private Investigations," "Money for Nothing," "Walk of Life" and "Brothers in Arms."

In 1978, Dire Straits recorded their first album, Dire Straits, at Basing Street studios (now known as 'Sarm West') near Portobello Road in West London for £12,500. After its initial UK release on Vertigo, a division of Phonogram, the album came to the attention of Karin Berg, an assistant in the artists and repertoire (A&R) department of Warner Bros. Records in New York City. She felt it was the kind of music that audiences were hungry for, but only one person in her department agreed at first. "Other people didn't hear it," she recalled. "The act was doing poorly in the U.K., and the record wasn't getting air play. It was totally out of left field. But we fought through and took it to the label (Warner Bros. Records) We signed it, put out the record and it went platinum." Later, re-released as a single, "Sultans of Swing" became a surprise UK chart hit, making the top 10. The first album eventually went top ten in every European country.

The group's second album, Communiqué followed in 1979. Communiqué showed as number one in the German album charts with Dire Straits simultaneously at number 3. Both albums are characterised by a stripped-down sound. However, this would change, along with the band's line-up, over the years. Mark Knopfler and John Illsley played together till the dissolution of Dire Straits, the only two founding members to do so.

Listen to their songs.