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Dire Straits

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Dire Straits was formed in London in 1977 by the brothers Mark and David Knopfler, bassist John Illsley and drummer Pick Withers. The brothers were born in Glasgow and grew up in the north-east of England. Mark was still working as an English teacher at the time. With a few hundred pounds they recorded a demo of five songs, including Sultans of Swing. A DJ at BBC Radio London played the song, and shortly afterwards the band had a record deal.

Music and breakthrough

Sultans of Swing, from the debut album Dire Straits (1978), became a top ten hit in England and America. Albums followed such as Communiqué (1979), Making Movies (1980) and Love Over Gold (1982), with songs such as Romeo and Juliet and Private Investigations. The greatest success came with Brothers in Arms (1985), with Money for Nothing and Walk of Life. It was the first album to sell a million copies on CD. The band played at Live Aid in 1985 and stopped for the first time in 1988. After a return with On Every Street (1991) and a last big world tour, the group broke up for good in 1995.

Influence

Dire Straits drew influences from country, folk, jazz and the blues rock of J.J. Cale. The bare, restrained sound came out of pub rock. At the centre was the guitar playing of Mark Knopfler, who played with his fingers rather than with a plectrum. Classic Rock called the group the greatest British rock band of the 1980s. In 2018 Dire Straits was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Sultans of Swing (1978). Notice Mark Knopfler's clear, fast guitar lines, which answer between the lines of the vocal, and the story about an unknown little jazz band playing in a pub to almost nobody.

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

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See also

Categories: Artists