Mark Knopfler didn't always get “money for nothing”; after his divorce, he moved in with his brother David to save on rent, prompting a friend to dub their new band Dire Straits. They might not have had much cash, but they put what they did have to good use – it took all of £120 to record their first major-label single, Sultans Of Swing, which became a Top 10 hit on both sides of the Atlantic. That ode to cool club combos may be the most famous of the 9 tracks on Dire Straits, but the album is filled with sharply sketched gems like Water Of Love, Down To The Waterline and Wild West End. Knopfler's lean guitar licks and Dylanesque delivery add a kick to the band's intoxicating blend of roots, jazz and pub rock sounds, and one listen to Dire Straits makes clear that these sultans were swinging for the fences.
Let’s enjoy those swinging hits below!
Dire Straits | ‘Sultans Of Swing’
Dire Straits | ‘Wild West End’
Dire Straits | ‘Water Of Love’
READ MORE: FLASHBACK TO DIRE STRAITS’ ‘MONEY FOR NOTHING’ AT WEMBLEY ARENA IN 1985
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