Inspiration for the song came from witnessing a jazz band playing in the corner of a practically deserted pub in Deptford, South London. Dire Straits eventually went top 10 in every European country. Records before the end of 1978, Dire Straits had released their self-titled debut worldwide, which reached the top of the charts in Canada, Australia and New Zealand. This led to a United States recording contract with Warner Bros. That same year, Dire Straits began a tour as opening band for Talking Heads after the re-released “Sultans of Swing” finally started to climb the UK charts.
The group’s first album, Dire Straits, was recorded at Basing Street studios (established by Chris Blackwell, the founder of Island Records) in Notting Hill, London in February 1978, and was produced by Muff Winwood the older brother of Steve and both former members of the Spencer Davis Group. Two months later, Dire Straits signed a recording contract with Vertigo records. The band simply wanted advice, but Gillett liked the music so much that he played “Sultans of Swing” on his show. By 1977 the name Dire Straits was given to the band by a musician flatmate of Withers (it represented their financial condition they found themselves in) and the group recorded a five-song demo tape, which included their future hit single, “Sultans of Swing”.Īfter being rejected by MCA records they took the demos to BBC Radio London DJ Charlie Gillett, who had a radio show called “Honky Tonk”. Mark Knopfler had been working as a teacher at Art College, John Illsley was studying at Goldsmiths’ College, and David Knopfler was a social worker. His brother David moved to London, where he shared a flat with bassist John Illsley. By the mid-1970s, Knopfler devoted much of his musical energies to his next group, the Café Racers. In 1973, Mark moved to London and joined a pub rock band based in High Wycombe called Brewers Droop along with future Dire Straits drummer Pick Withers. At sixteen years old, he made a local television appearance as part of a harmony duo, with his classmate Sue Hercombe. Originally inspired by his uncle Kingsley’s harmonica and boogie-woogie piano playing, Mark formed and joined several bands during the 60’s and listened to singers like Elvis Presley and guitarists Chet Atkins, Scotty Moore, B.B King, Django Reinhardt, Hank Marvin, and James Burton. The family moved to Knopfler’s mother’s hometown of Blyth, near Newcastle, in North East England when Mark was seven years old. Mark Knopfler and his younger brother David Knopfler were born in Glasgow, Scotland. The band were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018. Dire Straits won four Grammy Awards, three Brit Awards (Best British Group twice), two MTV Video Music Awards, and various other music awards. Their 1985 release Brothers in Arms is the eighth-best-selling album in UK chart history. According to the Guinness Book of British Hit Albums, Dire Straits have spent over 1,100 weeks on the UK albums chart, ranking fifth all time.
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