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Dire Straits
Dire Straits in Drammenshallen, Norway, 1985
Background information
Origin	Deptford, London, England
Genres	Roots rock blues rock pub rock
Years active	1977 (1977)–1988 (1988) 1991 (1991)–1995 (1995)
Labels	Vertigo Mercury Warner Bros.
Associated acts	The Notting Hillbillies Eric Clapton Sting Brewers Droop
Past members	Mark Knopfler John Illsley Pick Withers David Knopfler Alan Clark Hal Lindes Terry Williams Guy Fletcher Jack Sonni Chris White Phil Palmer Chris Whitten

Dire Straits were a British rock band formed in London in 1977 by Mark Knopfler (lead vocals and lead guitar), David Knopfler (rhythm guitar and backing vocals), John Illsley (bass guitar and backing vocals), and Pick Withers (drums and percussion). They were active from 1977 to 1988 and again from 1991 to 1995. The band became one of the world's best-selling music artists, with album sales of over 100 million.^[1]

Their first hit single "Sultans of Swing", from their self-titled debut album released in 1978, reached the top ten in the US chart and became a top ten hit in the UK the following year. The band released several hit singles in the 1980s, such as "Romeo and Juliet" (1981), "Private Investigations" (1982), "Twisting by the Pool" (1983), "Money for Nothing" (1985), and "Walk of Life" (1985).^[2] Their most commercially successful album was Brothers in Arms (1985), which has sold more than 30 million copies and was the first album to sell a million copies on the compact disc (CD) format.^[3][4] Dire Straits' sound was drawn from a wide variety of musical influences including jazz, folk, and country, as well as the blues-rock of J. J. Cale and Eric Clapton.^[5] Their stripped-down sound contrasted with punk rock and demonstrated a roots rock influence that emerged from pub rock.

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.^[6]Brothers in Arms is the eighth-best-selling album in UK chart history. Their career spanned 15 years. They split up in 1988, reformed in 1991, and disbanded again in 1995 after Mark Knopfler launched his solo career full-time. There were several changes in personnel over both periods, with Mark Knopfler and Illsley the only members who remained throughout the band's career. Dire Straits won four Grammy Awards, three Brit Awards (Best British Group twice), two MTV Video Music Awards, and various other music awards.^[7] The band were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.

History

1977–1979: Early years and first two albums

PRS for Music heritage plaque commemorating Dire Straits' first performance in Deptford, London

Brothers Mark and David Knopfler, from Newcastle in northeast England, and friends John Illsley and Pick Withers, both from Leicester in the east midlands of England, formed the band in London in 1977.^[8] Withers, already a 10-year music business veteran, was the most seasoned of the quartet, having been a session drummer for Dave Edmunds, Gerry Rafferty, Magna Carta and others through the 1970s, as well as having been part of the group Spring which recorded an album for RCA in 1971. At the time of the band's formation, Mark Knopfler was working as a teacher at art college, John Illsley was studying at Goldsmiths' College, and David Knopfler was a social worker.^[9] Mark Knopfler and Withers had previously both been part of the pub rock group Brewers Droop at different points in around 1973.^[10]

Initially known as the Café Racers, the name Dire Straits was given to the band by a musician flatmate of Withers, allegedly thought up while they were rehearsing in the kitchen of a friend, Simon Cowe, of Lindisfarne. In 1977, the group recorded a five-song demo tape which included their future hit single, "Sultans of Swing", as well as "Water of Love" and "Down to the Waterline".^[11] After a performance at The Rock Garden in 1977, they took a demo tape to MCA in Soho but were turned down. Then they went to DJ Charlie Gillett, who had a radio show called "Honky Tonk" on BBC Radio London.^[12] The band simply wanted advice, but Gillett liked the music so much that he played "Sultans of Swing" on his show. Two months later, Dire Straits signed a recording contract with the Vertigo division of Phonogram Inc.^[13] In October 1977, the band recorded demo tapes of "Southbound Again", "In the Gallery" and "Six Blade Knife" for BBC Radio London; in November demo tapes were made of "Setting Me Up", "Eastbound Train" and "Real Girl".^[12]

The original Dire Straits line-up in Hamburg, Germany (1978) L to R: John Illsley, Mark Knopfler, Pick Withers and David Knopfler.

The group's first album, Dire Straits, was recorded at Basing Street studios in Notting Hill, London in February 1978, at a cost of £12,500.^[14] Produced by Muff Winwood, the album was first released in the United Kingdom on Vertigo Records, then a division of Phonogram Inc. The album came to the attention of A&R representative Karin Berg, working at Warner Bros. Records in New York City. She felt that it was the kind of music audiences were hungry for, but only one person in her department agreed at first.^[14] Many of the songs on the album reflected Mark Knopfler's experiences in Newcastle, Leeds and London. "Down to the Waterline" recalled images of life in Newcastle; "In the Gallery" is a tribute to Leeds sculptor/artist Harry Phillips (father of Steve Phillips); "Wild West End" and "Lions" were drawn from Knopfler's early days in the capital.^[15][16]

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.^[17] This led to a United States recording contract with Warner Bros. Records; before the end of 1978, Dire Straits had released their self-titled debut worldwide. They received more attention in the US, but also arrived at the top of the charts in Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Dire Straits eventually went top 10 in every European country.^[13]

	"Sultans Of Swing" "Sultans of Swing" features in Dire Straits' debut album, which frontman Mark Knopfler wrote and composed. Although it was first released in 1978, it was its 1979 re-release that caused it to become a hit in both the UK and US
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The following year, Dire Straits embarked on their first North American tour. They played 51 sold-out concerts over a 38-day period.^[18] "Sultans of Swing" scaled the charts to number four in the United States and number eight in the United Kingdom.^[17][19] The song was one of Dire Straits' biggest hits and became a fixture in the band's live performances. Bob Dylan, who had seen the band play in Los Angeles, was so impressed that he invited Mark Knopfler and drummer Pick Withers to play on his next album, Slow Train Coming.^[20]

Recording sessions for the group's second album, Communiqué, took place in December 1978 at Compass Point Studios in Nassau, Bahamas. Released in June 1979, Communiqué was produced by Jerry Wexler and Barry Beckett and went to No. 1 on the German album charts, with the debut album Dire Straits simultaneously at No. 3. In the United Kingdom the album peaked at No. 5 in the album charts. Featuring the single "Lady Writer", the second album continued in a similar vein as the first and displayed the expanding scope of Knopfler's lyricism on the opening track, "Once Upon a Time in the West".^[21] In the coming year, however, this approach began to change, along with the group's line-up.

1980–1984: Increased musical complexity and early success

Mark Knopfler and Hal Lindes

In 1980, Dire Straits were nominated for two Grammy Awards for Best New Artist and Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for "Sultans of Swing".^[22] In July 1980 the band started recording tracks for their third album. Produced by Jimmy Iovine with Mark Knopfler also sharing credit, Making Movies was released in October 1980. During the recording sessions, tension between Mark and David Knopfler took its toll on the band, and David Knopfler left over creative differences with his brother to pursue a solo career; he was uncredited on the album.^[23] The sessions continued with Sid McGinnis on rhythm guitar and keyboardist Roy Bittan from Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band. After the recording sessions were completed, keyboardist Alan Clark and Californian guitarist Hal Lindes joined Dire Straits as full-time members for tours of Europe, North America, and Oceania.^[14]

Making Movies received mostly positive reviews and featured longer songs with more complex arrangements, a style which would continue for the rest of the band's career. The album featured many of Mark Knopfler's most personal compositions. The most successful chart single was "Romeo and Juliet" (number 8 in the UK singles chart), a song about a failed love affair, with Knopfler's trademark in keeping personal songs under fictitious names.^[24] Although never released as a hit single, "Solid Rock" was featured in all Dire Straits' live shows from this point on for the remainder of their career, while the album's lengthy opening track, "Tunnel of Love", with its intro "The Carousel Waltz" by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, was featured in the film An Officer and a Gentleman. Although "Tunnel of Love" only reached the position of No. 54 in the UK Singles Chart when released as a single in 1981, it remains one of Dire Straits' most famous and popular songs and immediately became a favourite at concerts. Making Movies stayed in the UK Albums Chart for five years, peaking at No. 4.^[25]Rolling Stone ranked Making Movies number 52 on its list of the "100 Best Albums of the Eighties".^[26]

Knopfler and Lindes on stage in Amsterdam, June 1981

Dire Straits' fourth studio album Love Over Gold, an album of songs filled with lengthy, experimental passages that featured Alan Clark's piano and keyboard work, was well received when it was released in September 1982, going gold in America and spending four weeks at number one in the United Kingdom. The title was inspired by graffiti seen from the window of Knopfler's old council flat in London. The phrase was taken from the sleeve of an album by Captain Beefheart. Love Over Gold was the first Dire Straits album produced solely by Mark Knopfler, and its main chart hit, "Private Investigations", gave Dire Straits their first top 5 hit single in the United Kingdom, where it reached the number 2 position despite its almost seven-minute length, and became another of the band's most popular live songs.^[27]

In other parts of the world, "Industrial Disease", a song that looks at the decline of the British manufacturing industry in the early 1980s, focusing on strikes, depression and dysfunctionality, was the main single from the album, particularly in Canada, where it became a top 10 hit. As well as the title track and "It Never Rains", Love Over Gold featured the 14-minute-long epic "Telegraph Road". Also written by Knopfler during this period was "Private Dancer", which did not appear on the album, but was eventually given to Tina Turner for her comeback album of the same name. Love Over Gold reportedly sold two million copies during the first six weeks after its release. Shortly after the release of Love Over Gold, drummer Pick Withers left the band. His replacement was Terry Williams, formerly of Rockpile and a range of other Welsh bands including Man.^[28]

Knopfler in Zagreb, 1983

In 1983, a four-song EP titled ExtendedancEPlay was released while Love Over Gold was still in the album charts. It featured the hit single "Twisting By the Pool" which reached the Top 20 in the UK and Canada. The band won Best British Group at the 1983 Brit Awards.^[29] With session keyboard player Tommy Mandel added to the live line-up to help Clark cover the band's increasingly detailed arrangements, Dire Straits embarked on an eight month long Love over Gold Tour which finished with two sold out concerts London's Hammersmith Odeon on 22 and 23 July 1983. The double album Alchemy Live was a recording of excerpts from these two concerts and was reportedly released without studio overdubs. It was mixed in November 1983 and released in March 1984, reaching the Top 3 in the UK Albums Chart.^[30] The concert was also issued on VHS and was remastered and released on DVD and Blu-ray in 2010.

During 1983 and 1984 Mark Knopfler was also involved in other projects outside of the band. He wrote the music scores for the films Local Hero and Cal, which were also released as albums.^[31] Also, during this time Knopfler produced Bob Dylan's Infidels as well as Aztec Camera and Willy DeVille. Also in 1984, John Illsley released his first solo album, Never Told a Soul, to which Mark Knopfler, Alan Clark and Terry Williams contributed.^[32]

1985–1986: The Brothers in Arms era and international success

Dire Straits returned to recording at the end of 1984, and began recording tracks at Air Studios in Montserrat for their upcoming fifth studio album to be titled Brothers in Arms with Mark Knopfler and Neil Dorfsman producing. The recording sessions saw further personnel changes. Mandel had returned to session work and the band added a full-time second keyboardist, Guy Fletcher, who had previously worked as a session musician with Roxy Music and on the Cal soundtrack.^[14] Guitarist Hal Lindes left the band during the recording sessions and was replaced by New York guitarist Jack Sonni.^[33]

	"Money for Nothing" "Money for Nothing" was notable for its controversial lyrics, ground-breaking music video, and a cameo appearance by Sting singing the song's falsetto introduction and backing chorus, "I want my MTV."
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According to a Sound on Sound magazine interview with Neil Dorfsman, the performance of then-permanent drummer Terry Williams was considered to be unsuitable for the desired sound of the album during the first month of the recording sessions. Williams was temporarily replaced by jazz session drummer Omar Hakim, who re-recorded the album's drum parts during a two day stay before leaving for other commitments.^[34] Both Hakim and Williams are credited on the album,^[33] although Williams' only contribution was the improvised crescendo at the beginning of "Money for Nothing". Andy Kanavan was briefly with the band as a drummer. Williams would be back in the band for the music videos and the 1985–1986 Brothers in Arms world tour that followed.^[33]

Released in May 1985, Brothers in Arms entered the UK Albums Chart at number 1 and spent a total of 228 weeks in the charts.^[35] It went on to become the best-selling album of 1985 in the UK.^[17]Brothers in Arms was similarly successful in the US, peaking at No. 1 on Billboard 200 for nine weeks, going multi-platinum, selling nine million copies.^[22][36] The album spent 34 weeks at number 1 on the Australian ARIA Charts, and it remains the longest-running number one album in Australia.^[37]

A National Style 0 resonator guitar features on the cover of Brothers in Arms. Knopfler also used the guitar in the 1981 single "Romeo and Juliet"

The album featured a more lavish production and overall sound than Dire Straits' earlier work, and spawned several big chart singles: "Money for Nothing", which reached number 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and number 4 in the UK Singles Chart, "So Far Away" (No. 20 UK, No. 19 US), "Brothers in Arms" (No. 16 UK), "Walk of Life" (No. 2 UK, No. 7 US), and "Your Latest Trick" (No. 26 UK).^[22] "Money for Nothing" was the first video to be played on MTV in the UK and featured guest vocals by Sting, who is credited with co-writing the song with Mark Knopfler, although it was the inclusion of the melody from "Don't Stand So Close To Me" that triggered the copyright credit, as no actual lyrics were written by Sting. It also won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal in February 1986.^[38]

Brothers in Arms was the first album recorded entirely digitally due to Knopfler pushing for improved sound quality.^[39][40] Written around the period of the British involvement in the Falklands War, the album's title track, "Brothers in Arms", has become a favourite at military funerals.^[41] Reported to be the world's first CD single, it was issued in the UK as a promotional item distinguished with a logo for the tour, Live in '85, while a second to commemorate the Australian leg of the tour marked Live in '86.^[42] Containing just four tracks, it had a very limited run. "Walk of Life" meanwhile was nearly excluded from the album when co-producer Neil Dorfsman voted against its inclusion, but the band members out-voted him. The result was Dire Straits' most commercially successful hit single in the UK, peaking at number two.^[17]

Dire Straits performing in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, (now Serbia) on 10 May 1985. Mark Knopfler, Clark, and Jack Sonni (left to right).

The album is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the first compact disc (CD) to sell a million copies,^[43] and it has been credited with popularising the CD format.^[39][44]The Guardian ranked the Brothers in Arms CD number 38 in their list of the 50 key events in rock music history.^[39] The album featured the full version of the "Money for Nothing" cut, rather than the LP version, and it also includes extended versions of all tracks on the first side of the LP, with the exception of "Walk of Life".^[45]

The 1985–1986 Brothers in Arms world tour which followed the album's release was phenomenally successful, with over 2.5 million tickets sold.^[46] The tour included dates in Europe, Israel, North America, and Australia and New Zealand. The band played 248 shows in over 100 different cities.^[47] Saxophonist Chris White joined the band, and the tour began on 25 April 1985 in Split, Croatia (then part of Yugoslavia). While playing a 13-night residency at Wembley Arena in London, the band moved down the road to Wembley Stadium on the afternoon of 13 July 1985, to appear in a Live Aid slot,^[48] in which their set included "Money For Nothing" with Sting as guest vocalist. The tour ended at the Sydney Entertainment Centre, Australia on 26 April 1986, where Dire Straits still holds the record for consecutive appearances at 21 nights.^[49] The band also made an impromptu attempt at the Australian folk song "Waltzing Matilda". With 900,000 tickets sold in Australia and New Zealand it was the biggest concert tour in Australasian music history, until it was overtaken in 2017–2018 by Ed Sheeran.^[50]

Dire Straits performed at Live Aid at the old Wembley Stadium (exterior pictured) on 13 July 1985 in between 13 dates at the nearby Wembley Arena

Additionally in 1985, a group set out from London to Khartoum to raise money for famine relief led by John Abbey, was called "The Walk of Life". Dire Straits donated the Brothers in Arms Gold disc to the participants in recognition of what they were doing. The band's concert of 10 July 1985 at Wembley Arena, in which they were accompanied by Nils Lofgren for "Solid Rock" and Hank Marvin joined the band at the end to play "Going Home" (the theme from Local Hero), was televised in the United Kingdom on The Tube on Channel 4 in January 1986.^[51] (Although never officially released, bootleg recordings of the performance entitled Wembley does the Walk (2005) have been circulated.)

In 1986 Brothers in Arms won two Grammy Awards, and also won Best British Album at the 1987 Brit Awards.^[38][52]Q magazine placed the album at number 51 in its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever in 2000.^[53] The album also ranked number 351 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" in 2003.^[54]Brothers in Arms is also ranked number 3 in the best albums of 1985 and number 31 in the best albums of the 1980s, and as of December 2017, the album was ranked the eighth-best-selling album in UK chart history, and is the 107th-best-selling album in the United States.^[55] In August 1986, MTV Europe was launched with Dire Straits' "Money for Nothing".^[56]

1987–1990: First break-up

After the Brothers in Arms tour ended Mark Knopfler took a break from Dire Straits and during 1987 he concentrated on solo projects and film soundtracks. Dire Straits regrouped in 1988 for the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute concert staged on 11 June 1988 at Wembley Stadium, in which they were the headline act. They were joined for their set by Eric Clapton who performed his hit "Wonderful Tonight" with the group and played rhythm guitar on the other songs performed by the band, while guitarist Jack Sonni was absent.^[57] Soon afterwards, Williams left the band.^[58]

A 1989 signed Knopfler guitar at the Blues bar in Chicago.

Mark Knopfler announced the official dissolution of Dire Straits in September 1988. He told Rob Tannenbaum in Rolling Stone: "A lot of press reports were saying we were the biggest band in the world. There's not an accent then on the music, there's an accent on popularity. I needed a rest."^[59] The tremendous success of the Brothers in Arms album and the tour that went with it left the band members under a significant amount of stress, and Knopfler announced that he wanted to work on more personal projects.^[13] A greatest hits album, slyly titled Money for Nothing, was released in October 1988 and reached the number one position in the United Kingdom.^[27] Also in 1988, John Illsley released his second solo album, Glass which featured Mark Knopfler, Alan Clark, Guy Fletcher and Chris White.^[60]

In 1989, over a meal at a Notting Hill wine bar,^[57] Knopfler formed The Notting Hillbillies, a country-focused band whose line-up featured Guy Fletcher, Brendan Croker, and Steve Phillips and manager Ed Bicknell on drums. The Notting Hillbillies' one album, Missing...Presumed Having a Good Time with its minor hit single "Your Own Sweet Way", was released in 1990. The Notting Hillbillies toured for the remainder of the year, and also appeared on Saturday Night Live. Knopfler would further emphasise his country music influences on his 1990 collaboration with guitarist Chet Atkins, Neck and Neck.^[61]

In 1990, Dire Straits performed alongside Elton John and Eric Clapton at Knebworth Festival, playing three songs: "Solid Rock", "Money for Nothing" and a song which Knopfler prefaced as an experimental song, unsure if they should record it on a following record.^[62] The song, a blues rock piece with solos by both Knopfler and Clapton, was titled "I Think I Love You Too Much". This song also appeared on the 1990 album Hell To Pay as a gift^[63] to Canadian blues/jazz artist Jeff Healey from Knopfler. This was prior to the time that Knopfler, Illsley and manager Ed Bicknell decided to reform the band the following year.^[64]

1991–1995: Resurrection, final albums and final dissolution

In early 1991, Dire Straits were back in business. Retaining Bicknell as their manager, Dire Straits was trimmed down and comprised only four members once again: Clark, Fletcher, Illsley and Knopfler.^[64] The band began recording tracks for a new album, integrating new musicians who included steel guitarist Paul Franklin, and percussionist Danny Cummings. Saxophonist Chris White returned, and guitarist Phil Palmer filled the vacancy left by Sonni. During the recording sessions, Toto drummer Jeff Porcaro performed in place of Williams.^[65]

Following their On Every Street Tour, John Illsley stated, "Whatever the zeitgeist was that we had been part of, it had passed. Personal relationships were in trouble and it put a terrible strain on everybody, emotionally and physically. We were changed by it."^[66]

Dire Straits released their final studio album, On Every Street, in September 1991, which, although a highly anticipated release, met with more moderate success and mixed reviews, as well as a significantly reduced audience, despite Dire Straits' previous international success. Some reviewers including the All Music Guide^[67] dubbed On Every Street as an "underwhelming" follow-up to Brothers in Arms. However, it still managed to sell 8 million copies, reaching number one in the United Kingdom and number 12 in the United States.^[17][19]

The album failed to produce a major hit single in the United Kingdom. The first single release was the opening track "Calling Elvis", which had a video based on the 1960s television show Thunderbirds. It charted at number 21 in the UK but dropped out of the charts within four weeks. The follow-up single, "Heavy Fuel", failed to reach the Top 50 in the UK singles chart, however in the United States the track reached number one on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart,^[68] their second song to do so (after "Money for Nothing"). Similarly, the album's title track was also relatively unsuccessful, failing to reach the UK Top 40. The final single released from the album and from the band in the UK was "The Bug", which contains backing vocals by Vince Gill, who was also invited to join the band full-time but declined, and pursued a solo career.^[69]

With session drummer Chris Whitten added to the lineup, Dire Straits embarked on a world tour to promote the album which lasted until October 1992. The On Every Street Tour featured 300 shows in front of some 7.1 million ticket-buying fans. While musically more elaborate than the previous 1985–86 world tour, the band's gruelling final tour was not as critically acclaimed nor as successful commercially. This proved to be too much for Dire Straits, and by this time Mark Knopfler had had enough of such massive operations. This would eventually lead to the second and final break-up of the band. Bill Flanagan described the sequence of events in GQ: "The subsequent world tour lasted nearly two years, made mountains of money and drove Dire Straits into the ground. When the tour was over, both Knopfler's marriage and his band were gone."^[13]

Manager Ed Bicknell also said "The last tour was utter misery. Whatever the zeitgeist was that we had been part of, it had passed." John Illsley agreed, saying "Personal relationships were in trouble and it put a terrible strain on everybody, emotionally and physically. We were changed by it."^[70] The last stop and final touring concert of the group took place on 9 October 1992 in Zaragoza, Spain.^[71]

After the end of the tour, Mark Knopfler expressed a wish to give up touring on a big scale, and took some time out from the music business. A live album, On the Night, was released in May 1993, which documented the tour, again to very mixed reviews. Nevertheless, it reached the UK Top 5, a rare achievement for a live album.^[17] The four track Encores EP was also released and rose to number one in the French and Spanish singles charts.^[72][73]

Dire Straits' final album, Live at the BBC, was a collection of live recordings from 1978 to 1981, which mostly featured the original line-up of the band.^[74] Released in June 1995, their third and final live album was a contractual release to Vertigo Records (now a division of Mercury Records).^[74] At this time, Mark Knopfler quietly disbanded Dire Straits and prepared to work on his first full-fledged solo album (still signed to Mercury Records).^[75]

1996–present: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction

After disbanding Dire Straits, Mark Knopfler started his career as a solo artist, releasing his first solo album, Golden Heart, in March 1996 after nearly 20 years of collaborations. Brothers in Arms was certified nine times platinum in the US in August 1996.^[22] During that year, the entire Dire Straits catalogue was remastered by Bob Ludwig and re-released on CD on Mercury Records, in most of the world outside the United States. The remasters were released in September 2000 in the United States, on Warner Bros. Knopfler, John Illsley, Alan Clark, and Guy Fletcher reunited for one last time on 19 June 1999, with Ed Bicknell on drums, playing five songs including a performance of Chuck Berry's "Nadine" for Illsley's wedding.^[76] In 2002, Mark Knopfler was joined by John Illsley, Guy Fletcher, Danny Cummings and Chris White for four charity concerts. Brendan Croker joined Knopfler during the first half, playing mainly material composed with The Notting Hillbillies. Illsley came on for a Dire Straits session, toward the end of which, at a Shepherd's Bush concert, Jimmy Nail came on to provide backing vocals for Knopfler's solo composition, "Why Aye Man". The song appears in the 2002 album The Ragpicker's Dream, an album that contains numerous other references to Knopfler's home area in North East England.^[77]

The most recent compilation, The Best of Dire Straits & Mark Knopfler: Private Investigations, was released in November 2005 and reached the UK Top 20. Featuring material from the majority of Dire Straits' studio albums as well as Mark Knopfler's solo and soundtrack material, it was released in two editions, a single CD with grey cover and a double CD in blue cover. The only previously unreleased track on the album, "All the Roadrunning", is a duet with singer Emmylou Harris. The album was well received. Also in 2005 Brothers in Arms was re-released in a limited 20th anniversary edition, which was a success, winning a Grammy Award for Best Surround Sound Album at the 48th Grammy Awards ceremony.^[78]

Mark Knopfler, pictured in 2015, has declined offers to reform the band, stating "It just got too big. If anyone can tell me one good thing about fame, I'd be very interested to hear it."^[79]

Since the break-up of Dire Straits, Mark Knopfler has shown no interest in reforming the band and is quoted as saying "Oh, I don't know whether to start getting all that stuff back together again,"^[79] and telling reporters that "I would only do that for a charity. I'm glad I've experienced it all – I had a lot of fun with it – but I like things the way they are." However, keyboardist Guy Fletcher has been associated with almost every piece of Knopfler's solo material to date, and Danny Cummings has frequently contributed, notably to three of Knopfler's most recent solo album releases All the Roadrunning (with Emmylou Harris), Kill to Get Crimson and Get Lucky.^[80][81]

In 2007, Knopfler said he did not miss the global fame that came his way at the height of the band's success, explaining that "It just got too big."^[79] In October 2008, John Illsley told the BBC that he wanted Knopfler to agree to reform Dire Straits for a comeback tour. Knopfler declined, saying that he was often reluctant to reform the group and insisted that he "isn't even a fan of Dire Straits' early hits."^[82][83] In the same interview, Illsley also suggested that Knopfler is enjoying his continued success as a solo artist, saying that "He's doing incredibly well as a solo artist, so hats off to him. He's having a perfectly good time doing what he's doing."^[79]Guy Fletcher stated on his website that Knopfler has no interest in reforming Dire Straits.^[84]

In December 2009, the band was commemorated with a Heritage Award from PRS for Music. A plaque was placed on a block of flats in Deptford, London, the location where Dire Straits played their first gig.^[85] In 2011, Alan Clark, Chris White, and Phil Palmer, along with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' drummer Steve Ferrone, put together a band called "The Straits", to perform at a charity show at the Royal Albert Hall in London.^[86] On 13 December 2017 Dire Straits were announced as inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for 2018.^[87] Speaking to Billboard magazine, John Illsley stated, "it fills me with a lot of pleasure to be recognized and to be included in the thing that we love doing best, which is making music and playing rock n' roll".^[71] On a possible reunion performance he added, "Mark [Knopfler] is quite sort of restrained about things like this. We have spoken about (the induction), and we just said, 'Oh, that's nice.' I think it would probably be important if Mark and I were there. I'll definitely be there, and I'll definitely talk Mark into coming as well. It's essentially up to him if he wants to do anything, and I completely respect his feelings about it. He doesn't want too much white light."^[71] Knopfler did not appear at the ceremony, with Illsley stating, "I'll assure you it's a personal thing. Let's just leave it at that."^[88]

Band members

• 
  Mark Knopfler: lead vocals, guitar (1977–1995)
  


• 
  John Illsley: bass, vocals, guitar (1977–1995)
  


• 
  Pick Withers: drums (1977–1982)
  


• 
  David Knopfler: guitar, keyboards, vocals (1977–1980)
  


• 
  Alan Clark: keyboards (1980–1995)
  


• 
  Hal Lindes: guitar (1980–1985)
  


• 
  Terry Williams: drums (1982–1984, 1985–1988)
  


• 
  Guy Fletcher: keyboards, guitar, vocals (1984–1995)
  


• 
  Jack Sonni: guitar (1985–1988)
  

Discography

Studio albums

• 
  Dire Straits (1978)


• 
  Communiqué (1979)


• 
  Making Movies (1980)


• 
  Love over Gold (1982)


• 
  Brothers in Arms (1985)


• 
  On Every Street (1991)

Awards

Honoured and inducted

• 
  PRS for Music Heritage Award 2009


• 
  Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2018

Won

• 
  Brit Awards 1980 – British Group


• 
  Brit Awards 1986 – British Group


• 
  Grammy Award 1986 – Best Rock Performance by a Duo Or Group (for "Money for Nothing")


• 
  Grammy Award 1986 – Brothers in Arms Best Engineered Recording, Non-Classical (for Brothers in Arms, Mark Knopfler Neil Dorfsman engineer)


• 
  Juno Award 1986 – International Album of the Year


• 
  MTV Video Music Award 1986 – Video of the Year (for "Money for Nothing")


• 
  MTV Video Music Award 1986 – Best Group Video (for "Money for Nothing")


• 
  Brit Awards 1987 – British Album of the Year (for Brothers in Arms)


• 
  Grammy Award 1987 – Best Music Video (for "Brothers in Arms")


• 
  Grammy Award 2006 – Best Surround Sound Album (for his surround sound production for Brothers in Arms—20th Anniversary Edition, Chuck Ainlay, surround mix engineer; Bob Ludwig, surround mastering engineer; Chuck Ainlay and Mark Knopfler, surround producers)

Nominated

• 
  Grammy Award 1980 – Best New Artist


• 
  Grammy Award 1980 – Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group (for "Sultans of Swing")


• 
  American Music Award 1986 – Favorite Pop/Rock Single (for "Money for Nothing")


• 
  Brit Awards 1986 – British Album of the Year (for Brothers in Arms)


• 
  Brit Awards 1986 – British Single (for "Money for Nothing")


• 
  Brit Awards 1986 – British Video (for "Money for Nothing")


• 
  Grammy Award 1986 – Album of the Year (for Brothers in Arms)


• 
  Grammy Award 1986 – Record of the Year (for "Money for Nothing")


• 
  Grammy Award 1986 – Song of the Year (for "Money for Nothing")


• 
  MTV Video Music Award 1986 – Best Concept Video (for "Money for Nothing")


• 
  MTV Video Music Award 1986 – Most Experimental Video (for "Money for Nothing")


• 
  MTV Video Music Award 1986 – Best Stage Performance in a Video (for "Money for Nothing")


• 
  MTV Video Music Award 1986 – Best Overall Performance in a Video (for "Money for Nothing")


• 
  MTV Video Music Award 1986 – Best Direction in a Video (for "Money for Nothing")


• 
  MTV Video Music Award 1986 – Best Visual Effects in a Video (for "Money for Nothing")


• 
  MTV Video Music Award 1986 – Best Art Direction in a Video (for "Money for Nothing")


• 
  MTV Video Music Award 1986 – Best Editing in a Video (for "Money for Nothing")


• 
  MTV Video Music Award 1986 – Viewer's Choice (for "Money for Nothing")


• 
  Brit Awards 1987 – British Group


• 
  Brit Awards 1992 – British Group


• 
  Grammy Award 1992 – Best Music Video (for "Calling Elvis")


• 
  Brit Awards 2010 – British Album of Thirty Years (for Brothers in Arms)

References

External links

Book: Dire Straits

• 
  Dire Straits at Curlie