Dire Straits

Dire Straits were a British rock band, formed in 1977 by frontman Mark Knopfler (guitar and vocals), his brother David Knopfler (guitar), John Illsley (bass) and Pick

Dire Straits were a British rock band, formed in 1977 by frontman Mark Knopfler (guitar and vocals), his brother David Knopfler (guitar), John Illsley (bass) and Pick Withers (drums), and 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 70s. In the early days of the band, Mark Knopfler was said to have asked pub managers to lower the volume of the amplifiers, so that pub patrons could converse while the band played. Despite this oddly self-effacing approach to rock and roll, Dire Straits eventually became hugely successful.

Dire Straits recorded and released their first, self-titled album in 1978 to little fanfare but five months later a single release, "Sultans of Swing" became an unlikely chart hit and album sales took off. The second album, Communiqué, followed soon afterwards; both albums are characterized by a stripped-down sound. The third album, Making Movies featured keyboardist Roy Bittan (from Bruce Springsteen's band) and marked a move towards more complex arrangements and production which would continue throughout the band's career. The band's 1985 release Brothers in Arms became an international hit and spawned several singles including the number one hit "Money for Nothing", which is remembered as being the first video ever to be played on MTV in Britain.