MetalGuruMessiah's video: Sultans of Swing - Dire Straits 1978

"Sultans of Swing" was released on Dire Straits' self-titled debut album in October 1978. The first single from the album first broke into the United States top five early in the spring of 1979—being a hit a full five months after the album was released there—and then rose to number eight on the British charts. This video features 192KHz/24bit FLAC taken from Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs 2019 SACD remaster! This album made such a huge impression on me that fall, my senior year in high school, I can still remember pretty clearly the first time or two that I listened to it. I couldn't wait for their next album...it made me a lifelong Dire Straits/Mark Knopfler fan and over 40 years later I can say that I was seldom disappointed in any music released by the band or their leader. This was another promotion video that lacked a verse from the original album track (my last video for "Blinded By The Light" was another example), it also edited out the guitar solo at the end. I've edited the video to include the missing verse from the studio track (starting with "Then a crowd of young boys...and ending with "Yeah, the Sultans, they play Creole") and of course all the guitar! I used edits of a clip from 1936's Swing Time (that I'd worked radial blur and color effects into) to fill in the video. "Sultans of Swing", reached on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 8 on the UK Singles Chart. The album reached on album charts in Germany, Australia and France, in the United States and in the United Kingdom. Dire Straits was later certified double-platinum in both the United States and the United Kingdom. Dire Straits came about through a musical collaboration between Mark and David Knopfler. After graduating from university with a degree in English, Mark Knopfler took a job writing for the Yorkshire Evening Post. Wanting to pursue a career in music, he took a teaching position at Loughton College while playing music at night, performing with pub bands around town, including Brewer's Droop and Cafe Racers. Following his divorce and struggling financially, Mark moved into his brother David's flat, where John Illsley also lived. In 1977, Mark, John, and David decided to form a band. They recruited drummer Pick Withers and began rehearsing. Brinsley Schwarz, a friend of Mark's, helped give the group their name, a reference to their financial situation. After a few months of rehearsals, the band borrowed enough money to record a five-song demo tape, which included the song "Sultans of Swing." They took the tape to disc jockey Charlie Gillett, who had a radio show called "Honky Tonk" on BBC Radio London. The band respected Gillett and sought out his advice. Gillett liked what he heard and started playing "Sultans of Swing" on his show. Dire Straits was recorded at Basing Street Studios in London from 13 February to 5 March 1978. Knopfler used a few guitars for the recording, including a pair of red Fender Stratocasters—one from 1961 (serial number 68354) and one from 1962 (serial number 80470). He played his 1938 National Style O 14 fret guitar (serial number B1844)[Note 1] on "Water of Love" and "Wild West End." He also used a black Telecaster Thinline (serial number 226254) on "Setting Me Up". David played a black Fender Stratocaster and a Harmony Sovereign acoustic guitar. The album was produced by Muff Winwood, and engineered by Rhett Davies. "Water of Love" was also released as a single in some countries, and charted in Australia, reaching number 54, and in the Netherlands, reaching number 28. [Lyrics] You get a shiver in the dark It's a raining in the park but meantime- South of the river you stop and you hold everything A band is blowing Dixie, double four time You feel alright when you hear the music ring Well now you step inside but you don't see too many faces Coming in out of the rain they hear the jazz go down Competition in other places Uh but the horns they blowin' that sound Way on down south Way on down south London town You check out guitar George, he knows-all the chords Mind, it's strictly rhythm he doesn't want to make it cry or sing They said an old guitar is all, he can afford When he gets up under the lights to play his thing And Harry doesn't mind, if he doesn't, make the scene He's got a daytime job, he's doing alright He can play the Honky Tonk like anything Savin' it up, for Friday night With the Sultans We're the Sultans of Swing Then a crowd a young boys they're a foolin' around in the corner Drunk and dressed in their best brown baggies and their platform soles They don't give a damn about any trumpet playin' band It ain't what they call Rock and Roll And the Sultans Yeah, the Sultans, they play Creole Creole And then the man he steps right up to the microphone And says at last just as the time bell rings "Goodnight, now it's time to go home" Then he makes it fast with one more thing "We are the Sultans We are the Sultans of Swing"