"Mark felt very responsible for David and didn't quite know what to do. "David was under a lot of strain," John Illsley explained to Ken Tucker and David Fricke in Rolling Stone. In July of 1980, David Knopfler officially quit Dire Straits to pursue a solo career. In 1980, he played as a guest guitarist on Phil Lynott's album Solo in Soho and Steely Dan's Gaucho. Mark Knopfler began to establish himself as a sought-after guitarist and put into motion what would become a long string of side work. Bob Dylan, who saw the band play in Los Angeles, was so impressed that he invited Mark Knopfler and Pick Withers to play on his next album, Slow Train Coming.īy the end of 1979, Dire Straits had released their sophomore effort, Communique, which included the single "Lady Writer." Again, the album flew up the charts, reaching number eleven in the United States and number five in Great Britain. "Sultans of Swing" scaled the charts to number four in the United States and number eight in Great Britain, while Dire Straits reached number two and number five on the respective album charts. They played 51 sold-out concerts over a 38-day period. The following year, Dire Straits performed in their first North American tour. They received more and more attention in the United States and landed at the top of the charts in Australia and New Zealand. Records, and before the end of the year, Dire Straits had released their self-titled debut worldwide. charts, the group went on their own headlining tour. After their debut single "Sultans of Swing" started to climb the U.K. In 1978, Dire Straits began touring Great Britain as the opening band for Talking Heads. Two months later, Dire Straits signed a recording contract with Phonogram Records. Originally, they just wanted some feedback from Gillett, but the announcer liked the music so much, he played "Sultans of Swing" on the radio. Soon after the band members borrowed some money to record a five-song demo tape, which included their future single "Sultans of Swing." They took the tape to a deejay named Charlie Gillett, who had a radio show called "Honky Tonk" on BBC Radio London. "We never said anything about this to each other," David Knopfler told Diasann McLane in Rolling Stone, "but I had a feeling something was going to start happening, for real." A friend of Mark Knopfler's helped them decide on their name, a reference to their financial situation. After recruiting drummer Pick Withers, they began rehearsing. David Knopfler also played guitar and, in 1977, the three men decided to form a band. After a divorce and financial difficulties, he ended up sleeping on the floor of his brother David's flat, where Illsley also lived. Knopfler performed with pub bands around town, including Brewer's Droop and Cafe Racers. He left this job to pursue a career in music and took a part-time job as a teacher at Loughton College to stay financially solvent. Knopfler had graduated with a degree in English and was writing for the Yorkshire Evening Post. Led by singer Mark Knopfler, the group launched into stardom in the mid-1980s with their album Brothers in Arms and the mega-hit single "Money for Nothing."ĭire Straits began in London with the collaboration of bassist John Illsley and Mark Knopfler. Getting back to the roots of rock, Dire Straits featured a simple sound that filled a stylistic gap. Members include Alan Clark (born March 5, 1952, in Durham, England), keyboards Danny Cummings, percussion Guy Fletcher, keyboards John Illsley (founding member, born June 24, 1949, in Leicester, England), bass David Knopfler (founding member, born December 27, 1952, in Glasgow, Scotland), guitar Mark Knopfler (founding member, born August 12, 1949, in Glasgow, Scotland), guitar, vocals Hal Lindes (born June 30, 1953, in Monterey, California), guitar Phil Palmer, guitar Jack Sonni, guitar Chris White, saxophone Chris Whitten, drums Pick Withers (founding member, born April 4, 1948), drums and Terry Williams, drums.Ĭombining country, blues, and R&B influences, Dire Straits made their mark on the late-1970s and 1980s music scene with a rock-n-roll sound that stood out among the punk, new wave, and heavy metal trends.
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