1978 - Dire Straits - Your latest trick

Go to content

1978 - Dire Straits

English > Discography

Dire Straits is the debut studio album released on 7 October 1978 by Vertigo Records internationally and by Warner Bros. Records in the United States. The album produced the hit single "Sultans of Swing", which reached number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 8 on the UK Singles Chart. The album reached number 1 on album charts in Germany, Australia and France, number in the United States and number 5 in the United Kingdom. Dire Straits was later certified double-platinum in both the United States and the United Kingdom.
The album 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) 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.

The single "Sultans of Swing" 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. "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. In Europe, the album sold four million copies, and in the United States,  it sold two million copies.
The album was remastered and released with the rest of the Dire Straits catalogue in 1996 to most of the world excluding the U.S. and on 19 September 2000 in the United States.

The album cover artwork is taken from a painting by Chuck Loyola. The Dire Straits Fender logo, which appears on the back cover, was designed by Geoff Halpern.

Track listing
All tracks are written by Mark Knopfler.
Side one:
  1. "Down to the Waterline"3:55
  2. "Water of Love"5:23
  3. "Setting Me Up"3:18
  4. "Six Blade Knife"4:10
  5. "Southbound Again"2:58

Side two:
  1. "Sultans of Swing"5:47
  2. "In the Gallery"6:16
  3. "Wild West End"4:42
  4. "Lions"5:05
Total length:41:34

The original album contained a slightly shorter version of "Sultans of Swing", omitting the last seconds of the guitar solo at the end of the song. The full-length version was included on the remastered edition of the album. Cassette versions of the album often featured the sides in reverse order from the original vinyl album, side A consisting of tracks 6–9 and side B consisting of 1–5.
The French issue of the cassette had "Down to the Waterline" and "Wild West End" interchanged in the order listed above to allow for more equal playing time on each side.

The band
Mark Knopfler – vocals, lead and rhythm guitars
John Illsley – bass guitar, vocals
David Knopfler – rhythm guitar, vocals
Pick Withers – drums
John McVie - Bass on "Water Of Love" (additional musician)

Production
Rhett Davies – engineer
Paddy Eckersley – photography
Chuck Loyola – cover painting
Bob Ludwig – remastering
Alan Schmidt – art direction
Muff Winwood – producer

Certifications

Back to content