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1979 - Communiquè

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Communiqué is the second studio album by the British rock band Dire Straits released on 15 June 1979 by Vertigo Records internationally and by Warner Bros. Records in the United States. The album produced the single "Lady Writer", which reached #45 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #51 on the UK Singles Chart. The album reached #1 on album charts in Germany, New Zealand, and Sweden, #11 in the United States and #5 in the United Kingdom. Communiqué was later certified gold in the United States, platinum in the United Kingdom and double-platinum in France.

The album was recorded from 28 November to 12 December 1978 at Compass Point Studios in Nassau, and mixed in January 1979, in New York. The album was produced by Barry Beckett and Jerry Wexler, veteran producers from Muscle Shoals Sound Studio.

Communiqué became the first album ever to enter the German charts at number one in its first week of release while their debut album, Dire Straits was still at the number three position. The album went on to sell over 7 million copies worldwide: in Europe, it sold 3.6 million copies, and in the United States it was certified gold in 1979.
Communiqué was remastered and released with the rest of the Dire Straits catalogue in 1996 for most of the world outside the United States and on 19 September 2000 in the United States.

The album cover was designed by Phonogram's advertising agency Grant Advertising UK. It won album cover of the year in the NME awards in 1979.

Track listing:
All tracks are written by Mark Knopfler.
Side one
  1. "Once Upon a Time in the West"5:25
  2. "News"4:14
  3. "Where Do You Think You're Going?"3:49
  4. "Communiqué"5:49

Side two
  1. "Lady Writer"3:45
  2. "Angel of Mercy"4:36
  3. "Portobello Belle"4:29
  4. "Single-Handed Sailor"4:42
  5. "Follow Me Home"5:50
Total length:42:24

The band
Mark Knopfler – vocals, lead and rhythm guitars
John Illsley – bass guitar and vocals
David Knopfler – rhythm guitar and vocals
Pick Withers – drums
Barry Beckett (credited as B. Bear) – keyboards

Production
Barry Beckett – producer
Geoff Halpin – illustrations
Gregg Hamm – mix engineer
Bobby Hata – mastering
Bob Ludwig – remastering
Jack Nuber – engineer
Thelbert Rigby – tape operator
Alan Schmidt – art direction
Jerry Wexler – producer
Paul Wexler – mastering supervisor

Certifications

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