Dire Straits » Tracks » Sultans of Swing

Dire Straits – Sultans of Swing (5:45)

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About This Track

“Sultans of Swing” was the first single release of the British rock band Dire Straits.

It was first recorded as a demo at Pathway Studios, North London, and quickly acquired a following after it was put in the rotation at Radio London. It did not take long for the popularity to find its way to record executives, and Dire Straits were offered a contract with Phonogram, a British record company. The song was then re-recorded and released in both the United Kingdom and the United States, though the demo version remained on the original UK Vertigo single.

It entered the American music pop charts in early 1979. Unusually, the success of this single release came more than six months after the relatively unheralded release of the band’s debut album in October of 1978; the song reached the top 10 in both the UK and the U.S., reaching number 8 on the UK Singles Chart and number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and helped drive sales of the album, which also became a hit.

With its Dylanesque lyrics and economic guitar fills, the song was a marked change from the waning disco style and the nascent punk movement. The arrangement of “Sultans of Swing” was straightforward: two guitars, a bass, and a straight 4/4 beat on the drums. Dire Straits’ original lineup has Mark Knopfler on vocals and lead guitar, David Knopfler on rhythm guitar, John Illsley on bass, and Pick Withers on drums.

The song’s story is that of the diverse members of a working-class jazz group who only want to play their distinctive sound in a small London club, and don’t care how popular they are. One player mentioned by name, “Guitar George”, may have been a reference to musician George Borowski.
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  • LiderManchu

    Súper grupo ¡

    Friday afternoon

  • IColdEmbraceI

    Approved.

    last week

  • rickenbackeriff

    Picker, plucker!

    last week

  • rickenbackeriff

    Obviously their best ouput.

    last week

  • RockNRoll70s

    "Way on down south....check out Guitar George, he knows all chords"

    last week

  • RockNRoll70s

    Mark Knopfler ...Sultan of Swing!

    14 days ago

  • TschanFarang

    listen-over & over :) LOVE IT

    17 days ago

  • abunono

    Bright blue his jacket is,and his boots are yellow.

    17 days ago

  • CityGirl245

    Hands down one of the best songs of all time [3]

    18 days ago

  • CPipino

    I cannot miss this song in my personal library!

    19 days ago

  • rockandrolljoe

    It aint what they call rock and Roll

    21 days ago

  • albertlespaul

    Hands down one of the best songs of all time [2]

    21 days ago

  • schnork

    Also if this version doesn't rock your socks then I don't know what will: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Pa9x9fZBtY&ob=av2n

    21 days ago

  • schnork

    Hands down one of the best songs of all time.

    21 days ago

  • suckmesidewayz

    My ears can definitely relate to Bob Dylan with this song haha. You're not alone. I haven't heard so many good solo's in one song in a while.

    25 days ago

  • celoporto

    Mark, you make me move.

    last month

  • Chikun93

    Anyone else hear a little Bob Dylan in this...?

    last month

  • forczekadri

    Can't get enough of this. [2]

    last month

  • sirthorty

    found a nice meaning to this great song: "....Group leader Mark Knopfler got the idea for song this from watching a lousy club band perform. As the story goes, Knopfler was in Ipswich on a rainy night. He ducked into a bar where a mediocre band was closing out the night to an audience that was maybe four or five drunks unaware of their surroundings. The hapless band ended their set with the lead singer announcing, with no apparent irony, "Goodnight and thank you. We are the sultans of swing." Knopfler got a lot of songwriting ideas from observing everyday people, something that got harder to do when he became famous. (thanks, S.D. - Denver, CO

    last month

  • AvianCrowd0

    HEY! check out Guitar George....Does he really know all the chords?

    last month
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