After HIS BAND Sold 30 Million Albums in 1986…Iconic Singer PULLED the PLUG! | Professor of Rock
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Published 2024-03-28
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#classicrock #80smusic #vinylstory #direstraits
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So today, we’ve got a good one for you. I’ve been looking forward to this one. You know we’ve this band covered several times on this channel, but have yet to talk about one of their biggest hits. I think it’s about time. The band? It’s Dire Straits. And from their 1985 album Brothers in Arms, it’s one of the catchiest hits of the 80s: Walk of Life. From the get-go in 1977, Dire Straits and particularly frontman Mark Knopfler had always been about the music. Knopfler, who cared little for the trappings of fame was the band’s driving force and steadily earned a reputation as a talented, top-tier artist who always put the music first… even if it was at odds with mainstream radio tastes.
Not that their music didn’t have widespread appeal. By 1984 Dire Straits had assembled a catalog of 4 vital albums… all of which went Top 5 in the UK. The list included their self-titled debut in 1978, Communiqué in 1979, Making Movies in 1980, and Love over Gold in 1982. And hits like Sultans of Swing, Romeo and Juliet, and Private Investigations all broke the Top 10 on the UK charts. Here in the US, Dire Straits’ early success was more tempered. Their debut record scored a #2 spot on the Billboard 200… while each of the next three albums turned in respectable Top 20 rankings. Really though, their only mainstream hit was their breakout single Sultans of Swing, which reached #4 on the Hot 100.
Between Love Over Gold and their next studio fifth album, Dire Straits would slow things down with a three-year gap. To tide fans over the band released an EP in 1983 and the double live album ‘Alchemy’ in 1984. For his part, Mark Knopfler kept busy with a number of outside projects: producing Bob Dylan’s 1983 album ‘Infidels,’ writing Tina Turner’s comeback hit, ‘Private Dancer’, and scoring multiple soundtracks. But by the summer of 1984, the headband-toting frontman was ready to get the guys back together for studio album #5. It would be called Brothers in Arms.
Mark Knopfler had already written 9 for Brothers in Arms before he assembled …
All Comments (21)
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Poll: What is your pick for the GREATEST GUITAR SOLO of the 80s?
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Mark Knopfler’s guitar tone and sound is instantly recognizable.
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Sultans of Swing remains my favorite song by Dire Straits…🖖🏼
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It's a refreshing take when an artist says, "These songs belong to you now." Almost unheard of.
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I love this album. The song that resonates most with me is Brothers in Arms. As a Marine, I understand the message of the song. It isn't often that a civilian "gets it". We all talk smack about the other branches, but we always have each other's back. 18 months in a futile war in Iraq showed me that for sure.
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I know it will sound crazy to most. But, "Romeo and Juliet" is my favorite Dire Straits song. A guitar god singing a great ballad
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As much as I love this album, it ultimately bothered me. I was a huge Dire Straits fan in the early 80s. I'd play the hell out of Alchemy. Then Bros in Arms happened... Before that, it was as if they were MY band. They were MY secret and not to be ruined by the dopey masses. I snagged tickets to see the band in concert in the summer of 85. While queuing up and waiting for the doors to open I saw 10 yr old kids, already wearing concert T shirts, running around yelling "i want my MTV. I want my MTV!" I knew it was the beginning of the end. I felt like crying.
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Gotta give props to Mark Knopfler for putting the music FIRST. So many artists become more enthralled with their fame and the trappings that come with it. It's difficult for most of us with regular jobs and lives to relate.. Makes me wonder what I would do in that situation!
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"Brothers in Arms" is a solid album and "So Far Away" is my favorite track from it - moody, sultry, atmospheric.
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As a sax player in high school, my teacher tasked me to learn that lovely melody in, “Your Latest Trick”. So glad I did, because it was my introduction to Dire Staits.
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I remember buying this cassette. I thought it was so cool because it was one of the first clear cassettes I bought. I can still remember the smell of those things. The whole album is great, I still listen to it to this day.
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I can respect Mark's feeling to walk away after they hit the so-called top. Knowing now that he wasn't in it for the fame, but the music... yeah, leave while your last project is on fire and not being one of those bands that burned out with the fans or faded away. Returning under a different band name to simply put out music he wanted to play. I get it and respect it.
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From the first time I heard "Sultans of Swing" in the mid 70's all the way through "Brothers in Arms" I've been a fan. I still think "Telegraph Road" is one of his most meaningful songs. Loved his work on "The Princess Bride". Still some of my go to songs that I can't hear anough, "Down by the Waterline" and "Wild West End". Well, their whole debuted album, really.
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What an amazing talent Mark Knopfler was. We just don't have those kind of guitar heros anymore
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Brothers in Arms is my favorite song of theirs. As a military veteran it really means a lot to me
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I always thought "Walk Of Life," "So Far Away" and "Sultans Of Swing" were better than their biggest hit, "Money For Nothing." "Money" hit #1 mostly from the opening guitar riff. A great opening guitar riff was a great idea back in the 80's.
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The song "Brothers in arms" is the perfect anthem for all of us, whether Police or Military the world over, who had the privilege of being part of the "Brotherhood of arms." Thank you Mark.
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Walk Of Life is a fun, uplifting song. 😊 Fun facts: Dire Straits, Brothers in Arms was the best selling album in 1985, and the first CD to sell a million copies. Guess what album was the second best selling album? Phil Collins, No Jacket Required. 1985 was a great year of music and live concerts.
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"I know I get embarrassed by my 'woo hoos.'" Thanks for the laugh, Adam. I needed it.
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I remember the video the most. I loved all the baseball highlights
