"Sultans of Swing" was the first single release of the British rock band Di… Read Full Bio ↴"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.
Although he was not given co-writer's credits on the song, Columbia recording artist Bill Wilson is said to have written many of the lyrics to the song while he and Knopfler were both studio musicians working a session in Nashville . During a live performance of the song in Indianapolis, circa 1991, Wilson had this to say before the song:
"I do this thing I cowrote about, I guess, it's been about 12 years ago I wrote the lyrics and a friend of mine used to work a lot of sessions for my old producer, Bob Johnston, and worked a session with this fellow from England by the name of Mark Knopfler. Has his own group over there called Dire Straits. He had this little melody. It sounded like "Walk, Don't Run". And he had this little story concerning a band that nobody wanted to listen to. Only a few people show up to hear. So we got together one night after the session and tossed these lyrics around on a napkin and I guess I wound up writing most of the lyrics to the tune. made enough money to buy a new Blazer that year I remember, so... didn't do too bad. It goes like this...".
The album version of the song featured a critically acclaimed extended guitar solo, reaching #22 on Guitar World's list of the greatest guitar solos. Knopfler improvised and expanded that solo many times during live performances. The definitive live version of the song came as an 11-minute epic performance at the 1988 Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute concert in London when Eric Clapton teamed up with the band to play the song.
* This song was often covered live by alternative metal band System of a Down.
* Former Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio covered this song periodically on his post-Phish solo tours.
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.
Although he was not given co-writer's credits on the song, Columbia recording artist Bill Wilson is said to have written many of the lyrics to the song while he and Knopfler were both studio musicians working a session in Nashville . During a live performance of the song in Indianapolis, circa 1991, Wilson had this to say before the song:
"I do this thing I cowrote about, I guess, it's been about 12 years ago I wrote the lyrics and a friend of mine used to work a lot of sessions for my old producer, Bob Johnston, and worked a session with this fellow from England by the name of Mark Knopfler. Has his own group over there called Dire Straits. He had this little melody. It sounded like "Walk, Don't Run". And he had this little story concerning a band that nobody wanted to listen to. Only a few people show up to hear. So we got together one night after the session and tossed these lyrics around on a napkin and I guess I wound up writing most of the lyrics to the tune. made enough money to buy a new Blazer that year I remember, so... didn't do too bad. It goes like this...".
The album version of the song featured a critically acclaimed extended guitar solo, reaching #22 on Guitar World's list of the greatest guitar solos. Knopfler improvised and expanded that solo many times during live performances. The definitive live version of the song came as an 11-minute epic performance at the 1988 Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute concert in London when Eric Clapton teamed up with the band to play the song.
* This song was often covered live by alternative metal band System of a Down.
* Former Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio covered this song periodically on his post-Phish solo tours.
.Sultans Of Swing
Dire Straits Lyrics
You get a shiver in the dark
It's raining in the park but meantime
South of the river you stop and you hold everything
A band is blowing Dixie, double four time
You feel alright when you hear the music ring
Well, now you step inside but you don't see too many faces
Coming in out of the rain, they hear the jazz go down
Competition in other places
Uh, but the horns they blowin' that soundWay on down south
Way on down south, London town
You check out guitar George, he knows all the chords
Mind, it's strictly rhythm he doesn't want to make it cry or sing
They said an old guitar is all he can afford
When he gets up under the lights to play his thing
And Harry doesn't mind if he doesn't make the scene
He's got a daytime job, he's doing alright
He can play the honky tonk like anything
Savin' it up for Friday night
With the Sultans
We're the Sultans of Swing
Then a crowd of young boys, they're foolin' around in the corner
Drunk and dressed in their best, brown baggies and their platform soles
They don't give a damn about any trumpet playin' band
It ain't what they call rock and roll
And the Sultans
Yeah, the Sultans, they play Creole, Creole
And then the man, he steps right up to the microphone
And says at last just as the time bell rings
"Goodnight, now it's time to go home"
Then he makes it fast with one more thing
"We are the Sultans
We are the Sultans of Swing"
It's raining in the park but meantime
South of the river you stop and you hold everything
A band is blowing Dixie, double four time
You feel alright when you hear the music ring
Well, now you step inside but you don't see too many faces
Coming in out of the rain, they hear the jazz go down
Competition in other places
Uh, but the horns they blowin' that soundWay on down south
Way on down south, London town
You check out guitar George, he knows all the chords
Mind, it's strictly rhythm he doesn't want to make it cry or sing
They said an old guitar is all he can afford
When he gets up under the lights to play his thing
And Harry doesn't mind if he doesn't make the scene
He's got a daytime job, he's doing alright
He can play the honky tonk like anything
Savin' it up for Friday night
With the Sultans
We're the Sultans of Swing
Then a crowd of young boys, they're foolin' around in the corner
Drunk and dressed in their best, brown baggies and their platform soles
They don't give a damn about any trumpet playin' band
It ain't what they call rock and roll
And the Sultans
Yeah, the Sultans, they play Creole, Creole
And then the man, he steps right up to the microphone
And says at last just as the time bell rings
"Goodnight, now it's time to go home"
Then he makes it fast with one more thing
"We are the Sultans
We are the Sultans of Swing"
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Mark Knopfler
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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@AlfredoJacome
what a monSter of grOup ! yo fliPo chavaLes, flIpo y lo peor de tout es que dentro de poco me voy a perder un concertazo da FAR-rite guayaquiLeña , pero C'EST LA VIE y a morte con O madrid y hala madrid en coupe d'euRope ante tout, niñatos y niñas querIdxs !!
Abur by now !
Alfredo DANIEL j
😍🎨🥣🥣🥣🥣🥣🥣🕎💛👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
@AntonioEvangelista-oz1gn
Mark Knopfler is one of the greatest guitarists of all time, in my opinion.
I never get tired of listening to this solo.
@gabrielledormuth4634
Yea I totally agree his skills are unique and unmatched
@tehcyde
It's a shame the video cuts the majority of the second (and best) solo out.
@teepot4539
@@tehcyde I know, right
@AntonioEvangelista-oz1gn
@@tehcyde Really.
@shucklesors
he's a great guitarist in the most untechnical and unsophisticated sense. i.e. if you're incapable of exploring guitar into the technical realms like metal and jazz, then it is incredibly easy to see why you think he can be such a candidate for one of the goats
@Esse2789
50 years of stage presence without any big frills, jumping around or showmanship. Pure brilliant music that I can listen to every day
@MyOneFiftiethOfADollar
Would you more carefully describe your issues with "jumping around or showmanship"?
@shishi1079
@@MyOneFiftiethOfADollar he just doesnt like it i guess. Why not. Some like some things and some dont
@АлексейПухарев-д5ы
Completely agree