Sultans of Swing
Dire Straits - Sultans of Swing
(5:49)1,151,614 plays (196,249 listeners)
Listening now: ShovalDesign
Videos for this track
-
Play
Dire Straits - Sultans of Swing
-
Play
Dire Straits - Sultans Of Swing (Live)
-
Play
dire straits sultan of swing!!
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.
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.
Albums featuring this track
Similar Tracks
| Track | Duration | Listeners | |||
| Led Zeppelin - Stairway to Heaven | 7:58 | 414,391 | |||
 |
Eagles - Hotel California | 6:30 | 308,525 | ||
|
|
Eric Clapton - Layla full track | 6:26 | 170,939 | ||
|
|
Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody full track | 5:56 | 341,295 | ||
|
|
Eric Clapton - Cocaine full track | 3:38 | 130,008 | ||
| Led Zeppelin - Black Dog | 4:55 | 279,661 |
Shouts
-
thegangsta123 wrote:
then join this group !! http://www.lastfm.it/group/Sex%2C+Drugs+and+Rock+n%27+Roll
-
RottenKid wrote:
brilliant song
-
suxgiu wrote:
This is the ring of my mobile!! I love the song
-
malandrozz wrote:
la bellezza della semplicità...la versione del live Alchemy è da brivido!
-
nefthaly wrote:
is a good song very good.
-
keshone wrote:
geniaal!!
-
Erandir_Duarte wrote:
perfect!!!
-
atrastorm wrote:
one great rock song, and knopfler is an amazing guitarist
-
Iztaktik wrote:
GREAT
-
j88knoxville wrote:
Uno dei migliori assoli di sempre...
-
microrasbora wrote:
Das Beste von den Straits!
-
Lady_3Jane wrote:
This song is perfect fro cruising a road into the sunset at high speed :-)
-
gelee_royale wrote:
Actually one of the first songs I can remember. Still love it..
-
lmaster65 wrote:
Marquee Moon > this
-
DerWeiti wrote:
Supergeil! Kaum zu übertreffen...
-
peppe68 wrote:
aahhhhhhhhhh che godimento
-
fernando_thewho wrote:
mark arrasa nessa música..... "'we are the sultans.....we are the sultans of swing."
-
JohnnyK545 wrote:
I love the guitar in this song.
-
CLJN wrote:
A excellent song by Dire Straits.
-
Vanderwalker wrote:
five stars
Listeners
-
martin_ruzicka
Listening now
-
MarcGP
Top Listener
-
finckaxl
Top Listener
-
hook_in_mouth
Top Listener
-
bruno_cro_st
Top Listener
-
gingerbasil
Top Listener
Recent Activity
- ernaboss, grosspustule, ma-vi-go and 3 other people loved Dire Straits – Sultans of Swing. 47 minutes ago
- jmares added Sultans of Swing to jmares’s library. 4 hours ago
- Lakaio loved Sultans of Swing. 5 hours ago
- jordimaestrazgo added Sultans of Swing to jordimaestrazgo’s library. 5 hours ago
- grizzly_007 added Sultans of Swing to the playlist Rock/Pop. 5 hours ago
- mdz222 added Sultans of Swing to the playlist rock band. 6 hours ago
- grizzly_007 and ma-vi-go added Dire Straits – Sultans of Swing to their libraries. 6 hours ago
- Graf_Kiesel and cartebien loved Dire Straits – Sultans of Swing. 6 hours ago
- cazaestrellas, iceglobe and desertrat-ut added Dire Straits – Sultans of Swing to their libraries. 7 hours ago
- rinoco loved Sultans of Swing. 9 hours ago
Related Journals
-
Twenty Un-Skipable Songs
by Ian904 |
9 Sep 2008 | 
1 comment
-
The songs that started it all (and the ones that didn't)
by madafaka1 |
2 Sep 2008 | Add comment
-
Classic Rock Playlist
by DParker585 |
26 Aug 2008 | 4 comments
