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Other Title: BEST LIVE ROCK PERFORMANCE. EVER. Dire Straits - 'Sultans Of Swing' (Alchemy Live, 1983) Guitarist/Vocalist Mark Knopfler and his band, Dire Straits performed Sultans of Swing live in London at the Hammersmith Odeon in London on 22–23 July 1983. Taking a deep dive into Dire Straits' timeless debut single and its legendary solo. By Mike Duffy https://www.fender.com/articles/artists/one-track-mind-mark-knopflers-fingerstyle-mastery-on-sultans-of-swing/ As many accolades as Dire Straits have to their credit, perhaps the Mark Knopfler-led band’s most impressive accomplishment is the fact that their first single was “Sultans of Swing.” Think about that for a second. The first time that a worldwide audience heard the British rockers was a timeless classic with one of the most iconic guitar solos ever. Not a bad start. That solo was a big reason “Sultans of Swing” earned its well-deserved iconic status. At the time of its release, the track as a whole hit No. 8 on the U.K. Singles Chart and No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Decades later, Guitar World placed it at No. 22 on their list of greatest guitar solos, and it sat at No. 32 on Rolling Stone’s solo rankings. Using his 1961 Stratocaster, Knopfler first breaks off into solo territory with a half-minute of precise scales, comes out of the solo for another verse, and then returns for another 40 seconds of faster, more freewheeling arpeggios that take the song to the next level. But had Knopfler never picked up his Strat, “Sultans” might have never reached those heights. The fingerstyle master originally wrote it on a National Steel guitar in an open tuning, he once explained to Guitar World. “I thought it was dull, but as soon as I bought my first Strat in 1977, the whole thing changed, though the lyrics remained the same,” he said. “It just came alive as soon as I played it on that ’61 Strat—which remained my main guitar for many years and was basically the only thing I played on the first album—and the new chord changes just presented themselves and fell into place.” “Sultans of Swing” was initially recorded as a demo in 1977 and soon got some play at BBC Radio. A bidding war amongst record labels ensued, and Dire Straits signed a deal with Phonogram Records, who had them re-record it for their eponymous debut 1978 debut album. “Sultans of Swing” was officially released internationally as a single in January of 1979. The song was bold for the times. With a Dylan-esque delivery, Knopfler talk-sings about a jazz ensemble he saw performing earnestly in deserted pub; they called themselves the Sultans of Swing. The crowd might not have cared, but they were doing it for the love of the music. Knopfler honors a “Guitar George” who “knows all the chords” and a “Harry” who can play honky tonk like anything.” The honest lyrics were a departure from the saccharine disco and angsty punk that was so prevalent in the late ‘70s. Knopfler’s clean Strat tone and economic, perfectly timed licks only added to that singularity. Played live, “Sultans of Swing” regularly takes on new life, as Knopfler elevates the classic solo to lofty highs—the most famous of which is probably an 11-minute epic played with Eric Clapton at Nelson Mandela’s 70th Birthday Tribute concert in 1998. To this day, Knopfler credits his first Stratocaster for inspiring a sound and vibe that would follow him throughout his storied career. Truly, it all started with a Strat and “Sultans of Swing.” "It’s really a good example of how the music you make is shaped by what you play it on, and is a lesson for young players,” he told Guitar World. “If you feel that you’re not getting enough out of a song, change the instrument—go from an acoustic to an electric or vice versa, or try an open tuning. Do something to shake it up. "As for the actual solo, it was just more or less what I played every night. It’s just a Fender Twin and the Strat, with its three-way selector switch jammed into a middle position. That gives the song its sound, and I think there were quite a few five-way switches installed as a result of that song.” Poster Comment: The above is just some background info on Knopfler and his style (and brand) of guitar (a Fender Stratocaster). I realize I have posted this particular vid before, but because it is so good, so positive, so special, I thought it worthy of sharing again. With over 117 million views at YouBoob, its obvious many also feel it is something special. Though the studio version of Sultans of Swing was very good at the time (1979) this specific 1983 live performance was absolutely stunning. Electric. It is... a musical masterpiece. Perfection. I chose this particular epic LIVE version of Sultans of Swing as THE best live performance ever. (The author alluded to the performance in 1994 with Eric Clapton, as "the most famous" version of the track, simply because it was accompanied by Eric Clapton. But it did not and could not remotely compare with the above 1983 live version.) REASONS that 1983 LIVE was Light-Years better than the 1994 LIVE version: MANDELA'S BIRTHDAY. That it was played for THAT stupid reason is enough to ding the Clapton collab just for THAT. CHEMISTRY. The 1983 lineup of Dire Straits was unique. Drummer (Terry Williams) turned in an other-worldly performance. LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE. Sometimes it happens. It happened at that particular show. TIME. 11 years later (by 1994 with Clapton), whomever the band members were, were not going to be able to play it with the same passion and joy. Especially NOT the Drummer. PRESSURE. Knopfler and Clapton, two Guitar Giants, were going to feel more pressure to meet audience (and each other) expectations far more than just letting it happen (and the joy that goes with that. Frankly neither appeared to enjoy that 1994 performance.) So... Why? Watch and listen to the epic 1983 performance yourself. My impression? It appears all the band members played at peak energy, peak synchronicity, and peak drive. The whirlwind-energy of drummer (Terry Williams) drives the entire song, his band-mates feeding off of it by osmosis. It created a special collective joy or...jubilation. You can see it and feel it. Every member of the band is having as much fun as possible and became conscious of it right from the outset. There's no faking that. As the track progressed, Knopfler and the rest of the band also appear to be inspiring each other even more, sharing and celebrating more unbridled joy as the song progressed. Knopfler was pretty expressive himself as he noted his band mates into it. You can even see the keyboardist a lull in his parts dancing and jumping around. I think they realized in real time how truly special a performance this was, that it was..."Lightning In A Bottle". It was palpable. The audience sensed all of it and seemed drawn or invited into the same jubilation. Sultans Of Swing LIVE, 1983: Something else to behold.
Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 6.
#3. To: Liberator (#0)
That was truly excellent, thank you for that link.
Happy to have shared, glad you appreciated this one. If you're into it, YT has within the last few month also posted a bunch of older Beatles stuff too. YouTube content is getting even more amazing. Most of this stuff we've never had access to (unless we were aware to begin with, or dug deep and purchased at the time); Especially LIVE performances.
#7. To: jeremiad, Hank Rearden, Deckard (#6)
Two years later (1985), different guitar player (I believe it's Knopfler's brother) but an addition keyboard player at Wembley... Still great passion and...again, they're having fun.
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