The Weird True Story Behind Sultans of Swing by Dire Straits

[@MusicMongoose]

What’s your favourite Dire Straits tune? 🤔

[@StamfordBridge]

Love Over Gold.

[@MusicMongoose]

@@StamfordBridge Great choice

[@ROGER2095]

Besides Sultans of Swing, I also like Telegraph Road and Twisting by the Pool.

[@martineldritch]

Skateaway "Toro, toro, taxi, see ya tomorrow, my son"

[@thomaswigfield7623]

Private Investigations.

[@svenolofandersson2572]

I once proposed that my cover band should be called ”Consultants of Swing” but I was voted down.

[@MusicMongoose]

Brilliant 🤣

[@Lengsel7]

I think that's a great name, and works on at least a few levels.

[@PeterSokol-bl5vz]

So the rest of the band knew you were an idiot….nice.

[@JTPiano2011]

I vote yes

[@allanwilson8878]

Well, your band mates were wrong! 😅

[@AndrewCrompton-e5j]

Back in 1977 Mark and David Knopfler lived in a flat in Bronze street in Deptford. We knew of them, but they were not in our immediate music circle as they were a bit older than most of the rest of the local bands. I remember them playing the the Deptford Festival one summer afternoon, they were the support band to to another local group, Squeeze with a school mate called Jools Holland on keyboards. Squeeze were in turn the support band to the Fabulous Poodles. We all remember Mark surprised us all by being the best guitar player by far on the day. The next time I saw Dire Straits, they were the support band to the Red Lights (I think), at the Albany Empire in Deptford. The gig was notable, as the 'stage' was made of tables pushed together, halfway through the Dire Straits set, the drummer and the entire kit disappeared in a crash as the tables came apart. We lived in Lewisham at the time, a small house with a large floating population of musicians and a basement garage used for practice sessions. At the end of the road (corner of Lee High Road and Clarendon Rise) was a pub, a real dive, they had a jazz band on some Sundays, made up of older members of the local west indian community. We only occasionally drank there because it was cheap and convenient to the house! The pub was called The Sultan, it was knocked down in the 1990's and is now a branch of Nandos.

[@richardsinger01]

Fascinating reminiscences. Sounds like a lot of this scene influenced the song.

[@nicksanders1119]

Andrew! I lived in a flat with several others, in a place called Speedwell House, Comet Street, Deptford, around 1976 ish. We were a mishmash of so called musicians, artists and social workers, all trying to be something or other! I would see posters for Squeeze on lamposts around the area, a picture of a bodybuilders torso squashing SQUEEZE together, advertising gigs at the Albany....and went there a few times with great memories of that venue. I was in a 'band' trying to be a drummer, a band made up of Woolwich lads, attempting to be the next Cream or wotever! I like to think we might have been The Sultans!.....because we often played to no one in local pubs.....but, we called ourselves 'Commonwealth' ! And, we weren't at all jazz!! I guess we weren't that band then! BUT! Memory being seriously eroded now!....I'm sure I saw Dire Straits play in a pub along Deptford Broadway and, thinking to myself....'We have no chance! These guys are brillant!" Also, I was attempting to become 'an entertainer' and, was involved in a 'variety act' called Mr. Pithweaks Travelling Circus, and we did the Deptford Festival, which resulted in me drying completely when, just as I was struggling to remember my lines, I looked into the audience and saw Neil Innes, from Bonzo Dog Band, looking at me with a withering look upon his face!! I still have nightmares! X

[@normskinormski]

You my friend are more interesting than the bloke in the video!

[@minstrelofMir]

​@@nicksanders1119 Neil Innes = john lennon in the Rutles (take off of the beatles from 70"S) my brother and i started a band as teens in 76 we called my brother "stig" (goerge harrison in that documentary) to this day he is still stig

[@AnneDowson-vp8lg]

I remember exactly where I was the first time I heard 'Sultans of Swing.' In a car passing a ploughed field outside the Yorkshire village of Drighlington near Bradford, on my way for a weekend in London with my cousins. It was March 1979, and when we got to London, this song was pouring out of every pub, cafe and shop It was the soundtrack of that whole weekend. For a while, I thought that Dire Straits were American, until I heard Tunnel of Love, where they sing about Whitley Bay and the Spanish City funfair. Having other family in the North East, I used to go to the Spanish City with my Geordie cousins in the 1960s. Before the start of Radio One, fairgrounds were one of the few places you could hear the latest pop and rock music. Of course, I have been a great fan of Dire Straits and Mark Knopfler ever since and I'm 73 now. Great memories!

[@MusicMongoose]

That’s an epic story - thanks so much for sharing! 😁

[@borabingol6797]

What a luck to see those days.

[@hardlines2635]

I was living in Leeds when Mark worked at Yorkshire post newspaper, he was a regular in a local pub called The grove, I think he named his London studio after that pub,

[@bikerjon8934]

Imagine putting out SULTANS OF SWING as your debut single

[@earlrandolph6968]

I remember well the first time I heard Sultans. I was in my brother's shop one evening working on my car and listening to my FM radio when the dj started talking about this pre-release single that they (KZEL 96.1, Eugene, Or.) had just gotten ahold of by this British band Dire Straits. Said that this would be it's first time heard on the west coast. I thought 'whatever'. Then I heard it. I dropped whatever I was doing and just listened, mesmerized. I had never heard anything like it. So I bought the album first time I had a chance and then listened to it on hi-fi. Wow!

[@7colliemac]

I remember driving in my car, from the first note I went “Holy Crap!” & pulled over & turned up the radio full blast, I’d never heard anything like it.. Marks guitar work was genius, arpeggios, harmonics, playing notes in the chord rather than soloing in the key (yes I’m a guitar player) I couldn’t wait to hear the full album & I loved every song. After the disco era Mark popularized the guitar god once again & put bands. I do feel intentionally or unintentionally they drew their style from JJ Cale.

[@ToddSauve]

They did draw it from JJ Cale. Their bassist said in an interview that were listening to JJ Cale all the time, and it is plain as day that a lot of their sound came from him, and particularly IMHO "Naturally" from 1972. The two albums are eerily similar! 👀🎸🎸🎸

[@geoffhemingway3926]

I heard Sultans of Swing on the radio and immediately went out and bought the album(I was never much of a singles buyer) and have loved the band ever since. I have to say after all the great stuff they did it is still my favourite song of theirs along with Telegraph Road and Brothers in Arms. Brilliant stuff!

[@MrSparklespring]

I heard the song first in May 1978 on my brothers' self made radio in his bedroom. Went directly to the music store and bought the first album. Yes we were first in Belgium and the Netherlands to buy the record long before it was a hit in the UK. We always had a nose for good bands no matter what the 'flavour of the day' was. Same with U2. Now I have everything of Dire Straits and the entire album collection from Marks' solo career. One of the best songwriters ever and of course a great guitarist.

[@jamessherosick2747]

In 1958 you were the first in Belgium and the rest of the world.

[@MrSparklespring]

@@jamessherosick2747 😅Sorry 1978.

[@normanpeterson8744]

Graduated high school in 1979 🎸 I remember this gorgeous tune was all over the radio the fall of 78. Never knew that those guys could barely pay the gas man when this gem was written. This was an awesome history lesson. Ta Very Much! 🇬🇧

[@normanpeterson8744]

Just remembered. I recorded this debut album on a Memorex Cassette Tape, right off FM Radio. "In The Gallery" is my other favorite. 😎

[@bart7695]

Dutchie here: As phonogram was a Dutch lable owned by Phillips, the first time Sultans came out was as a 7"single in the Netherlands (Vertigo 6059 206). It was a different version and based on the original Pathway demo.

[@timdavis4332]

In 1979 my family took a road trip cross country that summer,heading to Texas, ending up in Florida,then back to Texas, before turning around and heading home. This song was definitely part of that wild eventful summer.🤔🎶🎶🎶🚐🚚~~~~~~~🛣️

[@devilsoffspring5519]

Almost 50 years and people still talk about this one song! It's kinda unique isn't it?

[@joseph-ow1hf]

Back when there was a thing called radio....the song played right as I was arriving at my flat. I immediately went in and called the radio station to find out the name. Bought the LP next day. Still a fan. While I love the first album, Brothers in Arms is one of finest pieces of music ever and one of the best sounding albums ever recorded. (although I never liked Money for Nothing despite it being their biggest hit)

[@philipmartin2691]

"I want my MTV" and it's video here in the states was where most people I know became familiar with Dire Straits. Bought the Brothers in arms CD in 1989. Loved it all. I really liked to crank "Ride Across the River" at it's beginning. Any musician should appreciate the works of Dire Straits.

[@UmBungo]

Recorded by Sting. It’s the melody to Don’t Stand So Close To Me, and I’m sure there were copyright issues. Anyway, I came across a video on here that goes into detail about it.

[@fatimaemiko7073]

This song blew my mind the first time I heard it and blew my mind again with achemy live performance

[@Dancehip]

I was listening to that song not too long ago, and though I've heard it ever since it was released (yes, I'm that old) I was knocked out by how assured and masterful the playing sounds. It's so hard to believe that this was their debut single from their very first record. They sound like complete pros. Great, great song.

[@roquefortfiles]

I was in 8th grade when Sultan's came out. I distinctly remember waking up one day and hearing it start playing on my radio i had beside my bed. Being in a band at the time and loving music it was one of those times where i just sat there saying to myself.. "Who are THESE guys?? Who is this? I've never heard anything like this" it wasn't so much as the lead singer singing the song as it was the guitar that was singing the song. It all built up to an amazing finish that was spine tingling incredible. To be honest i didn't even think it was a guitar being played. I thought it was violin doing all the little fills it was so intricate and ........different. To this day it is my favorite Mark Knofler song. It is his trademark song.

[@laurienewman6826]

One Sunday back in 1977 I was chilling out on the beach at Sandwich Bay in E Kent with my cousin listening as we always did to the radio show 'Honky Tonk' on LBC when Charlie Gillette played Sultans of Swing for the first time. That moment is still etched on my mind some 50+ years later!

[@ToddSauve]

Well, the song only came out 46 years ago but we'll let you off this time, LOL! 🎸

[@MercedesCruz-qe1nj]

What made this band be the great success that propelled them to stardom , besides the mastery of Knofler's guitar, his suave and suggestive voice, is what they say in another song, " DEDICATION, DEVOTION.". That's why we still love them.❤❤❤

[@Paul_Wetor]

I just watched a documentary about the song "American Pie". It said that after two weeks of rehearsal it still hadn't gelled until a session piano player was added who really made it jump. It's interesting how a certain element can transform a song.

[@n2music174]

GREAT work Sir ! I Absolutely remember the first time I heard this song all those years ago, I knew it was a very special tune. Unbelieveable guitar work !!

[@kevelliott]

As a an ancient jazz musician I played Dixieland jazz in many empty pubs on rainy nights in the 70s. The song seems a bit of a seedy, but good intentioned tribute!

[@berendharmsen]

They came out of the gate with the best song they would ever make, and it's also one of the best songs of all time, period.

[@scottk3292]

The original "Sultans of Swing" band probably had to change the band name to avoid being labeled as a copycat, once the song was a hit. The public never cares who came first, but only who has more fame. If you're famous, then it was your idea, despite whoever you copied.

[@drdrew3]

Nonsense. And more nonsense

[@scottk3292]

@drdrew3 I've already seen it happen to a somewhat famous local DJ. Another DJ took the stage at the city level, chose the same on-air name, then made fun of the local DJ on air, claiming that the local guy was an amateur copycat. It's just how the business works.

[@benberkhof4265]

I remember the day I first heard the song. I was playing in a football tournament and in the adjacent park, an open air pop festival was taking place. In between two concerts, they played SoS over the speakers. Next day I bought the album.

[@The1trueDave]

That first album is still my favourite by Dire Straits. Something so crisp and clean about the sound and I just like the bluesier feel. And not a single superfluous note anywhere...

[@peterdavidsadd1034]

I met Met this great band in London....depford in Harry's bar ..great band and great landlord we all chatted drank ale and fell a out laughing ..Harry's gone now most of my mates also....great these lads made it .keep on lads rock on

[@peteandtessTube]

I thought you did a great job on the story behind the song and the band and I really appreciate it. My story is very simple. It was the walk of life. It was 1986. We had our first brand new car a Honda accord. It had a disk player in it. We needed a disk. We bought the album Dire Straits. It didn’t have the sultans of swing on it, but we wore the grooves out of that CD on all the other songs I want my, I want my MTV…. Absolutely haunting … what I find most amazing about your story is that Mark wasn’t discovered prior to the song based on his incredible guitar work how somebody that good can be working in a small town band and calling themselves Dire Straits because of it that’s a remarkable part of the story. Best of luck to you and thanks again for a great video.

[@MusicMongoose]

Thanks for the kind comment and sharing your story!

[@keithdf2001]

I always thought a member of the band just made the joke that they were the Sultans of Swing but that was not the band's actual name.

[@se6369]

Might be true, because how come no one else has come foreward saying they know the band? Surely audiences and bar workers would recognise them and one would come foreward and say they know the Sultans of Swing?

[@hardlines2635]

@@se6369Forward.

[@martineldritch]

When I was a kid listening to songs I didn't fully understand on the radio in the late '70s I just instinctively knew that Sultans of Swing and Walk on the Wild Side were two of the coolest songs I ever heard and possibly ever would hear

[@MIB_63]

Their first two albums are still my favorites. After Mark's brother left their signature sound changed and it was never quite the same for me.

[@devinpaul9026]

It's about either a band that are so medeocre they're also great when they're in the zone, or the one truly great song that exactly such a band can actually bust out and genuinely win a room with. Most bands have that one strangely perfect song.

[@Mr.Abreu.76]

I think that the lyrics subtly say the band was terrible, since they were "blowing Dixie, double-four time" when Dixie should be played in 3/4 time...

[@xoxb2]

You're right about the DJs. Charlie Gillett (stress falls on the Gill) was on Capital back then - unbelievably a really good station in those days! There was a wonderful drive time DJ called Roger Scott who played a huge part in promoting Bruce Springsteen over here. Sadly he died young at the other end of the 80s. But they had lots of them, specialising in different genres and taking risks. Great time to be young ... !

[@rovcanada1]

2 decades or more ago, I remember seeing a statement by a student, who's teacher was a closet jazz bandsman during weekends. The student claimed that when SoS hit the airwaves, he confessed in front of the class that he was part of 'The Sultans of Swing' that was making headlines across the music world. I found the comment when the internet was in it's infancy, but can't find it now. Shame, coz the student even named the teacher and the school he was teaching at. I just remember that it was a school within the stockbroker belt.

[@robertpayne9009]

Thanks!

[@MusicMongoose]

Thanks very much! 🙌

[@tr5947]

It's ashamed that even with the "fair use" laws a fine video like this can't afford to play part of the song out of fear of being demonetized. Absurd.

[@MusicMongoose]

Yep, it’s a shame

[@QBtracksandstuff]

Yep. Rick Beato has had quite a few of his videos blocked because he played a small section of audio, ridiculous! Some videos on YT take an absolute age to put together. Bloody shame.

[@williamwilson6499]

I guess money is more important than telling the story.

[@drdrew3]

We’ve each heard the song 10 million times. Playing a snippet would add nothing to this video. You are trying really hard to find something to complain about. It’s a great story without playing a song that we are all familiar with

[@dgambl1]

The good old days of radio. When I was young, it was a huge deal to hear your song on radio. When I first heard one of my songs on the radio, I thought that it was amazing. It didn't matter if it was college radio or public access radio, the fact that my song was being broadcast to anyone that was in range was something that amazed me. We actually built relationships with radio stations to get our music out there. Back then, DJs had some clout and worked with producers and record labels to help break the newest bands. Some DJs I know even got into music management. What a time that was, before corporate radio took over. This is an ongoing theme with all that we know in the modern age. Instead of monopolies, we have 2 or 3 companies that run everything. It isn't a monopoly because there is 2 other companies that offer the competition. Now it doesn't matter what the radio station is, it is owned by or franchised through some major conglomerate that dictates the playlist. Never mind that most people don't listen to radio anymore.

[@tigerflicks5958]

You missed a nice bit of trivia. He named the two players Harry and George after Harry Vanda and George Young - the rhythm section and songwriters of Aussie band The Easybeats (Friday on my Mind). They later became major producers in Australia and produced the first few albums of George’s younger brothers, Angus and Malcom band - AC/DC. They also wrote and produced John Paul Young’s Love is in the Air. And they also had chart success with their alter-egos Flash and the Pan - Waiting on a train.

[@MusicMongoose]

Ooh, I did miss that! That’s brilliant, thanks for sharing 😀

[@stephenmcg4299]

More trivia: both Dire Straits and AC/DC are bands formed by brothers from Glasgow after they had left the city. 😁

[@AndyMaherVoicePro]

After an interview I saw with David Knopfler, I suspect 'Harry' was actually Harry Bogdanovs, who made his own impact in Australia. He was the songwriter of "Pressure Down", a single and opening track on John Farnham's "Whispering Jack", still one of Australia's best-selling albums.

[@dockerdave]

Came here to say the same thing

[@catinthehat906]

@@stephenmcg4299 Interesting, I thought he was a Geordie, but it seems he was born in Glasgow and brought up in Newcastle.

[@susiejohnson4530]

LOVE this song!! and the BAND. I love Mark Knopfler's voice and guitar playing.

[@cosmicallyspeaking871]

🥰The demo version of 'Sultans Of Swing' sounds even better than the re-recorded album version!🧡It is raw, unpolished and kind of edgy that makes me want to listen to it over & over again.💖

[@sslaytor]

I was hanging out in a coffee shop which hosted, bluegrass, folk, jazz, various types of rock. Every body who played there immediately worked on learning this song. Even people who were never going to play it live - they wanted to know how to play Guitar George's chords! A country song, about jazz music, played by a rock band!

[@greggorsag9787]

I suspect Knopfler’s story reflects an amalgam of memories, ideas, and daydreams. So there may not be a real “Sultans of Swing,” but of course there is, too.

[@2112jonr]

You've no evidence to make that null and void assumption. Purely your opinion, and yours alone.

[@davidgilmour9447]

The day I heard the solo in that tune I had to know, who is that guy? I ran over and picked up my very first compact disc. I now have everything the guy ever recorded and believe him to be a virtuoso guitarist and brilliant songwriter. I got Brothers in Arms the day it was released, and that record still leaps into my CD player consistently.

[@u2me2u2me2]

Fun to hear its difficulty in gaining traction at first. I worked radio at the time. The music director had glanced at it and tossed it, but I grabbed it from the discard pile (not uncommon) and took it home. Turns out this had happened about 3x with 3 of us on-air staff, and we all were bringing it back in with us, to air out of our own stash. And bit by bit, it caught on. Fun to have that little personal parallel to I guess a global phenomenon.

[@jeffwombold9167]

I think not only is the tune catchy for most people, the down to earth lyrics are easy for most people to connect to.

[@DanCarlin-o1t]

My guitar teacher was the the "Harry doesn't mind that he never made the scene, he's got a day time job, he's doing alright" Harry McGonagle, Flami'n Harry, Blues legend in New Hope Pennsylvania

[@keithmills778]

I’d read or heard somewhere that Guitar George referred to George Young, the older brother of Malcom and Angus Young of AC/DC. Harry was supposedly Harry Vanda, who played guitar in The Easybeats alongside George Young. If you ask me to provide proof of that, I wouldn’t be able to. I saw it somewhere on the interwebs years and years ago.

[@artistglyn]

I was living in Holland when it came out. It was everywhere. In all the bars and clubs in The Hague. Magic days.....that whole album was great. 'Sultans' is still my favourite track.

[@peterthehook]

This is close . My uncle Harry Holbird played piano in a swing band in Deptford my uncle Tom played drums . The Admiral Ben Bow pub They played ok . Harry's big gig was to play for Tony Bennet at the Albert Hall . Bennett pianist didn't have a work permit so they asked Harry to step in.

[@jeffmason]

The demo was recorded at Pathway Studios in Islington which I was using in the mid 80’s, it had a great reputation even though it was only 8 track and a lot of well known bands were using it

[@Lizzard-t]

Thank you so much for a wonderful informative video.

[@chunnelll]

I remember buying this album when I was 12. Back then you could listen to the music on earphones before buying the album. I listen to sultans of swing and I recognized it from the radio. But I’ve never heard of Dire Straits. My dad looked at it and said who is Dire Straits?I looked at him incredulously and said “you’ve never heard of Dire Straits?”

[@SamanthaLily1]

My dad play this song a lot for years before and appreciated it after Walk of Life.

[@terryhand]

I always smile when I hear the line "Way down South, London Town". I don't think you could ever really get the full irony unless you knew South London.

[@catinthehat906]

From Newcastle, London is 'way down south'.

[@yesihavereadit]

No maps of S London back then, the pages in thr AZ were blank. Dragons, people with no heads , faces on their chests,

[@jafarparkes]

For sure!😂

[@axnax1]

@@catinthehat906 Yes in another song on that first album he sings - "southbound again, don't know if i'm going or leaving home".

[@davidbanks6514]

I once had a Sierra Ghia estate, and when driving to a dog show in Blackpool with my family, my daughter asked me to play some music. I put on the tape and started playing the Sultans of Swing, little did they know that I had recorded it over and over again for the whole cassette😂😂😂. After they all stopped laughing, they agreed that it was a perfect driving song. I still play SoS when driving now😂😂😂.

[@cindycross4644]

So many people remember where they were when they first heard it. I was in a dingy bar in Kodiak. Great song, ghosts of New Orleans, didn’t know who Dire Straights was until then.

[@patkelley8293]

I was 10 when this song hit AM radio. The song conjured up some strange imagery. There was so much good music back then. I really miss the time when actual talent was required to get air time.

[@justrude66]

Raise a glass to Harry, 'Guitar' George, the boys on the horns and the rest of the original Sultans.

[@derekwood91]

I have a story to tell about this track. I distinctly remember a mate of mine saying that he bought the single, having heard the song on radio Luxembourg. It turns out that the first pressing of the song was 5,000 discs, one of which he owns. The song was subsequently picked up by Radio 1, and became a smash hit some months later, resulting in a massive re-release. My mate Colin still has one of the original 5.000 pressings. That might be worth a bob or two now!

[@robertfrazer8161]

First time i heard Sultans of Swing was on Charlie Gillets Honky Tonk show on Radio London, it sounds as good today as it did then - never gets old!

[@Retroscoop]

You also have to describe the specific situation of the 2nd half of the 1970's, with on the one hand the disco craze and on the other hand punk. For people hoping for something else, the arrival of Dire Straits was a present from heaven. It filled an enormous gap for people wanting to hear something else (for a while) than dancing music à la Chic or Bee Gees, and who got "not exactly" a high esteem or admiration for the deliberately un-musical punkers. To me, this first record has never been surpassed by the band, it remains my favorite one, second, the one with Private Investigations, third the one with Lady Writer.

[@John-isAround]

@Retroscoop I remember back then thinking Van Halen had saved rock and roll. The B-52s (Rock Lobster), along with Blonde- Rapture (with rap lyrics), Cheap Trick tunes, Abba, and so many more.

[@richardlecomte6839]

The original line up when the band was on their way up is my favorite lineup and era of Dire Straits. The later stadium stuff was great too don't get me wrong. I love telegraph road, brothers in arms etc. but it doesn't grab me like the raw off the streets feel of a tight club band. That dire straits was when they broke out. Communique is actually my favorite album, not many dire straits fans will say that. Hehe. I'm more of a dire straits fan than a knopfler fan although as a guitarist...he is one of my all time favs and inspirations. His solo stuff doesn't grab me. Just makes me Jones for sure straits

[@John-isAround]

@richardlecomte6839 My best bands experience was the 1982 US festival in California. It was very good and another attempt was made in 1983. Tons of bands of all types.

[@richardlecomte6839]

@@John-isAround I was there. Although I was a bit wasted back then so It was a bit of a blur. I remember being bummed that Joe Walsh wasn't playing. I actually lived just down the road from the show in Rialto California at the time. I don't party like that any more. I missed a bunch being passed out from over indulging. Nowadays I don't even drink. When I gig it's black coffee and cigarettes.

[@John-isAround]

@richardlecomte6839 I don't drink anymore either. It's nice to stay out of trouble. Just got back from the library where I picked up "Ordinary People" a movie filmed nearby I've never seen. I also got a copy of Led Zeppelin performing LA Forum and Long Beach Arena from the library for $1.50. I saw Alice Cooper doing a show in San Bernardino and stood next to Elvira, mistress of the dark in full costume. When the 100th anniversary of Harley Davidson happened, the sound of motorcycles was nonstop for Milwaukee.

[@ajh1155]

Sultans of Swing was the opening track for the first FM radio station in ADELAIDE South Australia…SSAFM…it remains my absolute favourite song ever

[@StupidEarthlings]

Always Loved when they say "..Guitar George, he knows..all the chords" and then he goes on to play... 2 chords. 🤔😂

[@GunnarMiller]

I was on a multi-family ski vacation at Sugarbush Vermont which had poor radio reception, which meant they played recorded music in the restaurants and common areas. They must've played "Sultans of Swing" about 100 times, and it (and the album) became the soundtrack for the whole trip.

[@pstine7892]

Sultans of Swing was at first a bigger hit in Australia, particularly Brisbane, than elsewhere. This undewrote their first tour to Oz. I saw them at Brisbane Festival Hall 78 or 79.

[@John-isAround]

I arrived in Sicily May 6th of 78. Dire Straits was playing along with other good groups whilst I was there until my departure on August 12th, 1981, the same day as one of the band members birthday. Dire Straits songs were so good and fit in so well that I thought the music the band played had been influenced by them having a stay in Sicily. Taormina in Sicily turned out to be a place that was very special to the guy who wore headbands from sweating. Something else that went on August of 78 in Malta was that the place was playing nonstop Elvis music marking the 1st anniversary of his death. Also it may have been the summer of hearing "Funkytown" everywhere in the tourist seaside sunshine areas.

[@leadershiphelpdesk510]

Great video!

[@akmt123]

Cheers from Canada....

[@petermolloy992]

I was in my teens in Ireland. Walking through a motorcycle store, dreaming about the ‘bike i might be able to own one day. Sultans of Swing came on the radio and I froze! I’ve been a fanatical D.S. fan ever since. I’m guessing it was 1977 or 1978.

[@andrewdillon7837]

bought the album the day after it csme out,,here in new zealand,,,still have it..

[@AltPotus]

Back in 1972 Thousand Oaks California, being temporarily "unhoused" I was allowed to sleep on the couch in a home occupied by a band called "The Sultans of Swing".

[@johannpieler8548]

Harry and George named after a famous Django-Reinhardt-album, which Mark obviously didn´t know. I love the song for 45 years.

[@axnax1]

I'm like Harry. I don't mind not 'making the scene'. I just love playing my guitar as loud and as much like Mark Knopfler as i can. I first heard 'Sultans' in a lorry with two other guys that were chatting away obliviously. I was immediately struck by the strong driving rhythm and the sparkling clean notes of the lead guitar that was clearly a strat. I was utterly blown away. This was in 1979 and punk had ruled music for a while. I liked the energy and urgency of punk but it wasnt very mucsical to my ears. Then i hear 'Sultans' and my world changed. I have been playing guitar for 40 something years and still, STILL, get huge pleasure from playing Dire Straits songs. My all time fav has to be The Tunnel of Love. The end solo lifts me up. My heart races as the tempo picks up and becomes a driving melodic wonderland of glassy clean Fender Strat beauty. Yeah...i like em....lol.

[@billholman279]

Excellent!! Thank you!!!

[@MusicMongoose]

No, no. Thank YOU!

[@tomcoen4309]

One of the best albums, top 10 on my list !

[@jediroya6810]

The pub in the song was in Deptford, South London, when the band were walking home from a night out in nearby Greenwich (hence the lyric “raining in the park, MEAN TIME”). Dire Straits were too drunk to remember which pub, but there were only two pubs in the area at the time, one near Deptford Church St, which is no longer there, and the other The Duke on Creek Road, which is still there and can be visited to this day.

[@Dimes4DaDevil]

They have fulfilled this as “The Sultan of Swing”❤❤❤

[@GJSsongsmith]

Quite simply one of the greatest songs ever written !

[@terrylaw18]

Sultans was groundbreaking in its style. Inspired and influenced countless musicians. Knopfler also truly showed his prowess with “Money for nothing “ which became a lexicon.

[@scotthunt2479]

Brothers In Arms

[@terrystaines8903]

I'm from Deptford and I know where they were living and where they played the first live gig in the grass outside the flats. I don't know what pub where the sultans of swing were playing though.

[@davidzwicker5662]

The guitar solo at the end makes a guitarist earn his money when you wait until they’ve been playing for a couple of hours before requesting it.

[@Hammerman48]

Dire Straits existed before Mark came down to London from Newcastle….Mark joined his Brother Dave’s band as it was floundering. When Mark joined things began to take off.

[@kenr86]

I once heard that 'Guitar George' was named after George Young, and 'Harry' was his song writing partner, Harry Vanda, from the 1960's Australian band, The Easybeats.

[@michelbackus]

A interesting story even whitout a single note to hear...

[@jillybe1873]

I heard Sultans first on a cool french radio station. No one I knew in London had heard it yet.

[@deanevangelista6359]

Last April, my band played a gig at a small bar. The audience hated us, and said some unkind things after our first set. We were insulted. We were insulted last spring.

[@geor664]

I've tried giving this video a thumbs up but you tube refuses it.

[@chrisbodum3621]

Close browser, then come back to the video and it should work properly.

[@PhilRounds]

3:25 Little bar bands often played impromptu gigs under names thought up on the spot. They might have only played one gig under that name. It might have been a pick-up band; "Hey i got a gig on Friday and i need a drummer...are you open that night?" "Yeah what's the name of the band?" "I needed to tell the bar owner SOMETHING so i came out with 'The Sultans of Swing' " "LOL!" "I know, right? LOL!" Two weeks later they become "The Horns Of Zeus" or something. I've done it myself!

[@charlesjohnson166]

Mark bought me a few beers in mpls in the 80s.we talked about ice fishing and winter.

[@petecolorado5387]

I've never heard this story before. It's Mythical. Thank you.

[@sephdm]

Always assumed the same thing that they were called that name but if you were listening to the story I'm not sure why you say this still because knoffler was just saying that was an offhand remark at the end of the night he didn't actually say that was the name of the band. I took it he meant that was how the bandleader described his band.

[@neildwmcfarlane3402]

On it's first release it was on The old grey whistle test. I Loved it immediately and bought the album. I Expected it to be a massive hit And It went nowhere. I Remember playing the song to any of my mates that came round ,for about a year. They All loved it. And About a year later it took off. I saw them live in Edinburgh On the Making Movies tour. They were brilliant The Next morning my flatmate was banging on my door. I Thought it was about the concert No He was knocking on my door to tell me John Lennon had been shot. At The concert the night before There had been a radio one interview with lennon and before the gig,that's all anybody was talking about. So The two are forever intertwined with me! 😻🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@John-isAround]

@neildwmcfarlane3402 I was down in Sicily when John Lennon was killed, I then went to visit London as it mourned. I was drinking in a pub with a British World War 2 veteran who said he didn't understand what all the big fuss was about. I was passing through Germany when news came in that American actor John Wayne had died. I witnessed young people that normally may have made fun of him being somewhat shocked and at a loss for words.

[@awol2602]

It's also perhaps worth mentioning that Steve Lillywhite put compression on the whole track.

[@mybachhertzbaud3074]

The tune for me is simply fantastic even if they had never said one word.😁🎶🎸🎶🎹🎶Play On

[@dalegallacher7074]

Knopfler is my favourite guitarist of all time …you gotta be on top of your game if you wanna share the stage with him

[@khaledmobarek4184]

Everybody seems to think that the line is "they say an old guitar". It's actually "left handed old guitar".

[@howlinhobbit]

my band, Snake Suspenderz, would often introduce ourselves as the Serpents Of Swing.

[@johnfoster7428]

In the 1980s we went on holiday to Yugoslavia (present day Croatia) It was a communist country and although it was lovely, life was very basic and non-western. The hotel was very "soviet" but there was a beach bar next door to the hotel. The played Sultans of Swing back to back all day every day. Turned out it was the only song they had. We became friendly with the bar owner and loaned him some other cassettes that we had taken with us. We left them with him when we left.

[@bobagorof]

Would love to hear a version of the original to compare it with the one we all know