Few groups can claim to be synonymous with a lifestyle, but Dire Straits are an exception, whether they like it or not. BROTHERS IN ARMS, released in 1985, established them as the first real darlings of the compact disc generation. Their accessible, traditional blues-based music made them perfect for the massive, mature, relatively wealthy strata of the public which likes its music tightly performed and readily digestible. The album was number 1 in the US charts for nine weeks and spent three years in the UK chart. Surprisingly, Dire Straits first surfaced during a period which was the antipathy of what they were to become—the London punk scene of 1976/77. Mark Knopfler (b. 12 August 1949, Glasgow, Scotland) and his brother David Knopfler (b. 1951, Glasgow, Scotland) are the sons of an architect who moved to Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, when the boys were young. Mark Knopfler studied English literature at Leeds University, and for a short while worked as a junior reporter with the Yorkshire Evening Post and with an Essex local newspaper. After university he formed a part-time pub band called Brewer's Droop but his main income was drawn from teaching.
The Knopflers moved to London during the early '70s and Mark met bassist John Illsley (b. 24 June 1949, Leicester, England) and drummer Pick Withers. Illsley, a sociology graduate, was working in a record shop and Withers had been a session drummer for many years. The climate was not right for the group as punk took a grip on music and almost every UK record label passed on the offer to press up Dire Straits’ polished music. One song began to stand out from their repertoire, a basic blues progression with dry, affectionate lyrics, called Sultans Of Swing. It was picked up by Radio London DJ and rock historian, Charlie Gillett, and by the end of 1977 the group were recording their debut, DIRE STRAITS, for Vertigo Records with producer Muff Winwood. Sultans Of Swing was a hit first in Holland and later made the UK Top 10. The powerful Warner Brothers took over distribution in the USA and massively backed the album until in March 1979 it had reached number 2 in the Billboardchart. Their second single, Lady Writer, was a relative failure but it did not impair their attraction as an ‘albums band’. COMMUNIQUE, produced by Jerry Wexler and Barry Beckett, sold three million copies worldwide. It missed the commercial edge of the debut but developed Knopfler's trademark of incisive, cynical lyricism. Before the recording of MAKING MOVIES, David Knopfler opted-out to begin a solo career and has since released several records with various small independent labels. David was replaced by Hal Lindes, formerly a member of Darling, and Alan Clark joined on keyboards. Knopfler was heavily criticized for not varying his songwriting formula but the album still spawned a UK Top 10 single with the poignant love ballad, Romeo And Juliet. LOVE OVER GOLD fared better than its predecessor in the USA and the single from it, Private Investigations, became their biggest hit, reaching number 2 in the UK during September 1982.
Knopfler spent some time off from the group and produced Bob Dylan's INFIDELS in 1983 and wrote Private Dancer which became a hit for Tina Turner in 1984. Now respected as both a songwriter and exceptionally gifted guitarist, it looked for a while as if Dire Straits might not record again because of Knopfler's other production commitments with artists as diverse as Aztec Camera, Randy Newman and Willy DeVille. They reassembled, however, in 1983 with ex-Man drummer Terry Williams replacing Withers, and completed an arduous world tour. A live double record ALCHEMY LIVE filled the gap before the band's next studio album release, BROTHERS IN ARMS in 1985. Like many others, Dire Straits’ appearance at the Live Aid concert boosted sales and their own 200-date tour helped it become one of the decade's biggest selling albums. Knopfler used it to make several wry observations on his own position as a rock star, laughing at the folly of videos and MTV on Money For Nothing—a number 1 in the USA. Three other songs from the record, Walk Of Life, So Far Away and the title track, also charted on both sides of the Atlantic, with Walk Of Life reaching number 2 in the UK. Knopfler turned once again to other projects. Having already written two film scores in 1983 and 1984 for Local Hero and Cal respectively, he wrote the music for the fantasy comedy film, The Princess Bride in 1987. In 1990 Knopfler formed an ad hoc group fronted by Leeds singer, Brendan Croker called the Notting Hillbillies. Their self-titled debut album was a disappointing, soporific release and the group disbanded after one UK tour. As a solo artist, John Illsley has released two albums, NEVER TOLD A SOUL in 1984 and GLASS in 1988, neither of which sold in significant quantities. During the summer of 1991 Dire Straits announced a massive ‘comeback’ tour and the release of a new album, ON EVERY STREET. Their world tour, taking two years to complete, would be their first concerts since their 1988 appearance as part of the Nelson Mandela Birthday concert at London's Wembley Stadium. While Knopfler has strived to find new challenges in various music-related spheres, his group can leave a six-year gap between album releases and still maintain their incredible popularity. This is owing, in no small measure, to masterful global marketing and the unflinching mainstream appeal of their music.

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