I'm right there with you. I'll be 74 next month & watch this live version frequently. It will never get old! Love seeing people react to it for the 1st time. 🥰
I'm with both of you...I love watching these younger folks react to this version which, in my opinion, is one of the best live performances ever recorded... I'm 74 myself and saw more than my share of arena and stadium shows over the years... Elvis, Tina, Garth, Meatloaf and a few I can't remember.
Mark Knopfler (the lead singer) is quietly one of the greatest guitarists of all time. He casually does things people who have been playing for decades can't replicate. Someone told me once "Mark Knopfler is your favorite guitarist's favorite guitarist."
There is a great video of Mark playing with Chet Atkins and it's clear that without Chet who knows what Mark would sound like. The reverence Mark had for him is on full display. Like the video with SRV sitting down with Albert King, it was like a child looking up at a loving parent.
True now, not so much with bands of this era, when bands often had studio time for max 1 or 2 takes since it was so expensive. That is why older studio versions have so much of that live magic in them
@@michellefrank8116This live was just the right one to launch him off on Dire Straits and especially Mark Knopfler. Insane live performance and rarely skipped a beat.
Kinda where my thoughts were going as I watched him watch the performance. The live performance is more about the band, their skill and improvisation both in the playing and in his song delivery. Compared with the studio or album version, the album version is 'cleaner' it's more about the lyrics painting an audio picture for you.
Fifteen years ago I blasted this music while running and getting chemo for pancreatic cancer and I swear its the reason Im still here.Long liveMark Knopfler the greatest guitarist ever
I grew up as a teen in the 80's and totally agree...I picked up my 1st guitar in 84 since then I have bent strings nearly every day... IMO the best finger picker ever to grace this earth... No guitar pick needed !!!
I was at this concert! I was 17. Absolutely amazing then and still so now. I whistled really loudly at one point during Private Investigations so I'd know it was me, so I'm on the album! 😂. I even met the band afterwards, got their autographs, and had to borrow £5 from Tommy Mandel (2nd keyboard player) because I'd missed the last train and had to get a taxi! Happy days.
As a live playing band, this performance is beyond description! This was 1980 ffs. No special effect, or back up singers, no dancers, no anything, JUST DIRE STRAITS delivering!
But more to the point-how come Polo has never heard of Mark or Dire Straits-where has he been hiding…..he’ll be saying he’s never listened to Eric Clapton next…….
Back in the day Dire Straights were so huge, they were household names and most peopele loved them. Now I am older, it surprises me how fast the world forgets. It is good to see oyunger people discovering these great old bands.
This is the best live performance of Sultans of Swing ever. Mark Knopfler was born with a gift, and we're all blessed he shared, and still shares, it with us.
@@joeuser633 Another thing I've noticed is how Mark changes up the words to Money for Nothing over time to suit the audience, or changes in the world of political correctness. Or maybe his personal opinion changes. See the little........
I get a little teary eyed when I see someone quite young appreciate good music. Great Reaction. Mark Knopfler is a legend. Hope he gifts us one more tour.
Mark Freuder Knopfler is not only a great guitarist he is totally self-taught and an amazing composer. Sultans of Swing were a hotel band who clearly don’t care.
well said. there aren't many shredders that play with "poise". the only other one that comes to mind is eric johnson. if you've never seen eric johnson - cliffs of dover, it's also up there.
None of the overdubs that usually get added to live recordings to 'correct' any flaws either. This is exactly how it sounded on the night. Just watch Mark Knopfler's right hand. It never stops moving. This isn't someone picking a simple, repeating pattern or strumming along while singing and then throwing in some fills between lines. He's playing with a level of complexity while singing that few if any could begin to match. And then there are the solos. Such speed and clarity on a Stratocaster with not a note out-of-place - just awesome.
There’s a few special guitar players and drummers in the same band over the years. Joe Satriani.” Satch Boogie”. Live Satriani It has the incredible Jeff Campatelli on drums having fun doing their thing with smiles.
One of the greatest things about Knopfler's playing is that even though he can clearly pay a zillion notes, he has a beautiful sense for knowing what NOT to play, and when. Very strategic pauses in the midst of seemingly chaos, letting certain notes just linger...it's like the silence makes you hear the sounds more.
@bphat68, Yeah not only that but unlike many other guitar "gods" that can shred a zillion notes in one bar his leads are actually memorable! Sure the super shredders are technically amazing but the moment they're done it's over. You can't remember what you just heard. Whereas Mark's guitar lines have a lyrical quality that "tell a story"! Very much like the guitar is "singing" vocal lines that mean something to the song and stick in your head long after the song is over. I also love the way he uses the African style "call and answer"! Sings a line and then "answers" the vocal line with the guitar. He's my all time favorite guitar player for all those reasons!
the kids of to day have no idea what they have been starved of musically, ive heard sultan of swing a million times and it gives me chills like the very first time, so many try to cover it , such a classic. God bless you Mark , your the best man!
Knopfler famously plays with his fingers instead of with a pick, which allows him to fingerpick in a very unique way. An absolute legend of the guitar.
The guy in red with the headband is Mark Knopfler. He's 34 years old in this video. He's 74 years old now, in April 2024, and bald as an egg, but he's got a new album out that's currently #3 on the U.K. album charts. Right behind Beyonce. He did 6 studio albums with Dire Straits from the late 70s to the early 90s, and 10 solo albums since. Also collaborations and film scores and guest appearances with other artists. He played lead guitar for Bob Dylan, wrote a song for Tina Turner, and he even wrote the walk-out music for the professional soccer team in his home town of Newcastle, England. And apparently he's got a TV show coming out in Britain where he interviews music legends. Not sure if we'll get to see it here in the States.
Im so so happy that the young generations are falling in love with Mark Knopfler. He's an absolute guitar genius. I listened to SoS hundreds of times and get goosebumps every time. Keep listening!
Mark Knopfler is one of the greatest guitarists who ever lived. Incredible skill and nothing OTT or flashy, just incredibly lyrical sound from that guitar. It's like an extra voice duetting with Knopfler.
I am 24 years old. I stand by saying that the music of Dire Straits takes me to a place no other music does. Technically and soulfully perfect. Goosebump music
The band was Dire Straits and they originated in the North East of England; same place as Sting. This was their first single and it was written by Mark Knopfler, the lead guitar player and singer. He was in London and one wet evening in Deptford, heard a band playing in a pub, so he went in and the song is about that band, the Sultans of Swing, and what it is like being a semi-pro band doing gigs in pubs and clubs at the weekends. The same way that The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and all the great British bands started out. No X-Factor, no XX had Got Talent, no Auto-Tune, no false anything. Just people who can play, have got the drive to go and play to half a dozen people on a wet Friday night, and earn their trade. IF you like this (and who wouldn't) try their Live Aid Set, where they play just 2 songs, this one, and Money for Nothing (with Sting), another song that was written by Mark after hearing two workers talking in a cafe. Other bands to look at live are: The Who (anything but Who Are You? and Baba O'Riley in particular; Pink Floyd (the whole Pulse album, recorded live at Earl's Court; Jethro Tull, live at Madison Square Garden (try Thick as a Brick); Cream, live at the Royal Albert Hall (whole concert is breathtaking and in particular, watch the 72 year old Ginger Baker on drums). If you ever visit the UK, use the Underground and check out the musicians who play there; they have to pass an audition to get a licence to perform and they are all good - some are breathtaking.
Excellent suggestions - Pulse, Pink Floyd live at Earl's Court and Jethro Tull omg! Ian is incredible! Love both bands!! Haven't seen Cream live at the Royal Albert Hall, going to check that one out for sure!! Thanks for your comment, you're so right!
If you ever listen to the Intro of "Money for nothing" by the Dire Straits you can hear Sting. He was there when they recorded it and is the one doing the "I want my MTV" part.
I ended up here because...I'm kinda old, and I just wanted to hear "The Sultans of Swing" again. It's one of my most favorite songs of all time. I really enjoyed seeing someone else experiencing this amazing performance for the first time.
while my guitar gently weeps, in the tribute version with Prince, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne and Steve Winwood comes pretty close. But that only shows how many talented people it takes to get to this level.
They're great but in my opinion not the greatest live performance ever you should watch Nightwish live at Wacken 2013 and you would understand why I'm saying this.
I grew up on this stuff, saw a lot of amazing bands but regret not getting to see Dire Straits. It's never too late to discover new (or old) music, it comes your way when your ready to take it in and not before.
I don't know if you've ever heard it, but check out the live version of Tunnel Of Love from Wembley. I think you'll enjoy it. While I love this song, I think that live version from Wembley is even better than this song.
"That guitar is crazy" - YES! That's Mark Knopfler, undoubtedly one of the best guitarists out there - and he makes it look so effortless, as if it was just nothing at all.
He is one of the few musicians I know of who does not use a guitar pick, only his thumb and fingers. This probably explains his phenomenal speed. I miss this group.
Please notice that he doesnt use a pick to play the guitar, he uses his fingers mixing folk fingerstyle and flamenco with his right hand. Mark Knopfler one of the best guitar players of the world for his innovation and style.
Yep. Mark Knopfler is that impossibly rare combination of freakish talent, absurd technical chops, and amazingly tasteful musicianship. And Dire Straits is definitely one of the tightest bands on the planet.
For real. He's not just good, he's good in a way that even other excellent guitarists are not. And the rest of the band are no slouches, either. Absolute legends.
Dire Straits, one of those groups that you know the first time you hear them that you've heard genius at work. I will stop whatever I'm doing every time I hear Dire Straits. Just straight up wow
Mark Knopfler is acknowledged as one of the greatest guitarists ever, but I STILL think he's underappreciated. This is a good selection, because it was their first big hit, and certainly the first song of theirs I ever heard a few years before Money For Nothing.
He doesn’t get recognition he deserves. What I appreciate is that he makes it look so effortless. Mark has complete control over his sound and instrument.
I actually like a few other songs more than ''Sultans Of Swing"" on their first album like ''Six Blade Knife'' "Setting Me Up"" ''Southbound Again''' and my Favourite "" In The Gallery"" LOL I only missed 4 songs that included ''Sultans Of Swing"" in my Favourites
This song tells a story about a bunch of hobbyist musicians. Nobody comes to their gigs but they name their band the "Sultans of Swing" anyway. Classic.
True story kind of: The lyrics were inspired by a performance of a Dixieland jazz band playing in the corner of an almost empty pub in Deptford, South London. At the end of their performance, the lead singer announced their name, the Sultans of Swing; Knopfler found the contrast between the group's dowdy appearance and surroundings and their grandiose name amusing. Mark knopfler is a legendary guitarist for his use of finger picking not strumming which allows him to get those very different sounds
I saw this performance live and when they were done, it was all I could to do to just hang on to the chair in front of me and laugh quietly. I realized I was in the presence of greatness.
I wasn’t born when this happened but I always love hearing stories from this Alchemy festival, this imo is the most legendary live performance of a song EVER
Mark Knofler rarely gets mentioned when people talk about guitarists. For me he is as good as anyone at what he does and other people can't play the way he does.
I'd also suggest Polo to check out J.J. Cale who's sound certainly seems to have influenced Mark Knopfler. I'd like to hear a reaction on "Magnolia" from the album "Naturally".
Are you joking? MK is always highlighted as one of the greatest and unique ones, very influential with his own sound instantly recognised. Plus he's an amazing songwriter and singer as well
Absolutely agree. I'm so happy I was there for it. My 36 year old son always asks me why I still mostly listen to 70s and 80s music when there is "so much good, new music". HA! This. This is why.
i cant process the info that the guy in his obv 30s dont know about dire strats, and a top10 songs ever, alongside smoke on the water, by deep purple, etc, etc, its very hard to pick just 10 rock songs, let alone all modern music, but thgese are the cult songs
@@redsidebiker that track is wonderful. It's a really diverse album. The tracks don't all sound alike. "Ride Across The River" has always been one of my favorite chill songs. The acoustic guitar on "The Man's Too Strong" jumps out of the speakers. The whole album sounds amazing and makes me glad that I have a fantastic sound system.
The Sultans of Swing is the name of a group they're describing that they saw in a small club. Mark Knopfler wears a headband because he sweats too much; when he plays it gets in his eyes. I love how much the group is enjoying playing this. Having a good time while entertaining the rest of us. Too cool!
“If you don’t like this, I’m glad I wasn’t born with your ears,” is the best reaction music of this quality could possibly have. Only fortunate enough to have seen them live once, and it wasn’t this gig, but I will never forget it.
I've had the pleasure of hearing this track for the last 45 years. A legendary story: A group called Steely Dan often brought in guest guitarists for their albums and they were famously tough critics. They would have their guests redo the solo time after time until they thought it was good enough. Mark Knopfler came in, played his solo and they said "Well, that's fine. Thank you very much". Such a genius.
Mark Knopfler is a legend. This song was recorded in 1978. That's right, this song broke 46 years ago and this concert was probably early 80s. Not a single autotune device was harmed in the making of this video. edit: And yes, you know this band. Everybody knows this band, they just don't know they know this band. Remember Money for Nothing? ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ZC1Pdsppch4.html
The great thing about this group is each one is a consummate musician. Not just banging or screaming. Actually making amazing, legitimate music. And complementing each other so well.
I am 71 years old. Whenever I have a home project...like painting a room.... I put on Dire Straits. Listening to Mark Knofler singing Sultans of Swing makes me feel like I can do anthing! Project done. Best guitarist ever.
I had a friend that worked with me everyday. He played the trumpet. This song used to come on the radio and I’d say, “ Don’t wanna hear no trumpet playing band.” Guess you had to be there. 😂
Welcome to light, mate. Been one of my faves since the late 70s. Great body of work but Brothers In Arms is their best album. Their sound defies classification.
People have told me to stop listening to my "old" music...I tell them not a chance. I just found you tonight & it's 4am & I have to try to sleep soon. Except that I'm 71 and retired & I can sleep whenever! I absolutely LOVE that you're discovering the music I grew up with.
I’m 29 from the UK, Mark Knopfler is my favourite guitarist ever and I think probably Alchemy Sultans is my favourite thing on all of RU-vid. Hearing a young American refer to it as a masterpiece is brilliant. You got a new sub mate :)
This song just came out of nowhere. It was so distinctive, we all stood up and recognized it for its uniqueness. It broke through all the noise in the late 70s. It was special. Mark Knopfler is still creating terrific music today.
A true legendary band. Set all kinds of records for consecutive night sold out concerts around the world. And then just when they were on top of the world Mark Knopfler called it quits and went solo. A tremendous catalog and very influential. "Alchemy", their live album, is one of the very best live albums ever. Too many songs to even think of what to suggest next.
Mark Knopfler is a stupendously amazing guitarist. He's so laid-back but intricately fast too! Telegraph Road and Brother's In Arms are very moving too. This British lads are excellent.
Pure dedication and a hell of a lot of practice,. His interviews are worth every second, he's humble as all get out,. Rolling Stone has him as one of the top 10 guitarists.
In my 80's here... and I experienced one of the musical thrills of a lifetime when I was at their show in Moncton, NB Canada!! Mark Knopfler!!! The brilliance!!!
Gen X here. Dire Straits is incredible. Music then was not manufactured by synthesizer or computer. It was a product of oneness, artist with instrument, mixed with freaking magic.
I’m starting to appreciate what wonderful musicians we had in my day ( 72 years now). My mother dismissed it and said nobody would ever listen to it in the future. She was also wrong about our marriage. She said it would last 6 months. It’s 60 years now and still going strong! There are no words to describe Dire Straits except brilliant!
Dire Straits are one of those bands who's live performances nearly always outshine the studio versions, a testament to the musical virtuosity of all the band members, not just Mark, as iconic as he is....
I feel robbed of a part of music history by the studio recordings. Before this I only listened to Dire Straits on the radio, and while it's good and catchy, it's still just good and catchy like any pop-song. This is a musical experience on a whole other level. I'm 41 years old and only now found out about the genius of this band.
“There’s too many of these creative, genius bastards”. Aren’t we lucky to be alive to get to enjoy that fact. One of the greatest performances of all time. Each player in his pocket. The energy. The vibe. Masters.
Polo "That guitar is crazy". Me : "wait for it......." Keep in mind, this song and Dire Straights height of popularity was during the middle part of the 80's. When synth music and pop ruled MTV and radio. Here comes this little blues rock band with a unique sound and excellent musicians turning out hits that people still listen to 40 years later. Mark is one of the best guitar players with his own unique style. Glad you like the track.
After 40+ years of knowing this band’s musical genius I’m so stoked to see the next generations learning about it and loving it! These guys had years of paying their dues before reaching this status! Masters of the craft for sure!
Terry probably put something extra into his performance that night, his dad was in the audience for the first ever time seeing him play. You know he is good when people talk more about the drummer than even Knopflers amazing guitar playing. True world class live performance. You can see Knopflers and the rest of the band seeing the effect Terry was having that night, great band having a great time.
Mark's smiles at different time during this song, says it all. He love's the music that they're making, he's one with his guitar, the band was so damned tight. Such a fridge awesome performance.
Mark Knopfler plays what is called the "Tulsa sound" along with other artists like Eric Clapton, J.J. Cale & Leon Russell. It's a mix of blues, rock, country & soul, and in my book some of the greatest music ever created.
@@TheDivayenta I'm so glad someone acknowledges Django Reinhardt… Different genre, different era, but so many guitarists from the sixties, seventies, eighties, and onward to today have benefited from techniques he developed working with the amazing Stephane Grappelli.
US reactors tend to be obsessed with 'studio version' songs but you have to bear in mind that virtually anyone can sound good on a studio version after being produced to death with the mixing desks etc, the true worth of any band is live where there is nowhere to hide.
Same thing with theatre and cinema actors, it's just slightly different skill sets and team sizes. If you think of a studio version like an orchestra working in layers it males sense. Sometimes a musician os good enough to get the spotlight and play solo, usually the Orchestra works together to improve quality while covering for each other's slips 😅
Like many people, I first heard Dire Straits on the radio in 1978 playing the studio version of "Sultans of Swing". I was a huge Dylan fan at the time and at first thought it was Dylan's voice. Had never heard of Dire Straits but went out and immediately bought their debut album, which is awesome.
Glad you have discovered Dire Straits. Not only are they all terrific musicians, not only is Mark Knopfler the best guitarists ever, and can really make that thing talk; but you will find that all their songs tell a story, so the lyrics are equally as important as the music. Whether it's this song about a group they saw playing, or Money for Nothing about an overheard conversation in an appliance store, the growth of a town in Telegraph Road or the mapping of America in Sailing to Philadelphia..its a journey you're going to enjoy!
And Mark is picking that guitar with his fingers on his right hand. The crazy thing is that u younger generations don’t understand how good musicians were back then bc there was no pro tools, autotune, etc. U had to be able to play/sing or whatever. There was no faking it. Mark is an incredible guitarist. So many greats from back in the day and some are gone but many are still around.
My dad sat me down when I was 11 and put headphones on me and played his Direstraits album, he said you will enjoy this and sat back with a smile as he watched me experience their sound for the first time. What a gift for both me and him as he got to share and educate me on something so spectacular.
@@deborahdawes6975 I did something similar, but reversing the generations. My late father in law was a classical fan, and was totally dismissive of rock music as being shallow, trivial, and having no real musical quality… so I sat him down with Zappa's 'Son of Mr Green Genes' (a rock instrumental that's so well structured and innovative it changed his mind). I then introduced him to Mark Knopfler's music.
He actually did virtually nothing on Brothers in Arms because he didn't jell with the songs (or something like that) but he did tour with them to promote that album.
I was there on that night at Hammy Odeon. My first ever gig as a 15 year old, and still the greatest gig I've ever been to. Absolutely electrifying, all night long.
Dire Straits and Mark Knopfler are insane, all their performances. If you loved Sultans of Swing, check also Tunnel of Love and Brothers in Arms live...it's otherwordly as well. Kudos for all the band in this song, specially Mark in the guitar and Terry Williams in the drums
I am 70. You are being introduced to the best and brightest musicians of the 70's/80's!!! It is hard to listen and not think of what that music was like compared to today!
When Mark Knoffler and the band went to see a band in a pub, they were called The Sultans of Swing. So this is the song he wrote about that evening. Here in the UK most bands from the 70's and onwards started their careers in pubs and bars. This is an amazing song and the band are so tight you would never believe it was live. Thanks for reveiwing it.
Mark Knopfler is one of those artists where you can tell it is him on guitar from the first couple of notes. He also composes pieces in a way that is symphonic. If you listen to a song like Telegraph Road, the dynamics are incredible -- it starts so so quiet and builds. He also has written the soundtracks for a number of movies, including The Princess Bride and Local Hero (the Local Hero soundtrack is fantastic on its own). He's also a great storyteller, which has gotten him some grief in the past because he will sing a story that is in a character's point of view, which gets mistaken for his own. Also, solo or with Dire Straits, best concerts ever! They would play so long and hard that the headband was to keep the sweat out of his eyes!
@@Gwyhir nope, absolutely not. It was all Mark (well except for The Mist Covered Mountains which is a traditional tune that he included an arrangement of for the film and a title he of course later included in the opening line to Brothers in Arms). Hal along with other members of Dire Straits did play on various tracks. Hal also subsequently did some film score compositions of his own after leaving Dire Straits.
@@Gwyhir "All songs on this soundtrack were written by Mark Knopfler", except for one traditional tune that was adapted by him. Hal Lindes plays rhythm guitar on one track (the third, "Freeway Flyer") only. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_Hero_(soundtrack)#:~:text=All%20music%20and%20lyrics%20were,Mark%20Knopfler%2C%20except%20where%20indicated.
They rule over their corner of sound and rhythm, earning the title ‘Sultans of Swing’ not through wealth or fame, but through their devotion to a craft they silently master - a metaphor for the purity of artistic pursuit.
