I would like to turn this into a daily segment, but most likely it’ll be when I feel like it.
Sultans of Swing by Dire Straits is a song you’ve most likely heard. It is their most popular song with 232 million listens to on Spotify. Why would I pick a song that so obviously kicks ass as my first song that kicks ass? My guess is that you have never listened to the song or wondered what it is about?
Mark Knopfler, the lead singer of Dire Straits, is ranked as #27 out of 100 in the Rolling Stone list of top guitarist’s. This song was off of their first Album, Dire Straits, in 1978. Here is his recollection on it:
“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. 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.
The story behind the song is that Knopfler ducked into a bar that had a few drunks in it not paying attention to the music that was being played by a jazz band. The band finished their set and called themselves the “Sultans of Swing”, which he found amusing considering the crowd being played to.
The song highlights members of a band who play for the music, and not for a paycheck. Guitar George who knows all the chords. Harry doens’t need the paycheck because of his day time job. The lead singer who makes it fast with one more thing. The song gives me goosebumps thinking how the kids don’t like it because it doesn’t sound like Rock and Roll and then Knopfler rips the solo. I don’t know much about guitar, but that solo is awesome.
I’m sure I’ve listened to more Dire Straits than most, and Knopfler I know did a lot of Soundtracks, so perhaps people don’t enjoy this as much as I do. To harp on Knopfler one last time, check out the song “What It Is” if you liked Sultans of Swing.
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