The Alchemy Live performance of this song is pretty magical, too. Nice to see Dire Straits being appreciated for their immense talent and musical legacy.
@@babylemonade2868 Nah, alchemy is good, but this is just that little bit better. Especially what Williams does in the end with the 4/4 bass kick and the 2/2 crash symbals. Amazing
Reminds me of when on the dodgems in Spanish City against my Uncle (one of many lol) haha Me I was conceived in Newcastle. The Toons in the Champions League as well (their kinda anthem tune being written by Mark as well lol, I mean the toon's one not the champions league) for the 1st time in 20 years, be f'ing amazing if they ever got the treble in 5 years or so, lol I drank half a bottle of whisky because they got into that haha! If you dont know when Newcastle United, the tune for Local Hero that Mark wrote is played in Newcastle United Football Club (aka Toon Army lol) on match days.
At the risk of being a Knopfler Nerd, last year I was heading up north so went to the site of the Spanish City just to see the site of this song. Some of the lyrics of the chorus, the “girl you look so pretty to me just like you always did” part, are embedded into the pavement stones along the seafront outside it. As a lover of this for four decades and counting it was magical to be honest.
It got its name when the football stadium left leaving all the Spanish placards around the pitch you had to pay to watch the match then the fair moved in, and the Spanish City was born,
Going down to that very slot this morning! He was interviewed on that spot by Brian Johnson of AC/DC and judging by his reaction he didn't know those lyrics were inscribed there! He's the most humble guy.
I could listen to a Knopfler outro on repeat for hours. Most non-musicians don't realize how difficult it is to find the right musicians to "find a groove" with and create something special. When it's working, everyone knows it and it doesn't need to be spoken of. I very much enjoy your analysis-driven commentary mixed with a bit of "fan-boy" as well.
Dire Straits come from a time when the world was not short of truly world class bands / musicians ! However, they are one of a very small number of bands who really have their own ‘sound’. No other band sounds like Dire Straits, when you hear the start of any of their songs you know instantly who it is. Wonderful band 🫡
Having been brought up in Whitley Bay and spending lots of time in the Spanish City as a child this is a very emotional song for me. It is a wonderful song with a guitar outro that is otherworldly. Within the last few years some of the lyrics to the song were inscribed near to the Spanish City for posterity. Love the channel and your reactions Doug.
I was in Whitely bay last week, and wondering where the quote was from. Figured out the Dire Straits connection, but didn't know which song. Serendipity in action. 😊.
I grew up a bit further south near Durham. We used to go on school trips to Whitley Bay...and The Spanish City. I'm proud to say I've been to that very shooting gallery Mark sings about. I get a lump in my throat every time I hear this song.
As Douglas Adams said about Dire Straits, and The Tune of Love in particular, "Mark Knopfler has an extraordinary ability to make a Schechter Custom Stratocaster hoot and sing like the angels on a Saturday night, exhausted from being good all week and needing a stiff drink"
Mark's playing is unique and amazing, but Terry Williams' drumming is tight AF, it always stands out to me with DS performances and nobody seems to mention it.
@@frankslade33 Totally agree. Picks drum pattern was the perfect representation of those greasy gears and oily wheels of the fairground. Good though it is live I don't think they got close to the studio version.
Of all the pieces of music on the planet that have been written, this is mine! I want this in my ears when I die. I am 70 years of age, been listening to Mark most of my life. Thanks for sharing this work of art with us. Love it!
My grandmother used to go to the Spanish City as a kid, I think everyone in the area did. This song always brings so much joy & great memories back for her.
When they renovated the Spanish City in the tiles around the entrance they had the words of "Tunnel of Love" embossed in them. Every day they open the start by playing this. Newcastle United Football Club use Marks Going Home Theme from the film Local Hero he wrote when the teams come out.
Saw Straits on their first US tour in ‘79… magical! Saw them again in ‘83…. Even more amazing! Met Knopfler and Illsley at a vintage guitar show. Both were kind and gracious talking about their musical equipment. A class act.
I saw them live in '85 at the Showering Pavillion in Shepton Mallet. Exactly the same arrangement as this. It was an amazing night I'll never forget, and I'll never see anything like it again.
I come from a place called Wallsend near Newcastle in the north east of england. It’s only 2 miles from Cullercoats and 3 miles from Whitley Bay both seaside resorts and both mentioned in the song and places I used to frequent in my formative late teens to mid 20s. The Spanish City was an amazing domed complex full of fairground rides and booths. As a child I’d play on the beach in the sand and swim in the sea or when older go ice skating at Whitley Bay and out in the pubs and clubs in the evenings and listen to this new band called Dire Straits. I’m now 61 and the memories are all still strong and happy. Every time I hear this track I become engulfed in a happy nostalgia Whicker I’ll keep forever.
I love that he plays little cameos, Stop in the name of love, and Don't let me be misunderstood, so casually in the intro. Evoking memories of his childhood as a preamble to the song. The Tube, from which this recording was made, was a rock show hosted by Jools Holland. If my memory serves me, in an interview shown as part of the show he was asked about his playing style and technique and said "I've got a decent touch". How understated and humble can you get.
I like the subtle riffs Knopfler always slips into the live performances. Did anyone else notice before the song starts @6:09 he plays 'Stop, in the name of love, before you break my heart'? Then laughs... Brilliant.
Thank you for this! I was trying to place that song. I knew the song, just couldn't remember the title. Dire Straits had great stage presence. The band came at just the right time for me. I graduated high school in 1982. Dire Straits was the soundtrack of my life in the 1980s.
Another fact for you Doug. Brothers In Arms was basically the first main album designed wholly for CD. It was recorded digitally for the CD format. When it was released in 1985, if you had a new CD player, you had this album. I knew you'd love Tunnel of Love. Now that you've heard this, 'Sultans, 'Telegraph and Brothers In Arms, we need to line you up with Private Investigations :)
Can confirm, was gifted a CD player and Brothers In Arms was the first CD purchased. Previously we had a Love Over Gold tape copy that was played a thousand times in the car, so when this CD came out it was like a brand new world opened up.
I played this song so many times while at University, hearing about the Spanish City and Cullercoats and Whitley Bay. Little did I dream that within three years later I would be starting my first teaching job and living very near the Spanish City.
This is a masterpiece of a song, and an incredible performance. The studio version is also great, but this recording was different class. The build up of the solo at the end is sublime.
I was at the 2nd night of this live tour. The 1983 Alchemy Live version was stunning. This for me knocked it out of the park. Fantastic review as always Doug. Thankyou buddy Neil UK
I don’t know what was more fun, listening to a beautiful song I’ve never heard before, or watching a brilliant musician deciphering it and truly enjoying the music. Brilliant!
I've seen Mark Knopfler live 6 times since 2001 on his tours...'Tunnel of Love' is the one song I wish I could have seen him play, but never have. Thanks to RUclips for all these old concert films...
I recorded this concert on VHS tape when it was played on Channel 4 in the UK, Channel 4 was very much in it’s infancy at the time, I’d guess this would have been 86 or 87, I was mortified when my sister recorded over the tail end of the show, Tunnel of love was before an encore which included Brothers in arms and the show closes with Local Hero featuring Hank Marvin. I still have the recording somewhere and have watched this particular track literally hundreds of times, I’d go as far as to say it is one of the best live performances I’ve ever seen by any band! The other stand out tune from this set is Sultans of swing…..look that up too. Great to finally find a reaction to this amazing performance, it’s been a part of my life for 35 odd years.
@stevehughes1834. You may already know this. When Mark Knopfler was young, one of his guitar heroes was another Geordie boy, Hank B. Marvin. How fitting that the whole thing goes "full circle" and they get to play live together. A fitting tribute to Hank from Mark and a golden snapshot in time for the fans. Stay safe and well.
Same thing happened to me! I recorded this concert in 1986 from the Spanish TV. I saw it thousand of times until the old VHS tape was partially erased by my little Sister. Thank god we have RUclips now 😅
Hi Doug, thank you so much for featuring this epic DS song. It's been my all-time favorite since I first heard it when Making Movies came out back in 1980, I can honestly tell you I wore that album out! I've been a DS MK fan since I first heard Sultans back in 78. I saw DS live on the Brothers in Arms tour and then again on the On Every Street tour. I've seen MK five or six times through the years after DS broke up. His music means so much to me, especially TOL. I'm not partial to any one rendition but my favorite has always been on the Live Alchemy album. One quick fact, I read somewhere that MK doesn't play TOL live anymore since his Dad passed away some years ago as it was his Dad's favorite song. Anyhow thanks again for featuring it! I really enjoyed your reaction and commentary.
My dad always had dire straits playing out loud on a weekend so grew up loving it.This song reminds me of my first young love having met a Greek girl on the island of Corfu when I was 16 so there after whenever I played this track or heard it always reminds me of her.Love your channel!
From the 1985 Brothers in Arms tour live at Wembley Arena. Remember watching it at the time shown on the Tube music program on channel 4. Uk. Taped it and have watched it a zillion times since. Magnificent and brings tears to my eyes every time 🙂
Thank you. One of the more enjoyable reactions to this song. Your respect for Mark's distinctive style is spot on. Best breakdown of the epic solo I've heard. 🤟😁
I see you’ve watched Telegraph Road from Alchemy and this song is the song just before they do Telegraph Road. What makes that whole concert video so awesome is that they are playing their hearts out from beginning to end. The level of intensity each band member brings to that particular performance is just magic. I think the video of that concert is one of the most awesome videos of its kind available. This good, but the original Alchemy line up (the one you see in Sultans of Swing and Telegrapah Road) just had a special energy to them.
You did not catch on that he played "Stop in the name of love" and "Don't let me be misunderstood" in the intro? This was also Marks fathers favorite song, he never played it live again after his father died
Another nod to Mark's life in Newcastle Upon Tyne with "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood". It was recorded by another group of Geordie boys - The Animals.
My brother introduced me to Dire Straits in the late seventies, I also recall seeing a documentary on TV with them in it around the same time. Anyway, I followed them into the eighties and also recognised the 'nod' to The Animals and Diana Ross in this tune, hardly surprising because they were typical tunes played at fairground rides in the seventies. Just so beautifully put together by Mark and the boys. I do miss the eighties, musically that is.
I remember getting out of this concert (not this particular one, but another one of the tour) totally on cloud nine... and I get a burst of dopamine everytime I think of it.
Quite so - in fact Douglas Adams seems to have referenced Tunnel of Love in the book "So long and thanks for all the fish" when he said "Mark Knopfler has an extraordinary ability to make a Schecter Custom Stratocaster hoot and sing like angels on a Saturday night, exhausted from being good all week and needing a stiff drink.”
Making Movies is one of my all-time favorite albums - heard it first in '84 when a radio station was playing a "perfect album side." Am I the only one who noticed (ahem, while Doug was talking - lol) a few bars of Stop In The Name Of Love at 6' 10"??
The 2nd time I lived in Toronto, On. I heard that Stevie Ray Vaughn was coming there. So, I called up Ticket Master and asked for a ticket to see Stevie. The girl said that he was opening for Dire Straits. I said that's even better. Great concert!
My late mother was born in Newcastle. I bought this record on cassette when I was 17 (I was hooked on Dire Straits from their eponymous first album onwards). When I played this song at home, my mum’s face lit up, and she said she’d been to the Spanish City many times when she was a child.
Thanks for the enthusiasm!! I was born in May 1980, must have heard this song when I was 6 months old maybe, must have grown on me, the rather unknown album from Dire Straits "Making Movies" is only 6 songs, but it is amazing, including of course Romeo and Juliet and Solid Rock, but also a song that really incarnates the title of the album, which is Skateaway: sounds like a movie in itself, special love for this one.
the song you did not mention at the beginning that jumps out to me is Romeo & Juliet. Somewhat short and understated (for Dire Straits, that is), but that is part of it's charm. Lovely, lovely song (with the best use of a dobro I have ever heard, it really makes this song so special).
I used to go on the rides at Spanish City as a kid when visiting family in Whitley Bay, so this song always makes me smile (and I also think the Alchemy version is THE definitive version)
@@tonyjefferson3502 that's nice. I did a coastal walk a couple of years ago from Blyth to Tynemouth and was really happy to see that the Spanish City buildings are still there, they look terrific
Hi Doug glad you like Dire straits , I went to see Mark in Manchester in 2000/2001 on the sailing to philadelphia tour , he was amazing , played some of the sailing album then did most of the dire straits back catalogue , was on stage for 4 hours straight ,no support act . AMAZING
Thanks Doug. I've loved that track from the moment I first heard it - it's light and shade, it's epic and the solos on the both the album version and the live version are among his very best (which let's face it, isn't too shabby). One of Mark's trademarks - he does it so often - is veering off into an instrumental melody, every bit as composed and arranged as the song itself. I don't know too many writers who do that but he majors in it. You talk of building a song up, checkout Mark 20-30 years later with his regular band and Emmylou Harris doing "Speedway to Nazareth." Incredible cohesion in that band.
As a teenager playing guitar in Music School I one day discovered DS thru a friends parents who played Sultans of Swing at home. And I was hooked. Mark even played with fingers, like me! Tunnel of Love was always one of my favorites because it was the first time I could feel how a solo just prolonged the lyrics and story. I could feel the desperation of loosing track of the girl and he slowly start to panic and search for her. At least that's how I interpreted it back then :) After this my view of playing solos took a 180 and I cared more for the feeling rather than technique or speed. They just came years later anyways from practice.
I love this song; the Spanish City closed down but they're refurbishing the seafront there and on the promenade there's an inlaid tile decoration featuring the line 'girl it looks so pretty to me, Like it always did. Like the Spanish city to me, When we were kids'. I took a photo and I think that's the whole quote - my photo starts at the full stop they've placed between 'did' and 'Like'. I've seen Dire Straits 3 times live, and Mark a few times (2019 most recently) but I've never seen him play this live. A real regret but this version is very, very fine. What a tight, talented band - which is what MK loves most: working with other musicians. I'd love to see a video of him reacting to your reactions - that would be a real blast!
Thanks for featuring this. I'd never seen/heard this version. Your comments were right on target: playing lead and rhythm, finger picking with so much soul, and the band being right in the pocket.
This brings back memories I had the Alchemy concert on cassette, almost wore it out playing it in the car, then later I got my first SACD and it was Alchemy, what. a. concert. Thanks for brining back the memories Doug.
Said it a dozen times and ill say it again - this version is the greatest version of this song. Full stop. It is impossible not to be moved in several ways. Im always left awestruck every time i hear it and ive been listening to it since 85
@PoppyCloseNo1.I read a story that Mark's older sister caught him "guitar posing" in a mirror with a tennis racket, with his left hand on the "strings" To Mark, he looked like his heroes (The Shadows) that he saw on the TV screen! Mark's sister said something like "That's the wrong way 'round!" So Mark changed hands and the rest is history. Kind of makes sense that his favoured left hand does all the "widdly bits" on the fretboard. There is a video somewhere out there on RUclips showing Mark signing the headstock of the first fifty of his signature Gibson Les Paul guitars, and he is definitely a left handed writer! Stay safe and well.
I absolutely love your reaction vids. There's a nice aura around you that just makes me smile every time. As the Danes would say, the good vibe just amounts to a whole lot of hygge :)
As Doug rightly points out the whole band is in the pocket!!! Bass, drums,piano everyone matching marks virtuoso playing. I discovered this song watching “an officer and gentleman”. Needless to say my favourite bit of the song is the part in the movie. Love it to bits!!!
Lovely memories for me,i used to go to the "Spanish City" amusement park in Whitley Bay about 4 miles from Newcastle,where we come from we're called "Geordies" hard working class people who love a good time & love our Football club "Newcastle United"Cullercoats is mentioned aswell,its just along the road from Whitley Bay,happy days getting a bag of chips to eat on the way home & just enough money to get home 🙂🙂🙂
Two interesting facts. Mark's father liked this song so he never played it live after his father died as a tribute. The lyrics about the Spanish city are now imortalised in stone at the Spanish city. See the episode mark did with Brian Johnson from ACDC.
The outtro is amazing in this version, but in almost every other respect the studio version is better. It's so well-produced with perfect leveling between instruments and their intricated dynamics in a way that you lose live. And the key moment in the song, the slow section starting with *And girl, it looks so pretty to me, Like it always did* falls flat live, in the studio version it's such a fragile, wistful moment that wrenches your heart and sadly live's slightly higher tempo and lack of contrast and emotion in the vocal make it miss the mark.
I agree, the whole Makin Movies album is untouchable, minus one song. I can't go much longer than a month without listening to it, to this day. It just makes me feel happy and at peace all at once.❤️🎸
No way. Thank You Australasia is the best live version. It's in RUclips, it is more powerful and the end solo is a masterpiece. It tells a story compared to the Wembley version. I think that most people don't know the version I mention.
I heard this live version on a Friday or was it a Sunday night on my local rock station in 1989. I taped it on cassette. A huge Dire Straits fan. The most underrated rock group here in the USA, in my opinion. They usually only play the amazing Sultans of Swing or Walk of Life tunes.
You picked up on the line "In the screaming ring of faces". Such an evocative line and one of the best ever which gives me the picture of the rider on the "Racer" going round and seeing all the other kids on the perimeter waiting for their turn or perhaps just people watching when, . . . he sees her amongst them "standing in the light". Another great line is "In the roar of dust and diesel". You can almost smell it, never mind hear it!.
Wonderful reaction, thanks again for yet another great video! 🙂 I love this version, but I’m also one of those that put the Alchemy one at the very top. And… Talking about Alchemy, I strongly recommend that you check the Sultans of Swing track from that album. It reigns supreme.
The Alchemy Live performance of this song is pretty magical, too. Nice to see Dire Straits being appreciated for their immense talent and musical legacy.
And amazingly this was the opener on Alchemy, not the closer
@@ilera2007 do you mean in the actual concert? As Once Upon a Time in the West is the first track on the album
The best version is the alchemy version for sure. He should do sultans of swing from alchemy as well
@@babylemonade2868 Nah, alchemy is good, but this is just that little bit better. Especially what Williams does in the end with the 4/4 bass kick and the 2/2 crash symbals. Amazing
@@ilera2007 It was neither the opener in Alchemy nor the closer in this concert but both performances were amazing.
My favourite dire straits song. Nobody talks about the piano work. Powerful and brilliant!
Yes two of the best .
The scales he plays in the end always make vibes my spine
Those arpeggios!
Reminds me of when on the dodgems in Spanish City against my Uncle (one of many lol) haha
Me I was conceived in Newcastle.
The Toons in the Champions League as well (their kinda anthem tune being written by Mark as well lol, I mean the toon's one not the champions league) for the 1st time in 20 years, be f'ing amazing if they ever got the treble in 5 years or so, lol I drank half a bottle of whisky because they got into that haha!
If you dont know when Newcastle United, the tune for Local Hero that Mark wrote is played in Newcastle United Football Club (aka Toon Army lol) on match days.
I talk about it !! It's brilliant !!!!!
At the risk of being a Knopfler Nerd, last year I was heading up north so went to the site of the Spanish City just to see the site of this song. Some of the lyrics of the chorus, the “girl you look so pretty to me just like you always did” part, are embedded into the pavement stones along the seafront outside it. As a lover of this for four decades and counting it was magical to be honest.
Very cool.
It got its name when the football stadium left leaving all the Spanish placards around the pitch you had to pay to watch the match then the fair moved in, and the Spanish City was born,
Nothing wrong with being a Knpfler nerd, it just shows that you have a great taste in music😉👍
Going down to that very slot this morning! He was interviewed on that spot by Brian Johnson of AC/DC and judging by his reaction he didn't know those lyrics were inscribed there! He's the most humble guy.
I could listen to a Knopfler outro on repeat for hours. Most non-musicians don't realize how difficult it is to find the right musicians to "find a groove" with and create something special. When it's working, everyone knows it and it doesn't need to be spoken of. I very much enjoy your analysis-driven commentary mixed with a bit of "fan-boy" as well.
This song goes around in my head constantly. I’m not complaining 😂
I love the live performances I watch them all the time. Amazing.
Dire Straits come from a time when the world was not short of truly world class bands / musicians ! However, they are one of a very small number of bands who really have their own ‘sound’. No other band sounds like Dire Straits, when you hear the start of any of their songs you know instantly who it is. Wonderful band 🫡
Having been brought up in Whitley Bay and spending lots of time in the Spanish City as a child this is a very emotional song for me. It is a wonderful song with a guitar outro that is otherworldly.
Within the last few years some of the lyrics to the song were inscribed near to the Spanish City for posterity.
Love the channel and your reactions Doug.
spent many hours in the spanish city, just round the corner from my old school, park road juniors. Great memories.
I was in Whitely bay last week, and wondering where the quote was from. Figured out the Dire Straits connection, but didn't know which song. Serendipity in action. 😊.
@@simoncutts8570 Yeah, but Coquet Park rules!
I’m a Blyth lad (where Mark grew up) and I used to cycle to the Spanish City. Amazing memories and an amazing song.
I grew up a bit further south near Durham. We used to go on school trips to Whitley Bay...and The Spanish City. I'm proud to say I've been to that very shooting gallery Mark sings about.
I get a lump in my throat every time I hear this song.
This is the very best version of Tunnel Of Love.
Thank you
As Douglas Adams said about Dire Straits, and The Tune of Love in particular, "Mark Knopfler has an extraordinary ability to make a Schechter Custom
Stratocaster hoot and sing like the angels on a Saturday night, exhausted from being good all week and needing a stiff drink"
Said it before, I'll say it again...this is by far the best rendition of this song ever. Ever. Evvvvvver.
I totally agree! It is THE BEST!!!
Alchemy is 27% superior
Sydney is the superior version
Mark's playing is unique and amazing, but Terry Williams' drumming is tight AF, it always stands out to me with DS performances and nobody seems to mention it.
I agree with you, but the original drummer Pick Withers and Chad Cromwell also worth mentioning, both of them imo extraordinary....
@@fartab Yeah Pick Withers had a groove that I never hear in the later live versions. He was awesome.
@@frankslade33 Totally agree. Picks drum pattern was the perfect representation of those greasy gears and oily wheels of the fairground. Good though it is live I don't think they got close to the studio version.
Terry is my favourite DS drummer ❤❤
Terry Williams´ drumming on Sultans (Alcemy live verion ) is out of this world
Of all the pieces of music on the planet that have been written, this is mine! I want this in my ears when I die. I am 70 years of age, been listening to Mark most of my life. Thanks for sharing this work of art with us. Love it!
👍
My grandmother used to go to the Spanish City as a kid, I think everyone in the area did. This song always brings so much joy & great memories back for her.
The whole album Makin Movies is full of songs that just leave you feeling, amazingly good. IMHO it is their best.❤️🎸
When they renovated the Spanish City in the tiles around the entrance they had the words of "Tunnel of Love" embossed in them. Every day they open the start by playing this. Newcastle United Football Club use Marks Going Home Theme from the film Local Hero he wrote when the teams come out.
Going Home is a superb instrumental track 😊
Saw Straits on their first US tour in ‘79… magical! Saw them again in ‘83…. Even more amazing! Met Knopfler and Illsley at a vintage guitar show. Both were kind and gracious talking about their musical equipment. A class act.
Love Ilsley bass and backing vocals.
I saw them live in '85 at the Showering Pavillion in Shepton Mallet. Exactly the same arrangement as this. It was an amazing night I'll never forget, and I'll never see anything like it again.
I come from a place called Wallsend near Newcastle in the north east of england. It’s only 2 miles from Cullercoats and 3 miles from Whitley Bay both seaside resorts and both mentioned in the song and places I used to frequent in my formative late teens to mid 20s. The Spanish City was an amazing domed complex full of fairground rides and booths.
As a child I’d play on the beach in the sand and swim in the sea or when older go ice skating at Whitley Bay and out in the pubs and clubs in the evenings and listen to this new band called Dire Straits.
I’m now 61 and the memories are all still strong and happy. Every time I hear this track I become engulfed in a happy nostalgia Whicker I’ll keep forever.
I love that he plays little cameos, Stop in the name of love, and Don't let me be misunderstood, so casually in the intro. Evoking memories of his childhood as a preamble to the song. The Tube, from which this recording was made, was a rock show hosted by Jools Holland. If my memory serves me, in an interview shown as part of the show he was asked about his playing style and technique and said "I've got a decent touch". How understated and humble can you get.
I like the subtle riffs Knopfler always slips into the live performances. Did anyone else notice before the song starts @6:09 he plays 'Stop, in the name of love, before you break my heart'? Then laughs... Brilliant.
Thank you for this! I was trying to place that song. I knew the song, just couldn't remember the title.
Dire Straits had great stage presence. The band came at just the right time for me. I graduated high school in 1982. Dire Straits was the soundtrack of my life in the 1980s.
Another fact for you Doug. Brothers In Arms was basically the first main album designed wholly for CD. It was recorded digitally for the CD format. When it was released in 1985, if you had a new CD player, you had this album. I knew you'd love Tunnel of Love. Now that you've heard this, 'Sultans, 'Telegraph and Brothers In Arms, we need to line you up with Private Investigations :)
Money For Nothing was the 1st song I heard on CD. I was in a stereo shop looking to buy speakers and the salesman played it for me.
Can confirm, was gifted a CD player and Brothers In Arms was the first CD purchased. Previously we had a Love Over Gold tape copy that was played a thousand times in the car, so when this CD came out it was like a brand new world opened up.
I'll add my vote for Private Investigations 🙂
Private Investigations is a stunning piece. Less really is more in that track. Can't speak highly enough about it.
Private Investigations is a must. On Valentine's Day 2024 he should do Romeo & Juliet (Maybe sooner, but it would be fitting)
Mark basically went out and put together a Brit E Street Band during this time. They were one of the best live outfits going. Glad you enjoyed it.
Roy Bittan of The E Street Band played keyboards on the Making Movies studio album, so you're right about that!
Definitely! And those lyrics are Boss-evocative style. Beautiful.
I'd cry when the piano is entrering during the guitar solo. Beautiful.
This such a beautiful and emotional song. Thanks for sharing and commenting on it.
In my humble opinion, the finest technical band of all time, with THE FINEST GUITARIST THIS PLANET WILL EVER SEE
I need to question that. Stevie Ray Vaughn was another exceptional guitarist, give him a listen if you dare
What a masterpiece, always makes my eyes watery
I played this song so many times while at University, hearing about the Spanish City and Cullercoats and Whitley Bay. Little did I dream that within three years later I would be starting my first teaching job and living very near the Spanish City.
My absolute favourite DS song and a great version. Knopfler such a virtuoso, only matched by Gilmour in his ability to 'talk' through his guitar.
This is a masterpiece of a song, and an incredible performance. The studio version is also great, but this recording was different class. The build up of the solo at the end is sublime.
I was at the 2nd night of this live tour. The 1983 Alchemy Live version was stunning. This for me knocked it out of the park.
Fantastic review as always Doug. Thankyou buddy
Neil UK
The correct answer to the question "which live version of a Dire Straits songs should I listen to?" is always "the version from Alchemy" :)
My Favorite DS song. Outside of Floyd and the Stones, their Brothers in Arms show was the best live show I ever saw.
I don’t know what was more fun, listening to a beautiful song I’ve never heard before, or watching a brilliant musician deciphering it and truly enjoying the music. Brilliant!
Not heard this version before. Fantastic!
Mark Knopfler is the GOAT of guitarists of his time..............no one did it better, IMO.
Absolutely
I was at that concert in 1985
Also nice how MK cites "in the name of love" in the intro🎉
I've seen Mark Knopfler live 6 times since 2001 on his tours...'Tunnel of Love' is the one song I wish I could have seen him play, but never have. Thanks to RUclips for all these old concert films...
I recorded this concert on VHS tape when it was played on Channel 4 in the UK, Channel 4 was very much in it’s infancy at the time, I’d guess this would have been 86 or 87, I was mortified when my sister recorded over the tail end of the show, Tunnel of love was before an encore which included Brothers in arms and the show closes with Local Hero featuring Hank Marvin. I still have the recording somewhere and have watched this particular track literally hundreds of times, I’d go as far as to say it is one of the best live performances I’ve ever seen by any band! The other stand out tune from this set is Sultans of swing…..look that up too. Great to finally find a reaction to this amazing performance, it’s been a part of my life for 35 odd years.
@stevehughes1834. You may already know this. When Mark Knopfler was young, one of his guitar heroes was another Geordie boy, Hank B. Marvin. How fitting that the whole thing goes "full circle" and they get to play live together. A fitting tribute to Hank from Mark and a golden snapshot in time for the fans. Stay safe and well.
Same thing happened to me! I recorded this concert in 1986 from the Spanish TV. I saw it thousand of times until the old VHS tape was partially erased by my little Sister. Thank god we have RUclips now 😅
Oh man, this is a classic!
Never get tired of this masterpiece
My favorite band and my favorite song of all time.
Hi Doug, thank you so much for featuring this epic DS song. It's been my all-time favorite since I first heard it when Making Movies came out back in 1980, I can honestly tell you I wore that album out! I've been a DS MK fan since I first heard Sultans back in 78. I saw DS live on the Brothers in Arms tour and then again on the On Every Street tour. I've seen MK five or six times through the years after DS broke up. His music means so much to me, especially TOL. I'm not partial to any one rendition but my favorite has always been on the Live Alchemy album. One quick fact, I read somewhere that MK doesn't play TOL live anymore since his Dad passed away some years ago as it was his Dad's favorite song. Anyhow thanks again for featuring it! I really enjoyed your reaction and commentary.
Love watching your reactions 😊 It's like you're actually inside the music as you commentate on its composition. Cheers from Melbourne Australia 🇦🇺
I’ve been playing this for thirty five years…..love it
My dad always had dire straits playing out loud on a weekend so grew up loving it.This song reminds me of my first young love having met a Greek girl on the island of Corfu when I was 16 so there after whenever I played this track or heard it always reminds me of her.Love your channel!
Mark was writing songs for other people He wrote the song Private Dancer for Tina Turner,
From the 1985 Brothers in Arms tour live at Wembley Arena. Remember watching it at the time shown on the Tube music program on channel 4. Uk. Taped it and have watched it a zillion times since. Magnificent and brings tears to my eyes every time 🙂
Thank you. One of the more enjoyable reactions to this song. Your respect for Mark's distinctive style is spot on. Best breakdown of the epic solo I've heard. 🤟😁
Along with his briliant guitar work and composition, Mark is a master story teller too.
I see you’ve watched Telegraph Road from Alchemy and this song is the song just before they do Telegraph Road. What makes that whole concert video so awesome is that they are playing their hearts out from beginning to end. The level of intensity each band member brings to that particular performance is just magic. I think the video of that concert is one of the most awesome videos of its kind available. This good, but the original Alchemy line up (the one you see in Sultans of Swing and Telegrapah Road) just had a special energy to them.
My favorite Dire Straights song is Romeo and Juliet. Live version. Might be from the same performance.
Masterclass in pacing and building up a solo to stay interesting for 5 minutes.
You did not catch on that he played "Stop in the name of love" and "Don't let me be misunderstood" in the intro?
This was also Marks fathers favorite song, he never played it live again after his father died
Another nod to Mark's life in Newcastle Upon Tyne with "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood". It was recorded by another group of Geordie boys - The Animals.
Yes! Definitely
Stop in the Name of Love in the intro.
Absolutely did, yes! I thought I was the only one that noticed.
My brother introduced me to Dire Straits in the late seventies, I also recall seeing a documentary on TV with them in it around the same time. Anyway, I followed them into the eighties and also recognised the 'nod' to The Animals and Diana Ross in this tune, hardly surprising because they were typical tunes played at fairground rides in the seventies. Just so beautifully put together by Mark and the boys. I do miss the eighties, musically that is.
I remember getting out of this concert (not this particular one, but another one of the tour) totally on cloud nine... and I get a burst of dopamine everytime I think of it.
The late Douglas Adams called Mark Knopfler's guitar tone the sexiest sound in the world.
Quite so - in fact Douglas Adams seems to have referenced Tunnel of Love in the book "So long and thanks for all the fish" when he said "Mark Knopfler has an extraordinary ability to make a Schecter Custom Stratocaster hoot and sing like angels on a Saturday night, exhausted from being good all week and needing a stiff drink.”
So happy that I have seen them live
The live versions are the only ones to listen to!
Making Movies is one of my all-time favorite albums - heard it first in '84 when a radio station was playing a "perfect album side."
Am I the only one who noticed (ahem, while Doug was talking - lol) a few bars of Stop In The Name Of Love at 6' 10"??
The 2nd time I lived in Toronto, On. I heard that Stevie Ray Vaughn was coming there. So, I called up Ticket Master and asked for a ticket to see Stevie. The girl said that he was opening for Dire Straits. I said that's even better. Great concert!
Wow. SRV and MK in the same night
Mark is such a truly unique player, and writer. He’s such a hero that I’m building a guitar In tribute to him.
My late mother was born in Newcastle. I bought this record on cassette when I was 17 (I was hooked on Dire Straits from their eponymous first album onwards). When I played this song at home, my mum’s face lit up, and she said she’d been to the Spanish City many times when she was a child.
Thanks for the enthusiasm!! I was born in May 1980, must have heard this song when I was 6 months old maybe, must have grown on me, the rather unknown album from Dire Straits "Making Movies" is only 6 songs, but it is amazing, including of course Romeo and Juliet and Solid Rock, but also a song that really incarnates the title of the album, which is Skateaway: sounds like a movie in itself, special love for this one.
“… hand in my pocket, a keepsake and a kiss”.
Doug: “Poor Mark”.
You should hear the heartbreak in Romeo & Juliet!
Truly awesome - one the best, if not the best, all time rock performances.
I love your take on these songs Doug, much more in depth than most people.
the song you did not mention at the beginning that jumps out to me is Romeo & Juliet. Somewhat short and understated (for Dire Straits, that is), but that is part of it's charm. Lovely, lovely song (with the best use of a dobro I have ever heard, it really makes this song so special).
Keep up your reviews Doug ,they are excellent .
I used to go on the rides at Spanish City as a kid when visiting family in Whitley Bay, so this song always makes me smile (and I also think the Alchemy version is THE definitive version)
Spanish City now has the Lyrics cut into the steps when it was been renovated
@@tonyjefferson3502 that's nice. I did a coastal walk a couple of years ago from Blyth to Tynemouth and was really happy to see that the Spanish City buildings are still there, they look terrific
One of the best live solos ever
What can I say? Wonderful stuff..thankyou so much...your commentary is so natural ,informative..a joy to watch thankyou 🎸
Hi Doug glad you like Dire straits , I went to see Mark in Manchester in 2000/2001 on the sailing to philadelphia tour , he was amazing , played some of the sailing album then did most of the dire straits back catalogue , was on stage for 4 hours straight ,no support act . AMAZING
Thanks Doug. I've loved that track from the moment I first heard it - it's light and shade, it's epic and the solos on the both the album version and the live version are among his very best (which let's face it, isn't too shabby). One of Mark's trademarks - he does it so often - is veering off into an instrumental melody, every bit as composed and arranged as the song itself. I don't know too many writers who do that but he majors in it. You talk of building a song up, checkout Mark 20-30 years later with his regular band and Emmylou Harris doing "Speedway to Nazareth." Incredible cohesion in that band.
Making Movies is probably my most oft played DS record...
As a teenager playing guitar in Music School I one day discovered DS thru a friends parents who played Sultans of Swing at home. And I was hooked. Mark even played with fingers, like me!
Tunnel of Love was always one of my favorites because it was the first time I could feel how a solo just prolonged the lyrics and story. I could feel the desperation of loosing track of the girl and he slowly start to panic and search for her.
At least that's how I interpreted it back then :)
After this my view of playing solos took a 180 and I cared more for the feeling rather than technique or speed. They just came years later anyways from practice.
This song also featured in An Officer and a Gentleman movie
Loved this one Doug! Great analysis ❤
Mark knows his chords, I believe. I love their music. 👍🫶
I love this song; the Spanish City closed down but they're refurbishing the seafront there and on the promenade there's an inlaid tile decoration featuring the line 'girl it looks so pretty to me, Like it always did. Like the Spanish city to me, When we were kids'. I took a photo and I think that's the whole quote - my photo starts at the full stop they've placed between 'did' and 'Like'.
I've seen Dire Straits 3 times live, and Mark a few times (2019 most recently) but I've never seen him play this live. A real regret but this version is very, very fine. What a tight, talented band - which is what MK loves most: working with other musicians.
I'd love to see a video of him reacting to your reactions - that would be a real blast!
Thanks for featuring this. I'd never seen/heard this version. Your comments were right on target: playing lead and rhythm, finger picking with so much soul, and the band being right in the pocket.
Every time I hear this song, tears come to my eyes. Simply beautiful!!!
This brings back memories I had the Alchemy concert on cassette, almost wore it out playing it in the car, then later I got my first SACD and it was Alchemy, what. a. concert. Thanks for brining back the memories Doug.
Said it a dozen times and ill say it again - this version is the greatest version of this song. Full stop. It is impossible not to be moved in several ways. Im always left awestruck every time i hear it and ive been listening to it since 85
Mark Knopfler's guitar playing is quite unusual because he's left-handed, but plays guitar right-handed
@PoppyCloseNo1.I read a story that Mark's older sister caught him "guitar posing" in a mirror with a tennis racket, with his left hand on the "strings" To Mark, he looked like his heroes (The Shadows) that he saw on the TV screen! Mark's sister said something like "That's the wrong way 'round!" So Mark changed hands and the rest is history. Kind of makes sense that his favoured left hand does all the "widdly bits" on the fretboard. There is a video somewhere out there on RUclips showing Mark signing the headstock of the first fifty of his signature Gibson Les Paul guitars, and he is definitely a left handed writer! Stay safe and well.
I absolutely love your reaction vids. There's a nice aura around you that just makes me smile every time. As the Danes would say, the good vibe just amounts to a whole lot of hygge :)
this just satisfies the soul! Great reaction.
As Doug rightly points out the whole band is in the pocket!!! Bass, drums,piano everyone matching marks virtuoso playing. I discovered this song watching “an officer and gentleman”. Needless to say my favourite bit of the song is the part in the movie. Love it to bits!!!
Omg, those transitions 😍 Powerful beauty 🕎
One of the greatest performances in history.
The one he did in sydney 86 was another guitar solo masterpiece as he tweeked a little and sounded as good
Kudos for your great research before listening 🍻👍🏻and this version is one of the best/beautiful ones out there... cheers 🍻👍🏻
Lovely memories for me,i used to go to the "Spanish City" amusement park in Whitley Bay about 4 miles from Newcastle,where we come from we're called "Geordies" hard working class people who love a good time & love our Football club "Newcastle United"Cullercoats is mentioned aswell,its just along the road from Whitley Bay,happy days getting a bag of chips to eat on the way home & just enough money to get home 🙂🙂🙂
The encore was Mark Knopfler's theme to the film 'Local Hero', with guest guitarist Hank Marvin.
This is my favorite song of all time.
All of his solos are amazing!
Two interesting facts. Mark's father liked this song so he never played it live after his father died as a tribute. The lyrics about the Spanish city are now imortalised in stone at the Spanish city. See the episode mark did with Brian Johnson from ACDC.
The outtro is amazing in this version, but in almost every other respect the studio version is better. It's so well-produced with perfect leveling between instruments and their intricated dynamics in a way that you lose live. And the key moment in the song, the slow section starting with *And girl, it looks so pretty to me, Like it always did* falls flat live, in the studio version it's such a fragile, wistful moment that wrenches your heart and sadly live's slightly higher tempo and lack of contrast and emotion in the vocal make it miss the mark.
Agree! I far prefer the studio versions of this and Telegraph Road to the live, both are trips into another dimension for the duration of the song.
I agree, the whole Makin Movies album is untouchable, minus one song. I can't go much longer than a month without listening to it, to this day. It just makes me feel happy and at peace all at once.❤️🎸
Hello, Doug! Really enjoyable video, great analysis. Go on like that!
2nd best version here, the best version is from the live album Alchemy. Original studio version has no sax
They are usually in D minor. But I agree, alchemy versions are usually the best.
No sax please were british
No way. Thank You Australasia is the best live version. It's in RUclips, it is more powerful and the end solo is a masterpiece. It tells a story compared to the Wembley version.
I think that most people don't know the version I mention.
Guitarists you can recognize in seconds: Knopfler, Hendrix, Gilmour, Van Halen, The Edge, Buckingham.
First time on here and I enjoyed watching your good self as much I enjoyed the music. All the best
I heard this live version on a Friday or was it a Sunday night on my local rock station in 1989. I taped it on cassette. A huge Dire Straits fan. The most underrated rock group here in the USA, in my opinion. They usually only play the amazing Sultans of Swing or Walk of Life tunes.
You picked up on the line "In the screaming ring of faces". Such an evocative line and one of the best ever which gives me the picture of the rider on the "Racer" going round and seeing all the other kids on the perimeter waiting for their turn or perhaps just people watching when, . . . he sees her amongst them "standing in the light". Another great line is "In the roar of dust and diesel". You can almost smell it, never mind hear it!.
Wonderful reaction, thanks again for yet another great video! 🙂
I love this version, but I’m also one of those that put the Alchemy one at the very top. And… Talking about Alchemy, I strongly recommend that you check the Sultans of Swing track from that album. It reigns supreme.