DIRE STRAITS – MONEY FOR NOTHING 10″ – Nr MINT UK 1985 MARK KNOPFLER

Dire Straits – Money For Nothing
(Vertigo Records  1985  DSTR1010)
Matrix No’s: A4/B4 – UK Pressing

Sleeve in Nr MINT/Excellent+ condition
– small tear at opening edge

Vinyl in Nr MINT condition

Dire Straits were a British rock band, formed in 1977 by Mark Knopfler (lead vocals and lead guitar), his younger brother David Knopfler (rhythm guitar and backing vocals), John Illsley (bass guitar and backing vocals), and Pick Withers (drums and percussion). Dire Straits’ sound drew from a variety of musical influences, including jazz, folk, blues, and came closest to beat music within the context of rock and roll. Despite the prominence of punk rock during the band’s early years, the band’s stripped-down sound contrasted with punk, demonstrating a more “rootsy” influence that emerged from pub rock. Many of Dire Straits’ compositions were melancholic. Dire Straits’ biggest selling album, Brothers in Arms, has sold over 30 million copies, and was the first album to sell a million copies on compact disc.

They also became one of the world’s most commercially successful bands, with worldwide album sales of over 120 million. Dire Straits won numerous music awards during their career, including four Grammy Awards, three Brit Awards—winning Best British Group twice, and two MTV Video Music Awards. The band’s most popular songs include “Sultans of Swing”, “Lady Writer”, “Romeo and Juliet”, “Tunnel of Love”, “Telegraph Road”, “Private Investigations”, “Money for Nothing”, “Walk of Life”, “So Far Away”, “Your Latest Trick” and “Brothers in Arms”.

According to the Guinness Book of British Hit Albums, Dire Straits have spent over 1,100 weeks on the UK albums chart, ranking fifth all-time. Their career spanned a combined total of 15 years. They originally split up in 1988, but reformed in 1991, and disbanded for good in 1995 when Mark Knopfler launched his career full-time as a solo artist. There were several changes in personnel over both periods, leaving Mark Knopfler and John Illsley as the only two original bandmates who had remained throughout the band’s career.

“Money for Nothing” is a song by British rock band Dire Straits, the second track on their fifth studio album Brothers in Arms (1985). It was released as the album’s second single on 28 June 1985 through Vertigo Records. The song’s lyrics are written from the point of view of two working-class men watching music videos and commenting on what they see. The song features a guest appearance by Sting who sings the signature falsetto introduction, background vocals and a backing chorus of “I want my MTV”. The groundbreaking video was the first to be aired on MTV Europe when the network launched on 1 August 1987.