Romeo and Juliet (Dire Straits song) Romeo and Juliet (Dire Straits song) "Romeo and Juliet" is a song by the British rock band Dire Straits, written by frontman Mark Knopfler. It first appeared on the 1980 album "Making Movies" and was released as a single in 1981. Reviewer Dan Bolles has called the song a "classic". The song subsequently appeared on the Dire Straits live albums "" and "On the Night", and later on Knopfler's live duet album with Emmylou Harris, "Real Live Roadrunning" (though Harris does not perform on the track). The track was also featured on the greatest hits albums "Money for Nothing", "",
Dire Straits (album) rehearsing. A friend of Mark's helped give the group their name, a reference to their financial situation. After a few months of rehearsals, the band borrowed enough money to record a five-song demo tape, which included the song "Sultans of Swing." They took the tape to disc jockey Charlie Gillett, who had a radio show called "Honky Tonk" on BBC Radio London. The band respected Gillett and sought out his advice. Gillett liked what he heard and started playing "Sultans of Swing" on his show. Two months later, Dire Straits signed a recording contract with the Vertigo Records division of