Dire Straits Dire Straits Dire Straits were a British rock band formed in London in 1977 by Mark Knopfler (lead vocals and lead guitar), David Knopfler (rhythm guitar and backing vocals), John Illsley (bass guitar and backing vocals), and Pick Withers (drums and percussion). The band became one of the world's best-selling music artists, with album sales of over 100 million. Their first hit single "Sultans of Swing", from their self-titled debut album, reached the top ten in the UK and US charts in 1978. They released hit singles in the 1980s, such as "Private Investigations" (1983), "Money for Nothing" (1985), and
Alchemy: Dire Straits Live of Swing - The Best of Dire Straits" CD released shortly after. The concert film was originally released in Beta, VHS video cassette and Laserdisc formats, and digitally remastered in 1995. A DVD and Blu-ray Disc version with newly remixed 5.1 DTS-surround mixes were released in May 2010. The new mixes have been prepared by Chuck Ainlay in 2009. The original film itself was digitally enhanced. The song "Love over Gold" is not included in the video, just like the original album, but is available on the compilation "". It includes a mix of the live band footage with circus