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
Tunnel of Love (Dire Straits song) a cover version of this song on their 2011 album "Covers 2". The song is referred to in Douglas Adams's 1984 novel "So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish": "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." Tunnel of Love (Dire Straits song) "Tunnel of Love" is a 1980s rock song by Dire Straits. It appears on the album "Making Movies", and subsequently on the live albums "" and "Live at the BBC" and the