Alchemy: Dire Straits Live
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| Alchemy: Dire Straits Live | |||||
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| Live album by Dire Straits | |||||
| Released | March 1, 1984 | ||||
| Recorded | July 22, 1983 – July 23, 1983, Hammersmith Odeon, London | ||||
| Genre | Hard Rock, Rock | ||||
| Length | 93:59 | ||||
| Label | Vertigo Warner Bros. (US) |
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| Producer | Mark Knopfler | ||||
| Professional reviews | |||||
| Dire Straits chronology | |||||
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Alchemy: Dire Straits Live is the first live album by British rock band Dire Straits, released in 1984 (see 1984 in music). It features their best-known tracks up to that point, but significantly different in sound from the studio versions. It features extended improvisations showcasing Mark Knopfler's guitar playing and drumming by Terry Williams.
It was remastered and released (in the UK only) on May 8, 2001. The cover image is taken from a painting by Brett Whiteley. The Australian artist has personalized an opera of him with a collage of the faces of the band members. The result is used for the back cover.
Contents |
[edit] Track listing
All songs written by Mark Knopfler except as indicated.
[edit] Original release
[edit] Side one
- "Once Upon a Time in the West" – 13:01
- "Intro: Stargazer" (instrumental from the Local Hero soundtrack)
- "Romeo and Juliet" – 8:17
[edit] Side two
- "Expresso Love" – 5:45
- "Private Investigations" – 7:34
- "Sultans of Swing" – 10:54
[edit] Side three
- "Two Young Lovers" – 4:49
- "Tunnel of Love" – 14:29
- includes excerpt from "The Carousel Waltz" (Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II) – 4.13-4:30 of "Tunnel of Love"
[edit] Side four
- "Telegraph Road" – 13:37
- "Solid Rock" – 6:01
- "Going Home – Theme from 'Local Hero'" – 6:05
[edit] CD release
"Love Over Gold", released as a separate single in 1984, has been added into the track list, and the fade outs between sides 1 and 2 and sides 3 and 4 have been removed.
[edit] Disc one
- "Once Upon a Time in the West" – 13:01
- "Intro: Stargazer" (instrumental from the Local Hero soundtrack)
- "Expresso Love" – 5:45
- Includes outro to "Industrial Disease"
- "Romeo and Juliet" – 8:17
- "Love over Gold" – 3:27
- "Private Investigations" – 7:34
- "Sultans of Swing" – 10:54
[edit] Disc two
- "Two Young Lovers" – 4:49
- "Tunnel of Love" – 14:29
- includes excerpt from "The Carousel Waltz" (Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II) – 4.13-4:30 of "Tunnel of Love"
- "Telegraph Road" – 13:37
- "Solid Rock" – 6:01
- "Going Home – Theme from 'Local Hero'" – 6:05
[edit] Video release
| Alchemy: Dire Straits Live | ||
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| Video by Dire Straits | ||
| Released | 1984, 1995 (Digitally remastered) |
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| Length | 90 minutes | |
| Label | PolyGram Video | |
| Producer | Limelight Films | |
Although originally released in both Beta and VHS video cassette formats, and digitally remastered in 1995, the video has yet to be released on DVD. The song "Love Over Gold" is not included in this video, just like the original album, but is contrarily the one performance available on DVD, being included in the compilation Sultans of Swing: The Very Best of Dire Straits.
The video opens with scenes of the band in a pub playing pool; Geordies (MK & AC) vs. the rest (JI & TW), while the fifth member (HL) plays a video game, interspersed with concert clips. Playing over this is the song "Saturday Night at the Movies" performed by The Drifters. The music changes to the instrumental "Stargazer", from the film 'Local Hero', over external shots of a sold-out Hammersmith Odeon. A quick switch brings us inside as Dire Straits are announced and walk onstage for the concert; "Once Upon a Time in the West", "Expresso Love", "Romeo and Juliet" and "Private Investigations", which fades into the fog before the band blows it away with "Sultans of Swing". Mel Collins joins the band for "Two Young Lovers" and plays the bridge into "Tunnel of Love". The epic "Telegraph Road" and shorter up tempo "Solid Rock" are played as an encore and predictably the show finally winds down with "Going Home", the instrumental theme from 'Local Hero'.
The closing credits again use the Drifters' "Saturday Night at the Movies".
- A Limelight Films Production
- Director – Peter Sinclair
- Film Editor – Peter Goddard
- Soundtrack produced by Mark Knopfler
- Recorded by Mick McKenna, Rolling Stones Mobile
[edit] Personnel
- Mark Knopfler – guitar, vocals
- Alan Clark – keyboard
- John Illsley – bass
- Hal Lindes – guitar
- Terry Williams – drums
[edit] Additional personnel
- Mel Collins – saxophone
- Joop de Korte – percussion
- Tommy Mandel – keyboards
[edit] Charts
[edit] Album
| Year | Chart | Position |
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| 1984 | The Billboard 200 | 46 |
[edit] Certifications
| Organisation | Level | Date |
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| BPI – UK | Gold | March 15, 1984 |
| RIAA – U.S. | Gold | July 27, 2001 |
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