I remember getting my first "big" screen T.V.. It was a 30 inch screen and about 130 pounds!!!! Thing about it is that I bought it around 30 years ago and it still works perfectly.
Mark Knopfler was in an appliance store. They had music videos playing on the TV sets, and he overheard the salesmen talking about the musicians. It was written from the salesman's perspective. They were complaining about having to do heavy lifting while the musicians didn't have to do any work, and got all the girls, jet airplanes, and millions of dollars.
I remember that story well, and the thing I love about it is, here was Mark Knopfler, lead guitar player and singer in a famous band, buying a part so he could fix his washing machine. That is so down to earth, and makes the observations of the store employees that much more ludicrous.
The f word that might now be seen as dodgy has different meanings in the uk where the band are from.i.e. a bundle of sticks or a meat dish cooked in gravy.but here its about geeks nerds or wimps.
The delivery guy was specifically talking about Boy George from culture club, Mark K called Boy George told him about what he heard and asked if it was okay to write the song
And most difficult to learn how to play it exactly how Mark played it. Many people play it and it sounds good but nothing like how he played it back in the 80's. Hell, not even Mark can play it right anymore lol.
One of the all time great riffs and quite possibly the greatest intro to any song. The way it just builds and builds with those drum fills to such an incredible crescendo leading into that iconic riff is just phenomenal.
@@algomaone121 Please don't compare silly music videos to 16 year old pregnant girls or Jersey Shore or any of that other stuff. Not even close. Maybe some of it was bad for us, but not even in the same league.
The gay slur was a backhanded compliment. Remember that the song is in the character of a stereotypical blue-collar worker in the early 80s. For a time, writer Mark Knoppler decided it wasn't a good idea to keep that second verse in the best of CD, so he removed it. he has since reversed his thinking.
yes, the slur was essentially reciting what was said by the sales people in the store-not what Dire Straits was saying, they were not advocating that kind of prejudice language. But I can see why Mark grappled with it.
You also have to remember that this was written around the time of the New Romantics, Boy George hitting it big with Culture Club, Adam and the Ants etc. with flamboyant clothing and men wearing make up, which was something your typical 'red blooded, blue collar, working class' guy was going to associate with homosexuality. The 'F' word is presumably exactly what the delivery guy Mark overheard in the appliance store used when denigrating the act he was watching on the wall of TVs tuned to MTV. When Mark realised how offensive gay people found it he swapped it out for alternatives in subsequent live performances. The irony is how young people react to hearing it today when so much music, particularly rap and rock, is littered with profanities.
"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 beer." ~ Doulas Adams
Here's an anecdote for you Sting fans... I saw Sting OPEN for the Grateful Dead in 1993 in Las Vegas! They always had big name bands open for them in Vegas (Santana, Steve Miller, Traffic), but Sting seemed an odd match... but in the spirit, Sting did all classic covers, Beatles is what I most recall.
It's crazy that, first you have to have context for the "I want my MTV" line, and second, you have to have context for the line "you play the guitar on MTV," since MTV hasn't played music for years.
The story behind this song is that Mark Knopfler was in a big department store and in the television department, MTV was on every television (this was back when MTV was music videos 24/7) so he noticed two workmen who were busy unloading a truck full of merchandise - microwave ovens, refrigerators, color TVs, etc. And as they walked by the TV department, they were commenting on the MTV music videos and those comments became this song! “That ain’t working! That’s the way you do it ! Playin’ the guitar on the MTV... “ real comments by real workmen - it’s a classic! By the way Mark Knopfler is considered one of the great guitarists of all time. He is one of the few guitarists who don’t use picks, he just strums and picks the guitar with his fingers... also I love his voice!! Great Song
There is something about Ride Across the River that I love. Guess its because I've always tried to teach my son one person's view could see you as either a hero or a villian depending on who's writing the story.
Sting only gets the co-writing credit because Mark wanted the 'I want my, I want my, I want my MTV' sung to the tune of Sting's 'Don't stand close to me' song he wrote when he was in The Police. The rest is pure Knopfler. 😊
The radio ended up playing the shorter (without the ad.lib slang). Dire Straits and Men at Work were secretly competing for MTV views back then. Both had similar sounds, but Dire Straits had a deep catalog of songs that had wider range.
The fact that today's generation is too stupid to understand the satirical background of the song and want to accuse Mark Knopfler of homophobia because of his use of the term "faggot", even though anyone who is still reasonably clear-headed should understand that, as the video also clearly shows, he is quoting the views of two working-class men about rock and pop stars, only goes to show what a pathetic level many people have reached today. Apart from that, thanks to the internet, it's not hard to find out that he actually picked up this reaction from two workers in a household and electronics store in New York.
@@robertreichle1 so true...this clip and song where the biggest thing since sliced bread at the time......they played 10 nights back to back...sold out in Sydney....brothers in arms world tour took 2 years....
Mark Knopfler--one of the most underrated and unappreciated guitar talents out there. Saw him solo in concert many years ago, and he put on an incredible show. Don't miss seeing him if you ever get the chance.
Mark Knopfler is a brilliant guitarist, and it showed very much in the stuff he did for Dire Straits. But he is also an extraordinary storyteller, satirist, and songwriter, and now that he's gone off on his own, his albums are really exceptional collections of his own songs. I have them all, and I listen to them. Highly recommended.
True and I too have them all. Although it's worth noting that all the Dire Straits albums are exceptional collections of Mark's own songs too. Money for Nothing is the only one to have a co-writing credit (for Sting because Mark wanted to incorporate his tune to 'Don't stand so close to me') and 'What's the Matter with you Baby?' (Live at the BBC) is the only one to be credited to another songwriter, Mark's brother David Knopfler who was of course the band's original rhythm guitarist.
MTV was relatively young when this came out and they played the hell out of it - i don't know if the word faggot made it into the MV version because i don't recall hearing it. The song was inspired, from what i recall, from the group hearing a conversation about rockstars etc The genre of music that uses synthesizers a lot is 80s music. The person singing featured on this song is Sting from The Police
Early 80s. Similar songs are Working for the Weekend by Nightranger or Turn Me loose by Loverboy. The names we called each other back then would make most people cringe today but they were not the least bit offensive to us. Kind of like terms of brotherhood and endearment.
At first, MTV filled a lawsuit against them for the use of there "I want my MTV" slogan, but pulled it when they realized the free publicity they were receiving due to it being such a big hit
I must add to the comments that Mark Knoffler is a phenomenal guitarist. He has a unique style all his own plucking and fingerpicking on an electric guitar. If you want proof, try to recreate this riff accurately. And if you see the live versions, they play off of this for over 10 minutes. Add to this, he is singing while playing and Sting comes in for the high notes (I want my MTV). Not their best song, but got a lot of air play and video play on MTV. I prefer Romeo and Juliette.
Sultans of Swing by Dire Straits is one of those songs that singlehandedly changed the trajectory of my music enjoyment for life. Definitely check that one out.
One of the most classic RIFFS of all time and that is STING backing him up on vocals, I want my MTV...... Mark Knopfler made EVH bow in a speed picking contest in the mid eighties. It was a friendly thing. One of the best pickers ever.
Back in the 80s, you had a lot of guys dressing a certain way on stage performing music (Poison, Motley Crue, etc.). Even though they were making great music and had more groupies than could be imagined, they got blasted for looking that way by the average joe worker. Those lines are mock response to one of those average joes, "Yeah buddy, that f***** is a millionaire, while you gotta move tvs around for a living." The guy hes also specifically referencing is Sting (also of The Police), whos also the guy doing vocals in the background.
Someone recently informed me that 'Sting' is the soprano that comes in big near the end of the song. This song screams 80's, from someone that lived thru it.
@@Grumbo91 Yeah I'm with you. Those days of 'sticks and stones my break my bones, but words will never hurt me' is so over rated. we should go back to sticks and stones. I'd much rather my ass beaten til i'm dead or crippled than for someone to insult me. 🙄
So says all the people who weren't on the receiving end of those types of offensive words. If having to speak without slurs or be considerate of others who are different seems like punishment or a problem, you might have to consider that your words are the problem, not the others on the receiving end.
@@amyz2837 Offense cannot be given, only taken. The issue lies with the person who is taking offense. I have been called plenty of names in my day. None of them phased me. Words are just that, words. Weakness is only allowed to grow when you censor words for fear of hurting the feelings of others. There are actually people nowadays that become incapacitated by simply hearing a "triggering" word. That is completely ridiculous. Mental and emotional fortitude needs to be re-instilled in people. Am I advocating for the pervasive use of these types of words? No, just like I am not advocating for the pervasive use of swears for the sake of swearing. I will not however, persecute someone for saying those words and try to enact authoritarian controls over them because what they said made me "feel sad."
The delivery guy he overheard was also the source of the slurs...a lot of rock stars/musicians in general were painted with that brush for their 'long hair/hippie ways'...so he used it in the song not as a slam against LGBTQ but against the ignorance of some people.
All of who us grew up in the 80s can remember our parents and grandparents talking like this about Culture Club, Prince, Sting, Michael Jackson etc lol Dire Straits created a parody rock song about the how silly elders can be about Rock and Roll. Rock and Roll Forever!!! lol
Weird Al asked Knopfler for permission to spoof his song. Knopfler agreed on one condition - Weird Al had to let Knopfler play the guitar on "Beverly Hillbillies"
In recent years, when Dire Straits plays this song live, the f word is replaced with the more PC "maggots". Also, the background vocals are sung by Sting, the lead singer of the band The Police.
@@steveyork8069, I remember watching the premiere of MTV with my family. My great grandfather was sitting next to me. I was 5 and he was 87. Video killed the radio star came on and he yelled out, "What the feck is this shite!" He spoke with his thick Irish accent and it was the very first time I heard him swear. God I miss that man.
My Dire Straits story. Was on my way to see them at the Concord Pavilion in concord, CA in 1989. Driving on Highway 80, the '89 earthquake happened. Got to the venue, and it was cancelled due to damage to the venue. Was eerie driving back to Marin county and looking at SF in flames. Fast forward to the rescheduled concert at the same venue. October 25th, 1991. I was driving and as we inched our way in several lanes into parking, I looked to my left and there was Huey Lewis in the car next to me. Front passenger seat. Heavily stoned. And his finger buried to the second knuckle in his nose! Digging he was! I told everyone in my car to look. Then I yelled REAL LOUD "HUEY"! He looked over to his right, surprised, and still with his finger in his nose! Priceless!!! Oh yeah, the Dire Straits concert was Fu*&^in' awesome! That same night, rock promoter Bill Graham was killed in a helicopter, crashing high tension power lines flying in heavy fog. Sad.
OMG THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! Love this.... saw these guys back in 1985 on this tour...... Check out their song Brothers in Arms and WALK OF LIFE..... love this channel... start my day with your videos.... keep it real mate!!! Greetings from Australia
Some Songs have “radio edits” and “album version”. Radio songs tend to be under 4:30 so if you wrote a 7:56 song it would be edited to be played on top 40 radio
Mark Knopfler (the song writer) was once a reporter working on the Yorkshire Evening Post. He told Uncut magazine that his journalistic experience fed into this song. "I was reporting, verbatim, what a particular guy thought about music," he said. "I transcribed his words there and then. He was a meathead. To him being a rock star was easy, hence 'that ain't working.'"
Mark Knopfler when he performs the song today, will rework the song with something like "that little cowboy has got his own jet airplane, that little cowboy is a millionaire ". So he knows he can't repeat the same line, in the way he use to sing it 36 years ago.
Not heard those particular alternatives, but Mark does like to mix in different lyrics during live performances. I wonder where he was performing when he sang those ones? I can imagine him doing so when performing somewhere like Nashville. He stopped singing the 'F' word not longer after the song's release when he realised how offensive it was. The variant's I've heard most often are 'that little queenie's got his own jet airplane, that mutha trucker he's a millionaire'.
@@jjc5407 Yeah I saw him use 'queenie' as a substitute but I also saw him use 'cowboy' as well. It was on a live performance on UA-cam. I can't remember exactly which one it was, but I remember him using 'cowboy' in this case.
The audio version is the full length album version of the song, the official video is the 'radio edit' shorter version for playing on radio. By the way, that's Sting from the Police singing "I want my MTV". This album is from the mid 80's.
The video to this song totally sucks big time, completely useless, db as hell!! But I do agree that anytime he has a chance to watch live videos he definitely needs to react to any & all live versions. 👍👍👍
Alchemy Live is one of the very best live albums in my opinion, it's just a shame the recording of the concert was recorded on what looks like SD video instead of film.
Just saw on Professor of Rock that Mark Knopfler, who wrote the song, said the song was based on a conversation he overheard by two delivery guys at a Sears store. He did not edit what they said, including the controversial lyrics. And that verse was controversial in 1985 as well. That is why there is a 4 minute radio edit of the song without that verse. Awesome song, and it still blows me away (36 years later)!
“I want my Mtv”was the slogan for Mtv back in the day when they used to play music videos back in the day. There were commercials on tv with various rock stars saying I WANT MY MTV. It was basically a message to cable networks to add Mtv to their channel lineups.
The beginning where it's saying "I want my . . . I want my MTV," is a reference to ads from back before MTV was everywhere. Their jingle was "Call your cable company and say I WANT MY MTV!"
Massive hit by a great group. It got played to death on the radio back in the day. To the point that I got sick of hearing it. But it is nice to hear it again after a few decades.
The "I want my MTV" was the tagline for MTV back when they used to play music videos 24/7. They had "VJs" , Video Jockeys, who would intro the video and give some "color commentary". They actually got pretty famous in the 1980s. Mark Goodman, Martha Quinn, J.J. Jackson, Nina Blackwood, and Alan Hunter. Oh, and the 1st video ever played was "Video Killed the Radio Star" by the Buggles.
This song was so popular at one point that I saw the lead singer play this with Phil Collins on drums, Eric Clapton on lead guitar and Sting singing backups.
Early 80's. Synth sounds became infamously used. It was the new wave in sound at that time. Lived it. I was there saying, "I want my Mtv!" But had to go to grandma's to watch lol. Grandma was cool!
First time I heard this it was just released and I had my headphones on and I was delivering furniture for my uncle in his van, thinking it was all TV’s and Fridges. Freaking out that Sting was singing with Dire Straits!!!
You need to watch the video to this. As a teen when it came out, I was amazed. It was the latest animated technology back then. Ironically, everyone wanted to watch it on MTV.
For that era check out: OMD- If You Leave, Simple Minds-Dont You Forget About Me, Dead or Alive-You Spin Me Around(Like a Record), Devo-Working in a Coalmine, The Cure-Just Like Heaven, A Flock of Seagulls-I Ran, Depeche Mode-People Are People, Nena-99 Luftballons, Talking Heads-Burning Down the House, Men Without Hats-Safety Dance, Falco-Rock Me Amadeus, and After the Fire-Der Kommisar
I think this was one of the first few songs ever played on MTV when they first came on the air. MTV only played music videos back then. This had to be in the top 10 on repeat. They question why they are stuck doing manual labor when they could play in a band on MTV and get chicks and money for very little work. MTV’s on air slogan was “I want my MTV”. That why you hear it in the background, subliminally. Genius!
Mark Knopfler used a Gibson Les Paul and a wah pedal to create a robot esque vibe to his playing on this song. He kept the wah at about half down for most of the song, creating a unique effect to work well with the song. He chose the les Paul for the Humbucker sound to warm it up a little compared to the single coil sound from his tele or strat.
There's a live video version of this somewhere that has Sting joining Dire Straits on stage for this song. And then, the "official video" for this was animated - quite the innovation for the time.
Every one who ever lifted a 80s Color TV, Fridge or Microwaveoven knows what they are talking about. Dude that stuff was heavy back in the days 😓
I remember getting my first "big" screen T.V.. It was a 30 inch screen and about 130 pounds!!!!
Thing about it is that I bought it around 30 years ago and it still works perfectly.
Bloody CRT's 😂
a fridge is still heavy in 2021😁
OMG Giving me Nam flashbacks of tvs built into furniture, and fucking hide a bed couches. I'm going to have nightmares now lol.
Heavy metal.
Mark Knopfler was in an appliance store. They had music videos playing on the TV sets, and he overheard the salesmen talking about the musicians. It was written from the salesman's perspective. They were complaining about having to do heavy lifting while the musicians didn't have to do any work, and got all the girls, jet airplanes, and millions of dollars.
I remember that story well, and the thing I love about it is, here was Mark Knopfler, lead guitar player and singer in a famous band, buying a part so he could fix his washing machine. That is so down to earth, and makes the observations of the store employees that much more ludicrous.
The bit about the F word wearing makeup was about Boy George and Mark actually called Boy George and asked if he could put that bit in the song first.
Exactly right, Jason, they weren't encouraging that horrible language, they were saying this is what these working stiff people are saying ABOUT THEM!
I'd like to personally thank those workers for inspiring this amazing song by whining about that, otherwise we wouldn't have this masterpiece
Interesting. The song makes now sense now. Had this album for decades but lyrics to this always confused me 😂
The official video for this is really unique. It’s a classic.
its prob all copyright thats why
When you consider it was made a full decade before the fist CGI animated movie, Toy Story it make the video all the more amazing.
Yeah, watching this sort of ruins it for the official video.
@@Tlotoxl That is probably a major reason why it was "shortened" ... COST! The message of the song remains.
The f word that might now be seen as dodgy has different meanings in the uk where the band are from.i.e. a bundle of sticks or a meat dish cooked in gravy.but here its about geeks nerds or wimps.
Mark K heard a delivery guy in a store saying that rock stars did not have to work and that is where he got his idea for this song.
Rock stars work harder than many do.
@@kentclark6420, No shite. The thing is, a lot of people don't work at all.
I have been a huge fan of Mark Knopfler since he started
Yeah, using the F word was more a commentary of the bigotry that he heard.
The delivery guy was specifically talking about Boy George from culture club, Mark K called Boy George told him about what he heard and asked if it was okay to write the song
That opening riff is one of the most recognizable riffs in music in my opinion.
And most difficult to learn how to play it exactly how Mark played it. Many people play it and it sounds good but nothing like how he played it back in the 80's. Hell, not even Mark can play it right anymore lol.
One of the all time great riffs and quite possibly the greatest intro to any song. The way it just builds and builds with those drum fills to such an incredible crescendo leading into that iconic riff is just phenomenal.
I must have air guitared that solo thousands of times as a kid.
I need that as my ring tone
A great solo to be sure. The sequence reminds me of Summer Nights by Van Halen.👍🎸🔥
Back when MTV played music videos 24/7 .....
Yes, I remember that. Now the channel is nothing but a load of poppycock, geared to young skulls full of mush.
😊✌
@@freebirdtony funny you said that! That’s exactly what our parents said about MTV when it first came on!
@@algomaone121 Please don't compare silly music videos to 16 year old pregnant girls or Jersey Shore or any of that other stuff. Not even close. Maybe some of it was bad for us, but not even in the same league.
I will always miss MTV from the 80’s.
The good old days.
The gay slur was a backhanded compliment. Remember that the song is in the character of a stereotypical blue-collar worker in the early 80s. For a time, writer Mark Knoppler decided it wasn't a good idea to keep that second verse in the best of CD, so he removed it. he has since reversed his thinking.
Yeah, clearly the speaker calls the rock star that out of sheer envy.
Exactly the way I've always taken it. You guys are calling him little f..... jealous much?
yes, the slur was essentially reciting what was said by the sales people in the store-not what Dire Straits was saying, they were not advocating that kind of prejudice language. But I can see why Mark grappled with it.
It was a bit shocking even at the time. We be like should he really be saying that?
You also have to remember that this was written around the time of the New Romantics, Boy George hitting it big with Culture Club, Adam and the Ants etc. with flamboyant clothing and men wearing make up, which was something your typical 'red blooded, blue collar, working class' guy was going to associate with homosexuality. The 'F' word is presumably exactly what the delivery guy Mark overheard in the appliance store used when denigrating the act he was watching on the wall of TVs tuned to MTV. When Mark realised how offensive gay people found it he swapped it out for alternatives in subsequent live performances. The irony is how young people react to hearing it today when so much music, particularly rap and rock, is littered with profanities.
"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 beer." ~ Doulas Adams
Except he was playing a Gibson Les Paul on this
Automatic upvote for any Douglas Adams reference.
Sting from the Police is doing the back up vocals.
So good....
That makes sense. I never knew that but yeah, that's him now that you mentioned it.
Here's an anecdote for you Sting fans... I saw Sting OPEN for the Grateful Dead in 1993 in Las Vegas!
They always had big name bands open for them in Vegas (Santana, Steve Miller, Traffic), but Sting seemed an odd match... but in the spirit, Sting did all classic covers, Beatles is what I most recall.
And it's the same melody as Don't Stand So Close To Me. "Don't stand so, don't stand so, don't stand so close to me..."
Good call on that@@mookie7688 👍
ONE OF THE FIRST VIDEOS I SAW ON MTV...WHEN MTV WAS JUST THAT...MUSIC TELEVISION 📺
It's crazy that, first you have to have context for the "I want my MTV" line, and second, you have to have context for the line "you play the guitar on MTV," since MTV hasn't played music for years.
Us 80s kids will always remember seeing our favorite musicians saying “I WANT MY MTV!” ♥️
We 80s kids will always remember when people knew when to use “us “ and when to use “we”.
Sultans of swing is one of my favs
Totally agree that Sultan of Swing is their best tune! I love it too!!!🤗
Live at Kenworth is one of the best live performances ever.
This was when MTV played Videos 24/7. The good ole days, gotta love the 80’s
Those were the days!
The story behind this song is that Mark Knopfler was in a big department store and in the television department, MTV was on every television (this was back when MTV was music videos 24/7) so he noticed two workmen who were busy unloading a truck full of merchandise - microwave ovens, refrigerators, color TVs, etc. And as they walked by the TV department, they were commenting on the MTV music videos and those comments became this song! “That ain’t working! That’s the way you do it ! Playin’ the guitar on the MTV... “ real comments by real workmen - it’s a classic! By the way Mark Knopfler is considered one of the great guitarists of all time. He is one of the few guitarists who don’t use picks, he just strums and picks the guitar with his fingers... also I love his voice!! Great Song
The video version is a classic and a must watch. Any version is great.
First use of CGI in a music video as far as I’m aware of. And this version was just a little *too* long if you ask me.
As a 3D animator myself it holds a special place in my heart.
Whomever insisted on the non-video version needs to be banned from commenting.
@@enigmamz A bit harsh🤗
Lady Writer, Romeo and Juliet, Tunnel of Love, Your Latest Trick, Ride Across the River, Brothers in Arms....
So many more, this is a deep one.
“So Far Away”
In The Gallery, Telegraph Road, Portobello Belle, Private Investigations, the list goes on lol.
Telegraph road is an easy top 3
Down to the waterline
Yeah, " Lady Writer " !
Mark Knopfler first job was writing copy for a small newspaper in the U.K. His first assignment was writing an obituary for Jimi Hendrix
One of the most iconic guitar riffs ever
I love Dire Straits! My favorite songs by them are this on, Sultans of Swing, Brothers in Arms and Walk of Life.
There is something about Ride Across the River that I love. Guess its because I've always tried to teach my son one person's view could see you as either a hero or a villian depending on who's writing the story.
Favourite songs Love Over Gold, Money For Nothing and So Far Away
Sting sings on this and helped write it (he and Knopfler are the credited writers). That's him at the beginning singing "I want my MTV."
Sting only gets the co-writing credit because Mark wanted the 'I want my, I want my, I want my MTV' sung to the tune of Sting's 'Don't stand close to me' song he wrote when he was in The Police. The rest is pure Knopfler. 😊
"What instrument is this?"
Nine times out of ten, especially if it's an 80's tune, it's probably a synthesizer/keyboard.
This is the tenth - because that was an electric guitar.
This song was made before people became overly sensitive. When people still had a sense of humor.
Exactly in the 80’s nobody gave a dam & just had a good time, this song would never fly today lol
people were sensitive then too, they just didn't have as much power to complain about it
The radio ended up playing the shorter (without the ad.lib slang). Dire Straits and Men at Work were secretly competing for MTV views back then. Both had similar sounds, but Dire Straits had a deep catalog of songs that had wider range.
The fact that today's generation is too stupid to understand the satirical background of the song and want to accuse Mark Knopfler of homophobia because of his use of the term "faggot", even though anyone who is still reasonably clear-headed should understand that, as the video also clearly shows, he is quoting the views of two working-class men about rock and pop stars, only goes to show what a pathetic level many people have reached today.
Apart from that, thanks to the internet, it's not hard to find out that he actually picked up this reaction from two workers in a household and electronics store in New York.
The best Guitar lick ever, it starts up like a V8 and just powers through the song.
80's my man. That sound is bad ass guitar playing. Bass, lead, rhythm jamming!
One of the best electric guitar sounds ever recorded, and an absurdly good lick to go with it.
no not guitar sounds, just sounds.
the 80s didnt matter what genre u was, had to have at least one song with a synth keyboard
I can't wait until you go watch the video that goes with this. It was huge when they dropped it.
It's so amazing to those who were there, but someone from today's world seeing it for the first time might not be too impressed.
@@robertreichle1 so true...this clip and song where the biggest thing since sliced bread at the time......they played 10 nights back to back...sold out in Sydney....brothers in arms world tour took 2 years....
Mark Knopfler--one of the most underrated and unappreciated guitar talents out there. Saw him solo in concert many years ago, and he put on an incredible show. Don't miss seeing him if you ever get the chance.
The video is a must with this. Just not the same without it.
Rubbish it the music that counts.....
Mark Knopfler is a brilliant guitarist, and it showed very much in the stuff he did for Dire Straits. But he is also an extraordinary storyteller, satirist, and songwriter, and now that he's gone off on his own, his albums are really exceptional collections of his own songs. I have them all, and I listen to them. Highly recommended.
True and I too have them all. Although it's worth noting that all the Dire Straits albums are exceptional collections of Mark's own songs too. Money for Nothing is the only one to have a co-writing credit (for Sting because Mark wanted to incorporate his tune to 'Don't stand so close to me') and 'What's the Matter with you Baby?' (Live at the BBC) is the only one to be credited to another songwriter, Mark's brother David Knopfler who was of course the band's original rhythm guitarist.
Spandex and wrist bands were big in the 80s. Especially when Olivia Newton John came out with "Physical".
MTV was relatively young when this came out and they played the hell out of it - i don't know if the word faggot made it into the MV version because i don't recall hearing it. The song was inspired, from what i recall, from the group hearing a conversation about rockstars etc The genre of music that uses synthesizers a lot is 80s music. The person singing featured on this song is Sting from The Police
It was because cancel culture didnt exist and they recognized that it was a song from the perspective of an asshole delivery man and not the artist.
Finger plucking on this song Knoffler is a genius
There's a little known Amish version where the lyrics are, "Get your honey for nothing and your chickens for free."
😂😂😂
Early 80s. Similar songs are Working for the Weekend by Nightranger or Turn Me loose by Loverboy. The names we called each other back then would make most people cringe today but they were not the least bit offensive to us. Kind of like terms of brotherhood and endearment.
Bro you did the song I requested LITERALLY YESTERDAY! You're awesome!
At first, MTV filled a lawsuit against them for the use of there "I want my MTV" slogan, but pulled it when they realized the free publicity they were receiving due to it being such a big hit
That sounds dubious.
This is the longer version, the shorter version does not have any of the controversial part .
Awsome song when MTV actually had music.
Didn't they edit it to say maggot at some point?
@@lordvitae I don't think so.
@@RENfan1265 lol, maybe i was thinking of the parody
@@lordvitae Maybe. I wish he would listen to some Weird Al
@@RENfan1265 Agreed, he's neglected Weird Al for a hot minute now.... i forget the last one he reacted to.
Mark Knopfler one of the greatest guitar players ever.
They know hes good just cant piece the name and the musician together.
I only regret that I have but one upvote to give your comment.
Joe Satriani is agreat too. Surfing with the alien is an amazing piece of music.
Mark knopfler Local Hero album has some amazing songs.
Back when MTV actually played music videos and "I want my MTV!" was the catch phrase.
MTV used to be my jam bag today...lol....First video ever played on MTV was “video killed the radio star”
Now do the Weird Al Parody “ Beverly Hillbillies “
🤣
Must do more Weird Al along with original songs.
I must add to the comments that Mark Knoffler is a phenomenal guitarist. He has a unique style all his own plucking and fingerpicking on an electric guitar. If you want proof, try to recreate this riff accurately. And if you see the live versions, they play off of this for over 10 minutes. Add to this, he is singing while playing and Sting comes in for the high notes (I want my MTV). Not their best song, but got a lot of air play and video play on MTV. I prefer Romeo and Juliette.
He was clownin "cool" people who degrade others for being unique when he dropped the f.
Sultans of Swing by Dire Straits is one of those songs that singlehandedly changed the trajectory of my music enjoyment for life. Definitely check that one out.
Back when MTV Meant MUSIC!
One of the most classic RIFFS of all time and that is STING backing him up on vocals, I want my MTV...... Mark Knopfler made EVH bow in a speed picking contest in the mid eighties. It was a friendly thing. One of the best pickers ever.
Back in the 80s, you had a lot of guys dressing a certain way on stage performing music (Poison, Motley Crue, etc.). Even though they were making great music and had more groupies than could be imagined, they got blasted for looking that way by the average joe worker.
Those lines are mock response to one of those average joes, "Yeah buddy, that f***** is a millionaire, while you gotta move tvs around for a living."
The guy hes also specifically referencing is Sting (also of The Police), whos also the guy doing vocals in the background.
Someone recently informed me that 'Sting' is the soprano that comes in big near the end of the song. This song screams 80's, from someone that lived thru it.
Also the one doing the “ I want my MTV..”
Sting sings backing vocals throughout.
*Tenor
Soprano is a female, vocal classification. 👍🏽😁
This is from an era prior to the politically correct society we find ourselves in today. Boy I miss those days.
😊✌
@S Ragsdale
Good one.🤣👍
Yeah me too lol, I miss being able to insult people and not face repercussions. 🙄
@@Grumbo91 Yeah I'm with you. Those days of 'sticks and stones my break my bones, but words will never hurt me' is so over rated. we should go back to sticks and stones. I'd much rather my ass beaten til i'm dead or crippled than for someone to insult me. 🙄
So says all the people who weren't on the receiving end of those types of offensive words. If having to speak without slurs or be considerate of others who are different seems like punishment or a problem, you might have to consider that your words are the problem, not the others on the receiving end.
@@amyz2837 Offense cannot be given, only taken. The issue lies with the person who is taking offense. I have been called plenty of names in my day. None of them phased me. Words are just that, words. Weakness is only allowed to grow when you censor words for fear of hurting the feelings of others. There are actually people nowadays that become incapacitated by simply hearing a "triggering" word. That is completely ridiculous. Mental and emotional fortitude needs to be re-instilled in people. Am I advocating for the pervasive use of these types of words? No, just like I am not advocating for the pervasive use of swears for the sake of swearing. I will not however, persecute someone for saying those words and try to enact authoritarian controls over them because what they said made me "feel sad."
The louder it’s played the better it gets!!
The delivery guy he overheard was also the source of the slurs...a lot of rock stars/musicians in general were painted with that brush for their 'long hair/hippie ways'...so he used it in the song not as a slam against LGBTQ but against the ignorance of some people.
Boy George was the intended target.
All of who us grew up in the 80s can remember our parents and grandparents talking like this about Culture Club, Prince, Sting, Michael Jackson etc lol Dire Straits created a parody rock song about the how silly elders can be about Rock and Roll. Rock and Roll Forever!!! lol
I remember this! They were jamming on those instruments 🎹🥁 🎸
Weird Al has a parody of this called “Beverly Hillbillies”
Also love Weird Al Yankovic's cover of this song with the Beverley Hillbillies
Weird Al asked Knopfler for permission to spoof his song. Knopfler agreed on one condition - Weird Al had to let Knopfler play the guitar on "Beverly Hillbillies"
@@pauldonnachie Cool! I did not know that.
NO NO NO, you missed out! The official music video is what makes this song complete.
A great song with Sting singing that iconic line. The video is classic, too
"Weird" Al Yankovic
" B E V E R L Y ...
H I L L B I L L I E S " 🤠🐈
In recent years, when Dire Straits plays this song live, the f word is replaced with the more PC "maggots".
Also, the background vocals are sung by Sting, the lead singer of the band The Police.
This song was use for MTV when it first started
MTV Europe kicked of with that video as in America the first video was "Video killed the radio star". 😉✌
MTV started in the U.S. in 1981 this album didn’t hit until 1985 so no it wasn’t made for the start of MTV
@@steveyork8069 MTV Europe did. MTV America was Video killed the radio star.
@@steveyork8069, I remember watching the premiere of MTV with my family.
My great grandfather was sitting next to me. I was 5 and he was 87.
Video killed the radio star came on and he yelled out, "What the feck is this shite!" He spoke with his thick Irish accent and it was the very first time I heard him swear.
God I miss that man.
@@steveyork8069 this is true but MTV end up using it for there Music channel
My Dire Straits story. Was on my way to see them at the Concord Pavilion in concord, CA in 1989. Driving on Highway 80, the '89 earthquake happened. Got to the venue, and it was cancelled due to damage to the venue. Was eerie driving back to Marin county and looking at SF in flames. Fast forward to the rescheduled concert at the same venue. October 25th, 1991. I was driving and as we inched our way in several lanes into parking, I looked to my left and there was Huey Lewis in the car next to me. Front passenger seat. Heavily stoned. And his finger buried to the second knuckle in his nose! Digging he was! I told everyone in my car to look. Then I yelled REAL LOUD "HUEY"! He looked over to his right, surprised, and still with his finger in his nose! Priceless!!! Oh yeah, the Dire Straits concert was Fu*&^in' awesome! That same night, rock promoter Bill Graham was killed in a helicopter, crashing high tension power lines flying in heavy fog. Sad.
Dire Straits Awesome Rock Band My Favorite 😀👍🏼
“Sultans Of Swing” another classic by them
OMG THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! Love this.... saw these guys back in 1985 on this tour...... Check out their song Brothers in Arms and WALK OF LIFE.....
love this channel... start my day with your videos.... keep it real mate!!! Greetings from Australia
This is the album that kicked-off serious sales of the new format that was CD. It sold millions.
I want my MY MTV!!! I remember when MTV was all new and played music 🎶
Some Songs have “radio edits” and “album version”. Radio songs tend to be under 4:30 so if you wrote a 7:56 song it would be edited to be played on top 40 radio
Sting is singing the background vocals
And he also gets a cut of the royalty's since Sting used the same beat from Don't Stand So Close To Me.
Thanks, I was wondering what that obnoxious sound in the background was.
Sting and Mark are from the same town.
@@aricp9173 Sting's tune, but Mark's idea to incorporate it.
@@user-ky6vw5up9m I didn't know that, thanks for giving me that little tidbit of info!
Mark Knopfler (the song writer) was once a reporter working on the Yorkshire Evening Post. He told Uncut magazine that his journalistic experience fed into this song. "I was reporting, verbatim, what a particular guy thought about music," he said. "I transcribed his words there and then. He was a meathead. To him being a rock star was easy, hence 'that ain't working.'"
Mark Knopfler when he performs the song today, will rework the song with something like "that little cowboy has got his own jet airplane, that little cowboy is a millionaire ". So he knows he can't repeat the same line, in the way he use to sing it 36 years ago.
Not heard those particular alternatives, but Mark does like to mix in different lyrics during live performances. I wonder where he was performing when he sang those ones? I can imagine him doing so when performing somewhere like Nashville. He stopped singing the 'F' word not longer after the song's release when he realised how offensive it was. The variant's I've heard most often are 'that little queenie's got his own jet airplane, that mutha trucker he's a millionaire'.
@@jjc5407
Yeah I saw him use 'queenie' as a substitute but I also saw him use 'cowboy' as well. It was on a live performance on UA-cam. I can't remember exactly which one it was, but I remember him using 'cowboy' in this case.
@@kimw200blaze4 I'll have to keep an eye out for that one. 😊
This is great! First one of their songs I ever heard, and I was hooked👍
The audio version is the full length album version of the song, the official video is the 'radio edit' shorter version for playing on radio. By the way, that's Sting from the Police singing "I want my MTV". This album is from the mid 80's.
You’re missing out by not reacting to the videos or even a live performance!
He’s missed so many good official videos
The video to this song totally sucks big time, completely useless, db as hell!! But I do agree that anytime he has a chance to watch live videos he definitely needs to react to any & all live versions. 👍👍👍
Big time loss! WTH is wrong with these people telling him to go here first and not watch the classic video we watched?
Alchemy Live is one of the very best live albums in my opinion, it's just a shame the recording of the concert was recorded on what looks like SD video instead of film.
Oh, and that picture of the guitar, is a classic "Doe Brow!!"
Really needed to official video dude!!!
Just saw on Professor of Rock that Mark Knopfler, who wrote the song, said the song was based on a conversation he overheard by two delivery guys at a Sears store. He did not edit what they said, including the controversial lyrics. And that verse was controversial in 1985 as well. That is why there is a 4 minute radio edit of the song without that verse. Awesome song, and it still blows me away (36 years later)!
“I want my Mtv”was the slogan for Mtv back in the day when they used to play music videos back in the day.
There were commercials on tv with various rock stars saying I WANT MY MTV.
It was basically a message to cable networks to add Mtv to their channel lineups.
That's Sting from the POLICE on back ground vocals singing 'I want my MTV'. You see, back then MTV actually played music and not reality show crap.
Brothers In Arms the song is one of the best they ever did
The beginning where it's saying "I want my . . . I want my MTV," is a reference to ads from back before MTV was everywhere. Their jingle was "Call your cable company and say I WANT MY MTV!"
It was written from the perspective of the blue collar, under educated workers in the manual labor market, hence the language
Massive hit by a great group. It got played to death on the radio back in the day. To the point that I got sick of hearing it. But it is nice to hear it again after a few decades.
The "I want my MTV" was the tagline for MTV back when they used to play music videos 24/7. They had "VJs" , Video Jockeys, who would intro the video and give some "color commentary". They actually got pretty famous in the 1980s. Mark Goodman, Martha Quinn, J.J. Jackson, Nina Blackwood, and Alan Hunter. Oh, and the 1st video ever played was "Video Killed the Radio Star" by the Buggles.
An awesome song. One of my favorites by them is “Brothers in Arms”.
This song was so popular at one point that I saw the lead singer play this with Phil Collins on drums, Eric Clapton on lead guitar and Sting singing backups.
Dire Straits " Walk of life." Try it.
This was kind of a gimmick song for air play, but they are a legit amazing band.
The Moog synthesizer was and still is used in many songs.
I worked at a kitchen design store aaah. This was my life in 1986. Mark knofpler came uo with one of the most nuancedguitar riffs of the decade.
When MTV was launched, this song was played a lot... memories. 🎶💖 Check out the video with the animated dudes.
It was the video with the animated guys though.
Early 80's. Synth sounds became infamously used. It was the new wave in sound at that time. Lived it. I was there saying, "I want my Mtv!" But had to go to grandma's to watch lol. Grandma was cool!
Sir you listened to the full album version. I salute you👍
First time I heard this it was just released and I had my headphones on and I was delivering furniture for my uncle in his van, thinking it was all TV’s and Fridges. Freaking out that Sting was singing with Dire Straits!!!
You need to watch the video to this. As a teen when it came out, I was amazed. It was the latest animated technology back then. Ironically, everyone wanted to watch it on MTV.
This is 80's rock/80's pop. The 80s had a lot of popular music from a bunch of genres: rock, new wave, general pop, etc.
For that era check out: OMD- If You Leave, Simple Minds-Dont You Forget About Me, Dead or Alive-You Spin Me Around(Like a Record), Devo-Working in a Coalmine, The Cure-Just Like Heaven, A Flock of Seagulls-I Ran, Depeche Mode-People Are People, Nena-99 Luftballons, Talking Heads-Burning Down the House, Men Without Hats-Safety Dance, Falco-Rock Me Amadeus, and After the Fire-Der Kommisar
That's STING on backing vocals (yeah, that English guy who wrote and sung "Every Breath You Take" in THE POLICE! ;-)
I think this was one of the first few songs ever played on MTV when they first came on the air. MTV only played music videos back then. This had to be in the top 10 on repeat. They question why they are stuck doing manual labor when they could play in a band on MTV and get chicks and money for very little work.
MTV’s on air slogan was “I want my MTV”. That why you hear it in the background, subliminally. Genius!
Mark Knopfler used a Gibson Les Paul and a wah pedal to create a robot esque vibe to his playing on this song. He kept the wah at about half down for most of the song, creating a unique effect to work well with the song.
He chose the les Paul for the Humbucker sound to warm it up a little compared to the single coil sound from his tele or strat.
There's a live video version of this somewhere that has Sting joining Dire Straits on stage for this song. And then, the "official video" for this was animated - quite the innovation for the time.