Communiqué
The second album, recorded in the Bahamas in late 1978 and the last with the original line-up.
Dire Straits, 1979
- Released
- 5 June 1979
- Recorded
- 28 November to 12 December 1978
- Studio
- Compass Point Studios, New Providence, The Bahamas
- Label
- Vertigo
- Producer
- Jerry Wexler and Barry Beckett
- Length
- 42:44
The sessions began on 28 November 1978, ten days after the Dire Straits tour ended in Hitchin, and ran to 12 December at Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas. The album was mixed in January 1979 at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Alabama. Jerry Wexler and Barry Beckett produced it, and Beckett, credited as B. Bear, played keyboards on some tracks.
It came out on 5 June 1979 and entered the German chart at number one while the first album was still at number three. It also topped the charts in Spain, New Zealand and Sweden, and reached five in the UK and 11 in the US. The single Lady Writer reached 45 on the Billboard Hot 100 and 51 in Britain. The Communiqué tour began in Rotterdam in February 1979 and ended in London on 21 December, after 116 concerts. William Ruhlmann of AllMusic judged it little more than a carbon copy of its predecessor.
Track listing
- Once Upon a Time in the West5:24
- News4:11
- Where Do You Think You're Going?3:50
- Communiqué5:49
- Lady Writer3:43
- Angel of Mercy4:32
- Portobello Belle4:29
- Single-Handed Sailor4:42
- Follow Me Home5:51
Personnel
- Mark Knopfler vocals, lead and rhythm guitars
- David Knopfler rhythm guitar, backing vocals
- John Illsley bass guitar, backing vocals
- Pick Withers drums
- Barry Beckett keyboards
- Gregg Hamm mix engineer
- Jack Nuber engineer
More from Dire Straits
Dire Straits (1978), Making Movies (1980), Love Over Gold (1982), Brothers in Arms (1985), On Every Street (1991)
Sources
- Communiqué (Dire Straits album), Wikipedia