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The Latest Breaking News from Dire Straits

“At four in the morning, I got a call from David Bowie. He said they needed a guitar player for Iggy Pop’s album”: As right-hand man for everyone from Mark Knopfler to Eric Clapton, ‘Session Man’ Phil Palmer more than earned his nickname

Armed with a Nocaster given to him by his uncle, the Kinks’ Dave Davies, Palmer became a go-to guitarist for some of music’s biggest names, landing an official role in Dire Straits – and narrowly missing out on playing Clapton’s MTV Unplugged set

Guitar World

Changing the lyrics to hit songs might be increasingly noticeable – but it's a longstanding musical practice

Electronic dance music band The Prodigy are the latest act to attract attention for changing the lyrics to a longstanding hit in recent live shows. They now repeat the opening line “change my pitch up” in place of the song’s title “Smack My Bitch Up”. The song’s been a source…

The Conversation

Learn four guitar chords from Mark Knopfler and Dire Straits songs

Check out guitar George, he knows all the chords

MusicRadar

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Is Prince's Purple Rain really the second-greatest guitar riff of all time? A new survey says 'yes'

And Seven Nation Army is the only riff recorded after the '80s to make the top 20

MusicRadar

Guns N’ Roses’ ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’ Voted Best Guitar Riff Of All Time

Poll of music fans reveals iconic rock classics and modern hits in the top rankings.

Zenger

“I’ll be sad to see them go but we’ve had wonderful times together and I can’t play them all”: Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler is selling off his guitar collection

Dire Straits' leader Mark Knopfler is putting 120 guitars up for auction in January

Louder

Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler is putting some of his guitars up for auction

Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler will sell off a collection of guitars he considers “old friends” at a Christie’s auction in London next year

The Independent UK

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“I never thought that my signature would be on anything – never mind Fenders, Gibsons, and Martins, they're the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost of guitars”: Mark Knopfler is selling off 120 guitars, including his Money For Nothing Les Paul

See the Scottish guitar great talk through highlights of his immense collection of signature models, custom builds and guitars used on Dire Straits’ most iconic tracks

Guitar World

Ex-Dire Straits singer Mark Knopfler to sell guitar collection for charity

‘I’ll be sad to see them go but we’ve had wonderful times together,’ says musician ahead of London auction

The Guardian - UK

Mark Knopfler auctioning guitar he played on Dire Straits song ‘Money For Nothing’

Grammy-winning artist says he has ‘more than enough’ instruments left over after collecting hundreds during his 50-year career

The Independent UK

Mark Knopfler to auction 120 guitars –including his Dire Straits Brothers In Arms Les Paul and a '59 Burst

Money for something, bids + fees, with 25% going to charity

MusicRadar

Money for something: Dire Straits in demand as ‘huge amounts offered’ for reunion

Rock band are regular source of reform hopes – but it seems like it might never happen

The Independent UK

"I said, 'I wish Sting was here', and they said 'he is, he’s here on holiday!'": Mark Knopfler, George Martin and more on 10 years, 70 albums, massive hit singles, a hurricane and a volcano – the incredible story of AIR Studios Montserrat

The Police, Dire Straits, Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder and Duran Duran are just a few of the AAA names who enjoyed the most idyllic of recording studios, but it didn't end well for this particular AIR

MusicRadar

Brendan Croker obituary

Singer, songwriter and guitarist who shared his love of country and blues in the Notting Hillbillies

The Guardian - UK

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The Independent UK

Dire Straits’ former guitarist Jack Sonni dies

The British rock band announced the news by writing ‘Jack Sonni Rest In Peace’ alongside a photo of the musician on social media.

Evening Standard

Jack Sonni dead: Dire Straits guitarist dies aged 68 as band pays tribute

The musician was known as ‘the other guitarist’ during the London band’s Brothers in Arms era.

MusicRadar

"It’s not to do with gear, it’s all to do with the way the brain sends signals to his fingers – that’s what makes Mark so special": the story of the classic Dire Straits song that's often imitated, but rarely mastered

Producer Muff Winwood on a masterful Mark Knopfler track

The Independent UK

Celebrity birthdays for the week of Aug. 6-12

Celebrities having birthdays during the week of Aug. 6-12 include singer-guitarist Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits, rapper Sir Mix-A-Lot and actor Anna Kendrick

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Louder

"We were living on next to nothing and weren't even able to pay the gas bill": The song that transformed Dire Straits' fortunes and set them on the path to global fame

Inspired by watching a hopeless jazz combo play in a deserted pub, Sultans Of Swing sent Dire Straits on a journey to superstardom

Liverpool Echo

Converted ice rink a short drive from Liverpool where 70s and 80s stars performed

It was a music mecca in its time

Liverpool Echo

Scousers travelled miles to foam parties on ice

Many people have memories of getting soaking wet as they skated to their favourite tunes

Chronicle Live

Summer festival returns to Gateshead with music, pop-up bars, street food and a Flower Power Sunday finale

The August 27-28 Gateshead Summer Fest is back for the first time since the pandemic with Bank Holiday entertainment including prizes for the most colourful outfits

Daily Record

Ally McCoist shows off his singing skills on talkSPORT with Dire Straits classic

The official talkSPORT Twitter account posted the footage on the platform and it really was a hit.

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