Dire Straits – Cologne 1979 (12-Inch Double-LP)

This double album captures Dire Straits’s legendary performance recorded for the German television programme Rockpalast at WDR Studio-L, in Cologne, on 16 February 1979.

Recorded in front of an invited audience, the set primarily comprised of songs from Dire Straits’s 1978 debut album, along with teasers from their upcoming second album, Communiqué. Featuring the set in its entirety, included here are classic cuts such as Sultans of Swing, Down to the Waterline, Six Blade Knife, Water of Love, In the Gallery, Wild West End and more.

This stellar set boasts astounding fidelity and documents the band in a raw, intimate setting just before they became one of the biggest acts in the world.

The Communiqué Tour commenced in Rotterdam, on 11 February 1979, four months before the album’s release in June. The tour saw Dire Straits play a total of 116 concerts throughout Europe, North America and the United Kingdom, with the final concert taking place in London, on 21 December 1979.

The band’s lineup for the tour included Mark Knopfler (lead and rhythm guitars, vocals), David Knopfler (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), John Illsley (bass, backing vocals) and Pick Withers (drums).

Track Listing

Side One

1. Down to the Waterline (2:59)
2. Six Blade Knife (4:25)
3. Once Upon a Time in the West (5:25)
4. Lady Writer (4:07)

Side Two

1. Single-Handed Sailor (4:52)
2. Water of Love (6:16)
3. In the Gallery (5:50)
4. Follow Me Home (4:43)

Side Three

1. News (3:54)
2. What’s the Matter Baby? (2:53)
3. Lions (5:48)
4. Sultans of Swing (5:55)

Side Four

1. Wild West End (5:26)
2. Where Do You Think You’re Going? (4:08)
3. Eastbound Train (4:09)
4. Sultans of Swing (6:33)

Format: Vinyl / 12” Album

No of Discs: 2

Label: Parachute

Catalogue No: PARA616LP

Barcode: 0803341589766

Release Date: 26 Apr 2024