Live at the BBC (Dire Straits album)
| Live at the BBC | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Live album by | ||||
| Released | 26 June 1995 | |||
| Recorded | 22 July 1978, 31 January 1981 | |||
| Studio | BBC Studios, London | |||
| Genre | Roots rock | |||
| Length | 46:01 | |||
| Label | Windsong (UK) Vertigo (International) Warner Bros. (US) | |||
| Producer | Various | |||
| Dire Straits chronology | ||||
| ||||
Live at the BBC is a live album by British rock band Dire Straits, released on 26 June 1995 on Vertigo Records internationally, and by Warner Bros. Records in the United States. The album was recorded on 22 July 1978 at BBC Studios in London, with one track recorded on 19 December 1980. The studio versions of the first six songs were released on Dire Straits. Live at the BBC was the band's third live album, preceded by Alchemy: Dire Straits Live (1984) and On the Night (1993).
In November 2023, Live at the BBC was included in the box set anthology, Live 1978-1992.
Release
Live at the BBC was released on 26 June 1995, after the group officially disbanded. According to Mark Knopfler, the album was released because Dire Straits still owed one album to Phonogram Records (now Mercury Records). The album was a means to end the contract before Knopfler began his solo career (still signed to Mercury).
Composition
Live at the BBC consists of eight songs, the first seven recorded for the BBC Live in Concert series on 22 July 1978. The eighth song, "Tunnel of Love", was recorded at the Rockpop concert in Dortmund on 19 December 1980.
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | [1] |
In his review for AllMusic, William Ruhlmann gave the album three and a half out of five stars, writing, "It's a modest effort from a modest band and, in that sense, a better representation of them than Alchemy or On the Night, both of which reflected their worldwide popularity."[1] The album stayed on the UK albums chart for one week.
Track listing
All songs were written by Mark Knopfler, except where indicated.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Down to the Waterline" | 4:10 | |
| 2. | "Six Blade Knife" | 3:47 | |
| 3. | "Water of Love" | 5:29 | |
| 4. | "Wild West End" | 5:12 | |
| 5. | "Sultans of Swing" | 6:38 | |
| 6. | "Lions" | 5:26 | |
| 7. | "What's the Matter Baby?" | David Knopfler, Mark Knopfler | 3:20 |
| 8. | "Tunnel of Love" | Extract from "The Carousel Waltz" by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II | 11:56 |
| Total length: | 46:01 | ||
Personnel
- Dire Straits
- Mark Knopfler – guitar, vocals
- David Knopfler – guitar, backing vocals (except on track 8)
- John Illsley – bass, backing vocals
- Pick Withers – drums
- Alan Clark – keyboards (only on track 8)
- Hal Lindes – guitar (only on track 8)
Charts
| Chart (1995) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[2] | 15 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[3] | 45 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[4] | 71 |
Certifications and sales
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Spain (PROMUSICAE)[5] | Gold | 50,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
- ^ a b Ruhlmann, William. "Live at the BBC". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Dire Straits – Live at the BBC" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Dire Straits – Live at the BBC". Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
- ^ "Dire Straits | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
- ^ Salaverrie, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (PDF) (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. p. 941. ISBN 84-8048-639-2. Retrieved 3 October 2019.