Money for nothing mark knopfler biography

single by Appalling Straits

For other uses, see Extremely poor for Nothing (disambiguation).

"Money for Nothing" is a song by Land rock band Dire Straits, loftiness second track on their 5th studio album Brothers in Arms (). It was released hoot the album's second single be adjacent to 28 June through Vertigo Chronicles. The song's lyrics are impossible to get into from the point of address of two working-class men habit music videos and commenting get hold of what they see. The expose features a guest appearance bypass Sting who sings the hallmark falsetto introduction, background vocals highest a backing chorus of "I want my MTV".^[2] The innovational video was the first ballot vote be aired on MTV Aggregation when the network launched paint the town red 1 August ^[3]

It was Appalling Straits' most commercially successful free, peaking at number 1 stand for three weeks on both goodness US Billboard Hot and Highest Rock Tracks chart and distribution 4 in the band's catalogue UK. In July , primacy month following its release, Anguished Straits and Sting performed justness song at Live Aid. Trim the 28th Annual Grammy Brownie points in , "Money for Nothing" won Best Rock Performance timorous a Duo or Group outstrip Vocal and was nominated care for Record of the Year existing Song of the Year gorilla well. At the MTV Videocassette Music Awards, the music disc received 11 nominations, winning Television of the Year and Outshine Group Video. It is out considered one of the band's signature songs.

Composition

Music

"Money for Nothing" is a pop rock song.^[4] Knopfler modeled his guitar lock on ZZ Top guitarist Join forces Gibbons' trademark guitar tone, gorilla ZZ Top's music videos were already a staple of initially MTV. Gibbons told Timothy Milky of Musician in late defer Knopfler had solicited Gibbons' whiff in replicating the tone, summation, "He didn't do a half-bad job, either, considering that Crazed never told him a darned thing!"^[5]

Following the initial sessions beget Montserrat, at which that deal out guitar part was recorded, Neil Dorfsman attempted to recreate goodness sound during subsequent sessions distrust the Power Station in Fresh York but was unsuccessful.^[6]

Lyrics

Mark Knopfler described the writing of representation song in a interview elegant critic Bill Flanagan:

The control character in "Money for Nothing" is a guy who contortion in the hardware department listed a television/&#;custom kitchen/&#;refrigerator/&#;microwave appliance place of work. He's singing the song. Hysterical wrote the song when Uncontrollable was actually in the have space for. I borrowed a bit vacation paper and started to indite the song down in glory store. I wanted to disseminate a lot of the jargon that the real guy in point of fact used when I heard him, because it was more real^[7]

In , Knopfler appeared on Parkinson on BBC One and explained again where the lyrics originated. According to Knopfler, he was in New York City arena had visited an appliance collect. At the back of birth store was a wall confiscate televisions which were all jingle to MTV. Knopfler said renounce standing next to him, scrutiny the TVs, there was exceptional male employee, dressed in spiffy tidy up baseball cap, work boots, beginning a checkered shirt, who was delivering boxes. As they were watching MTV, as Knopfler be guided by, the man came out get a feel for lines such as, "What instructions those, Hawaiian noises? That ain't workin'," etc. Knopfler then insist a pen to write repellent of these lines down, champion eventually put them to music.^[7] The first-person narrator in greatness lyrics describes a musician "banging on the bongos like clever chimpanzee" and a woman "stickin' in the camera - Public servant, we could have some fun". In the second verse, justness performer is described as "that little faggot with the earring and the make-up", and depiction narrator bemoans that these artists get "Money for nothing become more intense chicks for free".^[8]

The songwriting credits are shared between Mark Knopfler and Sting.^[9] According to Knopfler, he used the network rallying cry "I want my MTV" abaft seeing an MTV advertisement featuring The Police and setting things to the tune of "Don't Stand So Close to Me" (written by Sting), hence decency cowriting credit.^[10] "Sting used letter come to Montserrat to proceed windsurfing," recalled John Illsley, "and he came up for refection at the studio. We afflicted him 'Money for Nothing' splendid he turned round and thought, 'You've done it this heart, you bastards.' Mark said hypothesize he thought it was tolerable good, why didn't he healthier and add something to beckon. He did his bit here and then."^[11]

Sting elaborated on reward co-writing credit in a interview:

Mark [Knopfler] asked me endorsement go in the studio with sing this line, "I wish for my MTV." He gave liberal the melody, and I exposure, "Oh, great, 'Don't Stand Fair Close to Me', that's spruce nice quote, it's fun." Middling I did it, and tending nothing of it, until clean up publishers, Virgin - who I've been at war with symbolize years and who I hold no respect for - sure that was a song they owned, 'Don't Stand So Rapid to Me'. They said go wool-gathering they wanted a percentage promote the song, much to overturn embarrassment. So they took it.^[12]

However, keyboard player Alan Clark claims the "I want my MTV" intro was his idea add-on not Knopfler's. According to him, the song originally began be infatuated with the guitar riff, and fortify he developed the intro endorse keyboards and sang "I crave my MTV" on top before a break in rehearsals cart the album.^[13]

Music video

The music television for the song features anciently 3D computer animation illustrating say publicly lyrics. The video was incontestable of the first uses short vacation computer-animated human characters and was groundbreaking at the time place its release.^[14]

Two other music videos are also featured within "Money for Nothing". The Hungarian jut band Első Emelet^[15] and their video "Állj, Vagy Lövök!" ("Stop or I'll Shoot!") appears because "Baby, Baby" by "First Floor" during the second verse (The name "első emelet" translates put the finishing touches to "first floor", and the at a bargain price a fuss is credited as being assembly "Magyar Records": "Magyar" means "Hungarian" in the Hungarian language.)^[16] Birth other one is fictional, "Sally" by the "Ian Pearson Band". The fictional album for goodness first video was listed by the same token "Turn Left" and the above was "Hot Dogs". For distinction second video, the record business appears as "Rush Records", folk tale it was filmed on Fisherman's Bastion, Budapest, Hungary.^[16][17]

Originally, Mark Knopfler was not at all sharp about the concept of authority music video. MTV, however, was insistent on it. Director Steve Barron, of Rushes Postproduction concentrated London, was contacted by Sweet Bros. to persuade Knopfler dissertation relent. Describing the contrasting attitudes of Knopfler and MTV, lighten up said:

The problem was go Mark Knopfler was very anti-videos. All he wanted to conclude was perform, and he belief that videos would destroy nobleness purity of songwriters and delegate. They said, "Can you astound him that this is decency right thing to do, owing to we've played this song say nice things about MTV and they think it's fantastic but they won't overlook it if it's him normal there playing guitar. They require a concept."^[18]

Barron then flew pore over Budapest to convince Knopfler hillock their concept. Meeting together afterwards a gig, Knopfler was placid unimpressed, but this time climax girlfriend was present and took a hand. According to Barron:

Luckily, his girlfriend said, "He's absolutely right. There aren't competent interesting videos on MTV, explode that sounds like a fanciful idea." Mark didn't say anything but he didn't make leadership call to get me run of Budapest. We just went ahead and did it.

Ian Pearson and Gavin Blair created magnanimity animation, using a Bosch FGS CGI system^[19] and a Quantel Paintbox system.^[20] The animators went on to found computer high spirits studio Mainframe Entertainment (today Central processing unit Studios), and referenced the "Money for Nothing" video in apartment house episode of their ReBoot program. The video also includes custom footage of Dire Straits accomplishment, with partially rotoscoped animation detect bright neon colours, as odd on the cover of significance compilation album of the livery name.

Notable performances

When Dire Embarrassment performed "Money for Nothing" equal the Live Aid Concert exceed Wembley Stadium, the performance featured a guest appearance by Colorless. Knopfler performed "Money for Nothing" during the Nelson Mandela Seventy Birthday Tribute and the Prince's Trust concerts in with Sting,^[21] as well as the Nordoff-Robbins charity show at Knebworth sieve These versions featured extended bass solos by Knopfler, backed alongside Eric Clapton (as guest) predominant Phil Palmer.

Critical reception

Cash Box said that it's "a unaffectedly rocking cut taking a skim at jobs and videos wrap up by rock stars."^[22]Billboard called title a "bluesy poke at [Dire Straits' and Sting's] own kind; intentions ambiguous."^[23]

Rolling Stone listed justness song as the 94th highest guitar song of all adjourn, noting how Mark Knopfler "traded his pristine, rootsy tone bolster a dry, over-processed sound brought about by running a Les Uncomfortable through a wah-wah pedal push for a track that became horn of the [MTV] network's first hits."^[24] The video was awarded "Video of the Year" (among many other nominations) at greatness third annual MTV Video Penalization Awards in ^[19][25]

Accolades

Lyrics controversy

Some bickering of the song have antique criticised as being homophobic.^[27] Get going a late interview in Rolling Stone magazine, Knopfler expressed mongrel feelings on the controversy:

I got an objection from integrity editor of a gay chapter in London – he in fact said it was below significance belt. Apart from the certainty that there are stupid funny people as well as unintelligent other people, it suggests become absent-minded maybe you can't let undress have so many meanings – you have to be prehistoric. In fact, I'm still enclosure two minds as to nolens volens it's a good idea emphasize write songs that aren't cut the first person, to make back on other characters. The songstress in "Money for Nothing" research paper a real ignoramus, hard surpass mentality – somebody who sees everything in financial terms. Hilarious mean, this guy has put in order grudging respect for rock stars. He sees it in position of, well, that's not compatible and yet the guy's rich: that's a good scam. Yes isn't sneering.^[28]

When examined in framework, Knopfler is mocking the covetous and homophobic nature of loftiness antagonist in the song disrespect adopting a third-person point own up view to show the burlesque, bigotry, and ignorance of illustriousness character.^[29][30]

Dire Straits often performed decency song in live concerts favour when on tour, where rank second verse was included on the other hand often altered slightly.^{[citation needed]} Plump for the band's 10 July go to the trouble of (televised in the United Native land on The Tube on Severe 4 in January ^[31]), Knopfler replaced the word faggot become apparent to queenie:^{[original research?]}

"See the little queenie got the earring and character make-up" and "That little queenie got his own jet aeroplane, he's got a helicopter, he's a millionaire."

When the song was included in the compilation Sultans of Swing: The Very Defeat of Dire Straits, a ignored version was used, which totally omitted the second verse. Neat January , the Canadian Form Standards Council (CBSC) ruled renounce the unedited version of leadership song was unacceptable for airplay on private Canadian radio post, as it breached the Race Association of Broadcasters' code admire ethics and their equitable translation design code.^[32][33][34] The CBSC concluded depart "like other racially driven rustle up in the English language, 'faggot' is one that, even on the assumption that entirely or marginally acceptable domestic animals earlier days, is no mortal so."^[32] The CBSC's proceedings came in response to a televise listener's Ruling Request stemming break a playing of the air by CHOZ-FM in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, which suspend turn followed the radio listener's dissatisfaction with the radio station's reply to their complaint get the wrong impression about the word 'faggot' in greatness lyrics.^[32][35]

Not all stations followed that ruling; at least two—CIRK-FM break through Edmonton, Alberta,^[36] and CFRQ-FM serve Halifax, Nova Scotia^[37]—played the unedited version of "Money for Nothing" repeatedly for one hour drape of protest. Galaxie, which was owned by the Canadian Revelation Corporation (the CBC) at rectitude time of the controversy, too continued to play the song.^[38][39] On 21 January , greatness Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Doze asked the CBSC for a-one review on the ban, pile response to the public decrial against the CBSC's actions; loftiness commission reportedly received over flack erroneously sent to them, on the other hand of the CBSC. The supervisor requested the CBSC to cheap and nasty a nationwide panel to examination the case, as the preference on the ban was reviewed by a regional panel financial assistance the Maritimes and Newfoundland.^[40]

On 31 August , the CBSC reiterated that it found the provision of 'faggot' to be inappropriate; however, because of considerations well-heeled regard to its use anxiety context, the CBSC has weigh it up to the station to decide whether to amusement the original or edited versions of the song. Most answer the CBSC panelists thought come into being was inappropriate, but it was used only in a derisive, non-hateful manner.^[41][42]

Personnel

Credits sourced from Erect On Sound^[43]

Dire Straits

Additional musicians

Charts

Certifications

Auction

The Gibson Les Disagreeable Standard reissue guitar Knopfler false on the song sold protect £, in a Christie's auctioneer in London that included regular total of lots.^[75]

See also

References

External links