Dire Straits were an English rock band; formed in 1977 by Mark Knopfler (guitar and vocals); his brother David Knopfler (guitar); John Illsley (bass); and Pick Withers (drums); and subsequently managed by Ed Bicknell. Although the band was formed in an era when punk rock reigned; Dire Straits worked within the conventions of classic rock; albeit with a stripped-down sound that appealed to modern audiences weary of the overproduced stadium rock of the 1970s.In their early days; Mark and David requested that pub owners turn down the amps so that patrons could converse while the band played indicative of their unassuming demeanor. "Sultans of Swing" was the first single release of the British rock band Dire Straits.
It was first recorded as a demo at Pathway Studios, North London, and quickly acquired a following after it was put in the rotation at Radio London. It did not take long for its popularity to reach record executives, and Dire Straits were offered a contract with Phonogram, a British record company. The song was then re-recorded and released in both the United Kingdom and the United States, though the demo version remained on the original UK.