Dire Straits – Communique

Communiqué is the second album by British rock band Dire Straits, released on 15 June 1979 by Vertigo Records internationally, and by Warner Bros. Records in the United States. The album produced the single “Lady Writer”, which reached the number 45 position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and number 51 on the UK Singles Chart. The album reached the number one position on album charts in Germany, New Zealand, and Sweden, the number 11 position in the United States, and the number five position in the United Kingdom. Communiqué was certified gold in the United States, platinum in the United Kingdom, and double-platinum in France.

Communiqué was recorded from 28 November to 12 December 1978 at Compass Point Studios in Nassau. The album was produced by Barry Beckett and Jerry Wexler, veteran producers from Muscle Shoals Sound Studio who made legendary recordings with Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin, the Staple Singers, The Rolling Stones, Traffic, Elton John, Boz Scaggs, Willie Nelson, and Paul Simon.

Communiqué became the first album ever to enter the German charts at number one in its first week of release. Even more remarkable, this happened while their debut album, Dire Straits was still at the number three position in that country. The album went on to sell over 7 million copies worldwide: in Europe it sold 3.6 million copies, and in the United States it reached gold status.

Communiqué was remastered and released with the rest of the Dire Straits catalogue in 1996 for most of the world outside the United States, and on 19 September 2000 in the United States.

The album cover was designed by Phonogram’s advertising agency Grant Advertising UK. It won album cover of the year in the NME awards in 1979.

Track listing

All songs were written by Mark Knopfler.