The song was based on a conversation that was overheard. Mark was at a repair place and heard workers talking about having to install microwaves and refrigerators. The worker was saying you can make money for nothing as band on MTV. Get your money for nothing and chicks for free. Life of a rockstar. The song and video is from the perspective of these workers.
@@deepermind4884 yep - he and his bandmates worked hard to get where they were - they weren't making money for nothing, they were making money for spending their lives perfecting their crafts and putting in the long hours.
This song is based on a coversation Mark Knopfler overheard in a electronics store in New York. 2 delivery men were commenting on the TV's that were all tuned to MTV, back when MTV still played music. Mark wrote down what he heard and turned it into this song.
Mark auctioned 122 of his iconic guitars last January for 8.8 Million pounds . One guitar went for £693,000 . A sizable chunk of the money went to different charities that Mark supports . The auction house Christies also chipped in another £50,000 for the charities . Mark is a rock star but probably the most unassuming rock star ever whilst being an absolute legend . He released his 10th solo album last April at the age of 74 . He is very much influenced by folk , country , rock and blues .
Quite a bit of the money went to Newcastle upon Tyne based charities and with one of the guitars auctioned he done a one of special of local hero to be released and was used instead of the original at the nufc game. And the money from it split between Alan Sheree foundation and the Newcastle United charity which teaches kids football .
. . . And ‘geordieboy’ how much for the children NOT interested in football?.. a fair percentage I would suspect-?.. In view of both Mr. Knopfler’s and Mr. Summer’s chosen field(s) - would ‘ the arts’ not have been a far more representative and valid use of funding?..
@@donaldcook3112 no it wouldn’t since the north east of England is very very underdeveloped and underfunded and organisations for disabilities and young people in general are no where to be seen and the couple that are around are nearly ay closing point. The whole Lott of the money from the guitar went to 3 or 4 charities and the rerelease of the song went to the nufc foundation that helps the local community and disadvantaged children as wel as children with disabilities and mental health issues through working with them through sport
@@donaldcook3112 It's his money and frankly he can do with it as he wishes. Maybe pay more attention to your own charitable giving before criticising someone elses!
@@marwood1969. . . Hello ‘marwood1969’, A question for you, Just how could you know of my own percentage of ‘charitable giving’ - ?.. I’ll let that ‘thought’ settle-in a-while with you.
The higher pitched voice (doing the "I want my, I want my MTV) is Sting!! They were great back in the day...and they did not edit out the "f@ggot" part on the radio!!
@@traylor2502 The decision to ban the song on radio was reversed over a decade ago as the lyrics were deemed inoffensive when taken in context. Stations can choose to play the original version now, but most still play it censored. Never heard the "fudger" version, the censored one I always hear on the radio just has the lines omitted entirely. Not sure what the case is outside of Ontario, though.
"I want my MTV" was the slogan that the cable network used to promote MTV in the early 80's in their ads ... Dire Straits took it and had Sting (The Police) sing the line "I want my MTV"... since the lyrics were about 2 delivery men watching MTV while on the job at an electronics store 😂 In 1989, Weird Al Yankovic wanted to make a parody of this track - "Money for nothing/ Beverly Hillibillies" ... and Mark Knopfler gave his approval but only if he played guitar on Yankovic's song... So, Mark Knopfler is on the Weird Al parody.
I wish I could listen to this song for the first time again and experience that feeling again I had when it was released. That build up of the drums and then the entry of the guitar rif, pure bliss.
MTV was so groundbreaking in the early 80s. They would have commercial breaks, and a “I want my MTV” flash with some celebrity, a different one each time. It was iconic. Dire Straits captured that brief time in history and made it permanent in this song.
For my taste the best Dire Straits Telegraph Road. A musical masterpiece. For tears, and a thump in the heart, the original version of Brothers in Arms.
Local Hero is one of my favourite soundtracks, not just the title track which is certainly epic. Makes me wish one day to be back in Scotland, on a beach on a light midsummer night with it playing away @derekhollis197
This was the first ever music video to be played on MTV Europe, when it launched in 1987. You should check out Brothers In Arms, it is a complete change of pace.
Fun Fact: in 1984, Dire Straits decided to record their new album "Brothers in Arms", which contains Money for Nothing, on Montserrat Island. During the record session, Knopfler found that the song lacked some backing vocals, and took Sting as an example of the kind of voice he was looking for, especially because Sting ( with Police ) had done some MTV's ads saying "I Want my MTV". One of the Dire Straits crew member answered to Knopfler: "Do you know that Sting is currently on holiday here, in Montserrat ?"... And that's how Sting was invited to perform Money for Nothing's backing vocals.
I was lucky enough to be a teenager in the 80s. It was the best of times. I actually feel sad for people who were never there when the rest of us were and only get to experience it now.
This is the radio/tv version. There is a longer (album) version with a 2 minute " I want my MTV' bit. Also Sting joined Dire Straits on stage at Live Aid to do the backing vocal live. Worth a watch.
The line “ I want my MTV ! “ sung by Sting on this song was part of a promotion by MTV in the 80’s to promote to cable companies at the time to add the channel . Other performers like Pat Benatar , Boy George and Cindy Lauper also scream that line in these commercials
honestly if you use half a brain cell idk why anyone would be offended by that in the context of the song. people then and still now use the f word to describe artistic people and this song is literally about that perspection.
Bonjour 😊!!! Thanks , Magnificent as always my Stacey 😍!!!! I love dire Straits , I love Mark Knopfler , i love guitar !!!!! So happy you discovered Dire Straits !!!❤❤❤
He also got a writing credit for it IIRC, as he's singing the same melody as The Police "Don't Stand So (Close to Me)" Don't stand so; don't stand so; don't stand so close to me I want my; I want my; I want my Em Tee Vee
I am a huge fan seen them in concert several times. As soon as I heard the drummer, before I saw him on film, I knew who it was. Welsh percussionist Terry Williams he toured with them in Australia in 1986 I saw them in Sydney. He joined the band prior and performed at the gigs they did in London in 85. There are only TWO members of the original band performing here Mark and Bass Player John Ilsley. American guitarist Hal Lindes played in the beginning of the London tour but was replaced by another American Jack Sonni. He and Mark met at Rudi's Guitars in Queens where Jack was a Guitar Tech as well as an awesome player. A multi talented man Jack was ab artist, writer (he spent several years as writer in residence at Martha's Vineyard. In later life he became a chef and food critic. Sadly he passed away last year in his mid 60's
Mark Knoffler is an incredible guitarist, and another haunting, beautiful, and emotional song by Dire Straights is the song "Brothers in Arms." It's a truly heart-wrenching song about military veterans.
I'm surprised that you found the uncensored version which was banned in Canada. "Money for Nothing" was a monster hit for Dire Straits. Mark Knopfler's guitar work is just astonishing, creating a new sound in chords that interestingly, no one else has even tried to emulate. .
Stacey, you say you don’t know much about music but you fell in love with both Pink Floyd and Dire Straights listening to just one song from each... that says a lot about your musical ear... and mind. Well done!,
This solo become a global massive hit ! The drummer is Omar Hakim of the jazz-rock band Weather Report ! That also was fabulous drum playing and hard to imitate. Omar Hakim is a legendary jazz drummer. Lastly, Sting bassist+ vocalist of the band Police also worked a session vocalist for initial high-pitch vocal and ending side vocals.
In 1985, MTV was _only_ music videos. I was having kids and nursed them sitting for _many_ hours watching my favorite videos... and waiting for my very favorite videos. Once MTV started doing TV shows, it went to hell. "I want my 1980's MTV!" I'm shocked you found the uncensored version, too! I haven't heard it uncensored in years. Back in the 80s, it was not that big of a deal to say that f*g word... and I was deep in the gay community... they loved it! The song was a huge hit in the gay bar dance floors. As many others have said, the graphics were _stunning_ at that time. (Edit: changed paragraphs around)
That riff is considered in the top 10 guitar riffs of all time and that guitar a 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard the most valued and sought after from his collection sold at Christies auction recently with the Les Paul connected to the smash hits Brothers in Arms and Money for Nothing it went under the hammer for a cool £.693.000 $.870.420 USD.
Sting the lead singer of another Great band for the 80's named "The Police" sang the duet and the part, "I want my M.T.V." The police band had a song named "Don't Stand so Close to me" the "I Want my M.T.V" line was sang with the same melody from "Don't Stand so Close to Me".
Good to see you enjoying the great British bands of decades gone by. They don't make music like this any more sadly. My generation were so lucky to hear the truly great bands as they created their wonderful sounds.
Dire Straits were one of my late Fathers favourite bands, and I'm only just now appreciating their music vicariously through your channel. Thank you Stacey. 👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Sometimes I get asked "Why do you listen to so much music from the 1950's, 60's, 70's and 80's?" The answer is very simple. I kept waiting for something better to come along and nothing ever really did. No matter what latest trend I got into, I always came back to this. It never occurred to me that I was presiding over the death of something organic, hand-made and beautiful, but that's where we're at right now-letting the machines do EVERYTHING for us. There was a time when music was very direct, human and authentic.
This music video was the very first one to use a full computer animation. So yeah, it was based off the 1984 tech when the video was created and it aired in 1985. It was cutting edge tech for its time. At that time 16 colors was already considered high tech for AT PC's. The Commodore C64 and the Atari ST were the only half-way reasonably priced computers for home usage. The Amiga was probably the highest developed personal computer of the time not based off of mainframes. Yeah, from our current perspective the graphics are VERY outdated. But back then they made jaws drop.
A song based on listening to two delivery guys and what they were saying about the people they could see on MTV in a TV store. Pretty groundbreaking video for its time too - 1985!
Good insight! I've known lots of people who were just confused about the lyrics, but you kinda figured it out. Others here have told the story behind the song, so I won't repeat it. Have a wonderful vacation.
Nowadays this video might seem like a bad or not so good animation, but back in the day this was the greatest most advanced 3D animation musical video, it was apart from an amazing iconic song, one of the greatest musical videos because of the date when it was released!
As for the story of how Sting ended up singing the backing vocals for this song isn't because of the "I want my MTV" ads, but because when Mark Knopfler wrote the song, he inadvertently copied a part of the melody from a song composed by Sting - "Don't stand so close to me", it's literally the same melody note by note. He ended up inviting Sting to sing the part and gave him credit as a co-author.
So glad you're enjoying diving into the DIre Straits catalogue. Money for Nothing was probably their biggest commercial success, but they have a lot of other amazing live performances to check out including Telegraph Road, Tunnel of Love, Private Investigations, Your latest Trick and Romeo & Juliet. They also have a very moving song Brothers in Arms which you should see the official music video for, before the live version.
I was fairly young when Dire Straits were playing and didn’t understand how good they actually were. When I got into middle school I was into heavier bands.. It wasn’t until I got older I really started appreciating Dire Straits, Money for nothing to this day is one of my all time favorites. I named my Olive gold (which is like a metallic olive green) Money for nothing and often times you hear me cruising to the song blasting out of a 4,000 watt system that drowns the sounds of the pipes.. lol. Absolutely love this song.. It’s right there with Kid Rock Born Free. It’s a feel good song that just brings a huge smile to my face, the guitar is killer..
Mark Knopfler and Brian Johnson (AC/DC), two lads from Newcastle. have just done a series on Sky Arts where they met with other legends and talk music. They included Carlos Santana, Tom Jones, Cindy Lauper, Nile Rogers and Emmylou Harris. It's brilliant!!
The opening drums are Terry Williams, as are some (but not all the) fills, but despite him being in the video, the actual majority of the drumming is by renowned Jazz drummer Omar Hakim. Also per song engineer Neil Dorsman and later confirmed by MK, the guitar sound was an accident due to misdirected microphones on the recording floor.
This was the FIRST video played on MTV Europe, grounbreaking stuff at the time. I know you love Pink Floyd and now Dire straits my 2 alltime favourite bands , but im old enough to be your great grandfather. Often overlooked but also from the Alchemy LIVE at Hammersmith Odeon, which I was lucky enough to attend plus another 3 different shows, Also lucky enought to see Pink Floyd perform the Wall at Earls Court in 1980, then at the same venue the best Live performance of all times "Pulse" in 1994. listen and watch PRIVATE INVESTIGATIONS Alchemy Live, a different vibe, but the same energy that you love
The lyrics in this one are great fun. This was a hughe hit back in the days. Thank you for a great reaction again. You should check out "Going home" and Brothers in arms" Cheers from a finn in Sweden ❤
When this video came out it was almost sacrilegious to some of my musician friends to see that Mark was playing a Gibson, the "arch enemy" of the Fender guitars that made him famous. Yeah, gatekeeping in music is not as recent as many people think. 😀
Fun fact, this video was the first video ever played on MTV Europe. I was already a fan and remember watching the moment of MTV europe. I understand that MTV US also played this one a lot because of the I want my MTV line, but I have no personal experience with that one.
Ms Stacey: I have to say that I have enjoyed watching your musical journey, very fun to view. Will be sending you some suggestions as well. Keep up the great positive energy and stay blessed.
This song came out in 1985, so these were high tech graphics for that day. I kind of laughed when you said you would like to hear the background singer sing more. I thought all you have to do is react to The Police or Sting solo music. The song is the dialog between to two guys who worked at an appliance store. One of the demo TV's on the shelf was tuned to MTV and the two employees were watching it. As the two employees were talking about what they were watching and making fun of the band playing on MTV, Mark Knopfler over heard them and wrote down there conversation and thought it would make a great song.
There used to be a couple radio versions back in the day - one with the bit about “that f*****t with the earring and the makeup” part edited. The song itself is about manual laborers resenting rock stars for making “money for nothing.”
From the Brothers in Arms album.Just a fantastic record from start to finish.I actually like the second side better than the first,but the whole record is great!
You can scoop all the other reactor channels by looking into and reacting to the Dire Straits song Twisting By The Pool. Somehow nobody remembers it, or has dug deeply enough to "rediscover" it. It was always my favourite of their music from the first time I heard it on the Radio.
The lore around the song. He overheard guys saying these things in an Appliance Store. When rexording he wanted to use "Don't stand so close to me" melody for I want my MTV. He wants Sting to sing it. Sting is ok vacation in the same place as the studio amd comes in sings on it. The guitar part was recorded amd the mics were all knocked over and they recorded it anyway as is. The guitar part is very hard to replicate. Even if u can play it well, the harmonics ans the sound isnt quite the same. Even Mark doesnt sound just like when he played live. He used the gay slur and later apologized and changed it to Queenie when he played live, but that how these guys were talking. Its was a character not his personal opinion. Anyway. One of the best songs ever!!! He plays with his fingers and keeps a beat with his thumb which most rock players can't do. One of those songs when you hear a cover band play it, the guitar player usually doesn't do it justice.
When MTV first came out “I want my MTV” was a catch phrase that MTV used in and out of their commercial breaks. They would have different bands/musicians say I want my MTV. The catch phrase was used before this song ever came out but Dire Straits was smart enough to use it in their song. When this song hit the radio and MTV video rotation it was huge. It was everywhere. I was in high school when this song came out so yes I am old. LOL
Hi Stacey, I would love for you to do a reaction to some more Dire Straits hits - "Telegraph Road", "Tunnel of Love" and "Skateaway" - just amazing tracks. And for the romantic in you, "Romeo and Juliet" by them also. I LOVE your reactions - you really "get it" and your enthusiasm is infectious!
The Backing Vocals was the lead vocalist from The Police (Sting) It's a shame that the M in MTV no longer applies to music. This song came from one of Dire Straits' most popular albums, BROTHERS IN ARMS, which had so many top tunes associated with it play like a mini greatest Hits album.
If I’m not mistaken I believe this was the first music video that used early 3D computer animation illustrating the lyrics. The video was also one of the first uses of computer-animated human characters and was groundbreaking at the time of its release. Mark Knopfler said in an interview that the origins of this song was being in an appliance store in New York City and overhearing a worker say the lines you hear in the song. He stated he just started writing them down and Money for Nothing was born.
The Rockpalast concert from 1979 with the original line-up is well worth a watch. 'Single Handed Sailor' is wonderful, and there are two performances of 'Sultans of Swing' (for reasons explained by Mark).
So glad you have discovered Dire Straits, my favorite band. For your next "dive down the rabbit hole" I strongly recommend their song "Tunnel of Love." Mark Knopfler, the lead singer/lead guitarist and song writer wrote it about something that happened to him as a teenager. He was at The Spanish City, an amusement park near his home. He met a young woman and they agreed to hang together that night, then split up without telling each other their names. He fell for her, but let her go. More than a decade later he was still thinking about her. The song is powerful and the closing guitar solo is considered by many of us the best and most poignant solo in Rock. The best live version is from Wembley 1985, as great a performance as the live version of Sultans you fell in love with. The album version is a bit slower and much shorter, but you can hear the lyrics better. I think the closing solo is even more powerful. Can't go wrong with either!
The song was based on a conversation that was overheard. Mark was at a repair place and heard workers talking about having to install microwaves and refrigerators. The worker was saying you can make money for nothing as band on MTV. Get your money for nothing and chicks for free. Life of a rockstar. The song and video is from the perspective of these workers.
People wouldn't know it now, but in those days moving a TV was a job for two strong men.
It's important to stress that Mark Knopfler was not agreeing with them. He said, "I always hated when people had that attitude"
I remember I was quite impressed by those computer graphics in 1985 🙂
@@deepermind4884 yep - he and his bandmates worked hard to get where they were - they weren't making money for nothing, they were making money for spending their lives perfecting their crafts and putting in the long hours.
@@jonahhex8178it took 3 of us to get my old 32inch CRT TV out my flat.
The voice you are hearing "I want my MTV" is none other than Sting.
When MTV started musicians would do promos for the channel by saying “I want my MTV”. Sting chose to sing it and the rest is history.
Some iterations of it are Sting, others are band members. You can tell the difference by the note attained - Sting got higher notes with his falsetto.
What is also cool is the fact that the melody line to which it is sung is actually taken from "Don't Stand So Close To Me" by The Police.
@@DrittAdrAtta so true.
The live version with Sting is great.
This song is based on a coversation Mark Knopfler overheard in a electronics store in New York. 2 delivery men were commenting on the TV's that were all tuned to MTV, back when MTV still played music. Mark wrote down what he heard and turned it into this song.
Those were the days
The conversation was between 2 guys who were preparing to deliver bulky appliances.
Mark auctioned 122 of his iconic guitars last January for 8.8 Million pounds . One guitar went for £693,000 . A sizable chunk of the money went to different charities that Mark supports . The auction house Christies also chipped in another £50,000 for the charities . Mark is a rock star but probably the most unassuming rock star ever whilst being an absolute legend . He released his 10th solo album last April at the age of 74 . He is very much influenced by folk , country , rock and blues .
Quite a bit of the money went to Newcastle upon Tyne based charities and with one of the guitars auctioned he done a one of special of local hero to be released and was used instead of the original at the nufc game. And the money from it split between Alan Sheree foundation and the Newcastle United charity which teaches kids football .
. . . And ‘geordieboy’ how much for the children NOT interested in football?.. a fair percentage I would suspect-?.. In view of both Mr. Knopfler’s and Mr. Summer’s chosen field(s) - would ‘ the arts’ not have been a far more representative and valid use of funding?..
@@donaldcook3112 no it wouldn’t since the north east of England is very very underdeveloped and underfunded and organisations for disabilities and young people in general are no where to be seen and the couple that are around are nearly ay closing point. The whole Lott of the money from the guitar went to 3 or 4 charities and the rerelease of the song went to the nufc foundation that helps the local community and disadvantaged children as wel as children with disabilities and mental health issues through working with them through sport
@@donaldcook3112 It's his money and frankly he can do with it as he wishes. Maybe pay more attention to your own charitable giving before criticising someone elses!
@@marwood1969. . . Hello ‘marwood1969’, A question for you, Just how could you know of my own percentage of ‘charitable giving’ - ?..
I’ll let that ‘thought’ settle-in a-while with you.
The higher pitched voice (doing the "I want my, I want my MTV) is Sting!! They were great back in the day...and they did not edit out the "f@ggot" part on the radio!!
Why is there a single version if they didn't?
The song was banned in Canada. They replaced it with "fudger" and it was okay.
@@traylor2502 🤣🤣that sounds worse to me , brilliant
@@traylor2502 The decision to ban the song on radio was reversed over a decade ago as the lyrics were deemed inoffensive when taken in context. Stations can choose to play the original version now, but most still play it censored. Never heard the "fudger" version, the censored one I always hear on the radio just has the lines omitted entirely. Not sure what the case is outside of Ontario, though.
@@traylor2502 yes ,that would be Canada for you !!
"I want my MTV" was the slogan that the cable network used to promote MTV in the early 80's in their ads ... Dire Straits took it and had Sting (The Police) sing the line "I want my MTV"... since the lyrics were about 2 delivery men watching MTV while on the job at an electronics store 😂
In 1989, Weird Al Yankovic wanted to make a parody of this track - "Money for nothing/ Beverly Hillibillies" ... and Mark Knopfler gave his approval but only if he played guitar on Yankovic's song... So, Mark Knopfler is on the Weird Al parody.
That opening guitar riff at 2:28 is worth the price of admission
A guitar tone every play has tried to get after hearing it and even Mark cant get it, was the magic of the day!
I wish I could listen to this song for the first time again and experience that feeling again I had when it was released. That build up of the drums and then the entry of the guitar rif, pure bliss.
One of the original MTV favorites when all they actually played music. This was a special era in music.😎
When this video came out the animation was state of the art.
40 years ago computers were on a prehistoric level compared with today. Computer graphics was hardly a thing at all
Ironically, music today is on a prehistoric level compared with 40 years ago
"Brothers in Arms" next please.
Yes, maybe the "On The Night Live"
@@fabiopittau01 I totally concur. Keep some tissues handy.
@@Greyhound53200Telegraph Road, if she hasn't already.
+1
The Nelson Mandela birthday concert is the best version, in my humble opinion. The solo is divine.
Ah, the days when "MTV" meant "Music Television".
MTV was so groundbreaking in the early 80s. They would have commercial breaks, and a “I want my MTV” flash with some celebrity, a different one each time. It was iconic. Dire Straits captured that brief time in history and made it permanent in this song.
It was such a great time.
MTV played the hell out of this song back when MTV was an actual cool music channel!!!
Whattsa matter? You don't like "RIDICULOUSNESS" and "CATFISH: THE TV SHOW" ? Why, them's Emmy worthy programs, I tell you what! 😉 🤣
For my taste the best Dire Straits Telegraph Road. A musical masterpiece. For tears, and a thump in the heart, the original version of Brothers in Arms.
the lead singer and guitarist Mark Knopfler did the soundtrack for the movie Princess Bride .. timeless music from a very talented man
I always forget about that.
He also did the Local Hero and Cal movie soundtracks
Local Hero is one of my favourite soundtracks, not just the title track which is certainly epic.
Makes me wish one day to be back in Scotland, on a beach on a light midsummer night with it playing away @derekhollis197
This was the first ever music video to be played on MTV Europe, when it launched in 1987.
You should check out Brothers In Arms, it is a complete change of pace.
Dire Straits is awesome! "Walk of Life" is a really fun song along with the sports blooper video. Just make you happy. Love your videos.
Fun Fact: in 1984, Dire Straits decided to record their new album "Brothers in Arms", which contains Money for Nothing, on Montserrat Island. During the record session, Knopfler found that the song lacked some backing vocals, and took Sting as an example of the kind of voice he was looking for, especially because Sting ( with Police ) had done some MTV's ads saying "I Want my MTV". One of the Dire Straits crew member answered to Knopfler: "Do you know that Sting is currently on holiday here, in Montserrat ?"...
And that's how Sting was invited to perform Money for Nothing's backing vocals.
Knopfler and Sting are also both from the Tyneside area of the North East, as is Brian Johnson (AC/DC) singer.
I was lucky enough to be a teenager in the 80s. It was the best of times. I actually feel sad for people who were never there when the rest of us were and only get to experience it now.
This is the radio/tv version. There is a longer (album) version with a 2 minute " I want my MTV' bit. Also Sting joined Dire Straits on stage at Live Aid to do the backing vocal live. Worth a watch.
The line “ I want my MTV ! “ sung by Sting on this song was part of a promotion by MTV in the 80’s to promote to cable companies at the time to add the channel . Other performers like Pat Benatar , Boy George and Cindy Lauper also scream that line in these commercials
I remember when this came out, the graphics were jaw dropping at the time (absolute cutting edge).
Kudos for not playing the censored version. 😘
Who would have thought that Rock n Roll would become PC/Woke?
honestly if you use half a brain cell idk why anyone would be offended by that in the context of the song. people then and still now use the f word to describe artistic people and this song is literally about that perspection.
@@Daniel-cn3fw Very correct, a derogatory term CAN be used in a non derogatory way, be it educational, comical, or artistically.
The computer animation was cutting edge for its time. When I first saw it my jaw just dropped!!!!!!!! Great reaction Stacey
Bonjour 😊!!! Thanks , Magnificent as always my Stacey 😍!!!! I love dire Straits , I love Mark Knopfler , i love guitar !!!!! So happy you discovered Dire Straits !!!❤❤❤
You & Your Friend live. Hauntingly beautiful guitar playing by Mark. It's a must!!!
Another gem from the UK, your welcome.
FYI The line "i want my MTV "was actually sung by Sting ( The Police )
Nice bridge to start reacting to the Police.😉
Sting also did the backing vocals on the song.
He also got a writing credit for it IIRC, as he's singing the same melody as The Police "Don't Stand So (Close to Me)"
Don't stand so; don't stand so; don't stand so close to me
I want my; I want my; I want my Em Tee Vee
I am a huge fan seen them in concert several times. As soon as I heard the drummer, before I saw him on film, I knew who it was.
Welsh percussionist Terry Williams he toured with them in Australia in 1986 I saw them in Sydney. He joined the band prior and performed at the gigs they did in London in 85.
There are only TWO members of the original band performing here
Mark and Bass Player John Ilsley.
American guitarist Hal Lindes played in the beginning of the London tour but was replaced by another American Jack Sonni. He and Mark met at Rudi's Guitars in Queens where Jack was a Guitar Tech as well as an awesome player. A multi talented man Jack was ab artist, writer (he spent several years as writer in residence at Martha's Vineyard. In later life he became a chef and food critic.
Sadly he passed away last year in his mid 60's
Dire Straits and Sting
Mark Knoffler is an incredible guitarist, and another haunting, beautiful, and emotional song by Dire Straights is the song "Brothers in Arms." It's a truly heart-wrenching song about military veterans.
I'm surprised that you found the uncensored version which was banned in Canada. "Money for Nothing" was a monster hit for Dire Straits. Mark Knopfler's guitar work is just astonishing, creating a new sound in chords that interestingly, no one else has even tried to emulate. .
One of my favourite song of all time! The intro and the opening riff are so good!
Stacey, you say you don’t know much about music but you fell in love with both Pink Floyd and Dire Straights listening to just one song from each... that says a lot about your musical ear... and mind. Well done!,
This solo become a global massive hit ! The drummer is Omar Hakim of the jazz-rock band Weather Report ! That also was fabulous drum playing and hard to imitate. Omar Hakim is a legendary jazz drummer. Lastly, Sting bassist+ vocalist of the band Police also worked a session vocalist for initial high-pitch vocal and ending side vocals.
But that solo is the only thing Terry Williams played on the album
In 1985, MTV was _only_ music videos. I was having kids and nursed them sitting for _many_ hours watching my favorite videos... and waiting for my very favorite videos. Once MTV started doing TV shows, it went to hell. "I want my 1980's MTV!"
I'm shocked you found the uncensored version, too! I haven't heard it uncensored in years. Back in the 80s, it was not that big of a deal to say that f*g word... and I was deep in the gay community... they loved it! The song was a huge hit in the gay bar dance floors.
As many others have said, the graphics were _stunning_ at that time. (Edit: changed paragraphs around)
The video for this song was ground breaking for the day.
That riff is considered in the top 10 guitar riffs of all time and that guitar a 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard the most valued and sought after from his collection sold at Christies auction recently with the Les Paul connected to the smash hits Brothers in Arms and Money for Nothing it went under the hammer for a cool £.693.000 $.870.420 USD.
Sting the lead singer of another Great band for the 80's named "The Police" sang the duet and the part, "I want my M.T.V." The police band had a song named "Don't Stand so Close to me" the "I Want my M.T.V" line was sang with the same melody from "Don't Stand so Close to Me".
Good to see you enjoying the great British bands of decades gone by.
They don't make music like this any more sadly. My generation were so lucky to hear the truly great bands as they created their wonderful sounds.
Dire Straits were one of my late Fathers favourite bands, and I'm only just now appreciating their music vicariously through your channel.
Thank you Stacey. 👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Our high school anthem.
Was the first cd I bought when it came out.
Long live the 80s
The lyrics for I want my MTV actually came from the MTV tv channel.
Sometimes I get asked "Why do you listen to so much music from the 1950's, 60's, 70's and 80's?" The answer is very simple. I kept waiting for something better to come along and nothing ever really did. No matter what latest trend I got into, I always came back to this. It never occurred to me that I was presiding over the death of something organic, hand-made and beautiful, but that's where we're at right now-letting the machines do EVERYTHING for us. There was a time when music was very direct, human and authentic.
So glad you're digging into Dire Straits, possibly my 2nd favorite group of all time. Such a diverse breadth of songs in their library.
This song always gets me. Having heard it live is also a special memory for me.
From a time when MTV played music videos, and well for 1986 this was cutting edge computer animation
This music video was the very first one to use a full computer animation. So yeah, it was based off the 1984 tech when the video was created and it aired in 1985.
It was cutting edge tech for its time. At that time 16 colors was already considered high tech for AT PC's. The Commodore C64 and the Atari ST were the only half-way reasonably priced computers for home usage. The Amiga was probably the highest developed personal computer of the time not based off of mainframes.
Yeah, from our current perspective the graphics are VERY outdated. But back then they made jaws drop.
Best intro ever in any song. I have this in my phone as alarm. Great reaction as always Stacey.
A song based on listening to two delivery guys and what they were saying about the people they could see on MTV in a TV store. Pretty groundbreaking video for its time too - 1985!
Good insight! I've known lots of people who were just confused about the lyrics, but you kinda figured it out. Others here have told the story behind the song, so I won't repeat it. Have a wonderful vacation.
Now you gotta watch the Weird Al version..... "Beverly Hillbillies"
She won’t get it. She doesn’t understand what MTV was like in the early 80s, so it’s doubtful has seen The Beverly Hillbillies or would understand it.
no, not a good idea
Nowadays this video might seem like a bad or not so good animation, but back in the day this was the greatest most advanced 3D animation musical video, it was apart from an amazing iconic song, one of the greatest musical videos because of the date when it was released!
Classic 80s music. I remember this song well. Dire Straits was uber talented.
This was the first song I heard from this band, in the late 80s, simply incredible and this whole album is really good - Brothers in arms
As for the story of how Sting ended up singing the backing vocals for this song isn't because of the "I want my MTV" ads, but because when Mark Knopfler wrote the song, he inadvertently copied a part of the melody from a song composed by Sting - "Don't stand so close to me", it's literally the same melody note by note. He ended up inviting Sting to sing the part and gave him credit as a co-author.
So glad you're enjoying diving into the DIre Straits catalogue.
Money for Nothing was probably their biggest commercial success, but they have a lot of other amazing live performances to check out including Telegraph Road, Tunnel of Love, Private Investigations, Your latest Trick and Romeo & Juliet. They also have a very moving song Brothers in Arms which you should see the official music video for, before the live version.
I was fairly young when Dire Straits were playing and didn’t understand how good they actually were. When I got into middle school I was into heavier bands.. It wasn’t until I got older I really started appreciating Dire Straits, Money for nothing to this day is one of my all time favorites. I named my Olive gold (which is like a metallic olive green) Money for nothing and often times you hear me cruising to the song blasting out of a 4,000 watt system that drowns the sounds of the pipes.. lol. Absolutely love this song.. It’s right there with Kid Rock Born Free. It’s a feel good song that just brings a huge smile to my face, the guitar is killer..
Note that Sting sings “I want my MTV” at the first of the song to the same melody line as his band The Police sing “Don’t stand so close to me”
Mark Knopfler and Brian Johnson (AC/DC), two lads from Newcastle. have just done a series on Sky Arts where they met with other legends and talk music. They included Carlos Santana, Tom Jones, Cindy Lauper, Nile Rogers and Emmylou Harris. It's brilliant!!
The opening drums are Terry Williams, as are some (but not all the) fills, but despite him being in the video, the actual majority of the drumming is by renowned Jazz drummer Omar Hakim. Also per song engineer Neil Dorsman and later confirmed by MK, the guitar sound was an accident due to misdirected microphones on the recording floor.
This was the FIRST video played on MTV Europe, grounbreaking stuff at the time. I know you love Pink Floyd and now Dire straits my 2 alltime favourite bands , but im old enough to be your great grandfather. Often overlooked but also from the Alchemy LIVE at Hammersmith Odeon, which I was lucky enough to attend plus another 3 different shows, Also lucky enought to see Pink Floyd perform the Wall at Earls Court in 1980, then at the same venue the best Live performance of all times "Pulse" in 1994. listen and watch PRIVATE INVESTIGATIONS Alchemy Live, a different vibe, but the same energy that you love
When this video came out, the talk in school was soon that all video games would be as good as this lol
"Walk of Life" with the sports bloopers is a great song and fun to watch/ react to!! 🙂🙂
I love Dire Straits! One of my favorite bands.🤘
The lyrics in this one are great fun. This was a hughe hit back in the days. Thank you for a great reaction again. You should check out "Going home" and Brothers in arms" Cheers from a finn in Sweden ❤
Probably the best guitar intro ever
When this video came out it was almost sacrilegious to some of my musician friends to see that Mark was playing a Gibson, the "arch enemy" of the Fender guitars that made him famous. Yeah, gatekeeping in music is not as recent as many people think. 😀
I guessed it was this song just from the riff comment.
Looking gorgeous as always Stacey.
Fun fact, this video was the first video ever played on MTV Europe. I was already a fan and remember watching the moment of MTV europe. I understand that MTV US also played this one a lot because of the I want my MTV line, but I have no personal experience with that one.
I used to watch this on MTV !
Mark Knopfler, the master of the double-stopped guitar line. Try "Skateaway" for some more of his virtuosity.
Love that song...the first Dire Straits tune that I was introduced to.
The song as been stuck in my head for about 40 years now
Ms Stacey: I have to say that I have enjoyed watching your musical journey, very fun to view. Will be sending you some suggestions as well. Keep up the great positive energy and stay blessed.
Just to think the lyrics throughout the entire song was a conversation between two warehouse laborers at an appliance store. Crazy.
This song came out in 1985, so these were high tech graphics for that day. I kind of laughed when you said you would like to hear the background singer sing more. I thought all you have to do is react to The Police or Sting solo music. The song is the dialog between to two guys who worked at an appliance store. One of the demo TV's on the shelf was tuned to MTV and the two employees were watching it. As the two employees were talking about what they were watching and making fun of the band playing on MTV, Mark Knopfler over heard them and wrote down there conversation and thought it would make a great song.
There used to be a couple radio versions back in the day - one with the bit about “that f*****t with the earring and the makeup” part edited. The song itself is about manual laborers resenting rock stars for making “money for nothing.”
From the Brothers in Arms album.Just a fantastic record from start to finish.I actually like the second side better than the first,but the whole record is great!
You can scoop all the other reactor channels by looking into and reacting to the Dire Straits song Twisting By The Pool. Somehow nobody remembers it, or has dug deeply enough to "rediscover" it. It was always my favourite of their music from the first time I heard it on the Radio.
The lore around the song. He overheard guys saying these things in an Appliance Store. When rexording he wanted to use "Don't stand so close to me" melody for I want my MTV. He wants Sting to sing it. Sting is ok vacation in the same place as the studio amd comes in sings on it. The guitar part was recorded amd the mics were all knocked over and they recorded it anyway as is. The guitar part is very hard to replicate. Even if u can play it well, the harmonics ans the sound isnt quite the same. Even Mark doesnt sound just like when he played live. He used the gay slur and later apologized and changed it to Queenie when he played live, but that how these guys were talking. Its was a character not his personal opinion. Anyway. One of the best songs ever!!! He plays with his fingers and keeps a beat with his thumb which most rock players can't do. One of those songs when you hear a cover band play it, the guitar player usually doesn't do it justice.
Wow. Well done, Stacey!
Keep digging. There's so much more to react to.
Keep diving in..!!!
Love from the UK.❤❤🇬🇧🏴🇬🇧🏴🇬🇧👍👍✌️😁❤️❤️🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲
When MTV first came out “I want my MTV” was a catch phrase that MTV used in and out of their commercial breaks. They would have different bands/musicians say I want my MTV. The catch phrase was used before this song ever came out but Dire Straits was smart enough to use it in their song. When this song hit the radio and MTV video rotation it was huge. It was everywhere. I was in high school when this song came out so yes I am old. LOL
Hi Stacey, I would love for you to do a reaction to some more Dire Straits hits - "Telegraph Road", "Tunnel of Love" and "Skateaway" - just amazing tracks. And for the romantic in you, "Romeo and Juliet" by them also. I LOVE your reactions - you really "get it" and your enthusiasm is infectious!
The Backing Vocals was the lead vocalist from The Police (Sting)
It's a shame that the M in MTV no longer applies to music. This song came from one of Dire Straits' most popular albums, BROTHERS IN ARMS, which had so many top tunes associated with it play like a mini greatest Hits album.
Sting was in a AAA band, The Police, def. worth a listen... a 3 piece and sounded great!
That’s back when MTV played music all the time
If I’m not mistaken I believe this was the first music video that used early 3D computer animation illustrating the lyrics. The video was also one of the first uses of computer-animated human characters and was groundbreaking at the time of its release.
Mark Knopfler said in an interview that the origins of this song was being in an appliance store in New York City and overhearing a worker say the lines you hear in the song. He stated he just started writing them down and Money for Nothing was born.
The 1st video on MTV was The Buggles, The Video Killed The Radio Star. This video was the 1st on MTV Europe.
Respectfully, no. Video killed the radio star was the first. 1981. " I want my MTV" was a well known tag line by the time this came out.
Maybe I’m getting it confused with the 1st animated music video. Thanks for the correction guys.
The 1st video on MTV was The Buggles, Video Killed The Radio Star, Dire Straits was the 1st video played on MTV Europe.
@@TheHappyWelshman1969 thanks for clarifying.👍
This was the first music video to be played on MTV, it was also one of the first computer animated 3d videos.
This song is 85. MTV launched in 81 bub
This song represents the 80's music scene so well. MTV was huge then. Cool stuff.
Walk of Life is a super fun video and great song. Dire Straits just rocks. lifetime fan here.
The Rockpalast concert from 1979 with the original line-up is well worth a watch.
'Single Handed Sailor' is wonderful, and there are two performances of 'Sultans of Swing' (for reasons explained by Mark).
1985 was an awesome year for music.
So glad you have discovered Dire Straits, my favorite band. For your next "dive down the rabbit hole" I strongly recommend their song "Tunnel of Love." Mark Knopfler, the lead singer/lead guitarist and song writer wrote it about something that happened to him as a teenager. He was at The Spanish City, an amusement park near his home. He met a young woman and they agreed to hang together that night, then split up without telling each other their names. He fell for her, but let her go. More than a decade later he was still thinking about her. The song is powerful and the closing guitar solo is considered by many of us the best and most poignant solo in Rock. The best live version is from Wembley 1985, as great a performance as the live version of Sultans you fell in love with. The album version is a bit slower and much shorter, but you can hear the lyrics better. I think the closing solo is even more powerful. Can't go wrong with either!
Sting sang the "I want my MTV" for this song, and at some point MTV started using that sample in their "we own this" credits.
This song came out in 1985. Early days of MTV. Not bad graphics for the day and age of computers. Great reaction.
Mark knopfler from Newcastle-upon-Tyne England, Sting singing in the background also from Newcastle upon Tyne England, pure class.
You REALLY should check out "Your Latest Trick". It's one of Dire Straits best and the sax is to die for.
Stacey bopping when a banger comes on is infectious. 👍
By the way the higher voice in the intro and also later in the song was provided by Sting, songwriter, bass player and lead vocalist of 'The Police'