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Money for Nothing (song)

"Money for Nothing" is a song by British rock band Dire Straits, being the second track on their fifth studio album, Brothers in Arms (1985). It was released as the album's second single on 28 June 1985 through Vertigo Records. The song's lyrics are written from the point of view of two working-class men watching music videos and commenting on what they see. The song features a guest appearance by Sting who sings the signature falsetto introduction, background vocals and a backing chorus of "I want my MTV".[2] The groundbreaking video was the first to be aired on MTV Europe when the network launched on 1 August 1987.[3]

"Money for Nothing"
Single by Dire Straits
from the album Brothers in Arms
B-side"Love over Gold" (Live)
Released28 June 1985 (1985-06-28)[1]
StudioAIR (Montserrat)
GenrePop rock
Length
  • 8:22 (album version)
  • 7:04 (LP edit)
  • 4:38 (single edit)
  • 4:06 (radio edit)
LabelVertigo
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Dire Straits singles chronology
"So Far Away"
(1985)
"Money for Nothing"
(1985)
"Brothers in Arms"
(1985)
Music video
"Money for Nothing" on YouTube
Audio
"Money for Nothing" on YouTube

It was Dire Straits' most commercially successful single, peaking at number 1 for three weeks on both the US Billboard Hot 100 and Top Rock Tracks chart and number 4 in the band's native UK. In July 1985, the month following its release, Dire Straits and Sting performed the song at Live Aid. At the 28th Annual Grammy Awards in 1986, "Money for Nothing" won Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and was nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year as well. At the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards, the music video received 11 nominations, winning Video of the Year and Best Group Video.

Composition edit

Music edit

"Money for Nothing" is a pop rock song.[4] Knopfler modeled his guitar sound on ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons' trademark guitar tone, as ZZ Top's music videos were already a staple of early MTV. Gibbons told Timothy White of Musician in late 1985 that Knopfler had solicited Gibbons' help in replicating the tone, adding, "He didn't do a half-bad job, either, considering that I never told him a goddamned thing!"[5]

Following the initial sessions in Montserrat, at which that particular guitar part was recorded, Neil Dorfsman attempted to recreate the sound during subsequent sessions at the Power Station in New York but was unsuccessful.[6]

The recording contains a highly recognisable hook, in the form of the guitar riff that begins the song proper. The guitar riff continues throughout the song, played in permutation during the verses, and played in full after each chorus. The song's extended overture was shortened for radio and music video.

Lyrics edit

Mark Knopfler described the writing of the song in a 1985 interview with critic Bill Flanagan:

The lead character in "Money for Nothing" is a guy who works in the hardware department in a television/​custom kitchen/​refrigerator/​microwave appliance store. He's singing the song. I wrote the song when I was actually in the store. I borrowed a bit of paper and started to write the song down in the store. I wanted to use a lot of the language that the real guy actually used when I heard him, because it was more real....[7]

In 2000, Knopfler appeared on Parkinson on BBC One and explained again where the lyrics originated. According to Knopfler, he was in New York City and had visited an appliance store. At the back of the store was a wall of televisions which were all tuned to MTV. Knopfler said that standing next to him, watching the TVs, there was a male employee, dressed in a baseball cap, work boots, and a checkered shirt, who was delivering boxes. As they were watching MTV, as Knopfler recalled, the man came out with lines such as, "What are those, Hawaiian noises?... That ain't workin'," etc. Knopfler then requested a pen to write some of these lines down, and eventually put them to music.[7] The first-person narrator in the lyrics describes a musician "banging on the bongos like a chimpanzee" and a woman "stickin' in the camera - Man, we could have some fun". In the second verse, the performer is described as "that little faggot with the earring and the make-up", and the narrator bemoans that these artists get "Money for nothing and chicks for free".[8]

The songwriting credits are shared between Mark Knopfler and Sting.[9] According to Knopfler, he used the network slogan "I want my MTV" after seeing an MTV advertisement featuring The Police and setting it to the tune of "Don't Stand So Close to Me" (written by Sting), hence the cowriting credit.[10] "Sting used to come to Montserrat to go windsurfing," recalled John Illsley, "and he came up for supper at the studio. We played him 'Money for Nothing' and he turned round and said, 'You've done it this time, you bastards.' Mark said if he thought it was so good, why didn't he go and add something to it. He did his bit there and then."[11]

Sting elaborated on his co-writing credit in a 1987 interview:

Mark [Knopfler] asked me to go in the studio and sing this line, "I want my MTV." He gave me the melody, and I thought, "Oh, great, 'Don't Stand So Close to Me', that's a nice quote, it's fun." So I did it, and thought nothing of it, until my publishers, Virgin - who I've been at war with for years and who I have no respect for - decided that was a song they owned, 'Don't Stand So Close to Me'. They said that they wanted a percentage of the song, much to my embarrassment. So they took it.[12]

However, keyboard player Alan Clark claims the "I want my MTV" intro was his idea and not Knopfler's. According to him, the song originally began with the guitar riff, and then he developed the intro on keyboards and sang "I want my MTV" on top during a break in rehearsals for the album.[13]

Music video edit

 
The song's music video features early computer animation.

The music video for the song features early 3D computer animation illustrating the lyrics. The video was one of the first uses of computer-animated human characters and was groundbreaking at the time of its release.[14]

Two other music videos are also featured within "Money for Nothing". The Hungarian pop band Első Emelet[15] and their video "Állj, Vagy Lövök!" ("Stop or I'll Shoot!") appears as "Baby, Baby" by "First Floor" during the second verse (The name "első emelet" translates to "first floor", and the song is credited as being on "Magyar Records": "Magyar" means "Hungarian" in the Hungarian language.)[16] The other one is fictional, "Sally" by the "Ian Pearson Band". The fictional album for the first video was listed as "Turn Left" and the second was "Hot Dogs". For the second video, the record company appears as "Rush Records", and it was filmed on Fisherman's Bastion, Budapest, Hungary.[16][17]

Originally, Mark Knopfler was not at all enthusiastic about the concept of the music video. MTV, however, was insistent on it. Director Steve Barron, of Rushes Postproduction in London, was contacted by Warner Bros. to persuade Knopfler to relent. Describing the contrasting attitudes of Knopfler and MTV, he said:

The problem was that Mark Knopfler was very anti-videos. All he wanted to do was perform, and he thought that videos would destroy the purity of songwriters and performers. They said, "Can you convince him that this is the right thing to do, because we've played this song to MTV and they think it's fantastic but they won't play it if it's him standing there playing guitar. They need a concept."[18]

Barron then flew to Budapest to convince Knopfler of their concept. Meeting together after a gig, Knopfler was still unimpressed, but this time his girlfriend was present and took a hand. According to Barron:

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

Ian Pearson and Gavin Blair created the animation, using a Bosch FGS-4000 CGI system[19] and a Quantel Paintbox system.[20] The animators went on to found computer animation studio Mainframe Entertainment (today Mainframe Studios), and referenced the "Money for Nothing" video in an episode of their ReBoot series. The video also includes stage footage of Dire Straits performing, with partially rotoscoped animation in bright neon colours, as seen on the cover of the compilation album of the same name.

Notable performances edit

When Dire Straits performed "Money for Nothing" at the 1985 Live Aid Concert at Wembley Stadium, the performance featured a guest appearance by Sting. Knopfler performed "Money for Nothing" during the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute and the Prince's Trust concerts in 1986 with Sting,[21] as well as the Nordoff-Robbins charity show at Knebworth in 1990. These versions featured extended guitar solos by Knopfler, backed by Eric Clapton (as guest) and Phil Palmer.

The song also performed in Brothers in Arms and On Every Street tours of group, in 1985-1986, and 1991-1992.

Critical reception edit

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

Rolling Stone listed the song as the 94th greatest guitar song of all time, noting how Mark Knopfler "traded his pristine, rootsy tone for a dry, over-processed sound achieved by running a Les Paul through a wah-wah pedal on a track that became one of the [MTV] network's earliest hits."[24] The video was awarded "Video of the Year" (among many other nominations) at the third annual MTV Video Music Awards in 1986.[19][25]

Accolades edit

Nominations for "Money for Nothing"
Year Ceremony Nominated work Recipient(s) Category Result
1986 Brit Awards "Money for Nothing" Dire Straits British Single of the Year Nominated
British Video of the Year Nominated
Grammy Awards[26] Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal Won
Dire Straits
Neil Dorfsman and Mark Knopfler, producers
Record of the Year Nominated
Dire Straits
Mark Knopfler and Sting, songwriters
Song of the Year Nominated
MTV Video Music Awards[25] Steve Barron, art direction Best Art Direction in a Video Nominated
Dire Straits Best Concept Video Nominated
Steve Barron, director Best Direction in a Video Nominated
David Yardley, editor Best Editing in a Video Nominated
Dire Straits Best Experimental Video Nominated
Best Group Video Won
Best Overall Performance in a Video Nominated
Best Stage Performance in a Video Nominated
Ian Pearson, special effects Best Visual Effects in a Video Nominated
Dire Straits Video of the Year Won
Viewer's Choice Nominated

Lyrics debate edit

Some lyrics of the song have been criticised as being homophobic. [27] In a late 1985 interview in Rolling Stone magazine, Knopfler expressed mixed feelings on the controversy:

I got an objection from the editor of a gay newspaper in London – he actually said it was below the belt. Apart from the fact that there are stupid gay people as well as stupid other people, it suggests that maybe you can't let it have so many meanings – you have to be direct. In fact, I'm still in two minds as to whether it's a good idea to write songs that aren't in the first person, to take on other characters. The singer in "Money for Nothing" is a real ignoramus, hard hat mentality – somebody who sees everything in financial terms. I mean, this guy has a grudging respect for rock stars. He sees it in terms of, well, that's not working and yet the guy's rich: that's a good scam. He isn't sneering.[28]

The song in context makes it clear Knopfler is mocking the jealous and homophobic nature of the antagonist in the song by adopting a third-person point of view to show the irony, bigotry, and ignorance of the character.[29][30]

Dire Straits often performed the song in live concerts and when on tour, where the second verse was included but often altered slightly.[citation needed] For the band's 10 July 1985 concert (televised in the United Kingdom on The Tube on Channel 4 in January 1986[31]), Knopfler replaced the word faggot with queenie:[original research?]

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

When the song was included in the 1998 compilation Sultans of Swing: The Very Best of Dire Straits, a censored version was used, which completely omitted the second verse. In January 2011, the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC) ruled that the unedited version of the song was unacceptable for airplay on private Canadian radio stations, as it breached the Canadian Association of Broadcasters' code of ethics and their equitable portrayal code.[32][33][34] The CBSC concluded that "like other racially driven words in the English language, 'faggot' is one that, even if entirely or marginally acceptable in earlier days, is no longer so."[32] The CBSC's proceedings came in response to a radio listener's Ruling Request stemming from a playing of the song by CHOZ-FM in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, which in turn followed the radio listener's dissatisfaction with the radio station's reply to their complaint about the word 'faggot' in the lyrics.[32][35]

Not all stations abided by this ruling; at least two stations—CIRK-FM in Edmonton, Alberta,[36] and CFRQ-FM in Halifax, Nova Scotia[37]— played the unedited version of "Money for Nothing" repeatedly for one hour out of protest. Galaxie, which was owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (the CBC) at the time of the controversy, also continues to play the song.[38][39] On 21 January 2011, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission asked the CBSC for a review on the ban, in response to the public outcry against the CBSC's actions; the commission reportedly received over 250 complaints erroneously sent to them, instead of the CBSC. The regulator requested the CBSC to appoint a nationwide panel to review the case, as the decision on the ban was reviewed by a regional panel for the Maritimes and Newfoundland.[40]

On 31 August 2011, the CBSC reiterated that it found the use of 'faggot' to be inappropriate; however, because of considerations in regard to its use in context, the CBSC has left it up to the stations to decide whether to play the original or edited versions of the song. Most of the CBSC panelists thought it was inappropriate, but it was used only in a satirical, non-hateful manner.[41]

Personnel edit

Credits sourced from Sound On Sound[42]

Dire Straits

Additional musicians

Charts edit

Certifications edit

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[67] Gold 50,000^
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[68] Platinum 90,000
Germany (BVMI)[69] Gold 250,000
Italy (FIMI)[70] Platinum 70,000
New Zealand (RMNZ)[71] Gold 10,000*
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[72] Platinum 60,000
United Kingdom (BPI)[73] Platinum 600,000

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Auction edit

The 1983 Gibson Les Paul Standard reissue guitar Knopfler played on the song sold for £592,200 in a Christie's auction in London that included a total of 122 lots.[74]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Straits tour" (PDF). Melody Maker. 22 June 1985. p. 4. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  2. ^ Kielty, Martin (24 June 2019). "When Mark Knopfler and Sting Connected for 'Money for Nothing'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  3. ^ "MTV ready to rock Russia". BBC News Online. 25 September 1998. Retrieved 1 April 2007. But the channel's continental incarnation - MTV Europe - ... was launched in 1987 with the first video - beamed into 1.6 million paying households - being Dire Straits' Money for Nothing.
  4. ^ Rose, James (15 September 2015). "30 Years Since: Dire Straits' 'Brothers in Arms' Album". Daily Review. Retrieved 28 October 2019. The opening tracks are pretty conventional pop-rock chart shooters
  5. ^ White, Timothy (January 1986). "ZZ Top: The Ongoing Legend of Texan Rock's Rough Boys". Musician. No. 87. Amordian Press. p. 65. 'I gotta hand it to that Mark Knopfler for the "Money For Nothing" number on that last Dire Straits album. That guy must have called me three or four times to find out what I did with my guitar so that he could copy it for that song.' He pushes the brim back on his golf cap and smiles, the flawless pearly whites gleaming. 'He didn't do a half-bad job, either, considering that I never told him a goddamned thing!'
  6. ^ Buskin, Richard (May 2006). "Classic Tracks: Dire Straits 'Money For Nothing'". Sound on Sound. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  7. ^ a b . Canadian Broadcast Standards Council. 17 May 2011. Archived from the original on 10 August 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  8. ^ Lasar, Matthew (24 January 2011). "Canada wants unedited "Money for Nothing" back on the radio". Ars Technica. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
  9. ^ . AllMusic. Archived from the original on 23 June 2015.
  10. ^ When Mark Knopfler and Sting Connected for Money for Nothing (Ultimate Classic Rock website)
  11. ^ Rees, Paul (June 2015). "The sultan of swing". Classic Rock. No. 210. p. 124.
  12. ^ Watrous, Peter (December 1987). "Slapping Sting around - Can he handle the tough questions...?". Musician.
  13. ^ Griffiths, Daniel (10 March 2022). "Dire Straits keyboard player Alan Clark: "When Mark Knopfler first played Money For Nothing, there was no 'I Want My MTV'... the idea was mine"". musicradar.com. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  14. ^ Schaffer, Claire (11 March 2019). . Garage Magazine. Archived from the original on 4 April 2019. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
  15. ^ . Elsoemelet.hu (in Hungarian). Archived from the original on 1 April 2016. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  16. ^ a b Klára, Sándor (18 February 2011). "Magánnyomozások". Galamus (in Hungarian). Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  17. ^ "The Voluptuous Horror of Első Emelet". WFMU's Beware of the Blog. 29 March 2008. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  18. ^ Knight, D. (September 2006). "Money For Nothing: The Beginnings of CGI". Promo Magazine.[permanent dead link]
  19. ^ a b . Mvdbase. Archived from the original on 27 July 2014. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  20. ^ Allen, Liam (29 November 2010). "Adam Ant to Michael Jackson: Shaping the MTV landscape". BBC News Online.
  21. ^ O'Connor, John J. (26 October 1986). "'All-Star Rock Concert,' on HBO, from London". The New York Times. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  22. ^ "Single Releases" (PDF). Cash Box. 6 July 1985. p. 9. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  23. ^ "Reviews". Billboard. 6 July 1985. p. 77. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  24. ^ . Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 30 May 2008.
  25. ^ a b . MTV. Archived from the original on 7 September 2008. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  26. ^ "Artist: Dire Straits". Grammy Awards. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  27. ^ Collis, Clark (17 January 2011). "Is Dire Straits' 'Money for Nothing' homophobic?". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  28. ^ Tucker, Ken; Fricke, David (21 November 1985). . Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 10 October 2012.
  29. ^ "Dire Straits' 'Money for Nothing' is not homophobic | Xtra Magazine". 14 January 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  30. ^ Scocca, Tom (14 January 2011). ""Money for Nothing" Is Not Really Insulting to Homosexuals, Unless They Are Unlucky Enough to Be Working-Class Homosexuals". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  31. ^ . British Film Institute. 1986. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  32. ^ a b c . CBSC Decision 09/10-0818. Canadian Broadcast Standards Council. 14 October 2010. Archived from the original on 15 January 2011. Retrieved 13 January 2011.
  33. ^ Roth, Pamela (13 January 2011). . Toronto Sun. Archived from the original on 26 July 2014. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  34. ^ Michaels, Sean (17 January 2011). "Dire Straits' Money for Nothing banned on Canadian radio". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  35. ^ . The Globe and Mail. Toronto. 12 January 2011. Archived from the original on 16 January 2011.
  36. ^ Piazza, Jo (14 January 2011). "No Way, Eh! Canadian Station Defies 'Money for Nothing' Ban". Fox News Channel. Retrieved 15 January 2011.
  37. ^ "What you can and can't say on the radio". CKWX. 14 January 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  38. ^ . Galaxie.ca. 22 February 2011. Archived from the original on 9 March 2012.
  39. ^ "Dire Straits keyboardist calls song ruling 'unbelievable'". CTV News. 14 January 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  40. ^ "CRTC seeks review of 'Money for Nothing' ban". CTV News. 21 January 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  41. ^ "'Money for Nothing' slur inappropriate, council says". CTV News. 31 August 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  42. ^ Buskin, Richard (May 2006). "Classic Tracks: Dire Straits 'Money For Nothing'". Sound On Sound.
  43. ^ "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Chart Positions Pre 1989". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  44. ^ "Dire Straits – Money For Nothing" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  45. ^ "Dire Straits – Money For Nothing" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  46. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0591." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  47. ^ "European Top 100 Singles" (PDF). Eurotipsheet. Vol. 2, no. 33. 19 August 1985. p. 11. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  48. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  49. ^ "Dire Straits – Money For Nothing" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  50. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Money for Nothing". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  51. ^ "Dire Straits – Money For Nothing" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  52. ^ "Dire Straits – Money For Nothing". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  53. ^ "SA Charts 1965 – 1989 Songs M–O". Rock.co.za. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  54. ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  55. ^ "Dire Straits – Money For Nothing". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  56. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  57. ^ a b . AllMusic. Archived from the original on 16 May 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  58. ^ . Cash Box. Archived from the original on 1 October 2012.
  59. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Dire Straits – Money For Nothing" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  60. ^ "Kent Music Report No 599 – 30 December 1985 > National Top 100 Singles for 1985". Kent Music Report. Retrieved 23 January 2023 – via Imgur.
  61. ^ "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts – 1980s". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  62. ^ "RPM's Top 100 Singles of 1985". RPM. Vol. 43, no. 16. Library and Archives Canada. 28 December 1985.
  63. ^ "End of Year Charts 1985". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  64. ^ "Top 100 Singles". Music Week. Spotlight Publications. 18 January 1986. p. 10.
  65. ^ "Top 100 Hits for 1985". The Longbored Surfer. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  66. ^ . Cash Box. Archived from the original on 1 October 2012.
  67. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Dire Straits – Money For Nothing". Music Canada.
  68. ^ "Danish single certifications – Dire Straits – Money For Nothing". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  69. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Dire Straits; 'Money For Nothing')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  70. ^ "Italian single certifications – Dire Straits – Money For Nothing" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 25 October 2021. Select "2021" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Select "Money For Nothing" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
  71. ^ Scapolo, Dean (2007). The Complete New Zealand Music Charts: 1966 – 2006. Wellington: Maurienne House. p. 81. ISBN 978-1877443-00-8.
  72. ^ "Dire Straits - Money For Nothing". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  73. ^ "British single certifications – Dire Straits – Money For Nothing". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  74. ^ Parker, Matt (1 February 2024). "'Staggering': Mark Knopfler's Guitar Collection has sold at auction for over $11 million – with a record-breaking '59 Burst sale and 28 guitars fetching over $100K". Guitar World. Retrieved 1 February 2024.

External links edit

  • "Money for Nothing" at Discogs (list of releases)
  • "Dire Straits / Sting - Money For Nothing (Live Aid 1985)" on YouTube

money, nothing, song, this, article, about, dire, straits, song, weird, yankovic, parody, money, nothing, beverly, hillbillies, darin, song, money, nothing, darin, song, money, nothing, song, british, rock, band, dire, straits, being, second, track, their, fif. This article is about the Dire Straits song For Weird Al Yankovic s parody see Money for Nothing Beverly Hillbillies For the Darin song see Money for Nothing Darin song Money for Nothing is a song by British rock band Dire Straits being the second track on their fifth studio album Brothers in Arms 1985 It was released as the album s second single on 28 June 1985 through Vertigo Records The song s lyrics are written from the point of view of two working class men watching music videos and commenting on what they see The song features a guest appearance by Sting who sings the signature falsetto introduction background vocals and a backing chorus of I want my MTV 2 The groundbreaking video was the first to be aired on MTV Europe when the network launched on 1 August 1987 3 Money for Nothing Single by Dire Straitsfrom the album Brothers in ArmsB side Love over Gold Live Released28 June 1985 1985 06 28 1 StudioAIR Montserrat GenrePop rockLength8 22 album version 7 04 LP edit 4 38 single edit 4 06 radio edit LabelVertigoSongwriter s Mark Knopfler StingProducer s Neil Dorfsman Mark KnopflerDire Straits singles chronology So Far Away 1985 Money for Nothing 1985 Brothers in Arms 1985 Music video Money for Nothing on YouTubeAudio Money for Nothing on YouTube It was Dire Straits most commercially successful single peaking at number 1 for three weeks on both the US Billboard Hot 100 and Top Rock Tracks chart and number 4 in the band s native UK In July 1985 the month following its release Dire Straits and Sting performed the song at Live Aid At the 28th Annual Grammy Awards in 1986 Money for Nothing won Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and was nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year as well At the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards the music video received 11 nominations winning Video of the Year and Best Group Video Contents 1 Composition 1 1 Music 1 2 Lyrics 2 Music video 3 Notable performances 4 Critical reception 4 1 Accolades 5 Lyrics debate 6 Personnel 7 Charts 7 1 Weekly charts 7 2 Year end charts 8 Certifications 9 Auction 10 See also 11 References 12 External linksComposition edit nbsp Dire Straits Money for Nothing source source The song is known for its controversial lyrics Knopfler clarified the character he plays in the song is an ignoramus ground breaking music video and a cameo appearance by Sting singing the song s falsetto introduction and backing chorus I want my MTV Problems playing this file See media help Music edit Money for Nothing is a pop rock song 4 Knopfler modeled his guitar sound on ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons trademark guitar tone as ZZ Top s music videos were already a staple of early MTV Gibbons told Timothy White of Musician in late 1985 that Knopfler had solicited Gibbons help in replicating the tone adding He didn t do a half bad job either considering that I never told him a goddamned thing 5 Following the initial sessions in Montserrat at which that particular guitar part was recorded Neil Dorfsman attempted to recreate the sound during subsequent sessions at the Power Station in New York but was unsuccessful 6 The recording contains a highly recognisable hook in the form of the guitar riff that begins the song proper The guitar riff continues throughout the song played in permutation during the verses and played in full after each chorus The song s extended overture was shortened for radio and music video Lyrics edit Mark Knopfler described the writing of the song in a 1985 interview with critic Bill Flanagan The lead character in Money for Nothing is a guy who works in the hardware department in a television custom kitchen refrigerator microwave appliance store He s singing the song I wrote the song when I was actually in the store I borrowed a bit of paper and started to write the song down in the store I wanted to use a lot of the language that the real guy actually used when I heard him because it was more real 7 In 2000 Knopfler appeared on Parkinson on BBC One and explained again where the lyrics originated According to Knopfler he was in New York City and had visited an appliance store At the back of the store was a wall of televisions which were all tuned to MTV Knopfler said that standing next to him watching the TVs there was a male employee dressed in a baseball cap work boots and a checkered shirt who was delivering boxes As they were watching MTV as Knopfler recalled the man came out with lines such as What are those Hawaiian noises That ain t workin etc Knopfler then requested a pen to write some of these lines down and eventually put them to music 7 The first person narrator in the lyrics describes a musician banging on the bongos like a chimpanzee and a woman stickin in the camera Man we could have some fun In the second verse the performer is described as that little faggot with the earring and the make up and the narrator bemoans that these artists get Money for nothing and chicks for free 8 The songwriting credits are shared between Mark Knopfler and Sting 9 According to Knopfler he used the network slogan I want my MTV after seeing an MTV advertisement featuring The Police and setting it to the tune of Don t Stand So Close to Me written by Sting hence the cowriting credit 10 Sting used to come to Montserrat to go windsurfing recalled John Illsley and he came up for supper at the studio We played him Money for Nothing and he turned round and said You ve done it this time you bastards Mark said if he thought it was so good why didn t he go and add something to it He did his bit there and then 11 Sting elaborated on his co writing credit in a 1987 interview Mark Knopfler asked me to go in the studio and sing this line I want my MTV He gave me the melody and I thought Oh great Don t Stand So Close to Me that s a nice quote it s fun So I did it and thought nothing of it until my publishers Virgin who I ve been at war with for years and who I have no respect for decided that was a song they owned Don t Stand So Close to Me They said that they wanted a percentage of the song much to my embarrassment So they took it 12 However keyboard player Alan Clark claims the I want my MTV intro was his idea and not Knopfler s According to him the song originally began with the guitar riff and then he developed the intro on keyboards and sang I want my MTV on top during a break in rehearsals for the album 13 Music video edit nbsp The song s music video features early computer animation The music video for the song features early 3D computer animation illustrating the lyrics The video was one of the first uses of computer animated human characters and was groundbreaking at the time of its release 14 Two other music videos are also featured within Money for Nothing The Hungarian pop band Elso Emelet 15 and their video Allj Vagy Lovok Stop or I ll Shoot appears as Baby Baby by First Floor during the second verse The name elso emelet translates to first floor and the song is credited as being on Magyar Records Magyar means Hungarian in the Hungarian language 16 The other one is fictional Sally by the Ian Pearson Band The fictional album for the first video was listed as Turn Left and the second was Hot Dogs For the second video the record company appears as Rush Records and it was filmed on Fisherman s Bastion Budapest Hungary 16 17 Originally Mark Knopfler was not at all enthusiastic about the concept of the music video MTV however was insistent on it Director Steve Barron of Rushes Postproduction in London was contacted by Warner Bros to persuade Knopfler to relent Describing the contrasting attitudes of Knopfler and MTV he said The problem was that Mark Knopfler was very anti videos All he wanted to do was perform and he thought that videos would destroy the purity of songwriters and performers They said Can you convince him that this is the right thing to do because we ve played this song to MTV and they think it s fantastic but they won t play it if it s him standing there playing guitar They need a concept 18 Barron then flew to Budapest to convince Knopfler of their concept Meeting together after a gig Knopfler was still unimpressed but this time his girlfriend was present and took a hand According to Barron Luckily his girlfriend said He s absolutely right There aren t enough interesting videos on MTV and that sounds like a brilliant idea Mark didn t say anything but he didn t make the call to get me out of Budapest We just went ahead and did it Ian Pearson and Gavin Blair created the animation using a Bosch FGS 4000 CGI system 19 and a Quantel Paintbox system 20 The animators went on to found computer animation studio Mainframe Entertainment today Mainframe Studios and referenced the Money for Nothing video in an episode of their ReBoot series The video also includes stage footage of Dire Straits performing with partially rotoscoped animation in bright neon colours as seen on the cover of the compilation album of the same name Notable performances editWhen Dire Straits performed Money for Nothing at the 1985 Live Aid Concert at Wembley Stadium the performance featured a guest appearance by Sting Knopfler performed Money for Nothing during the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute and the Prince s Trust concerts in 1986 with Sting 21 as well as the Nordoff Robbins charity show at Knebworth in 1990 These versions featured extended guitar solos by Knopfler backed by Eric Clapton as guest and Phil Palmer The song also performed in Brothers in Arms and On Every Street tours of group in 1985 1986 and 1991 1992 Critical reception editCash Box said that it s a simply rocking cut taking a look at jobs and videos performed by rock stars 22 Billboard called it a bluesy poke at Dire Straits and Sting s own kind intentions ambiguous 23 Rolling Stone listed the song as the 94th greatest guitar song of all time noting how Mark Knopfler traded his pristine rootsy tone for a dry over processed sound achieved by running a Les Paul through a wah wah pedal on a track that became one of the MTV network s earliest hits 24 The video was awarded Video of the Year among many other nominations at the third annual MTV Video Music Awards in 1986 19 25 Accolades edit Nominations for Money for Nothing Year Ceremony Nominated work Recipient s Category Result 1986 Brit Awards Money for Nothing Dire Straits British Single of the Year Nominated British Video of the Year Nominated Grammy Awards 26 Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal Won Dire StraitsNeil Dorfsman and Mark Knopfler producers Record of the Year Nominated Dire StraitsMark Knopfler and Sting songwriters Song of the Year Nominated MTV Video Music Awards 25 Steve Barron art direction Best Art Direction in a Video Nominated Dire Straits Best Concept Video Nominated Steve Barron director Best Direction in a Video Nominated David Yardley editor Best Editing in a Video Nominated Dire Straits Best Experimental Video Nominated Best Group Video Won Best Overall Performance in a Video Nominated Best Stage Performance in a Video Nominated Ian Pearson special effects Best Visual Effects in a Video Nominated Dire Straits Video of the Year Won Viewer s Choice NominatedLyrics debate editSome lyrics of the song have been criticised as being homophobic 27 In a late 1985 interview in Rolling Stone magazine Knopfler expressed mixed feelings on the controversy I got an objection from the editor of a gay newspaper in London he actually said it was below the belt Apart from the fact that there are stupid gay people as well as stupid other people it suggests that maybe you can t let it have so many meanings you have to be direct In fact I m still in two minds as to whether it s a good idea to write songs that aren t in the first person to take on other characters The singer in Money for Nothing is a real ignoramus hard hat mentality somebody who sees everything in financial terms I mean this guy has a grudging respect for rock stars He sees it in terms of well that s not working and yet the guy s rich that s a good scam He isn t sneering 28 The song in context makes it clear Knopfler is mocking the jealous and homophobic nature of the antagonist in the song by adopting a third person point of view to show the irony bigotry and ignorance of the character 29 30 Dire Straits often performed the song in live concerts and when on tour where the second verse was included but often altered slightly citation needed For the band s 10 July 1985 concert televised in the United Kingdom on The Tube on Channel 4 in January 1986 31 Knopfler replaced the word faggot with queenie original research See the little queenie got the earring and the make up and That little queenie got his own jet airplane he s got a helicopter he s a millionaire When the song was included in the 1998 compilation Sultans of Swing The Very Best of Dire Straits a censored version was used which completely omitted the second verse In January 2011 the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council CBSC ruled that the unedited version of the song was unacceptable for airplay on private Canadian radio stations as it breached the Canadian Association of Broadcasters code of ethics and their equitable portrayal code 32 33 34 The CBSC concluded that like other racially driven words in the English language faggot is one that even if entirely or marginally acceptable in earlier days is no longer so 32 The CBSC s proceedings came in response to a radio listener s Ruling Request stemming from a playing of the song by CHOZ FM in St John s Newfoundland and Labrador which in turn followed the radio listener s dissatisfaction with the radio station s reply to their complaint about the word faggot in the lyrics 32 35 Not all stations abided by this ruling at least two stations CIRK FM in Edmonton Alberta 36 and CFRQ FM in Halifax Nova Scotia 37 played the unedited version of Money for Nothing repeatedly for one hour out of protest Galaxie which was owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation the CBC at the time of the controversy also continues to play the song 38 39 On 21 January 2011 the Canadian Radio television and Telecommunications Commission asked the CBSC for a review on the ban in response to the public outcry against the CBSC s actions the commission reportedly received over 250 complaints erroneously sent to them instead of the CBSC The regulator requested the CBSC to appoint a nationwide panel to review the case as the decision on the ban was reviewed by a regional panel for the Maritimes and Newfoundland 40 On 31 August 2011 the CBSC reiterated that it found the use of faggot to be inappropriate however because of considerations in regard to its use in context the CBSC has left it up to the stations to decide whether to play the original or edited versions of the song Most of the CBSC panelists thought it was inappropriate but it was used only in a satirical non hateful manner 41 Personnel editCredits sourced from Sound On Sound 42 Dire Straits Mark Knopfler lead vocals electric guitar Guy Fletcher Yamaha DX1 synthesizer Synclavier Roland keyboards Alan Clark Hammond organ John Illsley bass guitar Terry Williams drum intro Additional musicians Sting harmonies and backing vocals Omar Hakim drumsCharts editWeekly charts edit Chart 1985 Peakposition Australia Kent Music Report 43 4 Austria O3 Austria Top 40 44 7 Belgium Ultratop 50 Flanders 45 38 Canada Top Singles RPM 46 1 Europe European Hot 100 Singles 47 26 Finland Suomen virallinen lista 48 4 France SNEP 49 34 Ireland IRMA 50 6 Netherlands Single Top 100 51 35 New Zealand Recorded Music NZ 52 4 South Africa Springbok Radio 53 25 Spain AFYVE 54 25 Switzerland Schweizer Hitparade 55 22 UK Singles OCC 56 4 US Billboard Hot 100 57 1 US Billboard Top Rock Tracks 57 1 US Cash Box 58 1 West Germany Official German Charts 59 19 Year end charts edit Chart 1985 Position Australia Kent Music Report 60 61 7 Canada Top Singles RPM 62 34 New Zealand Recorded Music NZ 63 5 UK Singles OCC 64 38 US Billboard Hot 100 65 8 US Cash Box 66 2Certifications editRegion Certification Certified units sales Canada Music Canada 67 Gold 50 000 Denmark IFPI Danmark 68 Platinum 90 000 Germany BVMI 69 Gold 250 000 Italy FIMI 70 Platinum 70 000 New Zealand RMNZ 71 Gold 10 000 Spain PROMUSICAE 72 Platinum 60 000 United Kingdom BPI 73 Platinum 600 000 Sales figures based on certification alone Shipments figures based on certification alone Sales streaming figures based on certification alone Auction editThe 1983 Gibson Les Paul Standard reissue guitar Knopfler played on the song sold for 592 200 in a Christie s auction in London that included a total of 122 lots 74 See also edit Weird Al Yankovic s parody Money for Nothing Beverly Hillbillies List of Billboard Hot 100 number ones of 1985 List of Billboard Mainstream Rock number one songs of the 1980s List of Cash Box Top 100 number one singles of 1985 List of number one singles of 1985 Canada References edit Straits tour PDF Melody Maker 22 June 1985 p 4 Retrieved 14 June 2022 Kielty Martin 24 June 2019 When Mark Knopfler and Sting Connected for Money for Nothing Ultimate Classic Rock Retrieved 7 December 2020 MTV ready to rock Russia BBC News Online 25 September 1998 Retrieved 1 April 2007 But the channel s continental incarnation MTV Europe was launched in 1987 with the first video beamed into 1 6 million paying households being Dire Straits Money for Nothing Rose James 15 September 2015 30 Years Since Dire Straits Brothers in Arms Album Daily Review Retrieved 28 October 2019 The opening tracks are pretty conventional pop rock chart shooters White Timothy January 1986 ZZ Top The Ongoing Legend of Texan Rock s Rough Boys Musician No 87 Amordian Press p 65 I gotta hand it to that Mark Knopfler for the Money For Nothing number on that last Dire Straits album That guy must have called me three or four times to find out what I did with my guitar so that he could copy it for that song He pushes the brim back on his golf cap and smiles the flawless pearly whites gleaming He didn t do a half bad job either considering that I never told him a goddamned thing Buskin Richard May 2006 Classic Tracks Dire Straits Money For Nothing Sound on Sound Retrieved 23 July 2014 a b Review of the Atlantic Regional Panel decision in CHOZ FM re the song Money for Nothing by Dire Straits Canadian Broadcast Standards Council 17 May 2011 Archived from the original on 10 August 2014 Retrieved 10 May 2023 Lasar Matthew 24 January 2011 Canada wants unedited Money for Nothing back on the radio Ars Technica Retrieved 27 November 2012 Dire Straits Money for Nothing AllMusic Archived from the original on 23 June 2015 When Mark Knopfler and Sting Connected for Money for Nothing Ultimate Classic Rock website Rees Paul June 2015 The sultan of swing Classic Rock No 210 p 124 Watrous Peter December 1987 Slapping Sting around Can he handle the tough questions Musician Griffiths Daniel 10 March 2022 Dire Straits keyboard player Alan Clark When Mark Knopfler first played Money For Nothing there was no I Want My MTV the idea was mine musicradar com Retrieved 28 November 2022 Schaffer Claire 11 March 2019 How the Dire Straits Money for Nothing Video Helped CGI Go Mainstream Garage Magazine Archived from the original on 4 April 2019 Retrieved 21 March 2020 Biografia Elsoemelet hu in Hungarian Archived from the original on 1 April 2016 Retrieved 14 April 2016 a b Klara Sandor 18 February 2011 Magannyomozasok Galamus in Hungarian Retrieved 14 April 2016 The Voluptuous Horror of Elso Emelet WFMU s Beware of the Blog 29 March 2008 Retrieved 14 April 2016 Knight D September 2006 Money For Nothing The Beginnings of CGI Promo Magazine permanent dead link a b Dire Straits Money for nothing version 2 Mvdbase Archived from the original on 27 July 2014 Retrieved 23 July 2014 Allen Liam 29 November 2010 Adam Ant to Michael Jackson Shaping the MTV landscape BBC News Online O Connor John J 26 October 1986 All Star Rock Concert on HBO from London The New York Times Retrieved 15 May 2017 Single Releases PDF Cash Box 6 July 1985 p 9 Retrieved 3 August 2022 Reviews Billboard 6 July 1985 p 77 Retrieved 3 August 2022 The 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time Rolling Stone Archived from the original on 30 May 2008 a b 1986 Video Music Awards MTV Archived from the original on 7 September 2008 Retrieved 2 December 2020 Artist Dire Straits Grammy Awards Retrieved 7 December 2020 Collis Clark 17 January 2011 Is Dire Straits Money for Nothing homophobic Entertainment Weekly Retrieved 3 February 2016 Tucker Ken Fricke David 21 November 1985 Fearless Leader Rolling Stone Archived from the original on 10 October 2012 Dire Straits Money for Nothing is not homophobic Xtra Magazine 14 January 2011 Retrieved 13 March 2024 Scocca Tom 14 January 2011 Money for Nothing Is Not Really Insulting to Homosexuals Unless They Are Unlucky Enough to Be Working Class Homosexuals Slate ISSN 1091 2339 Retrieved 13 March 2024 Dire Straits Live in 85 at Wembley Arena 1986 British Film Institute 1986 Archived from the original on 8 August 2014 Retrieved 23 July 2014 a b c CHOZ FM re the song Money for Nothing by Dire Straits CBSC Decision 09 10 0818 Canadian Broadcast Standards Council 14 October 2010 Archived from the original on 15 January 2011 Retrieved 13 January 2011 Roth Pamela 13 January 2011 Edmonton radio fights Dire Straits ban Toronto Sun Archived from the original on 26 July 2014 Retrieved 23 July 2014 Michaels Sean 17 January 2011 Dire Straits Money for Nothing banned on Canadian radio The Guardian Retrieved 19 June 2017 Gay slur in lyrics disqualifies Dire Straits hit from Canadian radio play The Globe and Mail Toronto 12 January 2011 Archived from the original on 16 January 2011 Piazza Jo 14 January 2011 No Way Eh Canadian Station Defies Money for Nothing Ban Fox News Channel Retrieved 15 January 2011 What you can and can t say on the radio CKWX 14 January 2011 Retrieved 23 July 2014 Money For Nothing Galaxie ca 22 February 2011 Archived from the original on 9 March 2012 Dire Straits keyboardist calls song ruling unbelievable CTV News 14 January 2011 Retrieved 23 July 2014 CRTC seeks review of Money for Nothing ban CTV News 21 January 2011 Retrieved 23 July 2014 Money for Nothing slur inappropriate council says CTV News 31 August 2011 Retrieved 23 July 2014 Buskin Richard May 2006 Classic Tracks Dire Straits Money For Nothing Sound On Sound Forum ARIA Charts Special Occasion Charts Chart Positions Pre 1989 Australian charts com Hung Medien Retrieved 23 July 2014 Dire Straits Money For Nothing in German O3 Austria Top 40 Retrieved 23 July 2014 Dire Straits Money For Nothing in Dutch Ultratop 50 Retrieved 1 June 2013 Top RPM Singles Issue 0591 RPM Library and Archives Canada Retrieved 1 June 2013 European Top 100 Singles PDF Eurotipsheet Vol 2 no 33 19 August 1985 p 11 Retrieved 15 September 2020 Pennanen Timo 2006 Sisaltaa hitin levyt ja esittajat Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 in Finnish 1st ed Helsinki Tammi ISBN 978 951 1 21053 5 Dire Straits Money For Nothing in French Les classement single Retrieved 1 June 2013 The Irish Charts Search Results Money for Nothing Irish Singles Chart Retrieved 1 June 2013 Dire Straits Money For Nothing in Dutch Single Top 100 Retrieved 1 June 2013 Dire Straits Money For Nothing Top 40 Singles Retrieved 1 June 2013 SA Charts 1965 1989 Songs M O Rock co za Retrieved 15 September 2020 Salaverri Fernando September 2005 Solo exitos ano a ano 1959 2002 in Spanish 1st ed Spain Fundacion Autor SGAE ISBN 84 8048 639 2 Dire Straits Money For Nothing Swiss Singles Chart Retrieved 1 June 2013 Official Singles Chart Top 100 Official Charts Company Retrieved 1 June 2013 a b Brothers in Arms Awards AllMusic Archived from the original on 16 May 2016 Retrieved 15 September 2020 Cash Box Top 100 Singles Week ending September 21 1985 Cash Box Archived from the original on 1 October 2012 Offiziellecharts de Dire Straits Money For Nothing in German GfK Entertainment charts Retrieved 23 February 2020 Kent Music Report No 599 30 December 1985 gt National Top 100 Singles for 1985 Kent Music Report Retrieved 23 January 2023 via Imgur Forum ARIA Charts Special Occasion Charts Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts 1980s Australian charts com Hung Medien Retrieved 23 July 2014 RPM s Top 100 Singles of 1985 RPM Vol 43 no 16 Library and Archives Canada 28 December 1985 End of Year Charts 1985 Recorded Music NZ Retrieved 15 September 2020 Top 100 Singles Music Week Spotlight Publications 18 January 1986 p 10 Top 100 Hits for 1985 The Longbored Surfer Retrieved 23 July 2014 The Cash Box Year End Charts 1985 Cash Box Archived from the original on 1 October 2012 Canadian single certifications Dire Straits Money For Nothing Music Canada Danish single certifications Dire Straits Money For Nothing IFPI Danmark Retrieved 25 February 2021 Gold Platin Datenbank Dire Straits Money For Nothing in German Bundesverband Musikindustrie Retrieved 31 March 2023 Italian single certifications Dire Straits Money For Nothing in Italian Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana Retrieved 25 October 2021 Select 2021 in the Anno drop down menu Select Money For Nothing in the Filtra field Select Singoli under Sezione Scapolo Dean 2007 The Complete New Zealand Music Charts 1966 2006 Wellington Maurienne House p 81 ISBN 978 1877443 00 8 Dire Straits Money For Nothing El portal de Musica Productores de Musica de Espana Retrieved 7 February 2024 British single certifications Dire Straits Money For Nothing British Phonographic Industry Retrieved 11 June 2021 Parker Matt 1 February 2024 Staggering Mark Knopfler s Guitar Collection has sold at auction for over 11 million with a record breaking 59 Burst sale and 28 guitars fetching over 100K Guitar World Retrieved 1 February 2024 External links edit Money for Nothing at Discogs list of releases Mix Online Classic Tracks Dire Straits Money for Nothing Dire Straits Sting Money For Nothing Live Aid 1985 on YouTube Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Money for Nothing song amp oldid 1226120759, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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