1983 - June: Dire Straits "Love Over Gold"

What the Riff?!?

We covered the big commercial hit album "Brothers In Arms" back in episode 154, but many afficianados of Dire Straits consider their finest work to be the album that preceeded this one. Love Over Gold is their fourth studio album, released in late September 1982 and on the charts in June 1983. For this album, prime mover and lead vocalist Mark Knopfler, bassist John Illsley, and percussionist Pick Withers are joined by new members Hal Lindes on guitars and Alan Clark on keyboards.

The songs on this album are longer than your standard single, particularly the majestic 14-minute "Telegraph Road." Despite their length, "Private Investigations" was released as a single in the UK and reached number 2on the charts. The shortest song, "Industrial Disease" (still clocking in at 5:50) was released as a single in the US. It would reach number 75 on the Billboard Hot 100, but would be a staple of rock radio stations at the time.

A number of songs were written and recorded during the "Love Over Gold" sessions, but subsequently discarded from album release. Amongst these was the song "Private Dancer," which was instead provided to Tina Turner for her comeback album of the same name. Turner would take this song to number 7 on the US charts, and see her career reinvigorated by the success of her "Private Dancer" album.

"Love Over Gold" was a number 1 album on a number of charts, including Australia, Austria, and the UK, and reached number 19 on the US Billboard 200 albums chart.

Rob brings us this outstanding, deep, and thought-provoking album for this week's podcast.

Telegraph Road
This lengthy masterpiece was inspired while Knopfler was riding in his tour bus down the 70-mile road of the same name. The song narrarates the development and history along the road as the decades roll past. It is easy to describe this song as prog rock, but it also contains one of the best guitar solo riffs you will hear.

Industrial Disease
Goodness me, goodness me! We have to highlight the US single from the album. The title comes from a term for work-related illness, and the term in this song references both individual work illness and the decline of British industry in general. The reference to Dr. Parkinson is a British professor and satirist who is famous for the phrase "work expands to fill the time available for its completion."

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

Overture to the Marriage of Figaro by Mozart (from the motion picture “Trading Places”)
Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd star in this comedy about a yuppie and a homeless man who are forced to trade places as the result of a bet by two rich stock brokers.

STAFF PICKS:

Murder By Numbers by The Police
Bruce initiates the staff picks with a dark song about becoming a serial killer. This Police song appears on the cassette and CD version of the album "Synchronicity," but was left off the vinyl due to lack of space. It was written by Sting and Andy Summers, the only collaborative song on the album, and was recorded in a single take.

Rock of Ages by Def Leppard
Lynch brings us a huge song from Def Leppard's "Pyromania" album. Producer Mutt Lange counts off the nonsensical "Gunter Glieben Glauten Globen," to open the song, and the lyrics form an anthem suitable for arena show openers. Joan Jett's "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" was an inspiration to the creation of this anthem.

Don't Pay the Ferryman by Chris deBurgh
Wayne's staff pick takes a fantasy approach to the story of Charon and the crossing of the river Styx, advising not to pay until the trip is done. Irish artist Chris deBurgh broke into the US top 40 with this song, peaking at number 34. Lines from Shakespeare's play "The Tempest" can be heard in the bridge to the song.

The Walls came Down by The Call
Rob finishes the staff picks with a song that is inspired by the Biblical tale of the fall of Jericho. Lead singer Michael Been would pull biblical references into his lyrics, including this song. The Call formed in 1980 in California, and blended rock, New Wave, and post-Punk. U2 and Simple Minds both consider The Call an influence in their music.

COMEDY TRACK:

My Bologna by "Weird Al" Yankovic
We close out with Weird Al's meaty take on "My Sharona by" the Knack.

Thanks for listening to “What the Riff?!?”

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