Alchemy: Dire Straits Live
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{{Infobox Album <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Albums -->
| Name = Alchemy: Dire Straits Live
| Type = live
| Artist = [[Dire Straits]]
| Cover = Dire Straits - Alchemy Dire Straits Live.jpg
| Released = [[March 1]], [[1984]]
| Recorded = [[July 22]], [[1983]] – [[July 23]], [[1983]], [[Hammersmith Apollo|Hammersmith Odeon]], [[London, England|London]]
| Genre = [[Hard rock|Hard Rock]], [[Rock Music|Rock]]
| Length = 93:59
| Label = [[Vertigo Records|Vertigo]]<br>[[Warner Bros. Records|Warner Bros.]] <small>(US)</small>
| Producer = [[Mark Knopfler]]
| Reviews =
*[[Allmusic]] {{rating-5|3}} [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:vx3ibkg96ak0 link]
| Last album = ''[[ExtendedancEPlay]]''<br/>(1983)
| This album = '''''Alchemy: Dire Straits Live'''''<br/>(1984)
| Next album = ''[[Brothers in Arms (Dire Straits album)|Brothers in Arms]]''<br/>(1985)
}}
'''''Alchemy: Dire Straits Live''''' is the first [[live album]] by [[United Kingdom|British]] [[Rock (music)|rock]] band [[Dire Straits]], released in 1984 (see [[1984 in music]]). It features their best-known tracks up to that point, but significantly different in sound from the studio versions. It features extended improvisations showcasing [[Mark Knopfler]]'s guitar playing and drumming by [[Terry Williams (drummer)|Terry Williams]].
It was remastered and released (in the UK only) on [[May 8]] [[2001]]. The cover image is taken from a painting by [[Brett Whiteley]]. The Australian artist has personalized an opera of him with a collage of the faces of the band members. The result is used for the back cover.
==Track listing==
All songs written by Mark Knopfler except as indicated.
===Original release ===
Side one
# "Once Upon a Time in the West" – 13:01
#* "Intro: Stargazer" (instrumental from the Local Hero soundtrack)
# "[[Romeo and Juliet (song)|Romeo and Juliet]]" – 8:22
Side two
# "Expresso Love" – 5:41
# "[[Private Investigations]]" – 7:40
# "[[Sultans of Swing]]" – 10:48
Side three
# "Two Young Lovers" – 4:51
# "Tunnel of Love" – 14:38
#* includes excerpt from "The Carousel Waltz" ([[Richard Rodgers]], [[Oscar Hammerstein II]])
Side four
# "[[Telegraph Road (song)|Telegraph Road]]" – 13:19
# "Solid Rock" – 5:32
# "Going Home – Theme from '[[Local Hero]]'" – 4:58
===CD release ===
"Love Over Gold", released as a separate single in 1984, has been added into the track list, and the fade outs between sides 1 and 2 and sides 3 and 4 have been removed. A number of tracks have had their length increased for the CD releases.
====Disc one====
# "Once Upon a Time in the West" – 13:01
#* "Intro: Stargazer" (instrumental from the ''Local Hero'' soundtrack)
# "Expresso Love" – 5:45
#* Includes outro to "Industrial Disease"
# "Romeo and Juliet" – 8:17
# "Love Over Gold" – 3:27
# "Private Investigations" – 7:34
# "Sultans of Swing" – 10:54
====Disc two====
# "Two Young Lovers" – 4:49
# "Tunnel of Love" – 14:29
#* includes excerpt from "The Carousel Waltz" (Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II) – 4.13-4:30 of "Tunnel of Love"
# "Telegraph Road" – 13:37
# "Solid Rock" – 6:01
# "Going Home – Theme from 'Local Hero'" – 6:05
===Video release===
{{Infobox Album <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Albums -->
| Name = Alchemy: Dire Straits Live
| Type = Video
| Artist = [[Dire Straits]]
| Cover = DS Alchemy videocover.jpg
| Released = 1984, <br>1995 (Digitally remastered)
| Recorded =
| Genre =
| Length = 90 minutes
| Label = [[PolyGram Video]]
| Producer = [[Limelight Films]]
| Reviews =
| Last album =
| This album =
| Next album =
}}
Although originally released in [[Betamax|Beta]], [[VHS]] [[video cassette]] and [[Laserdisc]] formats, and digitally remastered in 1995, the video has yet to be released on DVD. The song "Love Over Gold" is not included in this video, just like the original album, but is contrarily the one performance available on DVD, being included in the compilation [[Sultans of Swing: The Very Best of Dire Straits]].
The video opens with scenes of the band in a pub playing pool; ''[[Geordies]]'' (MK & AC) vs. ''the rest'' (JI & TW), while the fifth member (HL) plays a video game, interspersed with concert clips. Playing over this is the song "Saturday Night at the Movies" performed by [[The Drifters]]. The music changes to the instrumental "Stargazer", from the film 'Local Hero', over external shots of a sold-out [[Hammersmith Odeon]]. A quick switch brings us inside as Dire Straits are announced and walk onstage for the concert; "Once Upon a Time in the West", "Expresso Love", "Romeo and Juliet" and "Private Investigations", which fades into the fog before the band blows it away with "Sultans of Swing". Mel Collins joins the band for "Two Young Lovers" and plays the bridge into "Tunnel of Love". The epic "Telegraph Road" and shorter up tempo "Solid Rock" are played as an encore and predictably the show finally winds down with "Going Home", the instrumental theme from 'Local Hero'.
<br>The closing credits again use the Drifters' "Saturday Night at the Movies".
<br>
* A Limelight Films Production
* Director – Peter Sinclair
* Film Editor – Peter Goddard
* Soundtrack produced by Mark Knopfler
* Recorded by Mick McKenna, [[Rolling Stones Mobile Studio|Rolling Stones Mobile]]
==Personnel==
*[[Mark Knopfler]] – [[guitar]], [[vocals]]
*[[Alan Clark (keyboardist)|Alan Clark]] – [[keyboard instrument|keyboard]]
*[[John Illsley]] – [[bass guitar|bass]]
*[[Hal Lindes]] – guitar
*[[Terry Williams (drummer)|Terry Williams]] – [[drum kit|drums]]
===Additional personnel===
*[[Mel Collins]] – [[saxophone]]
*[[Joop de Korte]] – [[Percussion instrument|percussion]]
*[[Tommy Mandel]] – keyboards
==Charts==
===Album===
{|class="wikitable"
! Year
! Chart
! Position
|-
| 1984
| The [[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] 200
| 46
|-
|}
==Certifications==
{|class="wikitable"
! Organisation
! Level
! Date
|-
| BPI – UK
| Gold
| [[March 15]] [[1984]]
|-
| RIAA – U.S.
| Gold
| [[July 27]] [[2001]]
|-
|}
{{Dire Straits}}
[[Category:Dire Straits albums]]
[[Category:1984 albums]]
[[Category:Live albums]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Mark Knopfler]]
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