Royal Albert Hall Mark Knopfler

"Sultans of Swing" was the first single release of the British rock band Dire Straits; first released in 1978, its 1979 re-release caused it to become a U.K. and U.S. hit. The song was first recorded as a demo at Pathway Studios, North London in July 1977, and quickly acquired a following after it was put on rotation at Radio London. It did not take long for its popularity to reach record executives, and Dire Straits were offered a contract with Phonogram Records. The song was then re-recorded in early 1978 at Basing Street Studios for the band's debut album Dire Straits. The record company wanted a less-polished rock sound for the radio, so an alternative version was recorded at Pathway Studios in April 1978 and released as the single in some countries including the United Kingdom and Germany.

By the time Eric Clapton launched his solo career with the release of his self-titled debut album in mid-1970, he was long established as one of the world's major rock stars due to his group affiliations the Yardbirds, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Cream, and Blind Faith which had demonstrated his claim to being the best rock guitarist of his generation. That it took Clapton so long to go out on his own, however, was evidence of a degree of reticence unusual for one of his stature.

This guitar compilation provides you with a knock-out collection of full albums by guitar icons such as Lee Ritenour (Captain Fingers), George Benson, Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin, John Pizzarelli, G3 and many more. If you’re lucky, you can find this box set for less than € 50,00, so you get a lot of awesome music at a cheap price! The genres range from Jazz, Blues and Rock to Fusion. Great work by great guitarists.