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Sultans of Swing

Dire Straits were, for me, a band I ultimately heard too often. Brothers In Arms and the never-ending stream of singles therefrom were so ubiquitous that my prior affection for their music soured due to over-exposure. Before that, I had been a fan, with 'Romeo and Juliet' in particular having been one of my favourite songs when I was twelve.

A less discriminating nine-year-old when 'Sultans of Swing' came out, it didn't make that same kind of impression, but I did like the song, and when I turned up a 7" copy of it last year, I gladly brought it home. Apparently the version on the single is longer than the one that ended up on the band's debut album, and some aficionados consider it superior.

The B-side is 'Eastbound Train (Live Version)', a rather jaunty number about a figurative missed connection on public transport. Musically, it goes in a direction I think they were wise not to pursue much further.

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