Love over Gold (song)

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"Love over Gold"
Song by Dire Straits
from the album Love over Gold
ReleasedSeptember 20, 1982
Recorded1982
Length6:15
LabelVertigo
Songwriter(s)Mark Knopfler
Producer(s)Mark Knopfler
"Love over Gold"
Single by Dire Straits
from the album Alchemy: Dire Straits Live
B-side"Solid Rock"[1]
Released10 February 1984[2]
Recorded1983
Length3:36
Songwriter(s)Mark Knopfler
Dire Straits singles chronology
"Twisting by the Pool"
(1983) 		"Love over Gold"
(1984) 		"So Far Away"
(1984)

"Love over Gold" is a song by British rock band Dire Straits. It is the fourth track and title track from the band's 1982 album.[3] A shorter live version of the song, taken from the album Alchemy: Dire Straits Live, was released as a single.[4]

Meaning and structure

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The protagonist of the text is a fragile, inconsistent and standoffish female figure.[5] Musically, the song has an elegant jazz-influenced arrangement, built around the dialogue between Knopfler's guitar and the Mike Mainieri's vibraphone.[5][6] Rolling Stone describes "Love over Gold" as "a whispery ballad that plays the jazzy tingle of vibes against an almost classical piano air and the violinlike pluck of a synthesizer to heighten its images of a casual, even cavalier, sex life."[7]

Chart performance

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"Love over Gold" reached its highest position in France (No. 15),[6] while peaking at No. 29 in New Zealand, No. 43 in the Netherlands[8] and No. 50 in the band's native United Kingdom.[9]

Other releases

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The live version of the song was included on the 1998 compilation Sultans of Swing: The Very Best of Dire Straits,[10] while the original album version was included on the 2005 compilation Private Investigations: The Best of Dire Straits & Mark Knopfler.[11]

References

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  1. ^ "Dire Straits – Love Over Gold (Live) / Solid Rock (Live) (1984, Vinyl)" – via www.discogs.com.
  2. ^ "Going Straits" (PDF). Number One. 4 February 1984. p. 7. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  3. ^ "Love Over Gold - Dire Straits | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  4. ^ Giancarlo Passarella, Discografia, in Nannini e Ronconi | canzoni, p. 227
  5. ^ a b Nannini e Ronconi | canzoni, pp. 81–83
  6. ^ a b "Dire Straits Love Over Gold". Classic Rock Review.
  7. ^ Fricke, David (November 11, 1982). "Love Over Gold". Rolling Stone. The song shares a similar chorus to Private Dancer also written by Mark Knopfler and recorded by Tina Turner in 1984.
  8. ^ "Dire Straits - Love Over Gold (Live) - ultratop.be". www.ultratop.be.
  9. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100 | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com.
  10. ^ "Sultans of Swing: The Very Best of Dire Straits - Dire Straits | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  11. ^ "Private Investigations: The Best of Dire Straits & Mark Knopfler - Dire Straits, Mark Knopfler | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
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