Communiqué (Dire Straits album)



Communiqué is the second studio album by the British rock band Dire Straits released on 15 June 1979 by Vertigo Records internationally and by Warner Bros. Records in the United States. The album produced the single "Lady Writer", which reached #45 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #51 on the UK Singles Chart. The album reached #1 on album charts in Germany, New Zealand, and Sweden, #11 in the United States and #5 in the United Kingdom. Communiqué was later certified gold in the United States, platinum in the United Kingdom and double-platinum in France.

Recording
Communiqué was recorded from 28 November to 12 December 1978 at Compass Point Studios in Nassau. The album was produced by Barry Beckett and Jerry Wexler, veteran producers from Muscle Shoals Sound Studio who made recordings with Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin, the Staple Singers, The Rolling Stones, Traffic, Elton John, Boz Scaggs, Willie Nelson, and Paul Simon.

Release
Communiqué became the first album ever to enter the German charts at number one in its first week of release, while their debut album, Dire Straits was still at the number three position. The album went on to sell over 7 million copies worldwide: in Europe it sold 3.6 million copies, and in the United States it reached gold status.

Communiqué was remastered and released with the rest of the Dire Straits catalogue in 1996 for most of the world outside the United States, and on 19 September 2000 in the United States.

Artwork
The album cover was designed by Phonogram's advertising agency Grant Advertising UK. It won album cover of the year in the NME awards in 1979.

Critical reception
In his retrospective review for AllMusic, William Ruhlmann gave the album two and a half out of five stars, writing that the group's sophomore effort "seemed little more than a carbon copy of its predecessor with less compelling material."

Personnel

 * Music
 * Mark Knopfler – vocals, lead and rhythm guitars
 * David Knopfler – rhythm guitar and vocals
 * John Illsley – bass and vocals
 * Pick Withers – drums
 * Barry Beckett (credited as B. Bear) – keyboards


 * Production
 * Barry Beckett – producer
 * Jerry Wexler – producer
 * Jack Nuber – engineer
 * Thelbert Rigby – tape operator
 * Gregg Hamm – mix engineer
 * Bobby Hata – mastering
 * Paul Wexler – mastering supervisor
 * Geoff Halpin – illustrations
 * Bob Ludwig – remastering
 * Alan Schmidt – art direction

Albums
Communiqué spent 30 weeks on the UK Albums Chart.