Live 1978 - 1992

A new CD and vinyl box set called "Live 1978 - 1992" focuses on the live recordings of Dire Straits. These packages spotlight 4 main concerts, or live albums. "Alchemy" (1983), "On The Night" (1993), the "Live At The BBC" compilation from 1995 and "Live From The Rainbow Theatre", a 1979 gig which is previously unreleased.

"Alchemy" and "On The Night" are both newly remastered, with neither having been available on vinyl for ages. Talking of vinyl, in what is a 12 LP vinyl box set version of "Live 1978 - 1992", "Alchemy" is expanded to 3 LP's and includes "Love Over Gold" and the extended versions of "Telegraph Road", "Solid Rock" and "Going Home", with the addition of the full length version of "Portobello Belle" (an edit of which is on the 1988 "Money For Nothing" compilation). "Industrial Disease" and "Twisting By The Pool" are also new to the CD edition.

"On The Night" is also expanded on CD and vinyl to include tracks performed during the tour which have never been released, taken from multitrack recordings of shows in Nimes, Rotterdam and Paris. The 7 extra tracks are "Tunnel Of Love", "Telegraph Road", "Sultans Of Swing", "Two Young Lovers", "When It Comes To You", "I Think I Love You Too Much" and "Fade To Black".

The "On The Night" "Encores EP", which was issued on CD and vinyl back in 1993, is included as an extra disc in both the vinyl and CD box set. Same 4 tracks as before, although this new box uses the Black Friday 2021 remastering. Despite "On The Night" and the "Encores" release being issued in 1993, the performances and recordings were made in 1992, hence the 1978 - 1992 box set title is accurate.

The "Live At The BBC" selection features the same 8 tracks on the 1995 release, 7 of which are from a July 1978 BBC "In Concert" performance, although "Tunnel of Love" is taken from a January 1981 "Old Grey Whistle Test".

Finally, the "Live From The Rainbow Theatre" show from 1979 has been newly mixed by Guy Fletcher and features guest performances from Phil Lynott and Tony de Meur on the last 4 tracks of the set.

The CD box is 8 discs, while as stated earlier, the vinyl box is a massive 12 LP's, with a price tag that is not going to appeal to the casual fan. "Alchemy" and "On The Night" alone take up 8 of these records, if you include the "Encores EP". However, the CD box will be a tempting companion to the "Studio Albums" CD box of 2020. Both live box sets come with a booklet featuring a new essay by Paul Sexton, with the alliterative title "Making Milestones : The Momentous Road Years Of Dire Straits".

"Live 1978 - 1992" will be released on November 3rd, 2023, via Mercury Records and Universal Music.