Dire Straits

During the next three weeks we'll dip our toes in the stream called the 80s. More weeks will follow in the near future, because it's a very rich decade for Pop songs that fit our specifications.

We'll start with a song from 1980. But before we hear that, let's become briefly acquainted with the group that sings the song in question, a group that from its first record in 1978 to its last in 1991 was one of the world's biggest Rock groups in the world: Dire Straits.

The band was formed in 1977 by Mark Knopfler (lead vocals, lead guitar, main composer), his brother David (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), John Illsley(bass guitar, backing vocals) and Pick Withers (drums). Mark & John never left the group, while David left while they were recording their 3d album in 1980, to be replaced by Hal Lindes. In the same year, Alan Clark (keyboards) became a regular member, while two years later Withers left the group to be replaced by Terry Williams.

Mark's vocals were laid back and confident. He wouldn't try to impress with vocal acrobatics, he would rather get his message across through subtle timbre shifts. He also played mean guitar and was ranked 27th on Rolling Stone magazine's list of 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. His influences are from guitarists of many different genres, from Chet Atkins to Hank Marvin and from Django Reinhardt to Lonnie Johnson and B.B. King.

Knopfler and Dire Straits have sold in excess of 120 million albums to date and have 4 Grammies in their awards collection. They have spent over 1,100 weeks on the UK albums chart, placing them in the all-time Top 10.

Before we get to our featured song, let's hear a few other songs from them. They don't belong to our list, but they're great songs, worth listening anyway.

From their debut album (1978), here's the song that made them superstars: the super special Sultans Of Swing:

From their 3d allbum (1980), the deliciously bittersweet Romeo and Juliet:

From their 4th album (1982), the epic, Springsteen-esque Telegraph Road:

From their 5th and most successful album (+30m copies worldwide - 1985), their most successful single, Money For Nothing (with guest vocals by Sting):

We have finally arrived to the song included in this list: Les Boys is the closing song of their 3d album, 1980's Making Movies. Presumably, the Dire Straits aren't gay, but the song is definitely gay-themed. The lyrics go:

Les boys do cabaret

Les boys are glad to be gay

They're not afraid now

A disco bar in Germany

Les boys are glad to be

Upon parade now

Les boys got leather straps

Les boys got SS caps

But they got no gun now

Get dressed up, get a little risque

Got to do a little S & M, these days

It's all in fun now

Les boys come on again

For the high class whores

And the businessmen

Who drive in their Mercedes Benz

To a disco bar in Old Munchen

They get the jokes that the DJ makes

They get nervous and they make mistakes

They're bad for business

Some tourists take a photograph

Les boys don't get one laugh

He says they're useless

Late at night when they're gone away

Les boys dream of Jean Genet

High heel shoes and a black beret

And the posters on the wall that say:

Les boys do cabaret

Les boys are glad to be gay

Here it is: