Dire Straits:
Love Over Gold – Original Pressing (UK)

Among Dire Straits fans, many would find their favorite album to be „Love Over Gold,” and it’s no wonder. It contains two monumentally magnificent songs: the over 14-minute-long „Telegraph Road” and the powerful, yet austere „Private Investigations,” arguably one of the greatest rock ballads of all time. Both songs later appeared on the live album Alchemy, a sort of Best Of, albeit recorded with live audience participation. It’s on this album that we hear more keyboards (played by new band member Alan Clark), and Dire Straits truly gains an instrumental momentum that would last until the end.

The album was released on August 24, 1982, during a great year for rock music. It was also during this time that albums such as Michael Jackson’s „Thriller,” Paul McCartney’s „Tug of War,” Jean-Michel Jarre’s „The Concerts in China,” Rush’s „Signals,” Fleetwood Mac’s „Mirage,” and even Led Zeppelin’s „Coda” were released. And whatever you say, „Love Over Gold” delivered! The album reached number one on the album charts in Australia, Austria, New Zealand, Norway, Italy, and the UK. In the US, it reached (only) number 19, but it faced formidable competition.

I have the original 1982 UK edition in my collection, in near-mint condition, and I bought it for a bargain.

Cover

Sleeve

Labels

Matrix / Runout

Side 1: 635 9109 A // 2 ∇ 130 1 1 MASTERDISK 6359109 – A-UK-1
Side 2: 63 591 09 B // 2 ∇ ** 130 1 1 MASTERDISK 6359109 – B – UK
and this is one of four or five variants of the master used for the original UK pressing of this record.