The source regards this live arrangement as the definitive version of “Money for Nothing.” It presents the group as more organic and groove-focused than on the album recording, while giving Knopfler and Clapton room for the added guitar passages. By comparison, the 1985 studio production is described as carrying effects that sounded impressive in their day but have not aged as successfully.
Sting contributed backing vocals to the original recording, including its prominent MTV hook. The song was accompanied by a computer-animated 3D video considered groundbreaking at the time, although Knopfler initially opposed that approach. He favored a straightforward performance film if a promotional clip had to be made at all. Director Steve Barron convinced him to authorize the animation, and the resulting video became a major MTV success.
Released as the second single from Brothers in Arms, Dire Straits’ fifth studio album, “Money for Nothing” arrived during the group’s commercial peak. It placed within the top five in the United States and the United Kingdom, earning Platinum status in the UK. Supported by four hit singles, Brothers in Arms reached number one in markets around the world and was certified 14-times Platinum in the United Kingdom.
