Mark Knopfler’s ‘Sailing To Philadelphia’ Gets New Reissue
The Dire Straits frontman’s 2000 solo album will be available on clear vinyl for the first time.
It’s reissue time for Sailing To Philadelphia, the second solo album from Mark Knopfler. On Sept. 26, the Dire Straits frontman’s 2000 release will be available in multiple formats, including its first ever pressing on clear vinyl. A SDE Blu-ray edition of the album, up for pre-order today along with the vinyl version, features a new ATMOS mix of the album by Guy Fletcher alongside ATMOS instrumental and original stereo mixes.
Knopfler recorded Sailing To Philadelphia in Nashville, co-producing it alongside Chuck Ainlay. The album features guest appearances from several of Knopfler’s famous peers including James Taylor, Van Morrison, the Squeeze duo of Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook, and the pairing of Gillian Welch and David Rawlings. It includes the single “What It Is,” a hit on Billboard’s Adult Alternative chart and around the world. Taylor guests on the title track, while Morrison joins Knopfler for the lovely “The Last Laugh.”
Rolling Stone praised Sailing To Philadelphia for tapping into “the grandeur of prime Dire Straits.” Arriving four years after his Knopfler’s solo debut album Golden Heart, after his work on the soundtrack albums for Wag the Dog and Metroland, Sailing To Philadelphia is a favorite among Knopfler’s fan base and was especially successful in continental Europe. It topped the album charts in Germany, Italy, Norway, and Switzerland and is certified double Platinum in Europe. It’s Gold-certified in several other nations including the U.S. and U.K.
Born in Glasgow, raised near Newcastle, and based in London, Knopfler is world-renowned as a guitarist and singer-songwriter, both for his solo catalog and his extensive work as the leader of Dire Straits. In 2024 he released One Deep River, his 10th solo album. With Dire Straits, Knopfler graced the world with enduring hits such as the project’s 1978 debut single “Sultans of Swing” and 1985’s “Money For Nothing.” The latter track topped the Billboard Hot 100, and its pioneering computer-animated music video was a mainstay of MTV.
