"Your Latest Trick" is a song by

Dire Straits Dire Straits were a British rock band formed in London in 1977 by Mark Knopfler (lead vocals and lead guitar), David Knopfler (rhythm guitar and backing vocals), John Illsley (bass guitar and backing vocals) and Pick Withers (drums and percuss ...

, the fourth track on their fifth studio album, '' Brothers in Arms'' (1985). It was released as the album's fifth and final single in April 1986. It later appeared on the

live album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

'' On the Night''; the same live version is on '' Sultans of Swing: The Very Best of Dire Straits''. The full-length studio album version was included on the compilation '' The Best of Dire Straits & Mark Knopfler: Private Investigations''.

Music

Randy Brecker Randal Edward Brecker (born November 27, 1945) is an American trumpeter, flugelhornist, and composer. His versatility has made him a popular studio musician who has recorded with acts in jazz, rock, and R&B. Early life Brecker was born on Nov ...

played the trumpet intro on the CD version, but it is missing on the vinyl version. After that, there is a saxophone intro, played by

Michael Brecker Michael Leonard Brecker (March 29, 1949 – January 13, 2007) was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. He was awarded 15 Grammy Awards as both performer and composer. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Berklee College of M ...

, who also plays the saxophone solo. Chris White played the saxophone part on the live version on the ''Brothers in Arms'' and ''On Every Street'' world tours. The

saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to pr ...

introduction was used in the theme music for the

TVB Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) is a television broadcasting company based in Hong Kong SAR. The Company operates five free-to-air terrestrial television channels in Hong Kong, with TVB Jade as its main Cantonese language service, and TVB ...

series ''

File of Justice The File of Justice (壹號皇庭) is a series of Hong Kong legal drama produced by TVB. There were 5 seasons produced, the first was aired in 1992 spanning 13 episodes. The series revolves around a group of lawyers and legal personnel with storie ...

''. According to ''Classic Rock'' critic Paul Rees, the song was originally done at a faster, jazzier tempo, but Dire Straits' manager

Ed Bicknell Ed Bicknell is a British music manager and drummer, best known for managing rock band Dire Straits, Mark Knopfler, Gerry Rafferty, Bryan Ferry, Scott Walker and The Blue Nile. Career Ed Bicknell was Chairman of Hull University entertainment’ ...

suggested slowing it down to the "stately

bossa nova Bossa nova () is a style of samba developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is mainly characterized by a "different beat" that altered the harmonies with the introduction of unconventional chords and an innovativ ...

" that was released.

Single release

"Your Latest Trick" was released as a 12" maxi single on 28 April 1986 as the fifth and final single from the "Brothers in Arms" album in the UK, as well as in other selected territories including Brazil. The single did not have a US release. It peaked at #26 on the UK charts. The other songs featured on the single were "Irish Boy" and "The Road," both credited as solo efforts by Mark Knopfler.

Reception

Rees rated "Your Latest Trick" to be Dire Straits' 10th greatest song, saying that it "stirs up the humid, smoky atmosphere of a Latino cantina at midnight." ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' described the song as "bittersweet" and said that it has hints of

Tina Turner Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an American-born Swiss retired singer and actress. Widely referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", she rose to prominence as the lead singer o ...

's song "

Private Dancer ''Private Dancer'' is the fifth solo studio album by Tina Turner. It was released on May 29, 1984, through Capitol Records and was her first album released through the label. After several challenging years of going solo after divorcing Ike T ...

," which was written by Knopfler and originally intended for Dire Straits' previous album ''

Love over Gold ''Love over Gold'' is the fourth studio album by British rock band Dire Straits, released on 24 September 1982 by Vertigo Records internationally and by Warner Bros. Records in the United States. The album featured two singles: "Private Investi ...

''.

Track listings

; 7" # "Your Latest Trick" # "Irish Boy" by Mark Knopfler # "The Road" by Mark Knopfler ; 12" maxi # "Your Latest Trick" – 6:28 # "Irish Boy" by Mark Knopfler – 4:36 # "The Long Road" by Mark Knopfler – 7:13

Charts

¹ EP "Your Latest Trick" / "Encores"

References

{{Authority control 1986 singles 1993 singles 1985 songs Dire Straits songs SNEP Top Singles number-one singles Songs written by Mark Knopfler Song recordings produced by Mark Knopfler Vertigo Records singles