"Private Investigations: The Best of Dire Straits & Mark Knopfler" is the third compilation album by the British rock band Dire Straits and their lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter Mark Knopfler. Released in 2005 by Mercury and Vertigo internationally, and Warner Bros. in the United States, the album features a collection of material from both Dire Straits' discography and Knopfler's solo work.
The compilation is named after the band's 1982 hit single "Private Investigations." It includes songs from Dire Straits' six studio albums, spanning from their debut in 1978 through to their dissolution in 1995, with the notable exception of the 1979 album Communiqué. In addition to the band's tracks, the album features selections from Mark Knopfler's solo career, including songs from his soundtrack work.
The album contains one previously unreleased track, "All the Roadrunning," a duet with American country singer Emmylou Harris. This song was later released as a single and reached #8 on the UK charts.
The U.S. version of the compilation differs slightly from the international release: it omits the song "Darling Pretty" but adds "Skateaway."
