Dire Straits "Money for Nothing"). Similarly, the album's title track was also relatively unsuccessful, failing to reach the UK Top 40. The final single released from the album and from the band in the UK was "The Bug", which contains backing vocals by Vince Gill, who was also invited to join the band full-time but declined to pursue a solo career. Session drummer Chris Whitten joined Dire Straits as a side-man when the band embarked on an extensive two-year, 300-show tour, playing in front of some 7.1 million ticket-buying fans. While musically more elaborate than the previous 1985–86 world tour, the band's
Dire Straits (album) Dire Straits catalogue in 1996 to most of the world excluding the U.S. and on 19 September 2000 in the United States. The album cover artwork is taken from a painting by Chuck Loyola. The Dire Straits Fender icon, which appears on the back cover, was designed by Geoff Halpern. Dire Straits promoted the release of their first single and album with the Dire Straits Tour, which started on 6 June 1978 at the Lafayette Club in Wolverhampton, included 55 shows, and ending on 18 November 1978 at the College of Education in Hitchin. The European tour included concerts in