Dire Straits toured for the remainder of the year, and also appeared on "Saturday Night Live". Knopfler would further emphasise his country music influences on his 1990 collaboration with guitarist Chet Atkins, "Neck and Neck". In 1990, Dire Straits performed alongside Elton John and Eric Clapton at Knebworth Festival, playing three songs: "Solid Rock", "Money for Nothing" and a song which Knopfler prefaced as an experimental song, unsure if they should record it on a following record. The song, a blues rock piece with solos by both Knopfler and Clapton, was titled "I Think I Love You Too Much". This song also
Dire Straits for, but only one person in her department agreed at first. Many of the songs on the album reflected Mark Knopfler's experiences in Newcastle, Leeds and London. "Down to the Waterline" recalled images of life in Newcastle; "In the Gallery" is a tribute to Leeds sculptor/artist Harry Phillips (father of Steve Phillips); "Wild West End" and "Lions" were drawn from Knopfler's early days in the capital. That same year, Dire Straits began a tour as opening band for Talking Heads after the re-released "Sultans of Swing" finally started to climb the UK charts. This led to a United States recording