Think I Love You Too Much (with Eric Clapton)

The Zoo Crew is spinning a rare gem for all you Zoo Freaks out there: Think I Love You Too Much by Dire Straits, featuring the legendary Eric Clapton, from the 1990 Knebworth Festival. This blues-rock track, performed live on June 30, 1990, at Knebworth Park, Hertfordshire, England, is a unique piece of rock history. Unlike most Dire Straits songs, this one never made it onto a studio album. Mark Knopfler, the band’s frontman, wrote the song but decided it didn’t fit their upcoming record, On Every Street. Instead, he gifted it to Canadian blues artist Jeff Healey, who recorded it for his 1990 album Hell To Pay, with Knopfler contributing guitar. The Knebworth performance, captured on the live album Knebworth: The Album, marks the song’s first public performance and remains its only official Dire Straits release. Fans on platforms like SonicHits rave about the interplay between Knopfler’s soulful riffs and Clapton’s blistering solo, with one fan noting, “The guitar Gods side by side!” Another quirky tidbit: during the performance, Knopfler’s burnt orange suit and Clapton’s pink suit became as iconic as their fretwork, with The Music Man describing the stage as a fashion showdown.

The Knebworth performance was a highlight of a star-studded charity event for Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy and the BRIT School for Performing Arts, drawing 120,000 fans. A 2023 post from the official Dire Straits account on X reminded fans of Clapton joining the band for a three-song set, including Think I Love You Too Much, urging followers to check out the full performance on their YouTube channel. The song’s live energy, driven by Knopfler’s mumbled vocals and Clapton’s rhythmic precision, has fans on Facebook calling it “sublime” and lamenting that Dire Straits didn’t record it in the studio. One fan even shared a personal story on SonicHits, saying they named their sons Eric and Mark to honor the song’s iconic duo. The track’s rarity and the chemistry between the two guitarists make it a standout, with Dire Straits Complete noting it as a highlight of the festival’s “Supergroup” finale.

Dire Straits began in 1977 in Deptford, South East London, founded by brothers Mark and David Knopfler, alongside John Illsley and Pick Withers. Mark, a former English teacher, and David, a social worker, were born in Glasgow but raised in Blyth, England. Illsley was studying at Goldsmiths’ College, while Withers brought a decade of music experience, having been a session drummer for artists like Dave Edmunds. The band’s early days were gritty, practicing in a friend’s flat and playing their first gig in a punk-dominated scene. Their debut single, Sultans of Swing, from their 1978 self-titled album, broke through with its laid-back, bluesy sound, hitting the top ten in the UK and US. Inspired by J.J. Cale’s relaxed style and Bob Dylan’s lyrical storytelling, Dire Straits carved a niche with Mark’s distinctive fingerstyle guitar and jazz-country inflections. By the mid-1980s, their album Brothers in Arms became a global phenomenon, boosted by the rise of MTV and CDs, cementing their status as one of the best-selling bands, with over 100 million records sold worldwide.

Though Dire Straits disbanded in 1995, their legacy lives on through fan communities and online platforms. You can follow their official updates on their website, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Fans gather on sites like Dire Straits Complete, a detailed archive of the band’s history, and SonicHits, where they share stories and song insights. Dedicated Facebook groups, such as Dire Straits Fans, keep the Zoo Freak spirit alive, swapping memories and rare live recordings. Whether you’re grooving to the Knebworth vibes or diving into the band’s roots, Dire Straits’ music continues to resonate with fans old and new.