Dire Straits followed the ponderous Love Over Gold five months later with a three-song EP paced by its title track, which lived up to its name by adopting a twist beat, making it the closest thing to exuberant rock & roll this seemingly humorless band had ever attempted. "Two Young Lovers" had the same early rock feel, and even "If I Had You" was taken at a quicker tempo than had become common on Dire Straits albums. Twisting by the Pool didn't quite turn Dire Straits into a dance band, but it went a long way toward lightening up the group's image and repertoire.