Above photo, date unknown.

From an email received 28 March 2020.

This was the pub where Mark Knopfler saw the jazz band called “Sultans of Swing”…

Regards,

Andrew Wild.

Extract from Mark Knopler 1983 Dire Straits biography.

Through the spring and early summer of 1977 the songs kept coming. Wild West End’ was written about Mark’s wanderings around London; ’Southbound Again' came from memories of trips to the capital. Of ‘Sultans of Swing', Mark says: "Sultans" was written quite a long time before the band; I hadn't met John then. Dave was living somewhere down in Greenwich and we just went out to the pub - I think it was called the "Swan," something like that, in Greenwich High Road - and had a game of pool and a couple of pints. There was a jazz band playing, and there was nobody in there except us and a couple of kids in the comer.

They did a couple of requests. I asked them for "Creole Love Call", and it was great. There are loads of bands like that. They're postmen, milkmen, accountants, draughtsmen, teachers. They just get together Sunday lunchtimes, night-times, and they play trad.

And it's funny because they play this New Orleans music note for note - in Greenwich.'

John remembers that originally 'Sultans’ was very different. The lyrics were the same but the tune was completely different. 'I have the feeling that he wrote some music one day and said, Hey, I've got some great new chords for “Sultans"!'