932. I Love to Have a Beer With Duncan (Pat Alexander)

This song, which really captures the character of Australian mateship, was written by Pat Alexander, who was a life assurance salesman in the 1970s. One day, when he was knocking on factory doors in Sydney's Southern suburbs, he was invited in by the owner of a heat-treatment factory, who introduced himself as Duncan Urquhart, and suggested they go and talk in the pub around the corner, the Town & Country Hotel, at St. Peters. They talked about everything except insurance. Pat went back to see Duncan three times before realising he was not interested in buying any life insurance, but was just enjoying the conversation. Pat's response was to write the first verse and chorus of this song, which he then threw in a cupboard, where it stayed for five years.

When Bob Hawke was campaigning to become Prime Minister, Pat sent an audio tape of a song he wrote about Bob Hawke to a television station, which aired it as a novelty item in June 1980. He arranged with EMI to record "The Bob Hawke Song", and put "Duncan" on the B side. He sent the disc to every radio station in Sydney, and 2KY's Malcolm T Elliot played it on air, and also played "Duncan". Malcolm then sent out messages to find the original Duncan from five years earlier. Not long after, Slim Dusty's wife, Joy McKean, heard the song and asked Slim to listen to it. Though he wasn't impressed at first, with a bit of pushing from his wife he recorded it and EMI released it as a single. On the morning of Monday the 10th of November 1980, Radio 2UE's John Laws played the song eleven times. By early 1981 it was a top hit.

There is a great video on YouTube of Slim Dusty singing the song at the actual pub "The Town and Country" in 1980, with Duncan on one side of him and Pat on the other.

This song was requested by TIAAVENDEALANTIN

You can see a playlist of my Australian songs here: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=0DE11C284435E7A2

For lyrics and chords, see my website: http://www.raymondcrooke.com

Category:

Music

Tags:

• folk
• song
• australian
• pub
• culture
• mateship
• slim
• dusty
• request

[Hulstro]

Good on ya Mate. Love a good old Aussie Ballad (Don't mind a beer either ;)

[raymondcrooke]

@Hulstro No worries, mate. Thanks for dropping in.

[stephen1231000]

i love you man you are a great gurtair player.

[raymondcrooke]

Not really, but thanks for subscribing.

[getayamaha]

haha great dude

[raymondcrooke]

Thank you.

[krypterman]

@raymondcrooke cool

[raymondcrooke]

I hope he enjoys it.

[mmebaudou]

Very good song. My brother will love it, it could be written for him!

[mmebaudou]

Very good. I shall forward this to my brother. H