A Pub with No Beer

Last updated

"A Pub with No Beer"
Single by Slim Dusty
B-side "Saddle Boy"
Released1957
Recorded1957
Genre Country
Label Columbia
Songwriter(s) Gordon Parsons
Pub with No Beer sign in Ingham Australia Pub-with-no-beer.JPG
Pub with No Beer sign in Ingham Australia

"A Pub with No Beer" is the title of a humorous country song made famous by country singers Slim Dusty (in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States) and Bobbejaan Schoepen (in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Austria).

Contents

Gordon Parsons wrote and arranged the song about his local pub at Taylors Arm, New South Wales, adapted from Irish poet Dan Sheahan's original poem "A Pub Without Beer" about the Day Dawn Hotel in Ingham, North Queensland, now known as Lees Hotel, Ingham, Queensland. The song gently explores the "devastation" caused to a pub and its community when its beer supply is interrupted.

The song was first performed in public by Gordon Parsons in 1954 at the 50th birthday of George Thomas, a resident of Creek Ridge Road, Glossodia (near Windsor in Sydney). It was performed with an extra verse that was dropped from Slim Dusty's recorded version, because it contained elements of blue humour.

In January 2018, as part of Triple M's "Ozzest 100", the 'most Australian' songs of all time, "A Pub with No Beer" was ranked number 45. [1]

Australia

In 1957, Slim Dusty's version of "A Pub with No Beer" became the first Australian single to become a gold record and was the biggest-selling record by an Australian at the time. It was the first single by an Australian artist to enter the British charts, reaching number three. [2] The song was also covered by country artist Johnny Ashcroft in 1957. His version was also released in the USA and Canada, and reportedly sold over 100,000 copies in Australia on budget-priced plastic-coated cardboard records.

In 1959, Dusty wrote and recorded a sequel, "The Answer To A Pub With No Beer", explaining the reason for the beer delivery truck's failure to arrive and describing the townsmen's efforts to solve the problem. Another sequel, "The Sequel to a Pub with No Beer", shows that the town now has a guaranteed delivery, thanks to air freight.

In May 2001, Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) celebrated its 75th anniversary by naming the Best Australian Songs of all time. As decided by a 100 strong industry panel, "A Pub With No Beer" was ranked fifth on the list. [3] In June 2008, the song was included in the National Film and Sound Archive's Sounds of Australia registry. [4]

Europe

Belgian entertainer Bobbejaan Schoepen recorded the song in several languages. His Dutch version ("Café zonder bier") debuted in 1959 and his German version ("Ich steh an der Bar und ich habe kein Geld") in 1960. Both became number one hits in Belgium and in Austria. The song remained in the German charts for 30 weeks, where it reached number six.

The song spent 15 weeks on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at No 3 in 1959. [5]

"A Pub with No Beer" is also the theme song and title of a 1962 Belgian-British film starring Bobbejaan Schoepen, also known as De Ordonnans and At the Drop of a Head. [6] In 1999, the alternative rock band Dead Man Ray wrote (partly) a new soundtrack for the film and went on tour with it in the Low Countries. The band also covered the song and released it on one of their albums.

Canada

This song was very popular in Ontario, Canada, following a strike by brewery workers. Starting on Thursday, August 7, 1958, when 1,200 Brewers Warehousing Ltd. (Brewers Retail) employees walked off their jobs over pay, there were industry-wide layoffs as retail beer was no longer available. Originally aimed at Brewers Warehousing, the dispute quickly spread as contracts at various breweries across Ontario came up for renewal. [7] Their actions stopped the flow of beer from various breweries for 48 days and sales of hard liquor increased 25 percent. Non-unionized Formosa Spring operated at full capacity until it ran out of beer August 29, 1958. Many people purchased beer smuggled in from US and Quebec with bootleggers collecting up to C$20.00 for a case of 24 pints (previously sold at C$4.25). This song could be heard daily on most radio stations during the beer strike. The version by Barry Nesbitt reached #15 on the CHUM Charts in October. [8]

United States

In 1964, Benny Barnes from Beaumont, Texas, Americanized the lyrics to "A Pub with No Beer" and titled it "Bar with No Beer." [9] The song became a regional hit on the Hall-Way label. [10] [ better source needed ] The melody of the song is almost identical to Stephen Foster's "Beautiful Dreamer". [11] "Bar with No Beer" was recorded by Tom T. Hall in 1985 on the album Song in a Seashell . [12] Johnny Cash, who also performed the song, advised him to record it. [11]

Renditions

Anne Kirkpatrick & Slim Dusty, Bobbejaan Schoepen (Benelux, Germany, Austria, 1959/60), Johnny Cash, Wilf Carter, Harry Hibbs, Bluey Francis, Errol Gray, Foster & Allen, Gordon Parsons, the Irish Rovers, Johnny Greenwood, John Williamson (performed a parody version of the song called "A Dog With No Hair"), Nokturnl, Richard Clayderman, Rodney Vincent, the Singing Kettles, Stewart Peters and the Ten Tenors are examples of artists that have covered the song. Other sources identify versions by Johnny Ashcroft, the Pogues, Danny O'Flaherty, Patsy Watchorn, the Clancy Brothers, Merv Allen & the Jimmy Johnston Showband and Wilson Cole, Rolf Harris (UK, 1963), Hamish Imlach (UK, 1995), the Dubliners (1967), Adge Cutler & the Wurzels (UK, 1968), Midnight Oil (Australia, 1998), Dead Man Ray (Belgium, 2001), and Donut Kings (2009).

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobbejaan Schoepen</span> Belgian musician

Bobbejaan Schoepen was a Flemish pioneer in Belgian pop music, vaudeville, and European country music. Schoepen was a versatile entertainer, entrepreneur, singer-songwriter, guitarist, comedian, actor, and professional whistler, as well as the founder and former director of the amusement park Bobbejaanland. His musical career flourished from 1948 until the first half of the 1970s. He sold more than five million copies from his repertoire of 482 songs, which extended from Twang, cabaret, instrumental film music, chansons, country, to folk and vocal music. Born in Boom, Antwerp, Flanders, Belgium, he worked his way up from a working-class environment to become one of the 200 richest people in Belgium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slim Dusty</span> Australian country music singer-songwriter (1927–2003)

Slim Dusty, AO MBE was an Australian country music singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer. He was an Australian cultural icon, referred to universally as Australia's King of Country Music and one of the country's most awarded stars, with a career spanning nearly seven decades and producing numerous recordings. He was known to record songs in the legacy of Australia, particularly of bush life and renowned Australian bush poets Henry Lawson and Banjo Paterson that represented the lifestyle. The music genre was coined the "bush ballad", a style first made popular by Buddy Williams, the first artist to perform the genre in Australia, and also for his many trucking songs.

Taylors Arm is a village in the Nambucca Valley in New South Wales, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian country music</span> Genre of popular music from Australia

Australian country music is a part of the music of Australia. There is a broad range of styles, from bluegrass, to yodeling to folk to the more popular. The genre has been influenced by Celtic and English folk music, the Australian bush ballad tradition, as well as by popular American country music. Themes include: outback life, the lives of stockmen, truckers and outlaws, songs of romance and of political protest; and songs about the "beauty and the terror" of the Australian bush.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eagle Rock (song)</span> 1971 single by Daddy Cool

"Eagle Rock" is the debut single by Australian rock band Daddy Cool, released in 1971 on the Sparmac record label. It went on to become the best-selling Australian single of the year, achieving gold status in eleven weeks, and remaining at No. 1 on the national charts for a (then) record ten weeks. "Eagle Rock" also spent 17 weeks at the No. 1 spot on the Melbourne Top 40 Singles Chart. The song was re-released by Wizard Records in 1982, and reached No. 17 on the Australian singles chart.

"The Real Thing" is the debut single by Australian singer Russell Morris, released in 1969. Written by Johnny Young and produced by Ian "Molly" Meldrum, it was a huge hit in Australia and has become an Australian rock classic. It also achieved success in the United States, reaching the top of the charts in Chicago, Houston, and New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Friday on My Mind</span> 1966 single by The Easybeats

"Friday on My Mind" is a 1966 song by Australian rock group the Easybeats. Written by band members George Young and Harry Vanda, the track became a worldwide hit, reaching No.16 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in May 1967 in the US, No.1 on the Dutch Top 40 chart, No.1 in Australia and No.6 in the UK, as well as charting in several other countries. In 2001, it was voted "Best Australian Song" of all time by the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) as determined by a panel of 100 music industry personalities. In 2007, "Friday on My Mind" was added to the National Film and Sound Archive's Sounds of Australia registry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Under the Milky Way</span> 1988 song by The Church

"Under the Milky Way" is a single by Australian alternative rock band the Church, released on 15 February 1988, and appears on their fifth studio album Starfish. The song was written by bass guitarist and lead vocalist Steve Kilbey and his then-girlfriend Karin Jansson of Curious (Yellow). It peaked at No. 22 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart, No. 24 on the United States Billboard Hot 100, No. 25 on the New Zealand Singles Chart and appeared in the Dutch Single Top 100. At the ARIA Music Awards of 1989, the song won 'Single of the Year'. It was issued simultaneously in both 7" vinyl and 12" vinyl formats by Arista Records (internationally) and Mushroom Records.

Dead Man Ray is a Belgian alternative rock band formed in 1996, originating from Berchem near Antwerp. Among its members are Daan Stuyven, Rudy Trouvé, Elko Blijweert, Wouter Van Belle, and Herman Houbrechts, who was later replaced by drummer Karel De Backer. Their debut Berchem was released in 1998, including the singles "Chemical" and "Beegee". In 1999 Dead Man Ray wrote partly a new soundtrack for the movie At the Drop of A Head, starring singer-songwriter Bobbejaan Schoepen. They did a sell out tour with this movie in Belgium and the Netherlands. The second album, Trap, was released in 2000 and contains some songs of this project. The album Cago was recorded in 2002 in Chicago and produced by Steve Albini.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Change</span> 1982 single by INXS

"Don't Change" is a song by Australian rock band INXS. It was released as a single from the album Shabooh Shoobah in October 1982. It has been described as the song that made the band internationally famous.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Throw Your Arms Around Me</span> 1984 single by Hunters & Collectors

"Throw Your Arms Around Me" is a song by Australian rock band Hunters & Collectors first released as a single in November 1984 by White Label for Mushroom Records. A re-recorded version of the song later appeared on the band's 1986 album Human Frailty. Written by bass guitarist John Archer, keyboardist Geoffrey Crosby, drummer Douglas Falconer, trumpet player Jack Howard, recorder/mixing engineer Robert Miles, vocalist/lead guitarist Mark Seymour and trombone player Michael Waters. The song captures the intensity of sensual love at the same time portraying its fleeting nature with lyrics including "And we may never meet again, So shed your skin and let's get started".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Power and the Passion (song)</span> 1983 single by Midnight Oil

"Power and the Passion" is the second single from Midnight Oil's 1982 album 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. The song is one of the band's most famous, and it was performed on every Midnight Oil tour since the issue of 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 as well as at the WaveAid concert.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wide Open Road (The Triffids song)</span> 1986 single by The Triffids

"Wide Open Road" is a single released in 1986 by Australian rock band The Triffids from their album Born Sandy Devotional. It was produced by Gil Norton and written by David McComb on vocals, keyboards and guitar. The B-side "Time of Weakness" was recorded live at the Graphic Arts Club, Sydney, November 1985 by Mitch Jones, mixed by Rob Muir. "Dear Miss Lonely Hearts" was recorded at Planet Sound Studios, Perth and produced by the Triffids. "Wide Open Road" reached No. 26 on the UK Singles Chart in 1986, and No. 64 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart. In May 2001 the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA), as part of its 75th Anniversary celebrations, named "Wide Open Road" as one of the Top 30 Australian songs of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treaty (song)</span> 1991 single by Yothu Yindi

"Treaty" is a protest song by Australian musical group Yothu Yindi, which is made up of Aboriginal and balanda (non-Aboriginal) members. Released in June 1991, "Treaty" was the first song by a predominantly Aboriginal band to chart in Australia and was the first song partly in any Aboriginal Australian language to gain extensive international recognition, peaking at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play singles charts. The song contains lyrics in Gumatj, one of the Yolngu Matha dialects and a language of the Yolngu people of Arnhem Land in northern Australia.

<i>The Slim Dusty Movie</i> 1984 Australian film

The Slim Dusty Movie is a 1984 Australian feature film directed by Rob Stewart and starring Slim Dusty, Joy McKean, Jon Blake and Mary Charleston.

Gordon Parsons was an Australian country music singer-songwriter, best known as the composer of Slim Dusty's 1957 hit song "A Pub With No Beer". In 1982, Parsons was inducted into the Australian Roll of Renown.

James Albert Abraham, known as Jimmy Ross or Mel Turner, was a singer and composer mostly known for his 1981 disco hit in England, "First True Love Affair."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duncan (Slim Dusty song)</span> 1980 single by Slim Dusty

"Duncan" is an Australian single recorded in 1980 by Slim Dusty which reached No. 1 on the Kent Music Report charts for two weeks in early 1981. The song was Dusty's second-most successful single after "A Pub with No Beer". It is also known as "Beer with Duncan", "Have a Beer with Duncan" and "I Love to Have a Beer with Duncan". It was written by Pat Alexander.

<i>Country Classics</i> (Slim Dusty album) 1996 greatest hits album by Slim Dusty

Country Classics is a 3CD greatest hits album by Australian country recording artist Slim Dusty, released through Reader's Digest. The album was separated into three periods of Dusty's career; The Early Years, The Middle Years and The Later Years. In 1999, the album was certified gold.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Garden (Australia Too song)</span> 1985 single by Australia Too

"The Garden" is a charity single, recorded by the Australia supergroup Australia Too. All Proceeds went to Freedom from Hunger in Ethiopia. The song peaked at number 38 on the Australian singles chart.

References

  1. ↑ "Here Are The Songs That Made Triple M's 'Ozzest 100'". Musicfeeds. 27 January 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  2. ↑ Tracee Hutchison (1992). Your Name's On The Door. Sydney, New South Wales: ABC Enterprises. p. 1. ISBN   0-7333-0115-0.
  3. ↑ "The final list: APRA'S Ten best Australian Songs". APRA. 28 May 2001. Archived from the original on 8 March 2008. Retrieved 8 May 2008.
  4. ↑ Edwards, Michael (19 June 2008). "Aussie sounds protected forever". ABC Radio AM Program. Retrieved 20 June 2008.
  5. ↑ "A pub with no beer | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Official Charts .
  6. ↑ "De Ordonnans (Café zonder bier/A Pub With No Beer)". IMDB. Retrieved 8 December 2008.
  7. ↑ Ian Bowering (1995). Brewing in Formosa: 125 Years of Tradition. General Store Publishing House. p. 62. ISBN   978-1-896182-22-3.
  8. ↑ "CHUM Hit Parade - October 6, 1958".
  9. ↑ "Benny Barnes - Bar With No Beer". Discogs. 6 October 1964. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
  10. ↑ "Benny Barnes - Discography". TJ's House Of Country Music. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
  11. 1 2 "A Pub With No Beer - SLIM DUSTY (1957)". Pop Archives - Sources of Australian Pop Records from the 50s, 60s and 70s. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
  12. ↑ "Tom T. Hall - Song In A Seashell". Discogs. 6 October 1985. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.