A Pub with No Beer: Difference between revisions

| writer = [[Gordon Parsons (singer-songwriter)|Gordon Parsons]]

| next_year =

The[[Gordon songParsons written(singer-songwriter)|Gordon inParsons]] wrote and arranged the song about his local pub at [[Taylors armArm,Nsw New wasSouth adaptedWales]], by [[Gordonadapted Parsonsfrom (singer-songwriter)|GordonIrish Parsons]]poet fromDan theSheahan's original poem "A Pub Without Beer" byabout Danthe SheahanDay ofDawn Hotel in [[Ingham, Queensland|Ingham, North Queensland]] (originally from Newmarket, Ireland) in the Day Dawn Hotel, now known as [[Lees Hotel|Lees Hotel, Ingham, Queensland]]., Itand isset believedto the songtune wasof firstStephen performedFoster's in[[Beautiful publicDreamer]]. byThe Gordonsong Parsonsgently in 1954 atexplores the 50th"devastation" birthdaycaused of George Thomas,to a residentpub ofand Creekits Ridgecommunity Road,when Glossodiaits (nearbeer Windsorsupply in Sydney). It was performed with an extra verse that was dropped from Slim Dusty's recorded version, because it contained elements of blueis humourinterrupted.

In 1957, Slim Dusty's version of "A Pub with No Beer" became the first Australian single to become a [[gold disc|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.<ref>{{cite book | author= [[Tracee Hutchison]] | author-link= Tracee Hutchison |title=Your Name's On The Door|page=1|year=1992|publisher=ABC Enterprises |location=Sydney |isbn=0-7333-0115-0}}</ref> 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.

The song spent 15 weeks on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at No 3 in 1959.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/search/singles/a-pub-with-no-beer/|title=A pub with no beer &#124; full Official Chart History &#124; Official Charts Company|website=[[Official Charts Company|Official Charts]] }}</ref>

"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''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0220684/ |title= De Ordonnans (Café zonder bier/A Pub With No Beer)|accessdateaccess-date=2008-12-08 |publisher=IMDB}}</ref> 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.

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, layoffsthere becamewere 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.<ref name="Bowering1995">{{cite book|author=Ian Bowering|title=Brewing in Formosa: 125 Years of Tradition|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AYgndCyYwR0C&pg=PA62|year=1995|publisher=General Store Publishing House|isbn=978-1-896182-22-3|page=62}}</ref> 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 [[Rum-running|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 No. 15 on the [[CHUM Chart]]s in October.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://chumtribute.com/58-10-06-chart.jpg| title=CHUM Hit Parade – October 6, 1958}}</ref>

In 19601964, Benny Barnes from Beaumont, Texas, Americanized the lyrics to "A Pub with No Beer" and titled it "Bar with No Beer."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Benny-Barnes-Bar-With-No-Beer/release/5000959|title=Benny Barnes – Bar With No Beer|website=Discogs|date=6 October 1964 |language=en|access-date=2020-01-21}}</ref> The song became a regional hit on the Hall-Way label.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://tjscountry.forumotion.com/t1640-benny-barnes-discography|title=Benny Barnes – Discography|website=TJ's House Of Country Music|language=en|access-date=2020-01-21}}</ref>{{Better source needed|date=January 2020}} The melody of the song is almost identical to [[Stephen Foster]]'s "[[Beautiful Dreamer]]".<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.poparchives.com.au/545/slim-dusty/a-pub-with-no-beer|title=A Pub With No Beer – SLIM DUSTY (1957)|website=Pop Archives – Sources of Australian Pop Records from the 50s, 60s and 70s|access-date=2020-01-21}}</ref> "Bar with No Beer" was recorded by [[Tom T. Hall]] in 1985 on the album ''[[Song in a Seashell]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Tom-T-Hall-Song-In-A-Seashell/master/712722|title=Tom T. Hall – Song In A Seashell|website=Discogs|date=6 October 1985 |language=en|access-date=2020-01-21}}</ref> [[Johnny Cash]], who also performed the song, advised him to record it.{{Citation<ref needed|datename=May":0" 2011}}/>

Anne Kirkpatrick & [[Slim Dusty]], [[Bobbejaan Schoepen]] ([[Benelux]], Germany, Austria, 1959/60), [[Johnny Cash]], [[Wilf Carter (musician)|Wilf Carter]], [[Harry Hibbs (musician)|Harry Hibbs]], Bluey Francis, Errol Gray, [[Foster & Allen]], [[Gordon Parsons (song-writer)|Gordon Parsons]], [[the Irish Rovers]], Johnny Greenwood, [[John Williamson (singer)|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).

== External links ==

* [http://www.slimdusty.com.au/ Slim Dusty's official website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080127061237/http://www.slimdusty.com.au/ |date=27 January 2008 }}

* Listen to a clip from Slim Dusty singing [http://aso.gov.au/titles/music/a-pub-with-no-beer/ '"Pub With No Beer'"] and read more about it on [http://aso.gov.au/ australianscreen online]

* '"Pub With No Beer'" was added to the [[National Film and Sound Archive]]'s [[Sounds of Australia]] registry in 2008

[[Category:Songs about alcoholbeer]]