“Duncan” (often referred to as “I’d love to have a beer with Duncan”, after a line in the song) was written by Pat Alexander (born in Sydney, NSW, in 1937), and was made famous by Slim Dusty (David Gordon Kirkpatrick), whose recording of it reached #1 on the singles charts in 1980. The song has since been performed by various artists.
The background to the song was from a time when Pat Alexander was selling insurance. Pat had met Duncan Urquhart, the owner of a heat-treatment factory in St Peters (Sydney, NSW) and was trying to sell him an insurance policy (although, as it turned out, he didn’t buy one); Duncan suggested that they discuss the matter over a beer at the local pub (the Town and Country Hotel in St. Peters), where they met several times, and Pat thought up the song whilst driving home from one of those meetings.
Duncan, sung by Slim Dusty
Duncan, sung by Slim Dusty
Duncan, sung by Pat Alexander and the Wagga City Rugby Male Choir
The Duncan story, told by Pat Alexander
Pat Alexander tells his life story at the Criterion Hotel, Young (NSW), November 2006. Starts 3.49 min.; see 7.20 re the “Duncan” story; 14.56 Pat sings “Duncan” with some altered verses).
Duncan, sung by Raymond Crooke
Duncan, sung by Adam Harvey and Beccy Cole
References and further information:
Pat Alexander, Pat Alexander, Mushroom Music Publishing (accessed 28 September 2012)
Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Chart Positions Pre 1989 Part 3, Australian-Charts.com (accessed 28 September 2012)
Jonathan Chancellor, Town and Country Hotel of Slim Dusty song Duncan fame listed, Property Observer, 27 April 2012 (accessed 28 September 2012)
I love to have a beer with Duncan
Pat Alexander was OIC of Mail &Despatch at the ABC in Gore Hill, NSW, when he wrote “I’d Love to have a Beer with Duncan”. Nice song, but the fellow in this video is not the Pat Alexander I have worked with for many years.
Dieter
The YouTube videos with Pat Alexander which were in this post are no longer on YouTube (which is quite annoying; it happens a lot with YouTube); however, they have now been replaced with some others.
Pat Alexander says that he was selling insurance when he wrote “Duncan”. Unless Pat worked at the ABC at some other time, some bloke is playing a joke on you. The replacement YouTube videos which have been put up today show Pat Alexander the songwriter and musician.