Paul Kelly on making Gravy: ‘There’s no chorus, it’s set in prison - it’s a strange song to become so popular’
It took decades for Paul Kelly to get a number 1 hit, and now he has two back-to-back number 1 albums. But the living legend says chasing chart success “isn’t my job” and he’s not interested in a hat trick.
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If you’re counting, and Paul Kelly isn’t, it is now 40 years since his first single was released.
Recognition was released back in 1979, credited to The Dots (who would later become Paul Kelly and the Dots).
“I’m a bit hazy on some of the dates,” Kelly says of marking career milestones.
“I wrote my first song when I was 21, some time in 1976. I remember that quite clearly. I haven’t done one of those ‘Play Post or Gossip in full’ live shows. It doesn’t really appeal to me that much to go and do a retro show. But never say never?”
If his arm was twisted, which Paul Kelly album would Paul Kelly play start to finish?
“Some of the old records I might have lost touch with some of the songs. Some of the more recent records are the ones which I think are more of a whole piece, like (2012’s) Spring and Fall, that would be one I could go out and do, but I don’t know if that would be that popular. Or (2001’s) … Nothing But a Dream, I see those records as whole pieces. Whereas when I think of the older records what remains to me is just certain songs.”
Kelly himself mentioned playing ‘80s fan favourites Post and Gossip in full — would the day ever come?
“I still play From St Kilda To Kings Cross (from Post) … (long pause). It might be the right time at some stage, I’ve just got other things going on.”
In 2019, as ever, Paul Kelly enjoys the fact Paul Kelly fans never know quite what to expect.
He’s just come off two back to back No. 1 albums (the first of his career) in as many years — 2017’s Life Is Fine and 2018’s Nature.
“It’s a win for the team,” Kelly says of the chart position.
“I like collaboration, I collaborate with my band, the record company is part of the team too. Their main job is to get your album to No.1. That’s not my job. My job is to write good songs. I’m not trying to do their job. So when it happens it’s great, everyone gets very excited, I get excited. But it’s not something I go after, I wouldn’t know how to. I don’t have the chart in mind when I write a song.”
That’s evident with the follow-up to Nature, Thirteen Ways To Look At Birds — a collaborative jazz-inspired album setting poems about birds to music.
He’s following that up with a poetry book, Love Is Strong as Death, out on November 19.
“They’re not my poems, but my favourite poems. It’s like my greatest hits, but in poetry. I thought I would do maybe 50 to 100. Once I started it got bigger; there’s 330 poems in there. And it’s in alphabetical order, so old poems sit with new ones, the authors are all mixed up. I like that.”
He’ll launch the book in November with intimate showcases playing from his increasing repertoire of poems set to music — all the gigs sold out instantly.
“That’s the key to show business, variety. Doing different kinds of shows, not always the same ones.”
“I don’t like being too busy,” Kelly adds when asked about his work rate. “I follow my nose. Want to do a poetry book? OK. It’s being open to ideas other people have or I have and following them up. The most important thing is to keep time to write, if you get too busy you stop writing.”
This year saw Paul Kelly end up co-writing a song with Paul McCartney. A tune he wrote with Thelma Plum, Made For You, was overheard by the Beatle, who liked it so much he added a guitar line to it.
“I’ll take that,” Kelly says. “I’ve now written a song with Paul McCartney.”
There is another Paul Kelly album this year that may give him another No. 1 — an update of his Songs From the South compilation to include material from the last decade, plus new duets with Dan Sultan (Every Day My Mother’s Voice) and Kasey Chambers (When We Were Both Mad and Old). It’s also out on vinyl for the first time.
“I did the tracklisting in collaboration with the record company. They sent a suggested list, based on what’s popular, I tweaked it a little bit, updated the cover. Pretty easy.”
Are there songs he’s obliged to play at every concert?
“We’d always play To Her Door, How to Make Gravy, Dumb Things — they’re always in the set, they’re the three, other songs move around a bit. Over the years, just through the people who come to see shows, they know now to expect it’s always going to be different. I like to make the show a ramble down some byways as going down the highways.”
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1996’s How To Make Gravy (written for a Spirit of Christmas charity compilation) has not only become a gateway song to introduce young fans to Paul Kelly, it’s spawned the Making Gravy mini-festival which is now going national.
He’ll take Courtney Barnett, Kate Miller-Heidke and Marlon Williams with him this December.
“I know all those people, it’s a bit like a family getting together and doing some shows.”
Kelly has watched How To Make Gravy become a modern Australian Christmas classic, which also manages to be popular all year round.
“Songs just take on a life of their own, it’s funny. It’s a one-off song, it wasn’t on an album, it doesn’t have a chorus, it’s set in prison. It’s a strange song to become so popular, but it’s become part of a ritual. It’s a song that does its own thing.”
Kelly fans who enjoy him in Christmas mode may be in luck — the musician is squirrelling away festive songs for a whole album next year.
“I got obsessed with the poetry book and the bird album, so I haven’t got a build up of songs, it might be a while before a new album. So we might do a Christmas album next year, I’d like to do that. We did a song by (Australian band) The Large Number Twelves, they’ve got a great Christmas song, called Christmas, I’ve recorded that. Kasey Chambers and I did a Louvin Brothers song, The Friendly Beasts, which is a Christmas song, and I’ve recorded Christmas Must Be Tonight by The Band, which Robbie Robertson wrote. I do like the idea of a Christmas record.”
Next year will also bring another Paul Kelly book — this time a biography written by journalist Stuart Coupe.
“I know about it,” Kelly says. “I know he’s interviewing people, he’s spoken to Peter Luscombe, Vika and Linda (Bull). People keep calling me saying ‘Stuart wants to talk to me, is that OK?’ Yes! I said talk to whoever you like, he’s going to sit down and interview me at some stage. We’ve got a long history, Stuart managed me very early on, he’ll understand the long view. I wouldn’t say I’m comfortable with it, but I’m realistic about it. If he wants to write it, it’s not something I’d try and stop. But it’s not like I’m jumping up and down with excitement about it.”
Paul Kelly, Songs From the South (EMI) out November 15.
AFL Grand Final, Saturday Sep 28
Stadium Park at Optus Stadium December 7
Sidney Myer Music Bowl Melbourne December 12
The Domain Sydney (with Thelma Plum) December 14
Riverstage Brisbane December 21
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