Paul Kelly announces new album with sequel to iconic Aussie song
Seventy, reflecting the age its author turned in January, will be released on November 7, just over a year after his last album Fever Longing Still. Its first single — the mooted How To Make Gravy sequel Rita Wrote a Letter — was released on Thursday morning along with a video directed by Imogen McCluskey.
READ BELOW: Our (spoiler-free) verdict on Rita Wrote A Letter
The sequel, teased by Kelly this week in a funeral notice in a Melbourne newspaper, comes almost 30 years after listeners first met the characters Dan, Rita and Joe as the latter spends his first Christmas behind bars.
How To Make Gravy, released in 1996, was last year adapted into a feature film and has transcended its modest origins to become a festive classic certified four times platinum by ARIA and last month voted the ninth best Australian song of all time by Triple J listeners.
'I've been mulling over the idea of a sequel to How To Make Gravy from Rita's point of view for quite some time,' Kelly explained.
'About five years ago I wrote down the words, 'Rita wrote a letter,' and thought, 'There's my title.'
'I scratched away intermittently and fruitlessly for several years but never got very far until [nephew and bandmate] Dan Kelly sent me a recording of something he'd written on piano with a rough melody over the top. The words started rolling after that.
'As often happens, they took me by surprise. You could say the song took a dark turn but to my mind it's a black comedy. A ghost story. You hear Rita's voice loud and clear, but Joe talks even more. I couldn't shut him up.' Paul Kelly's new album Seventy will be released on November 7. Credit: EMI
Kelly and his band will hit some of Australia's biggest venues later this month, kicking off at Perth's RAC Arena on August 26 before swinging through Brisbane, Sydney, Hobart and Adelaide and wrapping up with a two-night stand at Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena on September 6 and 7.
'Looking back on what we've done with these songs, it's really a band record,' Kelly said of Seventy. 'Peter Luscombe has been with me for more than 30 years, Bill McDonald and Dan Kelly for 20. Even the newbies Cameron Bruce and Ash Naylor have been with me since 2007.'
A bouncing, jaunty arrangement — think the 2014 Merri Soul Sessions project and a vocal line at times not dissimilar to Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel's 1975 hit Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me) — seems somewhat at odds with its lyrical content. Let's just say Joe didn't get out by July, and when he eventually did, things didn't get much better.
Though Kelly had already announced the death of Joe earlier this week — and indeed makes it clear in the opening couplet — the method of his demise and the events leading to it will take some fans by surprise.
Keen-eared listeners will note the clear connection (and we're not talking about the letter) to another hit, To Her Door, Kelly having previously suggested the two songs may in fact be about the same character.
Will it become a beloved classic like its predecessor? Probably not — but considering the original's two-decade journey from cherished secret passed around barbecues and late night/early morning loungerooms to national treasure, you never know.
Perhaps that redemptive aspect (late in the song Kelly sings 'I made my bed, I'm lying in it/And I know they're gonna be alright') is the entire point: this is a love letter from a man who did all the dumb things and died to tell the tale.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Perth Now
a day ago
- Perth Now
Kelly Ripa jokes she only wears bras 'to hold her microphone' on air
Kelly Ripa has joked she only wears a bra "to hold her microphone". The 54-year-old talk show host quipped that the average age of her bras is "thousands of years" because "they don't get a big workout". During a discussion about the history of bras on Live with Kelly and Mark, she quipped: "I'm not asking a lot of them, if you know what I'm saying. You know what I mean? "Basically, I wear a bra to hold my microphone on. That is why I wear a bra, not to hold anything else, because there's nothing else there. "I don't care if you're offended. Shut it! That is why I wear a bra, just to put a microphone on. So, I don't ask a lot." Her husband and co-star Mark Consuelos, also 54, joked his bra preference is "the ones that had the little snaps at the front", and she admitted he was "very good" at remvoing those. She teased: "I was so impressed. I was like 'wow' and I mean this guy knows his way around a bra." Last month, Kelly admitted she once debated a breast augmentation, as she joked about her small bust. She told the Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast: "I have no boobs. "We know that I'm flat-chested. It's not a mystery at this point. It's almost a point of pride." Although she's been tempted in the past, she ends up reading "horror stories" about botched surgeries which puts her off. She said: 'I've gone to more breast augmentation consults than I would like to admit. "Like, every time I hear about the new boob guy, I go and I have a consult. And I'm like, 'What? What will you do?' And they always, like, say all the right things and do all the right things. "And, you know, because our cell phones listen to us … It pops up. And I scroll through, like, so many horror stories of boob jobs.' Meanwhile, a lot of her friends have had breast augmentations in the past, but it doesn't stop there. She explained: "They've had multiple because, like, every ten years or so, you have to, like, swap them out. "So let's say I get them at 55. Right? That means at 65, I have to swap them out. At 75, I'm on my second pair? Let's say I live to 85, I'm going under the knife again?"
Courier-Mail
a day ago
- Courier-Mail
The Temper Trap break nine-year silence with new single ‘Lucky Dimes'
Don't miss out on the headlines from Music. Followed categories will be added to My News. Aussie global hitmakers The Temper Trap are back together after a nine-year hiatus with a surprise new song 'Lucky Dimes.' The quartet have been riding high on social media and streaming over the past 18 months with a succession of popular remixes of their 2009 smash 'Sweet Disposition'. The love for that song continues at home with 'Sweet Disposition' landing at No. 11 on Triple J's recent Hottest 100 Australian Songs poll. They also enjoyed a viral moment when TikTok fans resurfaced a track by late rapper Mac Miller which heavily sampled the Temper Trap's hit 'Love Lost' and now has more than 400 million streams. Frontman Dougy Mandagi blamed burnout and a fear of repeating themselves for the band's long break between their 2016 album Thick as Thieves and their return to the singles game with 'Lucky Dimes'. The Temper Trap brings back 80s band photo style to launch new single. Picture: Alberto Zimmerman / Supplied. 'There was a little bit of burnout, but for me personally, I think I just couldn't see a path forward at the time where we would do something that would sound fresh and new and exciting,' he said from his London home. 'It just seemed like if we were going to get back in the studio … that we would just come out with more of the same and I didn't want to be in the studio for another 18 months doing Sweet Disposition 2.0. 'I needed to take a break and do other things and soak in more inspiration from life, the world, and different music, and I pursued a side project, a solo project as well, which was fun to do.' Mandagi got the band back together with Jonny Aherne, Toby Dundas and Joseph Greeran two years ago and have been steadily working on new songs as well as returning to festival stages. The Temper Trap have been enjoying viral success with Sweet Disposition remixes. Picture: Supplied. He said the older, wiser quartet were closer both personally and professionally after the members spent almost a decade pursuing their own creative endeavours and raising their respective children. 'I think the band is in a much better place now, we're closer than we've ever been,' Mandagi said. 'I would dare say that we actually had even more fun writing this record than we did the first record, when we first got together. 'It's cool, we've just been through a lot in life, we all have families now and I guess there's less ego in the room.' The band are working out tour dates in Australia for early 2026. Picture: Supplied. The darker-edged 'Lucky Dimes' has a 90s electronic rock vibe similar to Garbage, who have just announced their return to Australia for the first tour in a decade with the Good Things festival. The band worked with Grammy-nominated Aussie producer Styalz Fuego whose credits include hits with Troye Sivan, Charli XCX and Khalid. 'I'm a 90s child so I was the right age to receive all that good music. So yeah, we're just tapping into stuff we like,' he said. The single is out now with The Temper Trap still confirming plans to return for an Australian tour in early 2026. Originally published as The Temper Trap break long silence with new single after going viral with debut hit Sweet Disposition
The Advertiser
a day ago
- The Advertiser
Paul Kelly farewells Joe in How to Make Gravy sequel
Paul Kelly has surprised fans with a sequel to his beloved single How to Make Gravy, finally revealing what happened to Rita after Joe was sent to prison. The long-awaited follow-up track, Rita Wrote a Letter, was released on Thursday, picking up from the singer-songwriter's 1996 hit. How to Make Gravy is one of Kelly's most popular songs. It features the incarcerated Joe, who reflects on being separated from his family at Christmas time in a prisoner letter addressed to Dan. For three decades, the song has been a soundtrack staple for holiday road trips and turkey lunches. The track was voted as Australia's ninth-best song of all time in the triple j Hottest 100 Australian songs countdown, and has also been adapted into an award-winning feature film. The sequel continues the storyline from the original song, except Joe is dead and Rita has moved on with love interest, Joe's brother Dan. Kelly foreshadowed its release in a death notice for Joe published in a Melbourne newspaper on Monday, claiming he died from a "sudden misadventure". The obituary described the song's pivotal character as a beloved father, husband, brother, brother-in-law, and uncle to Dan, Rita, Stella, Roger, Mary, Angus, Frank, and Dolly - all names featured in the song. It also announced an August 14 funeral to be followed by a "wake to end all wakes". The sequel is the first single in Kelly's album SEVENTY, to be released on November 7, named for his milestone birthday in January. Kelly released the single alongside a music video, starring himself and long-time friend and actress Justine Clarke as Rita. The song's release precedes one of Kelly's biggest tours to-date, kicking off in Perth on August 26, before heading to Brisbane, Sydney, Hobart, Adelaide, and Melbourne, then multiple New Zealand venues. The 70-year-old has tallied multiple awards over his extensive career including the 2017 Order of Australia, along with 17 ARIAs and five APRAs. His long list of hit singles include To Her Door, From Little Things Big Things Grow and Leaps and Bounds. Paul Kelly has surprised fans with a sequel to his beloved single How to Make Gravy, finally revealing what happened to Rita after Joe was sent to prison. The long-awaited follow-up track, Rita Wrote a Letter, was released on Thursday, picking up from the singer-songwriter's 1996 hit. How to Make Gravy is one of Kelly's most popular songs. It features the incarcerated Joe, who reflects on being separated from his family at Christmas time in a prisoner letter addressed to Dan. For three decades, the song has been a soundtrack staple for holiday road trips and turkey lunches. The track was voted as Australia's ninth-best song of all time in the triple j Hottest 100 Australian songs countdown, and has also been adapted into an award-winning feature film. The sequel continues the storyline from the original song, except Joe is dead and Rita has moved on with love interest, Joe's brother Dan. Kelly foreshadowed its release in a death notice for Joe published in a Melbourne newspaper on Monday, claiming he died from a "sudden misadventure". The obituary described the song's pivotal character as a beloved father, husband, brother, brother-in-law, and uncle to Dan, Rita, Stella, Roger, Mary, Angus, Frank, and Dolly - all names featured in the song. It also announced an August 14 funeral to be followed by a "wake to end all wakes". The sequel is the first single in Kelly's album SEVENTY, to be released on November 7, named for his milestone birthday in January. Kelly released the single alongside a music video, starring himself and long-time friend and actress Justine Clarke as Rita. The song's release precedes one of Kelly's biggest tours to-date, kicking off in Perth on August 26, before heading to Brisbane, Sydney, Hobart, Adelaide, and Melbourne, then multiple New Zealand venues. The 70-year-old has tallied multiple awards over his extensive career including the 2017 Order of Australia, along with 17 ARIAs and five APRAs. His long list of hit singles include To Her Door, From Little Things Big Things Grow and Leaps and Bounds. Paul Kelly has surprised fans with a sequel to his beloved single How to Make Gravy, finally revealing what happened to Rita after Joe was sent to prison. The long-awaited follow-up track, Rita Wrote a Letter, was released on Thursday, picking up from the singer-songwriter's 1996 hit. How to Make Gravy is one of Kelly's most popular songs. It features the incarcerated Joe, who reflects on being separated from his family at Christmas time in a prisoner letter addressed to Dan. For three decades, the song has been a soundtrack staple for holiday road trips and turkey lunches. The track was voted as Australia's ninth-best song of all time in the triple j Hottest 100 Australian songs countdown, and has also been adapted into an award-winning feature film. The sequel continues the storyline from the original song, except Joe is dead and Rita has moved on with love interest, Joe's brother Dan. Kelly foreshadowed its release in a death notice for Joe published in a Melbourne newspaper on Monday, claiming he died from a "sudden misadventure". The obituary described the song's pivotal character as a beloved father, husband, brother, brother-in-law, and uncle to Dan, Rita, Stella, Roger, Mary, Angus, Frank, and Dolly - all names featured in the song. It also announced an August 14 funeral to be followed by a "wake to end all wakes". The sequel is the first single in Kelly's album SEVENTY, to be released on November 7, named for his milestone birthday in January. Kelly released the single alongside a music video, starring himself and long-time friend and actress Justine Clarke as Rita. The song's release precedes one of Kelly's biggest tours to-date, kicking off in Perth on August 26, before heading to Brisbane, Sydney, Hobart, Adelaide, and Melbourne, then multiple New Zealand venues. The 70-year-old has tallied multiple awards over his extensive career including the 2017 Order of Australia, along with 17 ARIAs and five APRAs. His long list of hit singles include To Her Door, From Little Things Big Things Grow and Leaps and Bounds. Paul Kelly has surprised fans with a sequel to his beloved single How to Make Gravy, finally revealing what happened to Rita after Joe was sent to prison. The long-awaited follow-up track, Rita Wrote a Letter, was released on Thursday, picking up from the singer-songwriter's 1996 hit. How to Make Gravy is one of Kelly's most popular songs. It features the incarcerated Joe, who reflects on being separated from his family at Christmas time in a prisoner letter addressed to Dan. For three decades, the song has been a soundtrack staple for holiday road trips and turkey lunches. The track was voted as Australia's ninth-best song of all time in the triple j Hottest 100 Australian songs countdown, and has also been adapted into an award-winning feature film. The sequel continues the storyline from the original song, except Joe is dead and Rita has moved on with love interest, Joe's brother Dan. Kelly foreshadowed its release in a death notice for Joe published in a Melbourne newspaper on Monday, claiming he died from a "sudden misadventure". The obituary described the song's pivotal character as a beloved father, husband, brother, brother-in-law, and uncle to Dan, Rita, Stella, Roger, Mary, Angus, Frank, and Dolly - all names featured in the song. It also announced an August 14 funeral to be followed by a "wake to end all wakes". The sequel is the first single in Kelly's album SEVENTY, to be released on November 7, named for his milestone birthday in January. Kelly released the single alongside a music video, starring himself and long-time friend and actress Justine Clarke as Rita. The song's release precedes one of Kelly's biggest tours to-date, kicking off in Perth on August 26, before heading to Brisbane, Sydney, Hobart, Adelaide, and Melbourne, then multiple New Zealand venues. The 70-year-old has tallied multiple awards over his extensive career including the 2017 Order of Australia, along with 17 ARIAs and five APRAs. His long list of hit singles include To Her Door, From Little Things Big Things Grow and Leaps and Bounds.
