Latest news with #HowToMakeGravy
ABC News
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Paul Kelly spills the gravy on Rita Wrote A Letter
The long-awaited song sequel to his Christmas anthem 'How to Make Gravy' finds the master songwriter returning to the flawed but beloved characters with some delicious results, the quietly devastating yet darkly comic Rita Wrote A Letter. The new single arrives nearly three decades after the public met Paul Kelly's characters Dan, Joe, and Rita in his accidental Christmas classic, How To Make Gravy. Paull Kelly joins Karen Leng on Double J to spill the gravy on how this sequel came together, 29 years after the original recipe.
Perth Now
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Paul Kelly announces new album with sequel to iconic Aussie song
A fortnight out from his biggest-ever tour of Australia and New Zealand, legendary singer-songwriter Paul Kelly has announced details of his 30th album. 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.
7NEWS
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- 7NEWS
Paul Kelly announces new album Seventy, and the 7NEWS verdict on How To Make Gravy sequel Rita Wrote A Letter
A fortnight out from his biggest-ever tour of Australia and New Zealand, legendary singer-songwriter Paul Kelly has announced details of his 30th album. 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. 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!' 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.' Rita Wrote A Letter — the 7NEWS verdict 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. Eagle-eyed 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.
Daily Mail
12-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Paul Kelly announces shock death of 'much loved' family member in newspaper obituary - but there is a twist
Paul Kelly has shocked fans by announcing the death of one of Australia's most beloved song characters, Joe, from his iconic 1996 hit How To Make Gravy. The revered singer-songwriter shared a poignant obituary in The Age on Monday mourning Joe - the convict cook and accidental star of an Aussie Christmas anthem - who has passed away from 'sudden misadventure'. The death notice, also posted on Kelly's social media with the simple message 'RIP Joe,' paid tribute to the character as a 'much loved father, husband, brother, brother-in-law and uncle.' Kelly's signature song How To Make Gravy is a heartfelt Christmas letter from a prisoner to his family, expressing love, regret, and a bittersweet longing to be home for the holidays. 'With great sorrow, we announce the death of Joe by sudden misadventure,' the notice read. 'We'll miss you badly, Joe. You loved life and went hard at it. You loved music, food, football, celebration, tall tales and strong argument.' The heartfelt notice painted a vivid picture of Joe's spirit: 'We can still see you cooking up a storm in the kitchen at our big family gatherings, pots and pans on the go. 'BBQ smoking outside, glass of wine in hand, your beloved reggae music on the stereo... You filling up everybody's drinks and teasing the little ones.' The notice ended on a wistful note: 'Christmas just won't be the same this year without you... But we know you'll always be with us, hovering above us, floating all around us, making sure we get it right. And laughing when we don't.' The letter quotes lyrics from the iconic song by asking the heartbreaking question of 'who's going to make the gravy' now that Joe is gone. With the passing announced, Kelly recently told Double J he is setting the stage for a sequel called Rita Wrote A Letter, which promises to explore the story from another angle, possibly giving Joe's wife Rita a voice. Heartbroken fans took to social media to pay tribute to the iconic character. 'Thanks for being part of a great song. RIP,' one person wrote, and a second added, 'This sad news will haunt me for every Christmas onwards.' Kelly's fan-favourite song is so iconic that last year it was made into a Christmas movie. The death notice, also posted on Kelly's social media with the simple message 'RIP Joe,' paid tribute to the character as a 'much loved father, husband, brother, brother-in-law and uncle' Warner Bros. Australia produced the film based on the ballad, which tells the story of a convict who longs to be with his family at Christmas. It starred Mystery Road: Origin actor Daniel Henshall as Joe and Elvis star Kate Mulvany as his sister. The Binge original movie also featured Hugo Weaving and Kym Gyngell. The lyrics of the song, written in the form of a letter, captured listeners' imagination, inspiring fans to celebrate 'Gravy Day' on December 21 each year. The line 'Hello Dan, it's Joe here, I hope you're keeping well, it's the 21st of December' inspired loyalists to create the holiday. The words of the song tell of how homesick prisoner Joe shares his recipe for the perfect Christmas dinner gravy with his brother Dan.
7NEWS
12-08-2025
- Entertainment
- 7NEWS
Music legend Paul Kelly announces death of beloved character Joe from iconic Christmas song How To Make Gravy
Australian singer-songwriter Paul Kelly has shocked fans with the death of one of the most famous characters from his hit song, How To Make Gravy. On Monday, the music legend posted a public notice in The Age newspaper declaring Joe, the convict cook and star of the hugely popular 1996 Aussie Christmas anthem, had died. The notice was also shared on Kelly's Instagram with the short caption: 'RIP, Joe.' 'With great sorrow, we announce the death of Joe by sudden misadventure. Much loved father, husband, brother, brother-in-law and uncle to Dan, Rita, Stella, Roger, Mary, Angus, Frank and Dolly,' the public notice said. 'We'll miss you badly, Joe. You loved life and went hard at it. 'You loved music, food, football, celebration, tall tales and strong argument. 'We can still see you cooking up a storm in the kitchen at our big family gatherings, pots and pans on the go, BBQ smoking outside, glass of wine in hand, your beloved reggae music on the stereo, Junior Murvin, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Gregory Isaac and the like. 'You filling up everybody's drinks and teasing the little ones. 'Christmas just won't be the same this year without you.' Of course, the notice also included the infamous lyric: 'Who's gonna make the gravy?' It's a question that fans of the song are asking too, as they mourn the beloved character. 'But we know you'll always be with us, hovering above us, floating all around us, making sure we get it right. And laughing when we don't,' the notice continued. 'The funeral and service will be on August 14th. Followed by a wake to end all wakes! 'Further details to follow.' Kelly's followers expressed their sadness but also wondered if there was more behind his cryptic post — some speculated it was the musician teasing the long-awaited sequel to his iconic Australian song. 'I feel like there's more to this? What's happening on August 14?' one person commented on the post. 'Is this the follow up song?' another questioned. 'Just like the gravy, the plot thickens,' wrote one fan. Kelly's song — the inspiration for Binge's 2024 film How To Make Gravy — tells the story of Joe, a prisoner longing to spend Christmas with his family. In a letter to his brother, Dan, Joe shares a recipe for gravy (featuring flour, salt, red wine, and a dollop of tomato sauce) to help prepare the family's festive dinner. Joe asks Dan to care for his children in his absence and confesses his regret over his mistakes, expressing how much he wishes he could be there. He also pleads with Dan to support his wife, Rita, but warns him not to get too close, with the lyrics saying: 'Oh brother, please don't stab me in the back.' In May, the 70-year-old songwriter revealed during an interview on ABC's Double J radio show Tower Of Song that he had completed the sequel to his iconic hit titled Rita Wrote A Letter. 'I always wanted to sort of have more, I guess, her point of view in that whole situation,' Kelly said. 'It took a little dark turn, but I can't really say much more about that.' The 1996 track made its triple j Hottest 100 Australian Songs debut in July, coming in at number nine. Kelly will kick off his arena tour in September.
