Paul Kelly: Songwriter Trivia Quiz

Answer: Anton Chekhov

Chekhov's quote remains a picture of how Paul views his work. In an interview to promote the release of his album 'Stolen Apples' he noted that, first and foremost, he was a songwriter rather than one making confessions of his past or baring his soul.

Answer: Under the Sun

'Under the Sun' from his 1987 album of the same name exhorted the invulnerability and timelessness of youth.
'Maralinga' documented the effect of British atomic testing on the South Australian aborigines. It appeared on Paul's 1986 album 'Gossip'.
'From Little Things Big Things Grow' was co-written with Kev Carmody and highlighted the eight year struggle for land rights by the Gurundji people of the Northern Territory.
'Bicentennial' raised protest, during the country's 200th anniversary of settlement, to the lack of recognition by Australians of the aboriginal contribution to Australia's history.
"Take me away from your dance floor,
Leave me out of your parade.
I have no heart for dancing
for dancing, on his grave."

Answer: Hunters and Collectors

"Hey Boys" was recorded as part of the soundtrack to the movie 'Garbo'.
'Hunters and Collectors' (1981-1998) were renowned for a cacophonous brand of steel funk and were inducted into the Australian Record Industry Association (ARIA) Hall of Fame in 2005.
Nick Seymour (Mark's brother) is a member of 'Crowded House', Paul Seymour was a member of 'Matt Finish' and Ken Seymour was the bass player for Perth band 'The Manikins'.

Answer: Everything's Turning to White

All of the above options are related.
The song 'Everything's Turning to White' is based on a short story by American writer, Raymond Carver, called 'So Much Water so Close to Home', which, coincidently, is the title of Paul's 1989 album that contains the song. The song and story then became the inspiration for the 2006 Australian movie 'Jindabyne', directed by Ray Lawrence and starred Gabriel Byrne, Laura Linney and Deborah Lee Furness (Hugh Jackman's wife).
The tale is also one of the nine short stories (and one poem) that were interwoven into the 1993 Robert Altman film 'Short Cuts', which starred Fred Ward, Buck Henry and Huey Lewis in the roles of the fishing buddies.

Answer: To Her Door

That line is possibly the most recognizable of Paul's lyrics. It provides a bridging between the first verse and the chorus. In concert, it's not unusual for Paul to stop singing while the audience shouts it out.
'To Her Door' is on Paul's 1987 album 'Under The Sun' and it tells a bittersweet story of a broken marriage and the family's attempt at reconciliation.

Answer: Absent Friends

'Absent Friends' was an outfit formed by Sean Kelly (ex Models and no relation to Paul) in 1989 and they released one studio album 'Here's Looking Up Your Address'.
'The Dots' were formed by Paul in 1978 and they released two albums together. 'The Coloured Girls' followed in 1985. This band essentially remained the same when they changed their name to 'The Messengers' in 1989. The change in name was put in place to avoid any racial connotations when the band launched their bid to make inroads into the US market.

Answer: Manila

Paul's first two albums "Talk" and "Manila" were both recorded with his band 'The Dots'. Ever the perfectionist, Paul has remained unhappy with the results of these two recordings, to the point that he refuses to acknowledge them as part of his discography on his official website.

Answer: 1997

Despite Paul's pre-eminence as a songwriter in Australia, at the time of his induction into the ARIA Hall of Fame, he'd released ten successful studio albums, however, only one of his singles had ever charted in the Top Ten of the Australian music charts - 'To Her Door' which peaked at Number Six in 1988.

Answer: Blazing Salads

Blazing Salads was a 1993 collaboration between Brian Cadd (formerly of Axiom and The Bootleg Family Band) and Glenn Shorrock (also previously of Axiom and he was the lead singer of The Little River Band). They released one 'self Titled' CD which incorporated the songs 'When It Comes Down', 'De-emphasize' and a cover of 'A Little Ray of Sunshine'. Paul Kelly used his collaborations as a means of exploring alternate musical styles: bluegrass with 'Uncle Bill', releasing the album "Smoke" in 1999; funk and dub reggae with 'Professor Ratbaggy' - their album was self titled (also in 1999) and there was a return to bluegrass with 'The Stormwater Boys' release "Foggy Highway" in 2005.

Answer: Dallas

The opening line from 'Dallas' reads:
"Did you ever see Dallas from a DC-9 at night" and can be found on Jimmie's self titled 1989 album.
Paul's number opens with a similar line "Have you ever seen Sydney from a 727 at night". He pays homage to the source of his inspiration with the last line by declaring "Me, I've never seen Dallas from a DC-9"

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