Deeper Water

Deeper Water, the tenth studio album by Paul Kelly, was released on 12 September 1995 on White Label Records in Australia and on Vanguard Records in North America. It peaked at No. 40 on the ARIA Albums Chart and provided his second consecutive nomination as Best Male Artist at the ARIA Music Awards of 1996. In New Zealand Deeper Water reached No. 30 on the Official New Zealand Music Chart. Kelly issued its lead single, "Give in to My Love", in October 1995 and followed with "Deeper Water" later that year.

Background

Paul Kelly started recording his tenth studio album, Deeper Water, in September 1994.<ref name="McFarlane">Template:Cite web</ref> Two months earlier he had released his previous studio album, Wanted Man, which includes a track co-produced and co-written with Randy Jacobs (member of Was (Not Was)).<ref name="OPH2a">Template:Cite web</ref> For Deeper Water, Kelly and Jacobs co-wrote the title track; and they produced and wrote two further tracks, "Extra Mile" and "I've Been a Fool".<ref name="OPH2a"/><ref name="Ruhlmann"/> Kelly used Kerryn Tolhurst (ex-The Dingoes) as producer for "Difficult Woman" and co-produced with him on "Give in to My Love". A third co-producer, Simon Polinski (Yothu Yindi), worked on a track, "Gathering Storm", which Kelly had co-written with Mart Saarelaht (leader of Jex Saarelaht Trio). All the other tracks were produced by Kelly; for the album he used the Platinum and Periscope Studios in Melbourne.<ref name="OPH2a"/>

Kelly explained the title track's symbolism: "My father taught me to swim. Four of my brothers and sisters were older than me and three younger. I couldn't wait to learn so I could join the older ones who would all rush straight up to the deep end. Deeper water to me meant danger, meant power, meant growing up ... Everytime you move through the big rituals in life it’s like a move into deeper water."<ref name="PK Deeper">Template:Cite web</ref> One of the album tracks, "Madeleine's Song", was written for his elder daughter, Madeleine Kelly.<ref name="Mordue"/> Another track, "Difficult Woman", was written for, and recorded by, Renée Geyer on her album of the same name, which had been produced by Kelly and was released in August 1994.<ref name="McFarlane"/><ref name="Mordue"/><ref name="Palmer"/> Geyer later used the title for her autobiography, Confessions of a Difficult Woman (April 2000).<ref name="Geyer">Template:Cite book</ref>

In May 1995 Kelly formed a touring backing band with Jacobs on guitar; Stephen Hadley on bass guitar; Bruce Haymes on keyboards; Graham Lee on lap and pedal steel; and Peter Luscombe on drums.<ref name="Palmer"/> They played a series of sets at the Esplanade Hotel,<ref name="Palmer"/> their performance on 25 May was recorded live for Live at the Continental and the Esplanade (late 1995).<ref name="OPH2a"/> Kelly issued Deeper WaterTemplate:'s lead single, "Give in to My Love", in October 1995 and followed with "Deeper Water" later that year.<ref name="OPH2a"/> To promote the releases he toured Australia from January in the following year.<ref name="Palmer"/>

Reception

The Canberra TimesTemplate:' Sharon Palmer noticed that "No real surprises or sounds appear on Deeper Water, however a number of songs are notable for the absence of back-up singers on them with Kelly providing all the vocals."<ref name="Palmer">Template:Cite news</ref> William Ruhlmann of AllMusic opined that Kelly used "a more consistent musical style than he had employed on Wanted Man."<ref name="Ruhlmann"/> Ruhlmann continued "most of the songs had folk-rock arrangements, and most concerned romantic subjects, within which Kelly's primary concerns were lust and betrayal."<ref name="Ruhlmann"/> Mark Mordue writing in The Sydney Morning Herald felt that "the songs from Deeper Water have become part of our lives" displaying Kelly's "poet of the common man credentials are built on both good writing and accuracy."<ref name="Mordue">Template:Cite news</ref> Mordue expanded by describing its "take on family, growing older and love also has a dark edge to it, something in the territory around the songs, that gives the album an unusual intensity and warmth."<ref name="Mordue"/>

Deeper Water peaked at No. 40 on the ARIA Albums Chart<ref name="Aus Charts">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Kent">Template:Cite book</ref> and provided his second consecutive nomination as Best Male Artist at the ARIA Music Awards of 1996.<ref name="ARIA Awards 1996">Template:Cite web</ref> In New Zealand Deeper Water reached No. 30 on the Official New Zealand Music Chart.<ref name="NZ Charts">Template:Cite web</ref> Neither of the singles, "Give in to My Love" and "Deeper Water", appeared on the ARIA Singles Chart top 100.<ref name="Aus Charts"/><ref name="Kent"/>

Personnel

Musicians

• Steve Hadley – bass guitar, backing vocals
• Bruce Haymes – keyboards, backing vocals
• Randy Jacobs – vocals, guitar
• Paul Kelly – vocals, guitars, harmonica
• Graham Lee – electric steel, vocals
• Peter Luscombe – drums, percussion
• Shane O'Mara – guitars

Production details

• Paul Kelly – producer (except track 7)
• Randy Jacobs – producer (tracks 2, 9)
• Kerryn Tolhurst – producer (tracks 7-8)
• Simon Polinski – producer (track 12), engineer, mixer (Platinum Studios – June 1995)
• Adam Rhodes – assistant mixer
• Don Bartley – mastering (Studios 301)

Artwork

• Debbie Ladd – design
• Jacquie Mitelman – photography

Charts

Template:Album chartTemplate:Album chart

Chart (1995)	Peak position