Under the Sun (Paul Kelly album)

After relocating from Melbourne to Sydney in 1985, Paul Kelly began to play and record with a full-time band, which included Michael Armiger on bass guitar, Michael Barclay on drums, Steve Connolly on guitar, eventually bassist Jon Schofield, and keyboardist Peter Bull joined.^[5] Through a joke based on Lou Reed's song "Walk on the Wild Side", the band became known as Paul Kelly and the Coloured Girls.^[4][14] In September 1986 the band released their debut double LP Gossip.^[5] Due to possible racist connotations the band changed its name, for international releases, to Paul Kelly and the Messengers.^[4][14] They made an American tour, initially supporting Crowded House and then head-lining, travelling across the United States by bus.^[4] Jon Schofield replaced Armiger on bass guitar, Chris Coyne on tenor saxophone and Chris Wilson on harmonica

On the Australian albums charts, it peaked at #19 with the single "To Her Door" peaking at #14.^[6][7] First single from the album, "Bradman," had been released in January 1987 as a double-A side with "Leaps and Bounds" from Gossip but had little chart success.^[6][7] The third and fourth singles, "Forty Miles to Saturday Night" and "Don't Stand So Close to the Window" also had little chart success.^[6][7] Another single, "Dumb Things," peaked at #36 in early 1989 on the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) singles charts;^[7] it reached #16 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart.^[8] The song was included in the soundtrack for the 1988 Yahoo Serious film Young Einstein.^[9]

In 1988, "To Her Door" won an ARIA Award for 'Best Video' directed by Claudia Castle.^[10][11] In 2001, the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) listed the Top 30 Australian songs of all time,^[12] including "To Her Door," written by Kelly.^[13]

"Desdemona" was featured in an episode of the Australian TV show Packed To The Rafters.

All tracks written by Paul Kelly unless otherwise indicated.^[13]

Original Australian LP/MC release

1. "Dumb Things" (aka "I've Done all the Dumb Things) – 2:31
2. "Same Old Walk" – 4:08
3. "Big Heart" – 3:22
4. "Don't Stand So Close to the Window" (Paul Kelly, A McGregor) – 2:35
5. "Forty Miles to Saturday Night" – 3:11
6. "I Don't Remember a Thing" – 2:04
7. "Know Your Friends" – 3:37
8. "To Her Door" – 3:18
9. "Under the Sun" – 4:18
10. "Untouchable" – 2:04
11. "Desdemona" – 3:46
12. "Happy Slave" – 2:30
13. "Crosstown" – 2:23
14. "Bicentennial" – 3:04

Bonus tracks for Australian CD release

15. "Bradman" – 7:26
16. "Pastures of Plenty" (Woody Guthrie) – 2:26

North American/European release

1. "Dumb Things" – 2:31 ^^
2. "Same Old Walk" – 4:08
3. "Big Heart" – 3:22
4. "Don't Stand So Close to the Window" (Paul Kelly, A McGregor) – 2:35
5. "Forty Miles to Saturday Night" – 3:11 ^^
6. "Untouchable" – 2:04
7. "Know Your Friends" – 3:37
8. "To Her Door" – 3:18 ^^
9. "Under the Sun" – 4:18
10. "Desdemona" – 2:07
11. "Happy Slave" – 3:46
12. "Crosstown" – 2:30
13. "Little Decisions" – 2:25
14. "Bicentennial" – 3:04

(^^) The European release featured slightly different mixes of these tracks.

Paul Kelly and the Coloured Girls

• Paul Kelly — acoustic guitar, vocals
• Michael Barclay — drums, vocals
• Peter Bull — keyboards
• Steve Connolly — guitar (electric), vocals
• Jon Schofield — bass guitar

Additional musicians

• Chris Coyne — saxophone (tenor)
• Chris Wilson — harmonica, vocals, saxophone (baritone)
• Jessica Kenny — vocals (on "Window")
• Joe Camilleri — saxophone (tenor) (on "Know Your Friends")
• Steve Miller — tin whistle (on "Window")
• Lucky Oceans — guitar (steel)
• Ian Simpson — banjo (on "Happy Slave")

Recording details

• Producer — Alan Thorne and Paul Kelly except "Dumb Things", produced by Martin Armiger and Paul Kelly
• Engineer — Alan Thorne
  • Assistant engineer — Kathy Naunton
• Recording & mixing studio — Alberts and Trafalgar Studios

Art work

• Design — Melanie Nissen
• Photography — Francine McDougall (cover photo), Isabel Snyder