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. 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)). 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". One of the album tracks, "Madeleine's Song", was written for his elder daughter, Madeleine Kelly.
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.
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The Canberra Times 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." William Ruhlmann of AllMusic opined that Kelly used "a more consistent musical style than he had employed on Wanted Man." 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." 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. Neither of the singles, "Give in to My Love" and "Deeper Water", appeared on the ARIA Singles Chart top 100.
| headline = Deeper Water
| title1 = Blush
| length1 = 3:26
| title2 = Extra Mile
| writer2 = Paul Kelly, Randy Jacobs
| length2 = 3:37
| title3 = I'll Forgive You But I Won't Forget
| length3 = 3:35
| title4 = Queen Stone
| writer4 = Maurice Frawley, Shane Walsh
| length4 = 3:42
| title5 = Deeper Water
| writer5 = Paul Kelly, Randy Jacobs
| length5 = 4:33
| title6 = Madeleine's Song
| length6 = 3:43
| title7 = Difficult Woman
| length7 = 4:03
| title8 = Give in to My Love
| length8 = 4:07
| title9 = I've Been a Fool
| writer9 = Paul Kelly, Randy Jacobs
| length9 = 4:11
| title10 = Anastasia Changes Her Mind
| length10 = 3:15
| title11 = California
| length11 = 5:03
| title12 = Gathering Storm
| writer12 = Paul Kelly, Mart Saarelaht
| length12 = 4:17
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
{| class="wikitable"
!Chart (1995)
!Peak<br>position
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