"Leaps and Bounds" / "Bradman" is a

double A-sided The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...

single by Australian rock group Paul Kelly and the Coloured Girls released in January 1987. "Leaps and Bounds" is from their debut double album, ''

Gossip Gossip is idle talk or rumour, especially about the personal or private affairs of others; the act is also known as dishing or tattling. Gossip is a topic of research in evolutionary psychology, which has found gossip to be an important means ...

'' (1986). "Bradman" did not appear on a studio album until the international version of '' Under the Sun'' (1988). The single reached top 100 in the Australian

Kent Music Report The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to January 1999. The chart was re-branded the Australian Music Report (AMR) in July ...

Singles Chart. Due to possible racist connotations the band changed its name, for international releases, to Paul Kelly and the Messengers. In 1997, Kelly was inducted into the

ARIA Hall of Fame In music, an aria (Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompanime ...

, at the ceremony

Crowded House Crowded House are a rock band, formed in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, in 1985. Its founding members were New Zealander Neil Finn (vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter) and Australians Paul Hester (drums) and Nick Seymour (bass). Later ban ...

paid tribute to Kelly and performed "Leaps and Bounds". In October 2003, Xanthe Littlemore covered "Leaps and Bounds" for the

tribute album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records coll ...

, ''Stories of Me – A Songwriter's Tribute to Paul Kelly''. In 2005, rock music writer,

Toby Creswell Toby Creswell (born 21 May 1955) is an Australian music journalist and pop-culture writer. He was editor of ''Rolling Stone'' (Australia) and a founding editor of ''Juice''. In 1986, he co-wrote, with Martin Fabinyi, his first book, ''Too Much ...

described two of Kelly's songs: "Leaps and Bounds" and "

From Little Things Big Things Grow "From Little Things Big Things Grow" is a protest song recorded by Australian artists Paul Kelly & The Messengers on their 1991 album ''Comedy'', and by Kev Carmody (with Kelly) on his 1993 album ''Bloodlines''. It was released as a CD single ...

" in his book, '' 1001 Songs''. For the former, Creswell observed "The grand themes of iswork are all there – Melbourne, football, transcendence and memory... eis a detail man – the temperature, the location, foliage". On 26 March 2006 Kelly performed at the Commonwealth Games

closing ceremony An opening ceremony, grand opening, or ribbon-cutting ceremony marks the official opening of a newly-constructed location or the start of an event.

in Melbourne, singing "Leaps and Bounds" and "Rally Around the Drum". In February 2009 Patience Hodgson (of The Grates),

Glenn Richards Glenn Anthony Richards (born 29 December 1973) is an Australian musician, best known as the mainstay guitarist singer-songwriter for the Australian rock band Augie March. Early life Richards was born in Shepparton, Victoria on 29 December 1973. ...

and Kelly performed "Leaps and Bounds" at the

Myer Music Bowl The Sidney Myer Music Bowl is an outdoor bandshell performance venue in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is located in the lawns and gardens of Kings Domain on Linlithgow Avenue close to the Arts Centre and the Southbank entertainment precinct ...

for

SBS-TV The Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) is an Australian hybrid-funded public service broadcaster. About 80 percent of funding for the company is derived from the Australian Government. SBS operates six TV channels ( SBS, SBS Viceland, SBS World ...

's concert RocKwiz Salutes the Bowl. On 29 September 2012 Kelly performed "

How to Make Gravy ''How to Make Gravy'' is a four-track EP by Australian singer-songwriter Paul Kelly and was originally released on 4 November 1996 on White Label Records in Australia. The title track was written by Kelly and earned him a 'Song of the Year' no ...

" and "Leaps and Bounds" at the

2012 AFL Grand Final The 2012 AFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Hawthorn Football Club and the Sydney Swans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 29 September 2012. It was the 117th annual grand final of the Australian Football ...

although most of the performance was not broadcast on

Seven Network The Seven Network (commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is a major Australian commercial free-to-air Television broadcasting in Australia, television network. It is owned by Seven West Media, Seven West Media Limited, and is one of ...

's pre-game segment.

Background

After recording his solo album, ''

Post Post or POST commonly refers to: *Mail, the postal system, especially in Commonwealth of Nations countries **An Post, the Irish national postal service **Canada Post, Canadian postal service **Deutsche Post, German postal service **Iraqi Post, Ira ...

'', in early 1985, Paul Kelly established a full-time band in Sydney. It included

Michael Armiger Michael William Armiger is an English-born Australian guitarist and teacher. He has been a member of various groups including Paul Kelly Band (1983–84), Paul Kelly and the Coloured Girls (1985–86), John Kennedy's Love Gone Wrong (1987– ...

(bass guitar, rhythm guitar), Michael Barclay (drums) and Steve Connolly (lead guitar). Bass guitarist Jon Schofield and

keyboardist A keyboardist or keyboard player is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instr ...

Peter Bull soon joined. Through a joke based on

Lou Reed Lewis Allan Reed (March 2, 1942October 27, 2013) was an American musician, songwriter, and poet. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades. ...

's song " Walk on the Wild Side", the band became known as Paul Kelly and the Coloured Girls. Armiger left and the Coloured Girls line-up stabilised in late 1985 as Barclay, Bull, Connolly and Schofield. By May 1986, the band entered Trafalgar Studios and released their debut 24-track double LP, ''

'' in September. It included remakes of four songs from ''Post''. ''Gossip'' peaked at No. 15 on the Australian

Albums Chart. First two singles from the album were "

Before Too Long "Before Too Long" is a song by Australian rock group Paul Kelly and the Coloured Girls, released as the first single from their debut double album, ''Gossip''. It was released in June 1986 on the original White Label Records, a subsidiary of Mushr ...

" which peaked at No. 15 on the related Singles Chart and "

Darling It Hurts "Darling It Hurts" is a song by Australian rock group Paul Kelly and the Coloured Girls released in September 1986 as the second single from their first double album, ''Gossip''. The song, written by Kelly with lead guitarist Steve Connolly, rea ...

" which reached No. 25. "Leaps and Bounds" was issued as one side of a

single in January 1987. A trimmed version of ''Gossip'', featuring 15 tracks on a single LP, was released in the United States by

A&M Records A&M Records was an American record label founded as an independent company by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss in 1962. Due to the success of the discography A&M released, the label garnered interest and was acquired by PolyGram in 1989 and began distr ...

in July that year.

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

's Mike DeGagne noted that " tbursts at the seams with blustery, distinguished tunes captivating both the somberness and the intrigue thrown forward from this fine Australian storyteller". Due to possible racist connotations the band changed its name for international releases to Paul Kelly and the Messengers. They undertook a US tour, initially supporting

and then headlining, travelling across the US by bus. "Darling It Hurts" peaked at No. 19 on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

Mainstream Rock chart Mainstream Rock is a music chart in '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations in the United States, a category that combines the formats of active rock and heritage rock. The chart was launched i ...

in 1987. ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' rock critic

Jon Pareles Jon Pareles (born October 25, 1953) is an American journalist who is the chief popular music critic in the arts section of ''The New York Times''. Paul Kelly and the Coloured Girls' second album, '' Under the Sun'', was released in late 1987 in Australia and New Zealand; and early 1988 in North America and Europe (under the name Paul Kelly and the Messengers). On the Kent Music Report Albums Chart it reached No. 19 with the lead single "

To Her Door "To Her Door" is a song by Paul Kelly and the Coloured Girls, released as a single ahead of their second album, '' Under the Sun'' (released in North America and Europe as by Paul Kelly and the Messengers). The single was released in September ...

", peaking at No. 14 on the related singles chart. The international version of ''Under the Sun'' included "Bradman". In 1992 "Bradman" also appeared on '' Hidden Things'' by Paul Kelly & the Messengers. In 1989, Mushroom Records issued ''Leaps and Bounds – The Early Videos'', a VHS compilation album of seven music videos which included "Bradman" and "Leaps and Bounds". Both were included on a second video compilation, ''Paul Kelly & the Messengers 1986– 1992'' (1992). In 1997, Kelly was inducted into the

, at the ceremony Crowded House paid tribute to Kelly and performed "Leaps and Bounds". In October 2003, Xanthe Littlemore covered "Leaps and Bounds" for the

, ''Stories of Me – A Songwriter's Tribute to Paul Kelly''. In 2005, rock music writer,

listed "Leaps and Bounds" and "

" in his book, '' 1001 Songs: The Great Songs of All Time and the Artists, Stories and Secrets Behind Them''. On 26 March 2006 Kelly performed at the Commonwealth Games

closing ceremony An opening ceremony, grand opening, or ribbon-cutting ceremony marks the official opening of a newly-constructed location or the start of an event.

in Melbourne, singing "Leaps and Bounds" and "Rally Around the Drum". In February 2009 Patience Hodgson (

The Grates The Grates were an Australian indie rock band that formed in Brisbane, Queensland in 2002. They were brought to national attention in 2004 when a demo of their single "Trampoline" received airplay on radio station Triple J. Their first two albu ...

and Kelly performed it at the

for

's concert RocKwiz Salutes the Bowl. In November that year Kelly recorded a live version at the

Triple J Triple J (stylised in all lowercase) is a government-funded, national Australian Radio in Australia, radio station intended to appeal to listeners of alternative music, which began broadcasting in January 1975. The station also places a greate ...

tribute concert, ''Before Too Long''. On 29 September 2012 Kelly performed "

" and "Leaps and Bounds" at the

although most of the performance was not broadcast on

's pre-game segment. Nui Te Koha of ''

Sunday Herald Sun The ''Herald Sun'' is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper based in Melbourne, Australia, published by The Herald and Weekly Times, a subsidiary of News Corp Australia, itself a subsidiary of the Murdoch owned News Corp. The ''Herald Sun ...

'' declared "Kelly, an integral part of Melbourne folklore and its music scene, and a noted footy tragic, deserved his place on the Grand Final stage – which has been long overdue ... broadcaster Seven's refusal to show Kelly's performance, except the last verse of 'Leaps and Bounds', was no laughing matter".

Composition and recording

"Leaps and Bounds" is a song with a length of three minutes and twenty-two seconds. Its lyrics and music was written by Kelly with Chris Langman. From 1977 to 1978 Kelly and Langman had shared a house in the Melbourne suburb of

South Yarra South Yarra is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 4 km south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the Cities of Melbourne and Stonnington local government areas. South Yarra recorded a popul ...

, where according to Kelly, "Chris and I sat around for hours, days playing guitars ... I played him my new songs as they kept coming and we made up tunes together". In August 1978 the pair founded Paul Kelly & the Dots and "started an exuberant song about nothing in particular called 'Leaps and Bounds', but didn't finish it". By 1981 Langman had left to work as an assistant director for

Crawford Productions Crawford Productions is an Australian media production company, focused on radio and television production. Founded in Melbourne by Hector Crawford and his sister, actress and voice artist Dorothy Crawford, the company, also known as Crawfords ...

and Kelly rediscovered a

cassette Cassette may refer to: Technology * Cassette tape (or ''musicassette'', ''audio cassette'', ''cassette tape'', or ''tape''), a worldwide standard for analog audio recording and playback ** Cassette single (or "Cassingle"), a music single in the ...

tape of the song, he continued to work on it with Langman. In 1982 the Dots disbanded and late in 1984 Kelly relocated to Sydney, where he eventually formed Paul Kelly & the Coloured Girls. In May 1986 the album, ''Gossip'', was recorded at Trafalgar Studios. It was co-produced by Kelly with Alan Thorne (

Hoodoo Gurus Hoodoo Gurus are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1981, by the mainstay Dave Faulkner (songwriter, lead singer and guitarist) and later joined by Richard Grossman (bass), Mark Kingsmill (drums), and Brad Shepherd (guitar, vocals, ha ...

The Stems The Stems are a garage punk (fusion genre), garage punk band formed in Perth, Western Australia in late 1983. They were founded by Dom Mariani in late 1983. The Stems are heavily influenced by 1960s garage rock and 1970s power pop. The band ini ...

) who, according to music journalist

Robert Forster Robert Wallace Forster Jr. (July 13, 1941 – October 11, 2019) was an American actor, known for his roles as John Cassellis in ''Medium Cool'' (1969), Captain Dan Holland in ''The Black Hole'' (1979), Abdul Rafai in ''The Delta Force'' (1986), ...

(former

The Go-Betweens The Go-Betweens were an Australian indie rock band formed in Brisbane, Queensland, in 1977. The band was co-founded and led by singer-songwriters and guitarists Robert Forster and Grant McLennan, who were its only constant members throughout it ...

singer-songwriter), helped the band create "a sound that will not only influence future roots-rock bands but, through its directness, sparkle and dedication to the song, will also come to be seen as particularly Australian. Ultimately, it means the records these people made together are timeless". According to Kelly, Steve Connolly of the Coloured Girls "wrote the riff" and the group filmed a music video atop the

Punt Road Hoddle Highway is an urban highway in Melbourne linking CityLink and the Eastern Freeway, itself a sub-section of Hoddle Main Road. Both these names are not widely known to most drivers, as the entire allocation is still best known as by the n ...

silos. The video was directed by Mick Bell. Creswell observed "The grand themes of Paul Kelly's work are all there – Melbourne, football, transcendence and memory... eis a detail man – the temperature, the location, foliage". "Bradman" is a song with a length of seven minutes and twenty-eight seconds. The song is set in the key of

D major D major (or the key of D) is a major scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. Its key signature has two sharps. Its relative minor is B minor and its parallel minor is D minor. The D major scale is: : Ch ...

, it uses "a comfortable speaking pace" and has a vocal range of A₃–D₅. Kelly is credited with both lyrics and music. The lyrics provide a biography of the Australian cricketer,

Don Bradman Sir Donald George Bradman, (27 August 1908 – 25 February 2001), nicknamed "The Don", was an Australian international cricketer, widely acknowledged as the greatest batsman of all time. Bradman's career Test batting average of 99.94 has bee ...

's early career to 1933. The track was recorded in late 1986 at Trackdown Studios and was produced by Kelly. It has an accompanying music video directed by Jack Egan, which depicts Bradman in photos and archival footage. Kelly's father, John Kelly, had met Bradman in the 1950s and the young Kelly idolised the cricketer. Kelly avidly read

Irving Rosenwater Irving Rosenwater (11 September 1932 – 30 January 2006) was an English cricket researcher and author whose best-known work was '' Sir Donald Bradman - A Biography'' (1978). Born in the East End of London to jewish parents of Polish origi ...

's biography, ''Sir Donald Bradman – A Biography'' (1978) and returned to the book when writing "Bradman". "I was fooling around with a circular series of three chords—the usual suspects D, G, A—over which I was singing a melancholy, falling tune... The music worked well for a long narrative, for moving between talking and singing". Kelly sent Bradman a copy of the video and the single, but as Bradman had no video player he hoped to view it at his daughter's place. After hearing the song, replied "I am flattered by your attempt". Kelly and his nephew Dan Kelly recorded both songs as part of Kelly's A – Z Tours from 2004 to 2010, it was issued on the 8× CD live album, ''

The A – Z Recordings ''The A to Z Recordings'' is an eight-volume live album by Australian rock musician, Paul Kelly, which was released on 24 September 2010 on Gawd Aggie Records in Australia and Universal Import in North America. It had been recorded from a seri ...

'' (2010).

Track listing

Australian release

# "Leaps and Bounds" ( Paul Kelly, Chris Langman) – 3:22 # "Bradman" (Kelly) – 7:28

Personnel

;Paul Kelly and the Coloured Girls * Paul Kelly – acoustic guitar, lead vocals * Steve Connolly – lead guitar, backing vocals * Michael Barclay – drums, backing vocals * Peter Bull – keyboards, backing vocals * John Schofield – bass guitar, vocals ;Recording details * Producer – Alan Thorne ("Leaps and Bounds"), Paul Kelly ("Leaps and Bounds", "Bradman")

Charts

References

;General * Note: Archived nlinecopy has limited functionality. * ;Specific

External links

''Before Too Long''
description at

website with interviews of Paul Kelly and David Williams (

Augie March Augie (sometimes spelled Auggie) is a nickname for variations of the name August, which derives from the Latin name Augustus. It may refer to: People *Augie Auer (1940–2007), meteorologist *Augie Galan (1912–1993), Major League Baseball play ...

) on "Leaps and Bounds". {{Paul Kelly 1987 singles Paul Kelly (Australian musician) songs Songs written by Paul Kelly (Australian musician) Songs about Don Bradman