"Distant Sun" is a song by Australian band

Crowded House Crowded House are an Australian-New Zealand rock band, formed in Melbourne, Victoria (state), Victoria, Australia, in 1985. Its founding members were Neil Finn (vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter) and Paul Hester (drums), who were both for ...

, released in September 1993 by

Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007), and simply known as Capitol, is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-base ...

as the first single from their fourth studio album, '' Together Alone'' (1993). The song gave the band another top-20 hit in the United Kingdom, peaking at number 19, but fell shy of the mark in Australia, reaching number 23. It was a top-five hit in Canada and New Zealand, reaching numbers four and five, respectively. In March 1994, a remixed version of "Distant Sun" was released in the United States, reaching number 26 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 advertis ...

Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks between 1988 and 2009, and Alternative Songs between 2009 and 2020) is a music chart published in the American magazine ''Billboard'' since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-playe ...

chart. The regular mix was not released as a single in the US and was only available on the album. The accompanying music video was directed by Canadian director and artist Curtis Wehrfritz. A live version of "Distant Sun" was included on the single for " Locked Out", another single from ''Together Alone''; this version was recorded at

Hammersmith Apollo The Hammersmith Apollo, currently called the Eventim Apollo for sponsorship reasons, and formerly and still commonly known as the Hammersmith Odeon, is a live entertainment performance venue, originally built as a cinema called the Gaumont Pa ...

, England on 12 November 1993. In 2005, a tribute album titled '' She Will Have Her Way'' was created featuring a collection of Neil and Tim Finn's songs reinterpreted by female singers; "Distant Sun" was performed by New Zealand singer-songwriter

Brooke Fraser Brooke Gabrielle Ligertwood (née Fraser; born 15 December 1983) is a New Zealand singer and songwriter. She uses both her maiden and married names professionally. After signing with Sony BMG in 2002, she gained recognition for her debut album, ...

. Fraser's version is mostly similar to the original version, but the key was changed to suit her voice, and she omitted the line "Like a Christian fearing vengeance from above".

Critical reception

Upon the release,

Larry Flick Larry Flick is an American journalist, former dance music columnist, single reviewer, and Senior Talent Editor for ''Billboard'' magazine, where he worked for 14 years. Now he produces and hosts Sirius XM radio shows. Flick started in the musi ...

from ''

'' magazine wrote, "Ace songwriter

Neil Finn Neil Mullane Finn (born 27 May 1958) is a New Zealand singer-songwriter and musician. He is best known for being a principal member of Split Enz and for being the lead singer of Crowded House. He was also a member of Fleetwood Mac from 2018 ...

works his usual melodic miracles here, combining swoony guitar work with a solid hook. The sparkling result, from band's current '' Together Alone'' set, offers PDs an opportunity to fill radio's gaping guitar pop void—and judging from this single's stellar sound, there's no better band than Crowded House for the job."

Track listings

As the lead single from ''Together Alone'', "Distant Sun" was released in various versions internationally. All songs, including B-sides, were written by

unless otherwise noted.Bailey, Marck
Comprehensive discography
of Crowded House including track listings for all albums and singles. Released 28 March 1995. Retrieved 4 July 2007. * Australian CD single # "Distant Sun" – 3:50 # "Walking on the Spot" (live) – 2:55 # " When You Come" (live) – 6:23 # "Skin Feeling" – 3:56 # " Weather with You" (live) – 5:26 Note: All live tracks were recorded at The Town & Country Club, London on 9 and 10 November 1991. * UK CD single ''Disc one'' # "Distant Sun" – 3:51 # "This Is Massive" – 3:55 (live) # "When You Come" – 6:16 (live) ''Disc two'' # "Distant Sun" – 3:51 # "Walking on the Spot" – 2:54 # " Throw Your Arms Around Me" – 3:54 (live) # " One Step Ahead" – 3:52 (live) Note: All live tracks were recorded at The Roxy,

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, 26 February 1987. "Distant Sun" and "Walking on the Spot" are from the ''Together Alone'' album. * Holland CD single # "Distant Sun" # "Don't Dream It's Over" (live at the King Biscuit Flower Hour, 24 March 1987) * Netherlands CD single # "Distant Sun" – 3:51 # "Walking on the Spot" – 2:54 # "Throw Your Arms Around Me" – 3:54 (live) # "One Step Ahead" – 3:52 (live) Note: All B-sides recorded live at The Roxy, Los Angeles, 26 February 1987 except "Walking on the Spot" which is the ''Together Alone'' album version. *US CD single # "Distant Sun" (remix version) – 3:45 # "Pineapple Head" – 3:54 (live) # "Locked Out" – 3:38 (live) Note: Live tracks were recorded at Munich, Germany, 12 December 1993.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

{{Authority control Crowded House songs 1993 singles 1993 songs APRA Award winners Brooke Fraser songs Capitol Records singles Songs written by Neil Finn