Distant Sun

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title: "Distant Sun" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["crowded-house-songs", "1993-singles", "1993-songs", "apra-award-winners", "brooke-fraser-songs", "capitol-records-singles", "songs-written-by-neil-finn"] description: "1993 single by Crowded House" topic_path: "arts/music" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distant_Sun" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary 1993 single by Crowded House ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox song"]

Field	Value
name	Distant Sun
cover	Distant Sun.jpg
type	single
artist	Crowded House
album	Together Alone
released
genre	Indie rock
length	3:51
label	Capitol
writer	Neil Finn
prev_title	Four Seasons in One Day
prev_year	1992
next_title	Nails in My Feet
next_year	1993
misc
::

| name = Distant Sun | cover = Distant Sun.jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = Crowded House | album = Together Alone | B-side =

• "Walking on the Spot" (live)
• "When You Come" (live)
• "Skin Feeling"
• "Weather with You" | released = | recorded = | studio = | venue = | genre = Indie rock | length = 3:51 | label = Capitol | writer = Neil Finn | producer =
• Youth
• Crowded House | prev_title = Four Seasons in One Day | prev_year = 1992 | next_title = Nails in My Feet | next_year = 1993 | misc =

"Distant Sun" is a song by New Zealand-Australian band Crowded House, released in September 1993 by Capitol Records 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 Modern Rock Tracks 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, 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. 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 from Billboard magazine wrote, "Ace songwriter Neil Finn 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 Neil Finn unless otherwise noted.

• Australian CD single

1. "Distant Sun" – 3:50
2. "Walking on the Spot" (live) – 2:55
3. "When You Come" (live) – 6:23
4. "Skin Feeling" (Paul Hester) – 3:56
5. "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

1. "Distant Sun" – 3:51
2. "This Is Massive" (Hester) – 3:55 (live)
3. "When You Come" – 6:16 (live)

Disc two

1. "Distant Sun" – 3:51
2. "Walking on the Spot" – 2:54
3. "Throw Your Arms Around Me" (Hunters & Collectors cover; written by Mark Seymour) – 3:54 (live)
4. "One Step Ahead" – 3:52 (live) Note: All live tracks were recorded at The Roxy, Los Angeles, 26 February 1987. "Distant Sun" and "Walking on the Spot" are from the Together Alone album.

• Dutch CD single

1. "Distant Sun"
2. "Don't Dream It's Over" (live at the King Biscuit Flower Hour, 24 March 1987)

• Dutch CD single

1. "Distant Sun" – 3:51
2. "Walking on the Spot" – 2:54
3. "Throw Your Arms Around Me" (Hunters & Collectors cover; written by Seymour, Archer, Crosby, Falconer, Howard, Miles, Waters) – 3:54 (live)
4. "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

1. "Distant Sun" (remix version) – 3:45
2. "Pineapple Head" – 3:54 (live)
3. "Locked Out" – 3:38 (live) Note: Live tracks were recorded at Munich, Germany, 12 December 1993.

Charts

Weekly charts

::data[format=table] | Chart (1993–1994) | Peak position | Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) | Europe (European Hit Radio) | Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade) | UK Airplay (Music Week) | US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard) | US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard) | US Cash Box Top 100 | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 57 | | | | | | | | | | 17 | | | | | | | | | | 9 | | | | | | | | | | 4 | | | | | | | | | | 13 | | | | | | | | | | 26 | | | | | | | | | | 82 | | | | | | | | | ::

Year-end charts

::data[format=table]

Chart (1994)	Position	Canada Top Singles (RPM)
34
::

Certifications

References

References

1. (18 September 1993). "New Releases: Singles".
2. Classic Pop Staff. (March 7, 2025). "Top 15 Pop Compilations 1980-1999".
3. (18 June 2018). "Crowded House - Distant Sun, see description of video". [[YouTube]].
4. Flick, Larry. (28 May 1994). "Single Reviews: Pop".
5. Bailey, Marck; [http://www.etext.org/lists/house/ch-discography.html Comprehensive discography] {{webarchive. link. (9 April 2006 of Crowded House including track listings for all albums and singles. Released 28 March 1995. Retrieved 4 July 2007.)
6. (16 October 1993). "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles".
7. (16 October 1993). "EHR Top 40".
8. "Tipparade-lijst van week 42, 1993". [[Dutch Top 40]].
9. (23 October 1993). "The Airplay Chart".
10. (16 July 1994). "Bubbling Under Hot 100".
11. (23 April 1994). "Alternative Airplay".
12. [https://www.popmusichistory.co.uk/_files/ugd/b4848d_4f9128176360450ba51be67a0468e9fa.pdf Cash Box Chart Entries 1990-1996]
13. "RPM Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1994".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::