Split Enz
Encyclopedia
Split Enz were a New Zealand
band of the 1970s and early 1980s featuring Phil Judd
and brothers Tim Finn
and Neil Finn
. They achieved chart success in New Zealand
, Australia
, and Canada
during the early 1980s ‒ most notably with the single "I Got You
", and built a cult following elsewhere. Their musical style was eclectic and original, incorporating influences from art rock
, vaudeville
, swing, punk
, rock
, new wave
, and pop
.
The group formed in 1971 at the University of Auckland
with the original lineup of Phil Judd
, Tim Finn
, Mike Chunn
, Robert Gillies
and Noel Crombie
. From 1972 the band became a full-time occupation for the friends, and they called the band Split Ends. The spelling was later changed to Split Enz shortly before their first trip to Australia, to signify their New Zealand roots (NZ is a common abbreviation for New Zealand). The group was widely known for their unique visual presentation. Their costumes and hair were wild, colourful and inventive.
The group's career falls into two phases. The first was rooted in folk and the progressive rock
scene of the early 1970s. From 1977 onwards, with the departure of Judd and the enlisting of Neil Finn
, the group's sound began to change from a progressive rock sound to New Wave and pop. The early 1980s proved the group's most commercially successful period, with a string of popular albums in the bourgeoning New Wave
style. The group further established a legacy that is still recognised as a distinct musical style after over twenty years from their departure. Since then, the group has reunited as Split Enz several times, though its members have gone on to create other successful musical groups with one another since the breakup in 1984, such as Crowded House
, Schnell Fenster
, Citizen Band
and the Finn Brothers
.
attended Sacred Heart College boarding school, where he met Jonathan Michael Chunn
. They wrote songs and played music together there over the next five years. In 1971 Finn and Chunn went to Auckland University, and there they met and befriended a group of art students including Philip Judd, Geoffrey Noel Crombie
and Rob Gillies.
The close friendship between Finn and Judd became the core of Split Enz; the band soon started writing together with Judd working out the basic form and lyrics and Finn (who was strongly influenced by classic British pop like the Beatles
, the Kinks
, and the Move
) providing melodies.
As the partnership developed, they began stockpiling songs and decided to form a group as an outlet for their compositions; the material they wrote together in this original burst of creativity provided the bulk of the Enz repertoire for several years. They approached classical trained violinist Miles Golding
, reed player Mike Howard and together with Chunn they formed a five-piece acoustic group called Split Ends in October 1972.
With Miles's departure Finn and Judd wanted to give up the band, but at Chunn's urging, the band "went electric" and expanded, adding drums, lead guitar, and brass. When the single was released in April, the band started a small tour of Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington, supporting John Mayall
. Chunn's brother Geoff
was called in for the tour replacing original drummer Div Vercoe. The other new permanent members were lead guitarist Paul Wally Wilkinson and their university friend Robert Bruce Gillies who joined part-time on saxophone and trumpet. By this time, the band had become a full-time preoccupation for Finn, and he dropped out of university.
In late 1973, Split Ends entered the New Faces TV talent contest, and in preparation for their performance, they recorded "129" and "Home Sweet Home". Soon after, they also recorded the retro-1930s sounding "Sweet Talking Spoon Song", which would become the second single. They finished second-last in the finals of the contest, but their performance secured them a 30-minute concert special for Television New Zealand
, which was recorded soon after.
In November 1973, EMI
NZ issued the band's second single, "Sweet Talking Spoon Song"/"129". The next eighteen months saw Split Ends refining their material and performances. The TV special spawned a concert tour, albeit without Phil Judd, who decided he did not like performing live – he was discouraged by negative reactions to the band, and felt that their music was too complex for successful stage presentation. He initially opted to stay at home to write and record new material while the rest of the band toured, although he made occasional appearances and eventually rejoined full-time. The songs from both singles were later included on the compilation album The Beginning of the Enz
.
keyboard. In February the band members made a vital addition to the lineup, recruiting Anthony Edward "Eddie" Rayner
on keyboards. Rayner was quite impressed by Split Enz' performance on New Faces and thought that they were good enough to join.
Rayner, nicknamed "The Prof", remained with the band for the rest of its existence, and he was crucial to the development of the band's sound. A prodigiously talented self-taught musician, his ability to realise and enhance the band's arrangements added tremendous depth and polish to the bands material, and in many respects his playing became the defining element of the band's sound. Combined with Tim Finn's own ability on piano, the two guitars, bass, drums, percussion, and assorted other instruments including trumpet and saxophone
, the band members were able to encompass a wide range of styles and sounds, and they were always a force to be reckoned with on stage, as even their early live recordings attest.
joined on drums in July; Gillies was not replaced.
The band's music at this time was in a broadly similar vein to British progressive bands of the time, albeit rather "poppier" and more melodic than many such bands. Family
and Traffic
were almost certainly important influences, and though they always balked at the frequent comparisons to Genesis
, there was an 'English-ness', and a definite eccentricity that was common to both groups, and which set the Enz apart from almost every other local act.
The band might have made considerably less impact had it not been for the unique visual identity they developed. In the autumn of 1974, their old university friend Geoffrey Noel Crombie became a full-time member. He performed on percussion – and spoons – and sang occasionally, but his primary role soon proved to be as Art Director for the band. His wide-ranging talents enabled Split Enz to present a complete audio-visual experience, showcasing their accomplished performances of the intricate Judd-Finn compositions in a unique live show, complete with wild, colourful matching costumes, bizarre hairstyles and makeup, sets and special effects. Their "look" – a mixture of the weird and the whimsical – drew on influences like the circus
, music hall
, gothic horror, Expressionist cinema, pantomime
, psychedelia, surrealism
and modern art
– all filtered through the band's bizarre demeanour and crazed on-stage antics.
Like Rayner, Noel Crombie was a crucial addition to the band, and in many ways he became the heart and soul of Split Enz. His designs crystallised the band's image, and spanned the entire range of their visual material – stage costumes, hair styles, sets and stage designs, posters, buttons, badges, handbills, promotional photos, tour programmes, and album and single covers. He also directed almost all of their music videos, (some co-directed with Rob Gillies). Some of Noel Crombie's finest costumes are now part of the collection of the Victorian Museum of Performing Arts.
Noel Crombie's lugubrious stage presence endeared him to audiences and his trademark spoon solos became a favourite feature of Enz shows. His regular spot grew out of one of the typical random events that marked the band's early shows – they brought Rayner's aunt on stage to perform an impromptu tap dance during one of the songs. It was a roaring success, but they quickly realised that they could not really take her on tour with them, so Noel Crombie's spoon playing routine was substituted and soon became an essential part of each show.
In concert, the band was already in a league of its own and live performances from this era soon became the stuff of legend. An early NZ TV performance had a desert-island theme; the band members brought in a load of sand and created a miniature indoor beach, complete with palm trees and a wading pool; band members dressed as hankie-hatted tourists, reclining on deck chairs and sipping drinks. For a now-legendary live performance of their live epic "Stranger Than Fiction", a woman friend was recruited to crawl across the stage during the song, under pulsing strobe lights, with a bloodied axe apparently embedded in her skull.
The initial response from Australian audiences was mixed, and their music and image was at first simply too "out there" for many Australians.
Australia had several bands with an overt and theatrical glam rock
style, including Skyhooks, Hush
, The Ted Mulry Gang
, Supernaut
. Sherbet
and AC/DC
had also briefly toyed with glam-rock styling.
Split Enz were in a league of their own however, and most Australian audiences had seen nothing like them before. They got a frosty reception in Sydney, although they had a slightly warmer welcome in Melbourne, where local bands and other performing groups had more of a history of blending experimental and theatrical elements with rock music. It was around about this time that all members of the band except Phil Judd adopted the use of their middle names.
Michael Gudinski
signed the band to a management and publishing deal and a recording contract with his Mushroom Records
label.
In two weeks during May/June 1975 Split Enz recorded their debut album Mental Notes at Festival's Studio 24 in Sydney. It was produced by David Russell, who was also their tour manager in 1975 – 76. The engineer was Festival staffer Richard Batchens
.
It was a moderate success on its release in July, selling a respectable 12,000 copies in Australia, reaching #35 on the album chart for one week, and peaking at #7 in New Zealand. It was also a critical breakthrough and along with a handful of other 1970s' Australian classics, like The Dingoes
' debut LP and Madder Lake
's Stillpoint, it remains one of the most original and accomplished Australasian debut albums of the period.
Much of the material derived from Tim Finn's and Phil Judd's fascination with the work of English writer and artist Mervyn Peake
– notably Spellbound, the track "Stranger Than Fiction" (their concert centrepiece) and "Titus", named after the hero of Peake's Gormenghast trilogy.
", but by this time plans were being made to relocate to the UK. In November 1975, Wally Wilkinson was sacked and Rob Gillies was brought back in on saxophone and trumpet as a permanent member. The band returned to New Zealand briefly before embarking on their "Enz of the Earth" national Australian tour, which wound up in February 1976. In March, Explosion issued the band's second Mushroom single, "Late Last Night
", accompanied by a promotional video (directed by Crombie) which gave them their first major Australian TV exposure.
's first Australian tour in 1974. The Enz caught the attention of the visiting band, who were only just becoming known in Australia but were already one of the most successful 'art rock' bands in the UK. Roxy Music's guitarist Phil Manzanera
was particularly impressed, and offered to produce their next album for them in London. They managed to secure a UK record deal with Chrysalis Records
, and in April 1976 they flew to the UK to cut their second album.
Recorded at the Basing Street Studios
in London, Second Thoughts was issued in Australia in July 1976, and issued in the UK as Mental Notes in September. It consisted of "Late Last Night", four re-arranged and re-recorded tracks from the New Zealand/Australian Mental Notes LP, three new songs, and a new version of one of the earliest Judd – Finn compositions, "129", retitled "Matinee Idyll (129)". This song was released, backed by "Lovey Dovey", as a single in December 1976. During the recording they met original member Miles Golding, who was then living in London, and attended a recital he gave at the Australian Embassy.
The band's bizarre appearance and crazed onstage antics initially baffled the UK press and audiences, and critical reactions were far from favourable, but as in New Zealand and Australia, their musical excellence, originality and enthusiasm again won them a cult following, from which the fan-club Frenz of the Enz began to develop. But even with the patronage of Manzanera, it proved to be hard going, and pressures mounted within the formerly close-knit group. In November, Emlyn Crowther was sacked and replaced by their first non-Kiwi member, English drummer Malcolm Green
(ex-Love Affair, The Honeycombs, Jimmy James & the Vagabonds, Octopus), who answered an advertisement in Melody Maker
, and began rehearsing with the Enz in December 1976.
", coinciding with their return to Australia/New Zealand in January 1977 for the "Courting the Act" tour. Chrysalis issued Mental Notes (the American title for Second Thoughts) in the USA, and at the end of February they set off for the US to support the album. The 23 day, 40 show tour was a hopeful first attempt to establish themselves in America but it marked the end of an era in the band and proved to be the last tour with founding members Phil Judd and Mike Chunn.
Mike decided to leave at the end of the US tour, partly because he wanted to spend more time with his family but also because he suffered from agoraphobia
, (apparently exacerbated by his experimentation with psychedelic drugs). Tensions were also running high between Phil and Tim and although they received a standing ovation in San Francisco, audience reactions in more remote areas ranged from bemusement to outright hostility. Unfortunately, Phil was extremely sensitive to such negative feedback. and like Mike, he had a young family back in New Zealand and was tired of the endless grind of touring. Things came to a head after one infamous concert when Phil had trouble with an out-of-tune guitar; he stormed off before the end of the set and when Tim challenged him backstage about what had happened, blows were exchanged. The tour ended in April, and Phil left the band.
(ex-Octopus) replaced the departing Mike Chunn. Before leaving, however, Chunn gave a crucial piece of parting advice, suggesting that the replacement for Phil Judd should be Tim Finn's younger brother Neil, who officially joined on 7 April 1977.
Although Neil did not contribute much during his first six months with the band, (he was still mastering the electric guitar), he made up for his lack of musical skill with plenty of onstage enthusiasm. Although fresh out of high school and almost totally inexperienced as a performer, he adapted quickly, and he began to develop a strong presence within the group. It was also fortuitous that Neil was not an accomplished player and this effectively forced the group to simplify the music and the arrangements and helped steer them in a new direction.
The line-up changes created renewed drive and enthusiasm in a band that was by then teetering on the brink of collapse. They had been touring for years on the same basic repertoire, most of it written or co-written by the departed Phil Judd, and much of it dating back to the band's formative days. The pressure was on, but Tim rose to the challenge and began turning out great new material that would form the basis of the next two albums.
Neil soon began contributing his own material, and he also became the second lead vocalist, thus taking some of the performing and writing pressure off Tim as well as broadening their repertoire. Neil proved to be a superb singer, whose voice was the perfect complement to his brother's. Most importantly, he was totally immersed in the spirit of the band, having watched it begin and grow from its earliest days. Over the next three years his singing, playing and especially his writing skills increased exponentially, and although Tim remained the leader, Neil was playing a vital role in the band by 1980.
The Enz initially were at first scorned by the fashion-fixated UK music press, owing to the polarising effect of punk on the English music scene. The Enz' theatrical trappings and complex music were suspiciously reminiscent of the "dinosaur" progressive rock bands so reviled by the new wave of music critics. Gradually though, as the Enz fine-tuned their image, and the punk scene gave way to the less strident, more stylish and more musically substantial 'New Wave' scene, Split Enz began to draw larger crowds in the UK.
. Dizrythmia (from the medical term for jet-lag, circadian disrhythmia and meaning 'upset body rhythm') made no appreciable impact in the UK, but was very successful in Australasia, and gave them their first simultaneous hits on the Australian and New Zealand singles and album charts. They returned to Australia in August, coinciding with the release of the album, and began a 28-date tour of Australasia in October/November. The album reached #18 in Australia. The first single, the quirky "My Mistake
" (August), peaked at #15 during October, bolstered by the national tour and aided by another great promotional video. In New Zealand, Dizrythmia reached #3, and "My Mistake" peaked at #21. The song's introduction bears a close resemblance to the Jack Clement
's novelty single "My Voice Keeps Changing On Me", a song that Noel Crombie covered in 1983.
The second single, Tim Finn's jaunty "Bold as Brass" (December) was a melodic pop gem, laden with hooks, with a strong and bouncy backbeat by the Green – Griggs rhythm section. It was even more sophisticated than its predecessor but failed to chart. The single was accompanied by another specially-made video, co-directed by Noel and Rob.
Between November 1977 and February 1978, Split Enz toured throughout the UK and Europe. At the turn of the year Rob Gillies left and Phil Judd returned, briefly, in early 1978 after Tim and Eddie heard some of his new material, but he apparently found himself out of step with their changing direction, and left the band for good after about a month.
After the tour, from March to May 1978, Tim, Neil and Eddie returned a favor and contributed to Phil Manzanera's solo album, K-Scope. Tim sang lead vocals and Neil added backup vocals to the songs "Remote Control", "Cuban Crisis", "Hot Spot", and "Slow Motion TV". Eddie played various keyboards on each of these (except for "Remote Control"), plus the cuts "K-Scope", "Gone Flying", and "Walking Through Heaven's Door".
1978 was the band's toughest year. They lost their Chrysalis contract and spent most of the year without a record deal, a booking agent or a manager. Debts mounted and, unable to get gigs, they were forced to go on the dole. But they continued writing new material at a frantic pace and rehearsing constantly.
It was at this point that the New Zealand Arts Council came to the rescue with a five thousand dollar grant. They immediately booked a tiny 8-track studio in Luton
and with the help of 18-year-old English engineer David Tickle
, they knocked out demo recordings of around 28 new songs in less than five days. These legendary sessions, (the Rootin' Tootin' Luton Tapes), displayed both a newfound edge and considerable commercial potential. Around the same time, they recorded a new single with Tickle, a frenetic new song by Tim called "I See Red
".
Having overcome personal issues and "writer's block
", Split Enz entered Manor Studios in November 1978, where Elton John
had recorded his albums in the few years prior, to record a new album with producer Mallory Earl. Even the cover of Frenzy marked the change in the group, the crazy costumes and makeup of Dizrythmia were gone, and the painting depicted them in casual clothes, standing in front of a farm shed in a bucolic New Zealand landscape. The album included re-recordings of some songs from the Luton tapes, but the band felt that Earl had failed to capture the magic and raw energy of the demos. That same month, Mushroom issued "I See Red" as a single in Australia. It was a frantic chunk of power pop with buzzsaw guitar and manic Farfisa organ, bearing the clear influence of English New Wave
acts like XTC
and Buzzcocks
, and marking a significant change in their musical style, away from the ethereal, densely arranged epics of yore, and back to Tim's first love: simple, concise, accessible, high-energy guitar pop. It didn't chart in England but "I See Red" got a lot of attention and considerable airplay, and is credited as being the song that began the turn-around in their critical reputation in the UK. Many of the other Luton songs were never re-recorded, and were left as demos, although some eventually surfaced on A&M's American version of Frenzy, which was released in North America in 1981.
The group's status was beginning to be restored, however the group was still facing some difficulties in this period. Having gained enough financial support from their music again, the group returned to Australia in late 1978 to see family and friends and also performed in various Australasian locations. At the beginning of 1978, the band had agreed to appear at the 1979 Nambassa
Festival to be staged in Waihi
, New Zealand. Split Enz returned to New Zealand in January 1979, but two days before their scheduled appearance, all of the group's equipment – valued at $30,000 at the time – was destroyed in a fire in Waimata Hall in Waihi only three hours after finishing rehearsals at midnight. Despite this setback, the group decided to honour their agreement and performed the festival on 28 January 1979. This proved to be a pivotal show for the group's history, stunning friends and fans alike with their "towering performance" at the festival.
"I See Red" eventually peaked at #15 in Australia in February 1979 while Frenzy reached #24. In New Zealand "I See Red" was only a minor hit (#43) but the album reached #13. A second single, "Give It A Whirl
" (co-written by Neil and Tim Finn), was released in May but failed to chart. (One album track, "She Got Body, She Got Soul", was later covered for the soundtrack of the musical feature film Starstruck
.) A self-produced, non-album single, Neil's "Things", featuring the B-side "Semi-Detached", was released in October 1979, but also failed to chart.
The combination of the dramatic changes in the English music scene, the commercial performance of Frenzy and their precarious financial state forced the Enz to re-assess their music and image. The Luton tapes and the Nambassa show had proved to the band that the more melodic "power-pop" side of their music was a winner, so they worked hard on making the songs for their fifth album much more commercial, melodic and accessible, while they reined in the more outre aspects of their image. The wild makeup and hairstyles were also toned down (to a degree); Tim's performance persona (a demented cross between Harold Lloyd
and an escaped lunatic) was shelved, and Neil began to emerge from behind the horn-rimmed glasses and painted-on freckles of his original "nerdy schoolboy" image.
The evolution of streamlining and consolidating core melodic elements of Enz music organically bonded with a less harried visual approach, although the trademark Enz weirdness was never far from the surface. The genius of Noel Crombie's contribution in design and manufacture of band clothing, art design, film clip Production; image cannot be underestimated as a primary reason why at this point in time Split Enz 'engaged' with the public in commercially popular terms. Neil's generally optimistic, upbeat songs provided a perfect counterpoint to Tim's edgier and more melancholic pieces. They were performing (more or less) as themselves, and Noel's emblematic new costume, album and stage designs were stripped back to simple, striking geometric patterns which were both timeless yet perfect for the period.
's Starling studios in the UK. Neil wrote and sang lead on the accessible single "I Got You". Assisted by a catchy, Beatlesque
chorus, and a simple but effective video produced by the ABC
, "I Got You" took the Enz to the top of the Australian, New Zealand,
and Canadian charts, to #12 in Britain, and even got them onto the US charts, where the song reached #53, while the album peaked at #40. The song reached #1 in Australia on 14 April and remained there for eight weeks, going on to become the second highest-selling single for the year after Joe Dolce
's "Shaddup You Face". The album peaked at #1 in Australia on the same day and stayed at the top for 10 weeks, charting in the Top 40 for almost a year. This success and subsequent media focus on the band helped to push all of their albums (except for Second Thoughts) back into the New Zealand charts at the same time. True Colours had now become Mushroom's biggest selling band album ever and would remain so.
When it was released on A&M
it featured multi-coloured shapes cut into the vinyl by a laser. The process allowed the vinyl to throw out a strobe
-like stream of colours under certain lighting conditions. True Colours was one of only three albums (the others being Paradise Theatre by Styx
, also on A&M and the soundtrack to the Superman Movie) on which this effect was ever used.
The band's next LP, 1981's Waiata (which was called Corroboree in Australia) also sold well although record company pressure to have the cover of the LP changed from brown to pink for the American market failed to increase sales in that country. Even so, the band received attention in the U.S. from the startup cable television channel MTV. "History Never Repeats
" and "One Step Ahead", two songs from the album, were among the first music videos
to be played on the network when it launched in 1981.
Following Waiata, drummer Malcolm Green
was sacked from the group (he and Tim Finn
wanted to pursue different musical directions) and Noel Crombie's percussive duties were expanded to include the drum kit. While the split was played out to be amicable, it actually was not – although it is now regarded by all as 'water under the bridge'.
The band's next release Time & Tide (1982) maintained their newfound commercial strength. However, the single "Six Months in a Leaky Boat
" engendered some controversy when some thought the song was a veiled attack on the British acting against the invasion by the Argentines of the Falkland Islands
and was removed from radio play lists in the UK. The band denied these allegations: it had actually been recorded in January 1982, months before the Falklands conflict. The album, while not a definitive concept album
, did have a recurring nautical theme. Due to Tim Finn's input, particularly with lyrics reflecting personal situations ("Haul Away" was Tim Finn's life story in song), a number of critics jokingly referred to the album as "Tim & Tide". Time and Tide would go on to top the album charts in New Zealand, Canada
and Australia.
, Ross Wilson), former Beach Boy
Ricky Fataar
and legendary session singer Venetta Fields
. Escapade
, released in June 1983, was a major success in Australia, spawning several hits singles including "Fraction Too Much Friction" and the gospel-styled "Made My Day". Tim won the Best Songwriter gong at the TV Week/Countdown Awards, and Split Enz won Best Album (for Time & Tide) and the Most Popular Group award.
Despite its success, Tim's solo album distracted him from the Enz, (Mushroom boss Michael Gudinski
later said in hindsight without ever mentioning this to the band or their then management he would have prevented it if he had still been managing them at the time), and it delayed the recording of a timely follow-up to Time & Tide, effectively stalling the momentum they had built over the previous three albums and making the chances of a lasting American breakthrough even slimmer.
), but he wrote only four of the songs on the album. At the end of 1983, a new band member, Paul Hester
was brought in on drums. With their new drummer the band toured once more. All members during that time felt that it was like a new beginning. After the tour this was not to be the case.
After the successful tour, the Enz were back in the studio for another album. The creativity of the earlier years had diminished and Tim was becoming less and less happy with his Enz work. He left the band shortly after.
However, this incarnation released only one album, and even its title (See Ya 'Round
) clearly indicated that it was meant as a farewell offering. See Ya Round was not a strong commercial success, (in fact, it was released only in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada), and Split Enz finally broke up in December 1984. But whatever tension there might have been between the band and Tim was resolved when they went on their final tour together, Enz with a Bang.
Split Enz have reformed several times for reunion tours. In December 1989 they toured Australia to headline the Concert Of The Decade tour, while New Zealand was given the 20th Anniversary tour with a one-off performance at the Wynyard Tavern (the place of Split Enz' first gig) on 10 December 1992. In December 1999, they performed at the Millennium Concert on New Year's Eve. In 2005, Split Enz were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame
and in June of the following year, the Enz embarked on a series of capital city performances in Australia (the first time since 1989). On reunion tours, the group was usually in its Finn/Finn/Rayner/Crombie/Griggs/Hester lineup. After the death of Paul Hester in March 2005, Malcolm Green, the drummer from their most successful lineup (Late 1976–1981), toured with them for the first time in 25 years.
formed a band with Buster Stiggs and Bones Hillman named The Swingers
. Later, he released a solo album Private Lives. In 2006 Judd released his solo album Novelty Act exclusively through the Split Enz fan club and his own website. In December 2008 he released a new solo album Love Is A Moron, available through his website and major online retailers. He also creates artwork and portraits. Geoff and Mike Chunn returned to New Zealand and formed Citizen Band
, and Mike Chunn later became the head of the Australasian Performing Right Association
.
Following the demise of the group in 1984, Eddie Rayner played keyboards on Paul McCartney
's album Press to Play
in 1985 and The Angels
album Howling in 1986. Phil Judd, Noel Crombie and Nigel Griggs got back together in a new band, called Schnell Fenster
, who released two albums. The albums were moderately successful. Rayner joined Schnell Fenster, but soon after decided to form his own band called The Makers
, with whom he released two albums. His 1995 project ENZSO
saw some of the members sing the old Split Enz songs in an orchestral setting with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
, and two albums were released with live recordings. He has released two solo albums. An instrumental solo album Horse, and another album Play it Straight.
Neil and Paul Hester (later joined briefly by Neil's brother Tim) went on to form Crowded House
, which was also very successful worldwide. After the demise of Crowded House, Neil started a solo career. Tim Finn has a successful solo career, and was in Crowded House for their third album. Eddie Rayner
also joined Crowded House on keyboard for their early live performances. Family commitments prevented him becoming a full time member. Tim and Neil Finn were both awarded the OBE
in June 1993 for their contribution to New Zealand music. Neil and Tim have also released two albums together as the Finn Brothers
, the 1995 album Finn
and 2004's mournful Everyone Is Here, which was released as the brothers grieved their mother's death. As of 2007 Crowded House have reformed after finding another drummer.
Emlyn Crowther later started a cult guitar effects company called "Crowther Audio". Both Paul Hester and Tim Finn had collaborations (two videos by Paul, a version of "Six Months in a Leaky Boat" by Tim) with the Australian children music group The Wiggles
. Paul Hester had a brief career in television following the demise of Crowded House with his own TV show, Hessie's Shed. Hester committed suicide on 26 March 2005 after a long battle with depression.
music awards hall of fame and performed "History Never Repeats" and "Poor Boy" at the event. Every member of Split Enz received an award and almost all of them were present, excepting Mike Howard who more than 30 years after leaving the band still does not comment on it, and Paul Hester who had committed suicide only four months earlier.
"Letters to my Frenz" (A Split Enz Book) was released in June 2006 via Rocket Pocket Books, a limited number were autographed by the band. The first print run sold out via the Frenz of the Enz club within weeks. It is currently out of print.
Split Enz last performed on 14 March 2009 at the Sound Relief
benefit concert. This was a multi-venue rock music concert in support of relief for the Victorian Bushfire Crisis
., with another concert held simultaneously at the Sydney Cricket Ground
. All the proceeds from the Melbourne Concert went to the Red Cross Victorian Bushfire relief. Performing alongside Split Enz in Melbourne were, Augie March
, Bliss N Eso with Paris Wells, Gabriella Cilmi
, Jack Johnson
, Kasey Chambers
& Shane Nicholson with Troy Cassar-Daley
, Kings Of Leon
, Jet
, Paul Kelly
, Liam Finn
, Wolfmother
and reformed Hunters & Collectors
and a reformed Midnight Oil
including Peter Garrett
.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
band of the 1970s and early 1980s featuring Phil Judd
Phil Judd
Philip Judd is a New Zealand singer-songwriter known for being one of the founders of the bands Split Enz and The Swingers.-Split Enz:...
and brothers Tim Finn
Tim Finn
Brian Timothy "Tim" Finn, OBE is a New Zealand singer and musician. Finn is most known for his music with New Zealand 1970s and 1980s rock group Split Enz, and later for his solo work, a temporary membership in his brother Neil's band Crowded House and his joint efforts with Neil Finn as the Finn...
and Neil Finn
Neil Finn
Neil Mullane Finn, OBE is a New Zealand Pop recording artist. Along with his brother Tim Finn, he was the co-frontman for Split Enz and is now frontman for Crowded House...
. They achieved chart success in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
during the early 1980s ‒ most notably with the single "I Got You
I Got You (Split Enz song)
"I Got You" is a 1980 song by New Zealand rock group Split Enz from their studio album True Colours. Split Enz's most commercially successful single, "I Got You" was written by Neil Finn and released in January 1980.-Music video:...
", and built a cult following elsewhere. Their musical style was eclectic and original, incorporating influences from art rock
Art rock
Art rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the 1960s, with influences from art, avant-garde, and classical music. The first usage of the term, according to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, was in 1968. Influenced by the work of The Beatles, most notably their Sgt...
, vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
, swing, punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
, rock
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
, new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
, and pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
.
The group formed in 1971 at the University of Auckland
University of Auckland
The University of Auckland is a university located in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest university in the country and the highest ranked in the 2011 QS World University Rankings, having been ranked worldwide...
with the original lineup of Phil Judd
Phil Judd
Philip Judd is a New Zealand singer-songwriter known for being one of the founders of the bands Split Enz and The Swingers.-Split Enz:...
, Tim Finn
Tim Finn
Brian Timothy "Tim" Finn, OBE is a New Zealand singer and musician. Finn is most known for his music with New Zealand 1970s and 1980s rock group Split Enz, and later for his solo work, a temporary membership in his brother Neil's band Crowded House and his joint efforts with Neil Finn as the Finn...
, Mike Chunn
Mike Chunn
Mike Chunn is a former member of the New Zealand bands Split Enz and Citizen Band. He performed alongside his brother Geoff Chunn in both bands....
, Robert Gillies
Robert Gillies
Robert Bruce Gillies was a member of New Zealand band Split Enz between 1973 and 1974, and later between November 1975 and late 1977, playing the saxophone and the trumpet...
and Noel Crombie
Noel Crombie
Noel Crombie is a New Zealand singer and former member of the band Split Enz. He fulfilled multiple roles including costume and hair designer, percussionist, album cover designer, and music video director...
. From 1972 the band became a full-time occupation for the friends, and they called the band Split Ends. The spelling was later changed to Split Enz shortly before their first trip to Australia, to signify their New Zealand roots (NZ is a common abbreviation for New Zealand). The group was widely known for their unique visual presentation. Their costumes and hair were wild, colourful and inventive.
The group's career falls into two phases. The first was rooted in folk and the progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
scene of the early 1970s. From 1977 onwards, with the departure of Judd and the enlisting of Neil Finn
Neil Finn
Neil Mullane Finn, OBE is a New Zealand Pop recording artist. Along with his brother Tim Finn, he was the co-frontman for Split Enz and is now frontman for Crowded House...
, the group's sound began to change from a progressive rock sound to New Wave and pop. The early 1980s proved the group's most commercially successful period, with a string of popular albums in the bourgeoning New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
style. The group further established a legacy that is still recognised as a distinct musical style after over twenty years from their departure. Since then, the group has reunited as Split Enz several times, though its members have gone on to create other successful musical groups with one another since the breakup in 1984, such as Crowded House
Crowded House
Crowded House are a rock band, formed in Melbourne, Australia and led by New Zealand singer-songwriter Neil Finn. Finn is the primary songwriter and creative director of the band, having led it through several incarnations, drawing members from New Zealand , Australia and the United States...
, Schnell Fenster
Schnell Fenster
Schnell Fenster was a Melbourne-based band, formed in 1986 by members of Split Enz after the breakup of that band. Tentatively named "The Wanx", the band selected their name, which is German for "fast window" , because it "appealed to [their] perversity".The band also formed the core of the members...
, Citizen Band
Citizen Band
Citizen Band were a New Zealand band formed by the brothers Geoff and Mike Chunn, both of whom had previously been members of Split Enz.- Band members :...
and the Finn Brothers
Finn Brothers
The Finn Brothers is a New Zealand Rock musical duo consisting of brothers Neil and Tim Finn. In June 1993 both members were awarded the OBE for their contribution to music....
.
New Zealand – 1971–1974
The origins of Split Enz lay in the friendships that developed amongst a group of young students in the late 1960s and early 1970s. After finishing primary school, Brian Timothy FinnTim Finn
Brian Timothy "Tim" Finn, OBE is a New Zealand singer and musician. Finn is most known for his music with New Zealand 1970s and 1980s rock group Split Enz, and later for his solo work, a temporary membership in his brother Neil's band Crowded House and his joint efforts with Neil Finn as the Finn...
attended Sacred Heart College boarding school, where he met Jonathan Michael Chunn
Mike Chunn
Mike Chunn is a former member of the New Zealand bands Split Enz and Citizen Band. He performed alongside his brother Geoff Chunn in both bands....
. They wrote songs and played music together there over the next five years. In 1971 Finn and Chunn went to Auckland University, and there they met and befriended a group of art students including Philip Judd, Geoffrey Noel Crombie
Noel Crombie
Noel Crombie is a New Zealand singer and former member of the band Split Enz. He fulfilled multiple roles including costume and hair designer, percussionist, album cover designer, and music video director...
and Rob Gillies.
The close friendship between Finn and Judd became the core of Split Enz; the band soon started writing together with Judd working out the basic form and lyrics and Finn (who was strongly influenced by classic British pop like the Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, the Kinks
The Kinks
The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...
, and the Move
The Move
The Move, from Birmingham, England, were one of the leading British rock bands of the 1960s. They scored nine Top 20 UK singles in five years, but were among the most popular British bands not to find any success in the United States....
) providing melodies.
As the partnership developed, they began stockpiling songs and decided to form a group as an outlet for their compositions; the material they wrote together in this original burst of creativity provided the bulk of the Enz repertoire for several years. They approached classical trained violinist Miles Golding
Miles Golding
Miles Golding is a classical violinist, and an original member of Split Enz. Golding left the band in 1973 to pursue further training in London...
, reed player Mike Howard and together with Chunn they formed a five-piece acoustic group called Split Ends in October 1972.
Early singles
Golding's musical skills helped Finn and Judd to build complex and impressive neo-classical structures and arrangements for their material. After months of rehearsals, and with financial backing provided by their friend and fan Barry Coburn, (who became their first manager), Split Ends issued its debut single, "For You/Split Ends", in April 1973. In March, just before the single was released, Golding left the group to study in London, although they would meet again years later. Reed player Mike Howard quit soon after.With Miles's departure Finn and Judd wanted to give up the band, but at Chunn's urging, the band "went electric" and expanded, adding drums, lead guitar, and brass. When the single was released in April, the band started a small tour of Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington, supporting John Mayall
John Mayall
John Mayall, OBE is an English blues singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, whose musical career spans over fifty years...
. Chunn's brother Geoff
Geoff Chunn
Geoff Chunn is a New Zealand musician, best known as an early member of Split Enz.Chunn was a teenage friend of Tim Finn. Together the two of them and Chunn's elder brother, Mike Chunn, founded the band Stillwater while at high school in the late 1960s...
was called in for the tour replacing original drummer Div Vercoe. The other new permanent members were lead guitarist Paul Wally Wilkinson and their university friend Robert Bruce Gillies who joined part-time on saxophone and trumpet. By this time, the band had become a full-time preoccupation for Finn, and he dropped out of university.
In late 1973, Split Ends entered the New Faces TV talent contest, and in preparation for their performance, they recorded "129" and "Home Sweet Home". Soon after, they also recorded the retro-1930s sounding "Sweet Talking Spoon Song", which would become the second single. They finished second-last in the finals of the contest, but their performance secured them a 30-minute concert special for Television New Zealand
Television New Zealand
Television New Zealand, more commonly referred to, and stylized as TVNZ, is a government-owned corporation television network broadcasting in New Zealand and parts of the Pacific. It operates TV1, TV2, TVNZ7, TVNZ Heartland, TVNZ U and new media services....
, which was recorded soon after.
In November 1973, EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
NZ issued the band's second single, "Sweet Talking Spoon Song"/"129". The next eighteen months saw Split Ends refining their material and performances. The TV special spawned a concert tour, albeit without Phil Judd, who decided he did not like performing live – he was discouraged by negative reactions to the band, and felt that their music was too complex for successful stage presentation. He initially opted to stay at home to write and record new material while the rest of the band toured, although he made occasional appearances and eventually rejoined full-time. The songs from both singles were later included on the compilation album The Beginning of the Enz
The Beginning of the Enz
The Beginning of the Enz is a 1979 release from New Zealand rock group Split Enz. The album is a collection of songs and demos from the early days of the band...
.
The Prof
In early 1974, Tim Finn acquired a prized MellotronMellotron
The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical, polyphonic tape replay keyboard originally developed and built in Birmingham, England in the early 1960s. It superseded the Chamberlin Music Master, which was the world's first sample-playback keyboard intended for music...
keyboard. In February the band members made a vital addition to the lineup, recruiting Anthony Edward "Eddie" Rayner
Eddie Rayner
Eddie Rayner , is a New Zealand musician who has played in bands such as Split Enz, Space Waltz, Crowded House, The Makers and 801....
on keyboards. Rayner was quite impressed by Split Enz' performance on New Faces and thought that they were good enough to join.
Rayner, nicknamed "The Prof", remained with the band for the rest of its existence, and he was crucial to the development of the band's sound. A prodigiously talented self-taught musician, his ability to realise and enhance the band's arrangements added tremendous depth and polish to the bands material, and in many respects his playing became the defining element of the band's sound. Combined with Tim Finn's own ability on piano, the two guitars, bass, drums, percussion, and assorted other instruments including trumpet and saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, the band members were able to encompass a wide range of styles and sounds, and they were always a force to be reckoned with on stage, as even their early live recordings attest.
Theatrical sets
In February 1974 the band altered its original name to the patriotic "Split Enz". Phil Judd and Tim Finn decided that, rather than slogging it out on the traditional pub circuit, they would play only in theatres and concert halls, which enabled them to stage a full theatrical presentation, and they began to develop elaborate sets, costumes, hairstyles and makeup. After seeing one of these live performances, Judd decided to return to the band and began making occasional live appearances. In June 1974 Geoff Chunn and Rob Gillies both left the band. Paul Emlyn CrowtherEmlyn Crowther
Paul Emlyn Crowther was the drummer of Split Enz from July 1974 to November 1976.Before joining the Enz, Crowther played trumpet in an air training corp band but swapped to drums later on. Moved to Auckland in 1969 and played drums in a couple of covers bands and Alastair Riddell's band, Orb...
joined on drums in July; Gillies was not replaced.
The band's music at this time was in a broadly similar vein to British progressive bands of the time, albeit rather "poppier" and more melodic than many such bands. Family
Family (band)
Family were an English rock band that formed in late 1966 and disbanded in October 1973. Their style has been characterised as progressive rock, although their sound often explored other genres, incorporating elements of styles like as folk, psychedelia, acid, jazz fusion and rock and roll...
and Traffic
Traffic (band)
Traffic were an English rock band whose members came from the West Midlands. The group formed in April 1967 by Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi, Chris Wood and Dave Mason...
were almost certainly important influences, and though they always balked at the frequent comparisons to Genesis
Genesis (band)
Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
, there was an 'English-ness', and a definite eccentricity that was common to both groups, and which set the Enz apart from almost every other local act.
The band might have made considerably less impact had it not been for the unique visual identity they developed. In the autumn of 1974, their old university friend Geoffrey Noel Crombie became a full-time member. He performed on percussion – and spoons – and sang occasionally, but his primary role soon proved to be as Art Director for the band. His wide-ranging talents enabled Split Enz to present a complete audio-visual experience, showcasing their accomplished performances of the intricate Judd-Finn compositions in a unique live show, complete with wild, colourful matching costumes, bizarre hairstyles and makeup, sets and special effects. Their "look" – a mixture of the weird and the whimsical – drew on influences like the circus
Circus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
, music hall
Music hall
Music Hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment which was popular between 1850 and 1960. The term can refer to:# A particular form of variety entertainment involving a mixture of popular song, comedy and speciality acts...
, gothic horror, Expressionist cinema, pantomime
Pantomime
Pantomime — not to be confused with a mime artist, a theatrical performer of mime—is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, India, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is mostly performed during the...
, psychedelia, surrealism
Surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
and modern art
Modern art
Modern art includes artistic works produced during the period extending roughly from the 1860s to the 1970s, and denotes the style and philosophy of the art produced during that era. The term is usually associated with art in which the traditions of the past have been thrown aside in a spirit of...
– all filtered through the band's bizarre demeanour and crazed on-stage antics.
Like Rayner, Noel Crombie was a crucial addition to the band, and in many ways he became the heart and soul of Split Enz. His designs crystallised the band's image, and spanned the entire range of their visual material – stage costumes, hair styles, sets and stage designs, posters, buttons, badges, handbills, promotional photos, tour programmes, and album and single covers. He also directed almost all of their music videos, (some co-directed with Rob Gillies). Some of Noel Crombie's finest costumes are now part of the collection of the Victorian Museum of Performing Arts.
Noel Crombie's lugubrious stage presence endeared him to audiences and his trademark spoon solos became a favourite feature of Enz shows. His regular spot grew out of one of the typical random events that marked the band's early shows – they brought Rayner's aunt on stage to perform an impromptu tap dance during one of the songs. It was a roaring success, but they quickly realised that they could not really take her on tour with them, so Noel Crombie's spoon playing routine was substituted and soon became an essential part of each show.
In concert, the band was already in a league of its own and live performances from this era soon became the stuff of legend. An early NZ TV performance had a desert-island theme; the band members brought in a load of sand and created a miniature indoor beach, complete with palm trees and a wading pool; band members dressed as hankie-hatted tourists, reclining on deck chairs and sipping drinks. For a now-legendary live performance of their live epic "Stranger Than Fiction", a woman friend was recruited to crawl across the stage during the song, under pulsing strobe lights, with a bloodied axe apparently embedded in her skull.
Australia 1975–1976
By the end of 1974, the band's following in New Zealand was strong and dedicated, but the chances of large-scale commercial success there were obviously limited – a logical place to go was Australia. In March 1975, the band issued its third single, "No Bother To Me", on the independent White Cloud label, and a few weeks later, Split Enz left for Sydney.The initial response from Australian audiences was mixed, and their music and image was at first simply too "out there" for many Australians.
Australia had several bands with an overt and theatrical glam rock
Glam rock
Glam rock is a style of rock and pop music that developed in the UK in the early 1970s, which was performed by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles, particularly platform-soled boots and glitter...
style, including Skyhooks, Hush
Hush (band)
Hush was a 1970s Australian glam rock pop group and became famous during frequent appearances on the ABC show Countdown for live concerts and teenagers, and they would not have come into existence without the superb John Koutts on drums....
, The Ted Mulry Gang
Ted Mulry
Ted Mulry was a singer, songwriter, bass player and guitarist. He was born in Oldham, Lancashire, England but achieved his success in Australia, firstly as a solo performer, and then leading his own band Ted Mulry Gang, sometimes officially credited as just TMG.-Solo:Ted Mulry first came to the...
, Supernaut
Supernaut (band)
Supernaut were an Australian glam/punk rock band from Perth, Australia formed in 1974 and disbanded in 1980.-History:Formed in 1974 in Perth, Western Australia, Supernaut had a short but successful career which yielded two straight top twenty singles and gold album status for their self titled...
. Sherbet
Sherbet (band)
Sherbet was one of the most prominent and successful Australian rock bands of the 1970s. Their biggest singles were "Summer Love" and "Howzat" , both reaching number one in Australia. "Howzat" was also a top 5 hit in the UK. Though the band's success in the U.S...
and AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
had also briefly toyed with glam-rock styling.
Split Enz were in a league of their own however, and most Australian audiences had seen nothing like them before. They got a frosty reception in Sydney, although they had a slightly warmer welcome in Melbourne, where local bands and other performing groups had more of a history of blending experimental and theatrical elements with rock music. It was around about this time that all members of the band except Phil Judd adopted the use of their middle names.
Mental Notes
Michael Gudinski
Michael Solomon Gudinski, AM is an Australian entrepreneur and businessman currently based in Melbourne who is a leading figure in the Australian music industry...
signed the band to a management and publishing deal and a recording contract with his Mushroom Records
Mushroom Records
Mushroom Records is an Australian recoJrd company formed by Michael Gudinski and Ray Evans in Melbourne in 1972. After its sale in 1998, it merged into Festival Mushroom Records. From 2005 to 2009, it is one of the record labels operated by Warner Bros...
label.
In two weeks during May/June 1975 Split Enz recorded their debut album Mental Notes at Festival's Studio 24 in Sydney. It was produced by David Russell, who was also their tour manager in 1975 – 76. The engineer was Festival staffer Richard Batchens
Richard Batchens
Richard Batchens is an Australian record producer and recording engineer. He was the main in-house producer for the Australian recording company Festival Records in the early-mid 1970s and was one of the most prominent and successful producers of the era....
.
It was a moderate success on its release in July, selling a respectable 12,000 copies in Australia, reaching #35 on the album chart for one week, and peaking at #7 in New Zealand. It was also a critical breakthrough and along with a handful of other 1970s' Australian classics, like The Dingoes
The Dingoes
The Dingoes are an Australian country rock band initially active from 1973 to 1979, formed in Melbourne they relocated to the United States from 1976. Most stable line-up was John Bois on bass guitar, John Lee on drums, Broderick Smith on vocals and harmonica, Chris Stockley on guitar and Kerryn...
' debut LP and Madder Lake
Madder Lake (band)
Madder Lake is an Australian progressive rock band formed in Melbourne in 1971. They were one of the first band's signed to the Michael Gudinski co-owned Mushroom Records which released their debut single, "Goodbye Lollipop" in February 1973, followed by the album Stillpoint in August. This...
's Stillpoint, it remains one of the most original and accomplished Australasian debut albums of the period.
Much of the material derived from Tim Finn's and Phil Judd's fascination with the work of English writer and artist Mervyn Peake
Mervyn Peake
Mervyn Laurence Peake was an English writer, artist, poet and illustrator. He is best known for what are usually referred to as the Gormenghast books. They are sometimes compared to the work of his older contemporary J. R. R...
– notably Spellbound, the track "Stranger Than Fiction" (their concert centrepiece) and "Titus", named after the hero of Peake's Gormenghast trilogy.
Enz of the Earth
In September, the band members released their first Australian single, "MaybeMaybe (Split Enz song)
"Maybe" was a single written by Tim Finn and Phil Judd and recorded by Split Enz in 1975 for the album Mental Notes. Bassist Mike Chunn did not play bass on this song, as he thought the song was too difficult. Producer David Russell ended up playing bass on the song...
", but by this time plans were being made to relocate to the UK. In November 1975, Wally Wilkinson was sacked and Rob Gillies was brought back in on saxophone and trumpet as a permanent member. The band returned to New Zealand briefly before embarking on their "Enz of the Earth" national Australian tour, which wound up in February 1976. In March, Explosion issued the band's second Mushroom single, "Late Last Night
Late Last Night
"Late Last Night" was a single written by Phil Judd and originally recorded by Split Enz in Australia in 1976. It was accompanied by the band's first promotional video clip...
", accompanied by a promotional video (directed by Crombie) which gave them their first major Australian TV exposure.
Second Thoughts in London
The decision to move to England stemmed from their support slot on Roxy MusicRoxy Music
Roxy Music was a British art rock band formed in 1971 by Bryan Ferry, who became the group's lead vocalist and chief songwriter, and bassist Graham Simpson. The other members are Phil Manzanera , Andy Mackay and Paul Thompson . Former members include Brian Eno , and Eddie Jobson...
's first Australian tour in 1974. The Enz caught the attention of the visiting band, who were only just becoming known in Australia but were already one of the most successful 'art rock' bands in the UK. Roxy Music's guitarist Phil Manzanera
Phil Manzanera
Phil Manzanera is a musician and record producer. He is the lead guitarist with Roxy Music. In 2006 Manzanera co-produced David Gilmour's album On An Island and played in Gilmour's band for tours in Europe and North America...
was particularly impressed, and offered to produce their next album for them in London. They managed to secure a UK record deal with Chrysalis Records
Chrysalis Records
Chrysalis Records was a British record label that was created in 1969. The name was both a reference to the pupal stage of a butterfly and a combination of its founders names, Chris Wright and Terry Ellis...
, and in April 1976 they flew to the UK to cut their second album.
Recorded at the Basing Street Studios
Basing Street Studios
SARM Studios is a recording studio located in Notting Hill, London. The studios were established by Chris Blackwell, the founder of Island Records, and were originally known as Basing Street Studios...
in London, Second Thoughts was issued in Australia in July 1976, and issued in the UK as Mental Notes in September. It consisted of "Late Last Night", four re-arranged and re-recorded tracks from the New Zealand/Australian Mental Notes LP, three new songs, and a new version of one of the earliest Judd – Finn compositions, "129", retitled "Matinee Idyll (129)". This song was released, backed by "Lovey Dovey", as a single in December 1976. During the recording they met original member Miles Golding, who was then living in London, and attended a recital he gave at the Australian Embassy.
The band's bizarre appearance and crazed onstage antics initially baffled the UK press and audiences, and critical reactions were far from favourable, but as in New Zealand and Australia, their musical excellence, originality and enthusiasm again won them a cult following, from which the fan-club Frenz of the Enz began to develop. But even with the patronage of Manzanera, it proved to be hard going, and pressures mounted within the formerly close-knit group. In November, Emlyn Crowther was sacked and replaced by their first non-Kiwi member, English drummer Malcolm Green
Malcolm Green (musician)
Malcolm Green is an English-born drummer best known as a member of New Zealand band Split Enz from 1976 to 1981.Green was recruited by Split Enz in Britain, where he had formerly played with Love Affair, The Honeycombs -- both of them long after their run of '60s hits -- and Octopus...
(ex-Love Affair, The Honeycombs, Jimmy James & the Vagabonds, Octopus), who answered an advertisement in Melody Maker
Melody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
, and began rehearsing with the Enz in December 1976.
Courting the Act
The Enz kicked off 1977 with a new (non-album) single "Another Great DivideAnother Great Divide
"Another Great Divide" was a single written by Phil Judd, Tim Finn, Eddie Rayner, and Robert Gillies and recorded by Split Enz in late 1976 between albums...
", coinciding with their return to Australia/New Zealand in January 1977 for the "Courting the Act" tour. Chrysalis issued Mental Notes (the American title for Second Thoughts) in the USA, and at the end of February they set off for the US to support the album. The 23 day, 40 show tour was a hopeful first attempt to establish themselves in America but it marked the end of an era in the band and proved to be the last tour with founding members Phil Judd and Mike Chunn.
Mike decided to leave at the end of the US tour, partly because he wanted to spend more time with his family but also because he suffered from agoraphobia
Agoraphobia
Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder defined as a morbid fear of having a panic attack or panic-like symptoms in a situation from which it is perceived to be difficult to escape. These situations can include, but are not limited to, wide-open spaces, crowds, or uncontrolled social conditions...
, (apparently exacerbated by his experimentation with psychedelic drugs). Tensions were also running high between Phil and Tim and although they received a standing ovation in San Francisco, audience reactions in more remote areas ranged from bemusement to outright hostility. Unfortunately, Phil was extremely sensitive to such negative feedback. and like Mike, he had a young family back in New Zealand and was tired of the endless grind of touring. Things came to a head after one infamous concert when Phil had trouble with an out-of-tune guitar; he stormed off before the end of the set and when Tim challenged him backstage about what had happened, blows were exchanged. The tour ended in April, and Phil left the band.
The new lineup
The Enz were due to begin their third English tour later that month, so Tim now took charge and hastily reorganised the group. On 4 April English bassist Nigel GriggsNigel Griggs
Nigel Griggs is a musician who played bass guitar in Split Enz. He is the brother of Paul Griggs from the 1970s vocal group Guys 'n' Dolls...
(ex-Octopus) replaced the departing Mike Chunn. Before leaving, however, Chunn gave a crucial piece of parting advice, suggesting that the replacement for Phil Judd should be Tim Finn's younger brother Neil, who officially joined on 7 April 1977.
Although Neil did not contribute much during his first six months with the band, (he was still mastering the electric guitar), he made up for his lack of musical skill with plenty of onstage enthusiasm. Although fresh out of high school and almost totally inexperienced as a performer, he adapted quickly, and he began to develop a strong presence within the group. It was also fortuitous that Neil was not an accomplished player and this effectively forced the group to simplify the music and the arrangements and helped steer them in a new direction.
The line-up changes created renewed drive and enthusiasm in a band that was by then teetering on the brink of collapse. They had been touring for years on the same basic repertoire, most of it written or co-written by the departed Phil Judd, and much of it dating back to the band's formative days. The pressure was on, but Tim rose to the challenge and began turning out great new material that would form the basis of the next two albums.
Neil soon began contributing his own material, and he also became the second lead vocalist, thus taking some of the performing and writing pressure off Tim as well as broadening their repertoire. Neil proved to be a superb singer, whose voice was the perfect complement to his brother's. Most importantly, he was totally immersed in the spirit of the band, having watched it begin and grow from its earliest days. Over the next three years his singing, playing and especially his writing skills increased exponentially, and although Tim remained the leader, Neil was playing a vital role in the band by 1980.
The Enz initially were at first scorned by the fashion-fixated UK music press, owing to the polarising effect of punk on the English music scene. The Enz' theatrical trappings and complex music were suspiciously reminiscent of the "dinosaur" progressive rock bands so reviled by the new wave of music critics. Gradually though, as the Enz fine-tuned their image, and the punk scene gave way to the less strident, more stylish and more musically substantial 'New Wave' scene, Split Enz began to draw larger crowds in the UK.
Dizrythmia
For their band's next album, they chose to record at London's prestigious AIR Studios with producer (and former Beatles engineer) Geoff EmerickGeoff Emerick
Geoffrey Emerick is an English recording studio audio engineer, who is best known for his work with The Beatles' albums Revolver, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Beatles and Abbey Road...
. Dizrythmia (from the medical term for jet-lag, circadian disrhythmia and meaning 'upset body rhythm') made no appreciable impact in the UK, but was very successful in Australasia, and gave them their first simultaneous hits on the Australian and New Zealand singles and album charts. They returned to Australia in August, coinciding with the release of the album, and began a 28-date tour of Australasia in October/November. The album reached #18 in Australia. The first single, the quirky "My Mistake
My Mistake
"My Mistake" is a 1977 song by New Zealand art rock group Split Enz from their studio album Dizrythmia. "My Mistake" was the first Split Enz song to achieve a top 20 chart position, peaking at #15 in Australia and #21 in the band's native New Zealand....
" (August), peaked at #15 during October, bolstered by the national tour and aided by another great promotional video. In New Zealand, Dizrythmia reached #3, and "My Mistake" peaked at #21. The song's introduction bears a close resemblance to the Jack Clement
Jack Clement
Jack Henderson Clement is an American singer, songwriter, and a record and film producer.Raised and educated in Memphis, Jack Clement was performing at an early age...
's novelty single "My Voice Keeps Changing On Me", a song that Noel Crombie covered in 1983.
The second single, Tim Finn's jaunty "Bold as Brass" (December) was a melodic pop gem, laden with hooks, with a strong and bouncy backbeat by the Green – Griggs rhythm section. It was even more sophisticated than its predecessor but failed to chart. The single was accompanied by another specially-made video, co-directed by Noel and Rob.
Between November 1977 and February 1978, Split Enz toured throughout the UK and Europe. At the turn of the year Rob Gillies left and Phil Judd returned, briefly, in early 1978 after Tim and Eddie heard some of his new material, but he apparently found himself out of step with their changing direction, and left the band for good after about a month.
After the tour, from March to May 1978, Tim, Neil and Eddie returned a favor and contributed to Phil Manzanera's solo album, K-Scope. Tim sang lead vocals and Neil added backup vocals to the songs "Remote Control", "Cuban Crisis", "Hot Spot", and "Slow Motion TV". Eddie played various keyboards on each of these (except for "Remote Control"), plus the cuts "K-Scope", "Gone Flying", and "Walking Through Heaven's Door".
From Luton to Nambassa (Frenzy)
It was at this point that the New Zealand Arts Council came to the rescue with a five thousand dollar grant. They immediately booked a tiny 8-track studio in Luton
Luton
Luton is a large town and unitary authority of Bedfordshire, England, 30 miles north of London. Luton and its near neighbours, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, form the Luton/Dunstable Urban Area with a population of about 250,000....
and with the help of 18-year-old English engineer David Tickle
David Tickle
David Tickle is a British record producer and engineer. As a producer, he is most noted for his work with Split Enz, and in Canada, for his mid-80s work with Red Rider, Platinum Blonde and Gowan...
, they knocked out demo recordings of around 28 new songs in less than five days. These legendary sessions, (the Rootin' Tootin' Luton Tapes), displayed both a newfound edge and considerable commercial potential. Around the same time, they recorded a new single with Tickle, a frenetic new song by Tim called "I See Red
I See Red (Split Enz song)
"I See Red" is a 1978 song by New Zealand art rock group Split Enz from their studio album Frenzy. "I See Red" was the second Split Enz song to achieve a top 20 chart position, peaking at #15 in Australia and #43 in the band's native New Zealand....
".
Having overcome personal issues and "writer's block
Writer's block
Writer's block is a condition, primarily associated with writing as a profession, in which an author loses the ability to produce new work. The condition varies widely in intensity. It can be trivial, a temporary difficulty in dealing with the task at hand. At the other extreme, some "blocked"...
", Split Enz entered Manor Studios in November 1978, where Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
had recorded his albums in the few years prior, to record a new album with producer Mallory Earl. Even the cover of Frenzy marked the change in the group, the crazy costumes and makeup of Dizrythmia were gone, and the painting depicted them in casual clothes, standing in front of a farm shed in a bucolic New Zealand landscape. The album included re-recordings of some songs from the Luton tapes, but the band felt that Earl had failed to capture the magic and raw energy of the demos. That same month, Mushroom issued "I See Red" as a single in Australia. It was a frantic chunk of power pop with buzzsaw guitar and manic Farfisa organ, bearing the clear influence of English New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
acts like XTC
XTC
XTC were a New Wave band from Swindon, England, active between 1976 and 2005. The band enjoyed some chart success, including the UK and Canadian hits "Making Plans for Nigel" and "Senses Working Overtime" , but are perhaps even better known for their long-standing critical success.- Early years:...
and Buzzcocks
Buzzcocks
Buzzcocks are an English punk rock band formed in Bolton in 1976, led by singer–songwriter–guitarist Pete Shelley.They are regarded as an important influence on the Manchester music scene, the independent record label movement, punk rock, power pop, pop punk and indie rock. They achieved commercial...
, and marking a significant change in their musical style, away from the ethereal, densely arranged epics of yore, and back to Tim's first love: simple, concise, accessible, high-energy guitar pop. It didn't chart in England but "I See Red" got a lot of attention and considerable airplay, and is credited as being the song that began the turn-around in their critical reputation in the UK. Many of the other Luton songs were never re-recorded, and were left as demos, although some eventually surfaced on A&M's American version of Frenzy, which was released in North America in 1981.
The group's status was beginning to be restored, however the group was still facing some difficulties in this period. Having gained enough financial support from their music again, the group returned to Australia in late 1978 to see family and friends and also performed in various Australasian locations. At the beginning of 1978, the band had agreed to appear at the 1979 Nambassa
Nambassa
Nambassa was a series of hippie-conceived festivals held between 1976 and 1981 on large farms around Waihi and Waikino in New Zealand. They were music, arts and alternatives festivals that focused on peace, love, and an environmentally friendly lifestyle...
Festival to be staged in Waihi
Waihi
Waihi is a town in Hauraki District in the North Island of New Zealand, especially notable for its history as a gold mine town. It had a population of 4,503 at the 2006 census....
, New Zealand. Split Enz returned to New Zealand in January 1979, but two days before their scheduled appearance, all of the group's equipment – valued at $30,000 at the time – was destroyed in a fire in Waimata Hall in Waihi only three hours after finishing rehearsals at midnight. Despite this setback, the group decided to honour their agreement and performed the festival on 28 January 1979. This proved to be a pivotal show for the group's history, stunning friends and fans alike with their "towering performance" at the festival.
"I See Red" eventually peaked at #15 in Australia in February 1979 while Frenzy reached #24. In New Zealand "I See Red" was only a minor hit (#43) but the album reached #13. A second single, "Give It A Whirl
Give It A Whirl (Split Enz song)
"Give It A Whirl" was a single written by Neil Finn and Tim Finn and recorded by Split Enz for the 1979 album Frenzy. The single was only released in Australia and New Zealand...
" (co-written by Neil and Tim Finn), was released in May but failed to chart. (One album track, "She Got Body, She Got Soul", was later covered for the soundtrack of the musical feature film Starstruck
Starstruck (1982 film)
Starstruck is a 1982 Australian comedy-drama musical film starring Jo Kennedy, Ross O'Donovan and Margo Lee about two teenagers trying to make their break into the music industry. The film was shot on location in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
.) A self-produced, non-album single, Neil's "Things", featuring the B-side "Semi-Detached", was released in October 1979, but also failed to chart.
The combination of the dramatic changes in the English music scene, the commercial performance of Frenzy and their precarious financial state forced the Enz to re-assess their music and image. The Luton tapes and the Nambassa show had proved to the band that the more melodic "power-pop" side of their music was a winner, so they worked hard on making the songs for their fifth album much more commercial, melodic and accessible, while they reined in the more outre aspects of their image. The wild makeup and hairstyles were also toned down (to a degree); Tim's performance persona (a demented cross between Harold Lloyd
Harold Lloyd
Harold Clayton Lloyd, Sr. was an American film actor and producer, most famous for his silent comedies....
and an escaped lunatic) was shelved, and Neil began to emerge from behind the horn-rimmed glasses and painted-on freckles of his original "nerdy schoolboy" image.
The evolution of streamlining and consolidating core melodic elements of Enz music organically bonded with a less harried visual approach, although the trademark Enz weirdness was never far from the surface. The genius of Noel Crombie's contribution in design and manufacture of band clothing, art design, film clip Production; image cannot be underestimated as a primary reason why at this point in time Split Enz 'engaged' with the public in commercially popular terms. Neil's generally optimistic, upbeat songs provided a perfect counterpoint to Tim's edgier and more melancholic pieces. They were performing (more or less) as themselves, and Noel's emblematic new costume, album and stage designs were stripped back to simple, striking geometric patterns which were both timeless yet perfect for the period.
Critical acclaim 1980–1984
New Wave success (True Colours – Time and Tide)
The album that allowed Split Enz to taste international success for the first time was 1980s True Colours, produced by David Tickle. Mushroom Records were not supportive of this choice of producer. Tickle in his early 20s had a special relationship with the Enz as a result of working with them on "I See Red" at Ringo StarrRingo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
's Starling studios in the UK. Neil wrote and sang lead on the accessible single "I Got You". Assisted by a catchy, Beatlesque
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
chorus, and a simple but effective video produced by the ABC
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
, "I Got You" took the Enz to the top of the Australian, New Zealand,
and Canadian charts, to #12 in Britain, and even got them onto the US charts, where the song reached #53, while the album peaked at #40. The song reached #1 in Australia on 14 April and remained there for eight weeks, going on to become the second highest-selling single for the year after Joe Dolce
Joe Dolce
Joseph "Joe" Dolce is an American-born, Australian singer/songwriter who achieved fame with his multi-million-selling song, "Shaddap You Face", released under the name of his one-man show, Joe Dolce Music Theatre, in 1980...
's "Shaddup You Face". The album peaked at #1 in Australia on the same day and stayed at the top for 10 weeks, charting in the Top 40 for almost a year. This success and subsequent media focus on the band helped to push all of their albums (except for Second Thoughts) back into the New Zealand charts at the same time. True Colours had now become Mushroom's biggest selling band album ever and would remain so.
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
it featured multi-coloured shapes cut into the vinyl by a laser. The process allowed the vinyl to throw out a strobe
Strobe light
A strobe light or stroboscopic lamp, commonly called a strobe, is a device used to produce regular flashes of light. It is one of a number of devices that can be used as a stroboscope...
-like stream of colours under certain lighting conditions. True Colours was one of only three albums (the others being Paradise Theatre by Styx
Styx (band)
Styx is an American rock band that became famous for its albums from the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Chicago band is known for melding the style of prog-rock with the power of hard rock guitar, strong ballads, and elements of American musical theater....
, also on A&M and the soundtrack to the Superman Movie) on which this effect was ever used.
History Never Repeats
"History Never Repeats" was a single written by Neil Finn and recorded by Split Enz for their 1981 Waiata album. The song remains one of their most popular. The video was one of the first to be played on MTV upon its launch in 1981....
" and "One Step Ahead", two songs from the album, were among the first music videos
First music videos aired on MTV
This is a list of the first music videos broadcast on MTV's first day, August 1, 1981. Video of the launch of MTV was uploaded onto YouTube in 2009.-List:#"Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles#"You Better Run" by Pat Benatar...
to be played on the network when it launched in 1981.
Following Waiata, drummer Malcolm Green
Malcolm Green (musician)
Malcolm Green is an English-born drummer best known as a member of New Zealand band Split Enz from 1976 to 1981.Green was recruited by Split Enz in Britain, where he had formerly played with Love Affair, The Honeycombs -- both of them long after their run of '60s hits -- and Octopus...
was sacked from the group (he and Tim Finn
Tim Finn
Brian Timothy "Tim" Finn, OBE is a New Zealand singer and musician. Finn is most known for his music with New Zealand 1970s and 1980s rock group Split Enz, and later for his solo work, a temporary membership in his brother Neil's band Crowded House and his joint efforts with Neil Finn as the Finn...
wanted to pursue different musical directions) and Noel Crombie's percussive duties were expanded to include the drum kit. While the split was played out to be amicable, it actually was not – although it is now regarded by all as 'water under the bridge'.
The band's next release Time & Tide (1982) maintained their newfound commercial strength. However, the single "Six Months in a Leaky Boat
Six Months in a Leaky Boat
"Six Months in a Leaky Boat" is a single from New Zealand art rock group Split Enz's album Time and Tide. It was written by Tim Finn and released as a single in 1982....
" engendered some controversy when some thought the song was a veiled attack on the British acting against the invasion by the Argentines of the Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
and was removed from radio play lists in the UK. The band denied these allegations: it had actually been recorded in January 1982, months before the Falklands conflict. The album, while not a definitive concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
, did have a recurring nautical theme. Due to Tim Finn's input, particularly with lyrics reflecting personal situations ("Haul Away" was Tim Finn's life story in song), a number of critics jokingly referred to the album as "Tim & Tide". Time and Tide would go on to top the album charts in New Zealand, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Australia.
Tim's Escapade
Early in 1983, after Split Enz decided to take a well earned break from their 3 years of recording and touring, Tim in his break from the group recorded a solo album with an all-star session group including producers Mark Moffatt (DivinylsDivinyls
Divinyls were an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1980 and featuring vocalist Christina Amphlett and guitarist Mark McEntee. As the focal point, Amphlett performed on stage wearing a school uniform and fishnet stockings, often using an illuminated neon tube as a prop and displaying...
, Ross Wilson), former Beach Boy
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
Ricky Fataar
Ricky Fataar
Ricky Fataar is a South African multi-instrumentalist of Malay descent, who has performed as both a drummer, and a guitarist. He gained fame as an actor in the comedic television movie, The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash, a spoof on the actual history of The Beatles, and for his performance as a...
and legendary session singer Venetta Fields
Venetta Fields
Venetta Fields is an American singer best known as session musician for leading rock and pop acts of the 1970s including Pink Floyd, Barbra Streisand, Steely Dan and the Rolling Stones...
. Escapade
Escapade (album)
Escapade is the first solo album by Split Enz frontman Tim Finn.-After Time and Tide:After the release of Split Enz 1982 album Time and Tide, Tim Finn decided to give the band a break after 10 years. Younger brother Neil Finn worked on some demos for the upcoming Split Enz album, while...
, released in June 1983, was a major success in Australia, spawning several hits singles including "Fraction Too Much Friction" and the gospel-styled "Made My Day". Tim won the Best Songwriter gong at the TV Week/Countdown Awards, and Split Enz won Best Album (for Time & Tide) and the Most Popular Group award.
Despite its success, Tim's solo album distracted him from the Enz, (Mushroom boss Michael Gudinski
Michael Gudinski
Michael Solomon Gudinski, AM is an Australian entrepreneur and businessman currently based in Melbourne who is a leading figure in the Australian music industry...
later said in hindsight without ever mentioning this to the band or their then management he would have prevented it if he had still been managing them at the time), and it delayed the recording of a timely follow-up to Time & Tide, effectively stalling the momentum they had built over the previous three albums and making the chances of a lasting American breakthrough even slimmer.
Paul Hester joins
One more album was released with Tim (Conflicting EmotionsConflicting Emotions
Conflicting Emotions is a 1983 album by New Zealand New Wave band Split Enz. Although considered by some to be their poorest release, the band themselves were more than happy with the result at the time and refused to make any of the changes requested by their Australian and US record companies.As...
), but he wrote only four of the songs on the album. At the end of 1983, a new band member, Paul Hester
Paul Hester
Paul Newell Hester was an Australian musician and television personality; he was the drummer for the related bands Split Enz and Crowded House.-The early years:...
was brought in on drums. With their new drummer the band toured once more. All members during that time felt that it was like a new beginning. After the tour this was not to be the case.
After the successful tour, the Enz were back in the studio for another album. The creativity of the earlier years had diminished and Tim was becoming less and less happy with his Enz work. He left the band shortly after.
See Ya 'Round
With his brother gone, Neil Finn became the de facto leader of Split Enz. Crombie, Griggs, Hester and Rayner stayed and the group soldiered on, albeit now without any original members.However, this incarnation released only one album, and even its title (See Ya 'Round
See Ya 'Round
See Ya 'Round is the ninth, and final album by New Zealand's premier New Wave band, Split Enz, and was released in 1984, following the departure of founding member Tim Finn, whose solo career had officially taken off the year before...
) clearly indicated that it was meant as a farewell offering. See Ya Round was not a strong commercial success, (in fact, it was released only in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada), and Split Enz finally broke up in December 1984. But whatever tension there might have been between the band and Tim was resolved when they went on their final tour together, Enz with a Bang.
Split Enz have reformed several times for reunion tours. In December 1989 they toured Australia to headline the Concert Of The Decade tour, while New Zealand was given the 20th Anniversary tour with a one-off performance at the Wynyard Tavern (the place of Split Enz' first gig) on 10 December 1992. In December 1999, they performed at the Millennium Concert on New Year's Eve. In 2005, Split Enz were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame
ARIA Hall of Fame
Since 1988 the Australian Recording Industry Association has inducted artists into its ARIA Hall of Fame. While most have been recognised at the annual ARIA Music Awards, in 2005 ARIA sought to create a separate standalone "ARIA Icons: Hall of Fame" event as only one or two acts could be inducted...
and in June of the following year, the Enz embarked on a series of capital city performances in Australia (the first time since 1989). On reunion tours, the group was usually in its Finn/Finn/Rayner/Crombie/Griggs/Hester lineup. After the death of Paul Hester in March 2005, Malcolm Green, the drummer from their most successful lineup (Late 1976–1981), toured with them for the first time in 25 years.
After Split Enz – 1984–current
Following his time with Split Enz, Phil JuddPhil Judd
Philip Judd is a New Zealand singer-songwriter known for being one of the founders of the bands Split Enz and The Swingers.-Split Enz:...
formed a band with Buster Stiggs and Bones Hillman named The Swingers
The Swingers
The Swingers were a New Zealand rock band. Formed out of the remnants of The Suburban Reptiles, the founding members were Phil Judd , Wayne Stevens , and Mark Hough . Formed in 1979, the band released the single "One Good Reason" which was a top 20 hit in New Zealand...
. Later, he released a solo album Private Lives. In 2006 Judd released his solo album Novelty Act exclusively through the Split Enz fan club and his own website. In December 2008 he released a new solo album Love Is A Moron, available through his website and major online retailers. He also creates artwork and portraits. Geoff and Mike Chunn returned to New Zealand and formed Citizen Band
Citizen Band
Citizen Band were a New Zealand band formed by the brothers Geoff and Mike Chunn, both of whom had previously been members of Split Enz.- Band members :...
, and Mike Chunn later became the head of the Australasian Performing Right Association
Australasian Performing Right Association
The Australasian Performing Right Association is a copyright collective representing New Zealand and Australian composers, lyricists and music publishers. The association's head offices located in Sydney Australia, and it has branch offices in Auckland, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth...
.
Following the demise of the group in 1984, Eddie Rayner played keyboards on Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
's album Press to Play
Press to Play
-Personnel:* Paul McCartney – bass, acoustic and electric guitars, lead vocals* Neil Jason – bass* Eric Stewart – acoustic and electric guitars* Pete Townshend – electric guitars* Carlos Alomar – acoustic and electric guitars* Eddie Rayner – keyboards...
in 1985 and The Angels
The Angels (Australian band)
The Angels are a hard rock band that formed in Adelaide, Australia in 1970. The band later relocated from Adelaide to Sydney and enjoyed huge local success until well into the 1990s. For the purposes of international release, their records were released under the names Angel City and later The...
album Howling in 1986. Phil Judd, Noel Crombie and Nigel Griggs got back together in a new band, called Schnell Fenster
Schnell Fenster
Schnell Fenster was a Melbourne-based band, formed in 1986 by members of Split Enz after the breakup of that band. Tentatively named "The Wanx", the band selected their name, which is German for "fast window" , because it "appealed to [their] perversity".The band also formed the core of the members...
, who released two albums. The albums were moderately successful. Rayner joined Schnell Fenster, but soon after decided to form his own band called The Makers
The Makers (Australian band)
The Makers was a band formed by ex-Split Enz keyboardist Eddie Rayner and Australian musician and singer Brian Baker.They formed around 1988 after recording the tracks for the Ricky and Pete soundtrack. The self-titled debut album 'The Makers' was released in 1989, with three singles released from...
, with whom he released two albums. His 1995 project ENZSO
Enzso
ENZSO was an orchestral project started by former Split Enz keyboardist Eddie Rayner.-History:The project began with Eddie Rayner. He wanted something more from the old Split Enz songs, and doing orchestral arrangements seemed perfect...
saw some of the members sing the old Split Enz songs in an orchestral setting with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra is the national orchestra of New Zealand. It is a crown entity owned by the Government of New Zealand, with 90 full-time players....
, and two albums were released with live recordings. He has released two solo albums. An instrumental solo album Horse, and another album Play it Straight.
Neil and Paul Hester (later joined briefly by Neil's brother Tim) went on to form Crowded House
Crowded House
Crowded House are a rock band, formed in Melbourne, Australia and led by New Zealand singer-songwriter Neil Finn. Finn is the primary songwriter and creative director of the band, having led it through several incarnations, drawing members from New Zealand , Australia and the United States...
, which was also very successful worldwide. After the demise of Crowded House, Neil started a solo career. Tim Finn has a successful solo career, and was in Crowded House for their third album. Eddie Rayner
Eddie Rayner
Eddie Rayner , is a New Zealand musician who has played in bands such as Split Enz, Space Waltz, Crowded House, The Makers and 801....
also joined Crowded House on keyboard for their early live performances. Family commitments prevented him becoming a full time member. Tim and Neil Finn were both awarded the OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in June 1993 for their contribution to New Zealand music. Neil and Tim have also released two albums together as the Finn Brothers
Finn Brothers
The Finn Brothers is a New Zealand Rock musical duo consisting of brothers Neil and Tim Finn. In June 1993 both members were awarded the OBE for their contribution to music....
, the 1995 album Finn
Finn (album)
Finn is the first album by The Finn Brothers, a music project of New Zealand brothers Tim and Neil Finn.The album was produced by Tchad Blake and the Finn Brothers in Auckland, New Zealand...
and 2004's mournful Everyone Is Here, which was released as the brothers grieved their mother's death. As of 2007 Crowded House have reformed after finding another drummer.
Emlyn Crowther later started a cult guitar effects company called "Crowther Audio". Both Paul Hester and Tim Finn had collaborations (two videos by Paul, a version of "Six Months in a Leaky Boat" by Tim) with the Australian children music group The Wiggles
The Wiggles
The Wiggles are a children's group formed in Sydney, Australia in 1991. Their original members were Anthony Field, Phillip Wilcher, Murray Cook, Greg Page, and Jeff Fatt. Wilcher left the group after their first album...
. Paul Hester had a brief career in television following the demise of Crowded House with his own TV show, Hessie's Shed. Hester committed suicide on 26 March 2005 after a long battle with depression.
Current status
On 17 July 2005, Split Enz were inducted into the ARIAAustralian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
music awards hall of fame and performed "History Never Repeats" and "Poor Boy" at the event. Every member of Split Enz received an award and almost all of them were present, excepting Mike Howard who more than 30 years after leaving the band still does not comment on it, and Paul Hester who had committed suicide only four months earlier.
"Letters to my Frenz" (A Split Enz Book) was released in June 2006 via Rocket Pocket Books, a limited number were autographed by the band. The first print run sold out via the Frenz of the Enz club within weeks. It is currently out of print.
Split Enz last performed on 14 March 2009 at the Sound Relief
Sound Relief
Sound Relief was a multi-venue rock music concert held on 14 March 2009, which was announced by the Premier of Victoria, John Brumby on 24 February 2009...
benefit concert. This was a multi-venue rock music concert in support of relief for the Victorian Bushfire Crisis
February 2009 Victorian bushfires
The Black Saturday bushfires were a series of bushfires that ignited or were burning across the Australian state of Victoria on and around Saturday, 7 February 2009...
., with another concert held simultaneously at the Sydney Cricket Ground
Sydney Cricket Ground
The Sydney Cricket Ground is a sports stadium in Sydney in Australia. It is used for Australian football, Test cricket, One Day International cricket, some rugby league and rugby union matches and is the home ground for the New South Wales Blues cricket team and the Sydney Swans of the Australian...
. All the proceeds from the Melbourne Concert went to the Red Cross Victorian Bushfire relief. Performing alongside Split Enz in Melbourne were, Augie March
Augie March
Augie March are an Australian indie/pop rock band. Formed in 1996 in Shepparton, Victoria, the band currently consists of vocalist and rhythm guitarist Glenn Richards, lead guitarist Adam Donovan, bassist Edmondo Ammendola, drummer David Williams, and keyboardist Kiernan Box...
, Bliss N Eso with Paris Wells, Gabriella Cilmi
Gabriella Cilmi
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, Kasey Chambers
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& Shane Nicholson with Troy Cassar-Daley
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, Paul Kelly
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.
Band member timeline (1972-1984)
Note: Vertical black lines represent each of the band's nine studio albums, and align with their dates of release.Tours
- Feb–Mar 1973: "Orientation '73" (NZ universities – as support to Itambu)
- Apr 1973: NZ (as support to John Mayall's Bluesbreakers)
- Feb 1975: "Orientation '75" (NZ universities)
- Jun–Jul 1975: "Black & White" (NZ)
- Jul 1975: Aus (as support to Lou Reed)
- Feb–Mar 1976: "Enz Of The Earth" (NZ/Aus)
- Sep–Oct 1976: "Jackpot" (UK) (as support to Jack The Lad)
- Nov–Dec 1976: UK
- Dec 1976 – Jan 1977: "Courtin' The Act" (Aus/NZ)
- Feb–Mar 1977: US
- Apr–May 1977: UK
- Sep–Oct 1977: "Dizrythmia" (NZ/Aus)
- Dec 1977: The Netherlands
- 1978: UK
- Feb–Mar 1979: Aus
- Apr 1979: "Whirl Wind" (NZ leg)
- May 1979: "Give It A Whirl" (NZ)
- Jul–Sep 1979: "Whirl Wind" (Aus leg)
- Dec 1979: "Enz Of The '70s" (Aus)
- 1980: "Trooping The Colours" (NZ)
- Mar–Apr 1980: "Sporting True Colours" (Aus – with The Sports)
- May 1980: "Enz In The West" (Aus)
- Jun 1980: Aus
- Sep 1980: UK
- Oct–Nov 1980: US/Canada
- Nov–Dec 1980: UK/Europe
- Mar 1981: "Outback" (Aus)
- Apr–Aug 1981: "Waiata" (NZ/Aus/world)
- 1982: "Time And Tide" (NZ/Aus/USA/Canada)
- 1983: "Conflicting Emotions" (NZ)
- Feb–Mar 1984: "Kia Kaha" (Aus)
- Sep–Dec 1984: "Enz With A Bang" (Aus/NZ)
- 1993: "20th Anniversary Tour" (NZ)
- 2006: Aus reunion tour
- 2008: NZ reunion tour
Reunions
- 1986: Greenpeace Rainbow Warrior benefit concert, Mt. Smart Stadium, Auckland, 5 April.
- 1986: A special show at Middle Park Hotel in May 1986 to showcase Neil's new band Crowded HouseCrowded HouseCrowded House are a rock band, formed in Melbourne, Australia and led by New Zealand singer-songwriter Neil Finn. Finn is the primary songwriter and creative director of the band, having led it through several incarnations, drawing members from New Zealand , Australia and the United States...
and Split Enz. - 1989: Crowded HouseCrowded HouseCrowded House are a rock band, formed in Melbourne, Australia and led by New Zealand singer-songwriter Neil Finn. Finn is the primary songwriter and creative director of the band, having led it through several incarnations, drawing members from New Zealand , Australia and the United States...
and Schnell FensterSchnell FensterSchnell Fenster was a Melbourne-based band, formed in 1986 by members of Split Enz after the breakup of that band. Tentatively named "The Wanx", the band selected their name, which is German for "fast window" , because it "appealed to [their] perversity".The band also formed the core of the members...
toured together in 1989 bringing with it an assortment of former Split Enz alumni. Members of the Enz would get together on stage for a bit of a reunion during the tour. Phil JuddPhil JuddPhilip Judd is a New Zealand singer-songwriter known for being one of the founders of the bands Split Enz and The Swingers.-Split Enz:...
, though he was lead singer of Schnell FensterSchnell FensterSchnell Fenster was a Melbourne-based band, formed in 1986 by members of Split Enz after the breakup of that band. Tentatively named "The Wanx", the band selected their name, which is German for "fast window" , because it "appealed to [their] perversity".The band also formed the core of the members...
chose not to take part in the reunion parts of the show. Conversely, Tim FinnTim FinnBrian Timothy "Tim" Finn, OBE is a New Zealand singer and musician. Finn is most known for his music with New Zealand 1970s and 1980s rock group Split Enz, and later for his solo work, a temporary membership in his brother Neil's band Crowded House and his joint efforts with Neil Finn as the Finn...
, a member of neither group (he would later join Crowded HouseCrowded HouseCrowded House are a rock band, formed in Melbourne, Australia and led by New Zealand singer-songwriter Neil Finn. Finn is the primary songwriter and creative director of the band, having led it through several incarnations, drawing members from New Zealand , Australia and the United States...
briefly as a fulltime member), did occasionally join them. - 1989/90: A short tour of Australia towards the end of 1989, ending with a special New Year's Eve show at the Darling Harbour Exhibition Centre, which included Crowded HouseCrowded HouseCrowded House are a rock band, formed in Melbourne, Australia and led by New Zealand singer-songwriter Neil Finn. Finn is the primary songwriter and creative director of the band, having led it through several incarnations, drawing members from New Zealand , Australia and the United States...
, and Hunters and Collectors as support. One additional appearance was added for the Newcastle Earthquake Relief concert held on 18 February 1990, which also had Crowded HouseCrowded HouseCrowded House are a rock band, formed in Melbourne, Australia and led by New Zealand singer-songwriter Neil Finn. Finn is the primary songwriter and creative director of the band, having led it through several incarnations, drawing members from New Zealand , Australia and the United States...
, Midnight OilMidnight OilMidnight Oil , were an Australian rock band from Sydney originally performing as Farm from 1972 with drummer Rob Hirst, bass guitarist Andrew James and keyboard player/lead guitarist Jim Moginie...
, Diesel, The Angels, Ian Moss, and Spy vs Spy on the bill. - 1992: One-off promotional show for Air NZ and NZ Tourism Commission in Australia.
- 1992: One-off show to mark the band's 20th anniversary, to announce the 20th Anniversary Tour, and to launch Mike Chunn's Stranger Than Fiction book, Wynyard Tavern, Auckland, 10 December.
- 1993: The band reformed briefly in March (while Crowded HouseCrowded HouseCrowded House are a rock band, formed in Melbourne, Australia and led by New Zealand singer-songwriter Neil Finn. Finn is the primary songwriter and creative director of the band, having led it through several incarnations, drawing members from New Zealand , Australia and the United States...
were recording their fourth album Together AloneTogether AloneTogether Alone is the fourth studio album by the band Crowded House. It was released in October 1993 and was their first album to feature multi-instrumentalist Mark Hart as a full band member. Unlike the band's first three albums, which were recorded in the US and Australia and produced by Mitchell...
) for the 20th Anniversary Tour of New Zealand. - 1996: Neil and Tim Finn both featured prominently in Eddie Rayner's EnzsoEnzsoENZSO was an orchestral project started by former Split Enz keyboardist Eddie Rayner.-History:The project began with Eddie Rayner. He wanted something more from the old Split Enz songs, and doing orchestral arrangements seemed perfect...
(Split Enz and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra) project and tour, making it arguably a semi-reunion. - 1999: The core band members, Tim Finn, Neil Finn, Noel Crombie, Eddie Rayner, and Nigel Griggs regrouped in Auckland during 1999 and recorded a number of demos. There were ideas for an album, one which did not come to fruition.
- 1999: The band played two Enz of the Millennium shows in Auckland, New Zealand to see in the year 2000, 30 and 31 December .
- 2002: One-off private reunion for Neil and Sharon Finn's 20th wedding anniversary, 13 February.
- 2002: One-off reunion at Neil Finn's Roundhead Studio for webcast.
- 2002: Special TV appearance on Holmes show to mark the band's 30th anniversary, Kohimarama Yacht Club, Auckland, 10 December.
- 2005: In mid 2005, the band announced they would reform again for a tour of Australia in 2006 starting in June, with New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
dates forthcoming. The lineup for this tour was: Tim Finn, Neil Finn, Nigel Griggs, Eddie Rayner, Noel Crombie, Malcolm GreenMalcolm Green (musician)Malcolm Green is an English-born drummer best known as a member of New Zealand band Split Enz from 1976 to 1981.Green was recruited by Split Enz in Britain, where he had formerly played with Love Affair, The Honeycombs -- both of them long after their run of '60s hits -- and Octopus... - 2007: On 8 November, the band announced on New Zealand's TV3 on program Campbell LiveCampbell LiveCampbell Live is a half-hour long New Zealand current affairs programme weeknights at 7.00pm, on TV3 and is hosted by New Zealand television personality, John Campbell...
, that they were indeed reforming and going on a New Zealand tour, starting in Christchurch, March 2008. The lineup for this tour was: Tim Finn, Neil Finn, Nigel Griggs, Eddie Rayner, Noel Crombie with Michael Barker on drums
Discography
For quick links to each Split Enz album or single, see the info box at the bottom of this page.See also
- Crowded HouseCrowded HouseCrowded House are a rock band, formed in Melbourne, Australia and led by New Zealand singer-songwriter Neil Finn. Finn is the primary songwriter and creative director of the band, having led it through several incarnations, drawing members from New Zealand , Australia and the United States...
(Neil Finn, Paul Hester, Eddie Rayner, Tim Finn) - Finn BrothersFinn BrothersThe Finn Brothers is a New Zealand Rock musical duo consisting of brothers Neil and Tim Finn. In June 1993 both members were awarded the OBE for their contribution to music....
(Neil Finn, Tim Finn) - The SwingersThe SwingersThe Swingers were a New Zealand rock band. Formed out of the remnants of The Suburban Reptiles, the founding members were Phil Judd , Wayne Stevens , and Mark Hough . Formed in 1979, the band released the single "One Good Reason" which was a top 20 hit in New Zealand...
(Phil Judd) - Schnell FensterSchnell FensterSchnell Fenster was a Melbourne-based band, formed in 1986 by members of Split Enz after the breakup of that band. Tentatively named "The Wanx", the band selected their name, which is German for "fast window" , because it "appealed to [their] perversity".The band also formed the core of the members...
(Phil Judd, Noel Crombie, Nigel Griggs) - The MakersThe Makers (Australian band)The Makers was a band formed by ex-Split Enz keyboardist Eddie Rayner and Australian musician and singer Brian Baker.They formed around 1988 after recording the tracks for the Ricky and Pete soundtrack. The self-titled debut album 'The Makers' was released in 1989, with three singles released from...
(Eddie Rayner) - Citizen BandCitizen BandCitizen Band were a New Zealand band formed by the brothers Geoff and Mike Chunn, both of whom had previously been members of Split Enz.- Band members :...
(Geoff Chunn, Mike Chunn) - Tarmac AdamTarmac AdamTarmac Adam is a Melbourne pop band that on its debut album featured two former members of Crowded House, bassist Nick Seymour and drummer Paul Hester....
(Paul Hester)
External resources
- Frenz.com
- Biography on the band
- Something so Finn
- Stranger than Fiction – Scans of the book written by Mike Chunn
- Kia Kaha – Japanese site with an excellent discography and English links
- Enzology – Radio documentary