The
Enz make a mental note on their first American tour, Jan. 1977
(l-r): Eddie Rayner, Malcolm Green, Noel Crombie, Mike Chunn, Tim Finn, Phil
Judd, Rob Gillies
Johnathan Michael Chunn
(bass) 1972-77
Noel Crombie (spoons,
percussion, drums) 1972-84
Neil Finn (vocals,
guitar, keyboards) 1977-84
Tim Finn (vocals,
piano, guitar) 1972-84
Robert Gillies (reeds)
1975-77
Malcolm Green (drums)
1976-81
Miles Golding (violin)
1972-3
Nigel Griggs (bass)
1976-84
Paul Hester (drums)
1983-84
Mike Howard (reeds)
1972-73
Phil Judd (vocals,
guitar, mandolin) 1972-77, 1978
Wally Wilkinson (guitar)
1972-75
Eddie Rayner (keyboards)
1972-84
Emlyn Crowther (drums)
1972-76
Only a handful of Australasian bands have achieved the success and international stature of Split Enz. Their incredible twelve-year career took them from local cult act in New Zealand to worldwide pop stardom. They are acknowledged as New Zealand's biggest musical export, and the first NZ band to achieve major international chart success. Throughout their turbulent career, which included many lineup changes, Split Enz were always "one step ahead", musically and visually, and they remained steadastly original -- every song on every Split Enz album and single was written by members of the group. They adapted their look and sound to changing musical tastes, but never lost their originality or their integrity. Their rapport with audiences forged a die-hard fan base that remains fiercely devoted to this day. The offical club, Frenz
of the Enz, is one of the most durable, enthusiastic and dedicated fan clubs in the world, and still has tens of thousands of members internationally.
Like many of the bands featured in MILESAGO, there were effectively two Split Enz, or rather, two distinct phases of their career. The first was was firmly rooted in the progressive-rock scene of the early 70s. The Enz started out as an adventurous, flamboyant art-rock band with all the trappings -- although their music was generally far more accessible than some of of their more grandiose European 'prog-rock' counterparts. This first incarnation lasted about five years, through their move to Australia and the early part of their stay in England, and closed with the departure of co-founder Philip Judd in 1977. During the transitional period of 1978-79, a new lineup consolidated behind co-founder Tim Finn, and though they struggled to survive, they gradually reined in the more extreme aspects of their music and presentation without sacrificing their individuality. In 1980 Split Enz (Mark II) struck back with a irresistable armory of flawlessly catchy, radio-friendly power pop. The huge successes of their superb trio of early 80's albums -- True Colours, Corroboree and Time & Tide -- made them one of the most successful and popular Australasian groups, a position they held until their final split in 1984. Sixteen years later, the reputation of Split Enz is undiminshed, and former members have carried on the tradition into other outstanding projects such as The Swingers, Crowded House and the Enzso project.
The origins of Split Enz lay in the friendships that developed amongst a group of young Auckland students. Tim Finn (born Brian Timothy Finn, 25 June 1952, Te Awamutu, New Zealand) won a secondary school scholarship to the Sacred Heart College, and it was here that he met Jonathan Michael (Mike) Chunn, who was to be an important figure in the early years
of the group. They wrote songs and performed together there over the next five years.
A large part of the Split Enz musical experience of course had been shaped through their Irish Catholic upbringing with the Finns growing up in Te Awamutu, the Chunns in Otahuhu, in 50's and 60's New Zealand. Mike recalls, "... the rest of the world seemed like paradise and we were down here very dull and sort of brown and grey. But maybe in the end, it kind of works once you're out of it, because then small things had a very exciting nature to them. There was no TV, there was no pop music on the radio -- nothing."
This was all to change with the arrival on the scene of four mop tops from Liverpool. For the future Enzers, music was never the same again- they had found their calling. To quote Mike Chunn: "John Lennon's rhythm guitar work, he was incredible. If you're listening to even something like I Want To Hold Your Hand it has just the sort of radical stuff you don't normally do on a guitar."
(de Bruin, 1997)
In 1971 Tim matriculated to Auckland University, where he began studying for a Bachelor of Arts Degree in philosophy and politics, and took up residence at O'Rorke Hall. Mike Chunn had also enrolled and used to drop in on Tim, who had befriended a group of art students including Phil Judd, Noel Crombie and Rob Gillies. All were to play important roles, but it was the close friendship between Tim and Phil that was the main spark for the formation of the band. Tim later recalled:
"It was a fruitful time. Living at the old O'Rorke was interesting. I leeched onto Crombie and Judd, and learned about states of consciousness."
(de Bruin, 1997)
Phil Judd (born Philip Raymond Judd, 23rd March 1953) was at Auckland University studying Fine Arts. Tim and Phil quickly became close friends, and began sharing a room in student accomodation - Room 129 in Malmsbury Villa. It was here that the seeds of Split Enz were sown and it was a formative experience for the two young men -- both their room number and the name
of the accomodation hall would later be immortalised in song. They soon started writing together -- Phil worked out the basic form and lyrics and Tim (who was strongly influenced by classic British pop like the Beatles, the Kinks, and the Move) provided melodies. Mike Chunn: "The whole thing kicking in really was Phil Judd being at Auckland University. The thing at school was fine, but I couldn't see it really going anywhere until Juddsy came along with his songs and then boom!"
(de Bruin, 1997)
As the partnership developed and they began stockpiling songs, Phil and Tim decided to form a group as an outlet for their compositions; the material they wrote together in this original burst of creativity became the core of the early Enz repertoire for several years. They approached classical trained violinist Miles Golding, reed player Mike Howard and
together with Tim's old friend Mike Chunn they formed a five- piece acoustic group called Split Ends in October 1972.
Golding's musical skills helped Tim and Phil 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, Split Ends / For You, in April 1973. In March, just
before the single came out, Golding left the group to study in London, although they would meet up years later. At Mike Chunn's urging, the band "went electric" and expanded, adding drums, lead guitar and brass, and when the single was released, the band started a small tour. The two new permanent members were Paul Wally Wilkinson (lead guitar) and Mike's brother Geoffrey Chunn (drums, ex-Stillwater), plus their university friend Rob Gillies who joined part-time on sax and trumpet. By this time, the band had become a full-time preoccupation for Tim, and he dropped out of university.
The next eighteen months saw Split Ends refining their material and performances. At first Phil refused to tour - he was discouraged by negative reactions to the band, and felt that their music was too complex for successful stage presentation. Taking the "Brian Wilson" approach, he initially opted stayed
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 group made their first major TV appearance on the New Zealand TV's New Faces and although they finished second-last, it gave them some important
early exposure. In November 1973, EMI NZ issued the band's second single, 129/Sweet Talking Spoon Song (the A-side immortalising their old student digs at Auckland Uni).
Early in their career, Split Enz decided to treat records, live shows, publicity photos, stage design, costumes, hair and even makeup as a complete package, and they approached the task with enormous wit and style. This came fairly naturally to a band who shared wide-ranging interests in literature and the visual arts -- Phil Judd, for example, was already an accomplished painter and he went on to do the superb cover paintings for two of the Enz albums. Others overseas bands were trying this, of course -- Roxy Music was one notable group who took a similar "multi-media" approach, with lead singer Bryan Ferry supervising the every aspect of their image, from publicity shots to cover designs. English progressive band Yes took their 'look' to even greater heights, working closely with the artist Roger Dean, who created their logo, the distinctive album covers and many other related designs. Other UK
acts like Genesis, The Move and The Sensational Alex Harvey Band were likely sources of inspiration, with their various uses of costumes and makeup. But certainly no Australasian group before or since approached the task with such skill, or carried it off with such flair.
Eddie Rayner: "I've never had a problem wearing Noel's costumes. But having said that, some of the concoctions he came up with used to make you look pretty horrendous at times."
(de Bruin, 1997)
In early 1974, Tim and Phil altered the band's name to the more patriotic Split Enz. Tim also acquired a prized Mellotron, the keyboard instrument which had been at the forefront of Lennon's Strawberry Fields Forever
some eight years earlier. To make best use of it, they made a vital addition to the lineup in February, recruiting Anthony Edward "Eddie" Rayner on keyboards (ex-Cruise Lane, Space Waltz). Eddie would stay with the Enz all the way through, and he was crucial to the development of their sound. A prodigiously talented, self-taught musician, his ability to realise and
enhance their arrangements added tremendous depth and polish to the already strong material, and in many respects his playing became the defining element of their sound. Combined with Tim's own ability on piano, the two guitars, bass, drums, percussion and assorted other instruments including trumpet and saxophone, they were able to encompass a huge ranges of styles and sounds, and they were always a force to be reckoned with on stage,
as even their early live recordings attest.
Following the name-change, the group embarked on a series of radio-sponsored "Buck-A-Head" shows. Phil and Tim had decided that rather than slogging it out on the traditional pub circuit, they would play only theatres and concert halls, which were better suited to the band's already unique performance style. The shows took on a much more theatrical tone, and they began
to develop elaborate sets, costumes, hairstyles and makeup, and Tim acted as master of ceremonies, giving strange spoken soliloquies between the songs. In early 1974, encouraged by seeing a triumphant live performance, Phil Judd decided to return to live performance and began making occasional
appearances, as as did another Auckland Uni pal, Noel Crombie. The Buck-A-Head tour wound up in May 1974, but the next month Geoff Chunn and Rob Gillies both left the band. Paul Emlyn Crowther (ex-Orb) joined on drums in July but Rob was not replaced at this stage.
Their music was in a similar vein to British progressive bands of the time -- Family was an obvious influence -- and though they always balked at comparisons to Genesis, there was a 'English-ness', and a definite eccentricity that was common to both groups, and which set the Enz apart from other local acts. But, strong as the songs were, the band would have made considerably less impact had it not been for the unique visual identity they developed. That vital piece of the puzzle fell
into place by the autumn of 1974, when their old university mate Noel Crombie became a full-time member; he performed on percussion -- and spoons -- and sang occasionally, but his primary role was as Art Director for the band. His talents enabled Split Enz to present a complete theatrical experience,
showcasing their accomplished performances of the intricate Judd-Finn compositions in a unique live show, complete with wild, colorful 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 pop art -- all filtered through the band's bizarre demeanour and crazed on-stage antics.
Like Eddie Rayner, Noel was a crucial addition to the band, and in many ways he became the 'heart and soul' of Split Enz. His creations cemented the band's image, and the incredible designs he devised for them spanned the entire range of their visual material -- posters, buttons, badges, handbills, promotional photos, tour programmes and album and single covers.
He also directed all of their film clips (some co-directed with Rob Gillies). Some of Noel's finest costumes are now part of the collection of the Victorian Museum of Performing Arts. His goofy and lugubrious stage presence -- a sort of surrealist, spoon-playing Stan Laurel -- also endeared him to audiences, and his trademark spoon solos were always greeted with great enthusiasm.
In concert, the band was soon in league of its own and their live performances from this era soon became the stuff of legend. One early NZ gig had a "desert island" theme; they brought in a load of sand and created with an miniature indoor beach, complete with palm trees, a wading pool, and people reclining
on deck chairs, sipping drinks during the show. For a now-legendary 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!
By the end of 1974 their following in New Zealand, though small, was extremely strong and very dedicated, but the chances of further progress there were obviously limited -- the only 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 New Zealand. (By this time, all the band - except Phil -
were using their middle names). Their initial response from Aussie audiences was pretty mixed, and it's a fair comment that their music and image was simply too "out there" for the average punter at the time. At the time Skyhooks and Kush were probably Australia's most overtly theatrical rock bands, and the influence of the "glam" period
could also be seen in acts like Hush, who used costume and makeup elements. But Split Enz were in a different league altogether, and most Australian audiences had seen nothing quite like them before. The Enz certainly weren't helped on arrival by being erroneously billed as "New Zealand's raunchiest rock & roll band". The band got rather chilly reception in Sydney,
although they found 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.
The Enz soldiered for about nine months and, as in NZ, they amassed a small but fiercely loyal cult following. Their reputation as a live act also scored them important support slots
to local bands like Skyhooks and major overseas acts Roxy Music, Lou Reed, Flo & Eddie and Leo Sayer. How long they could have lasted is anyone's guess,
but happily, their immediate future was assured when they were spotted by Michael Gudinski, who recognised their potential and signed them to a management and publishing deal and a recording contract with his Mushroom label. This resulted in the Mental Notes LP (July 1975) and the single
Maybe/Titus (September). Although he is often criticised (with some justification) for the treatment of artists on the Mushroom roster, it is to Gudinski's credit that he stuck by the Enz through thick and thin, and in the long run his faith in them
was richly rewarded.
In two weeks during May/June 1975 they 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. Russell, a fellow Kiwi, had a distinguished rock'n'roll pedigree -- he was the bass player
with legendary NZ rockers Ray Columbus and The Invaders (1962-65), and went on to play with Ray
Brown and the New Whispers (1966) and Max Merritt and The Meteors (1971-74). The engineer was Festival's distinguished staffer Richard Batchens, whose credits include The Cleves, Lobby
Loyde, Chain,
Blackfeather,
and Sherbet. Ever the perfectionsists, the Enz were reportedly unhappy with the result, feeling that their inexperience in the studio, combined with a (supposedly) unsympathetic production team had led to an unsatisfactory result.
The public and the critics didn't share their misgivings -- it was a notable success on its release in September, selling 12,000 copies in Australia, reaching #19 on the album chart for one week, and peaking at #7 in New Zealand. As Chris Woodstra says: "...the album encapsulated the band at its artiest and most ambitious". It was also a critical breakthrough and it remains an impressive piece of work. Rock historian Ian McFarlane describes it as "a remarkable album, full of otherworldly .. songs about death and madness." Along with a handful of other '70s classics, like The Dingoes and Madder Lake's Stillpoint, it remains one of the most original and accomplished debut albums of the period, and it's a fitting close to that exciting era of progressive music in Australia and New Zealand. Much of the material is derived from Tim and Phil's fascination with the work of the renowned English writer and artist Mervyn Peake
-- notably Spellbound, the epic track Stranger Than Fiction (their concert centrepiece) and Titus
(named after the hero of Peake's Gormenghast trilogy). The songs themselves still hold up extremely
well, and there are some wonderful lighter moments between the heavier material -- Phil's delightful ode to his newborn daughter, Amy, and the delirious Maybe. Tim Finn later expressed reservations about his rather mannered vocal performances, but the songs and performances are excellent throughout, with a standout feature being the terrific keyboard
work of Eddie Rayner.
In November 1975 Wally Wilkinson was unceremoniously booted out and Rob Gillies returned on sax and trumpet, this time as a permanent member. They returned to New Zealand briefly before embarking on their "Enz Of The Earth" national Australian tour, which wound up in February, 1976. In March, Mushroom issued the band's second Mushroom single, Late Last Night/Time For A Change, accompanied by a promotional video (directed
by Noel) which gave them their first major Australian TV exposure on Countdown and other Aussie pop shows. Molly clearly loved them, and over the next few years they became solid favourites with the show -- and its huge national audience.
When the Enz supported Roxy Music on their 1974 Australian tour, they had caught the attention of Roxy's guitarist, Phil Manzanera. He was impressed enough to offer to re-record Mental Notes with them in London. They managed to score a UK recod deal with Chrysalis, and in April, Split Enz took up Manzanera's offer and 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 '76, and issued in the UK as Mental Notes in September. It comprised Late Last Night, plus
four re-arranged and re-recorded tracks from Mental Notes, three new songs, and a new version of one of the earliest Judd-Finn compositions, 129, retitled Matinee Idyll (129). This was released, backed by Lovey Dovey, as a single in December 1976. (During the recording
they caught up with 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 on-stage antics at first stumped the UK press and audiences, but as in new Zealand and Australia, their excellence, originality and enthusiasm again won them a cult following, from which the fan-club Frenz of the Enz began to develop.
Eddie Rayner: "There were fantastic gigs, and once we all streaked across the stage - stark naked. I remember playing in London and seeing Sid Vicious and Johnny Rotten sitting in the front row. They used to come to our inner London gigs and they'd look at us quite quizzically, and they ripped off our haircuts!"
(de Bruin, 1997)
Between recording and touring they also found time for entertainment. One notable incident is recounted in Mike Chunn's book. Somehow he and Eddie managed to get into a London concert by Sherbet (who were in the UK at the time, promoting their hit single Howzat!) --
in drag!.
Eddie Rayner: "For some reason we had this harebrained idea that we could go in dressed in drag-- I guess that's just because we were young and stupid -- and it was really good fun as it turned out."
(de Bruin, 1997)
In November Emlyn Crowther was dumped from the band ("music and personality differences") and replaced by their first non-Kiwi member. English drummer Malcolm Green (ex-Love Affair, The Honeycombs, Jimmy James and the Vagabonds) answered an ad in Melody Maker, and began rehearsing with the Enz in December 1976.
The Enz kicked off 1977 with a new non-album single titled (rather prophetically) Another Great Divide (b/w Stranger than Fiction), coinciding with their return to Australia/New Zealand in January 1977 for the "Courting the Act" tour. Chrysalis issued Mental Notes (the
American version of 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 discouraging for the Enz, and it was to be the last tour for with original members Phil Judd and Mike Chunn. Mike decided to leave at the end of the US tour, wanting to spend more time with his family (and also because he suffered from agoraphobia). By now, tensions were running high between Phil and Tim. American audience reactions ranged from bemusement to hostility, and unfortunately, Phil was always extremely sensitive to negative audience reaction. Also, like Mike, he had family back in New Zealand and he was tired of the day-to-day hassles of touring and promotion. Things came to a head after one US concert, when Phil had trouble with an out-of-tune guitar; he walked off before the end of the set and when
Tim queried him about why he left the stage early, Phil punched him. The tour ended in April, after which Phil left the band.
They were due to begin they began their third English tour later that month, so Tim now took over as leader and hastily reorganised the group. On April 4 English bassist Nigel Griggs (ex-Octopus) replaced the departing Mike Chunn. Before leaving, however, Mike Chunn suggested a replacement
-- Tim Finn's younger brother Neil. At the time Neil was playing in Afterhours, a local Auckland band -- which, incidenetally, gives a perfect indication of of how incestuous the NZ music scene could be - it was led by Mike's brother, former Enz drummer Geoff Chunn, plus Neil Finn and Mark Hough, aka Buster Stiggs, who later joined The Swingers with Phil Judd.
Some critics saw Neil's appointment as nepotism, and voiced concerns that the untried youngster did not appear to be up to the task, but Mike Chunn's advice to the band was simple: "He's hopeless now, but has potential.".
Neil officially joined on 7 April 1977, although he didn't really play at all during his first six months with the band (he was still mastering the guitar), but he made up for his lack of musical skill with his onstage enthusiasm. Although fresh out of high school and almost totally inexperienced, Neil adapted quickly, and from Frenzy onwards he began to
develop a stronger presence within the group. His inclusion had obvious benefits -- as Neil began contributing his own material, he became a second lead vocalist, taking some of the singing and writing pressure off Tim and broadening their repertoire. Although a novice guitarist, Neil was an excellent singer whose voice was the perfect complement to his brother's. Most importantly, he was immersed in the spirit of the band, having watched it develop and grow at first hand from the earliest days of the group. Over the next three years his singing, playing and especially his writing skills increased exponentially, and although Tim remained the leader, by 1980 Neil was playing a vital role the band.
They initially met some resistance in the UK media, partly due to the 'cultural revolution' effect of punk on the English music scene -- the Enz' progressive/theatrical trappings were suspiciously like those of the "dinosaur" bands so reviled by punk pundits. Gradually though, as the Enz fine-tuned their image, and the punk scene gave way to the less strident -- and more style-oriented -- 'New Wave' scene, Split Enz began to draw larger crowds in the UK. For their band's next album they chose to record at London's prestigious Air Studios with producer (and former Beatles engineer) Geoff Emerick. The recording
spanned June and July. Dizrythmia (a title taken from the medical term for jet-lag, circadia disrhythmia, meaning upset body rhythm) was very successful, and yielded their first hit on the Australian singles charts. They returned to Australia in August, coinciding with the release of the album, and began a 28-date tour Australasian tour in October/November.
The album reached #18 for one week in Australia. The first single, the quirky My Mistake/Crosswords (August), peaked at #18 during October, bolstered by the national tour (and aided by another great promotional video). In New Zealand
Dizrhythmia reached #3, and My Mistake peaked at #21.The second single, the jaunty Bold as Brass/Sugar And Spice (December) was laden with hooks, and if anything, even better than its predecessor, but it failed to chart in Australia. The single was accompanied by a specially-made video, co-directed by Noel and Rob.
Between November '77 and February 1978 Split Enz toured throughout the UK and Europe. At the turn of the year Rob Gillies left (or was fired). In spite of the earlier falling out, 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.
1978 was a tough year for Split Enz -- they lost their Chrysalis contract and spent most of 1978 without a UK record deal 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. Prospects
looked grim, but they persevered, and it was at this point that the New Zealand Arts Council came to the rescue with a five thousand dollar grant. This was the turning point for the "new" Split Enz. They immediately booked a studio in Luton with a young English producer, David Tickle and they knocked out recordings of 28 new songs in less than five days. These sessions, dubbed the "Rootin', Tootin' Luton Tapes," displayed
both a newfound edge and considerable commercial potential. Around the same time, they recorded a new single with producer Tickle, a frantic chunk of buzzsaw pop, written by Tim, called I See Red.
With renewed purpose, Split Enz entered Manor Studios in November 1978 to record a new album with producer Mallory Earl. Even the cover of Frenzy marked a change in the group - the costumes and makeup of Dizrhythmia were gone, and the painting depicted
them in casual clothes, standing in a bucolic New Zealand landscape. The album re-recorded many songs from the Luton tapes. However, the band again felt that album failed to live up to their expectations, and that Frenzy simply didn't capture the raw energy of the Luton demos. Some of the best Luton songs were never re-recorded, and were left as demos, but many evenutally surfaced on A&M's American version of
Frenzy, released in North America in 1981). That same month, Mushroom issued I See Red/Next Exit, Hermit McDermot as a single in Australia. The A-side bore the clear influence of English "New Wave" acts like as XTC, and marked
a major change in musical style, away from the ethereal, pastoral epics of yore, and back to Tim's first love -- simple, concise, accessible, high-energy guitar pop. Although it was not a hit in England, I See Red got a lot of attention, and is credited with being the song that began the turn-around in their critical reputation in the UK.
I See Red eventually peaked at #15 in February 1979, by which time Split Enz had returned to live in Australia. Frenzy produced one more terrific single Give It a Whirl/Frenzy (May 1979) -- especially notable for being the first single to be written by Neil Finn. Neither the LP nor the second single charted, but one album track, She Got Body
She Got Soul, was later reworked for the soundtrack to the musical feature film "Starstruck". A self-produced, non-album single Things/Semi-Detached was released in October but also failed to chart.
The changes in the English music scene, the (relative) commerical failure of Frenzy and their own financial fortunes had forced the Enz to make a drastic re-assessment of their music and image. The Luton tapes 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, and they toned down the "weird" aspects of their image considerably. The wild makeup and hairstyles were abandoned (well, almost); Tim's performance persona (a demented cross between Harold Lloyd and an escaped lunatic) was shelved, and Neil emerged from behind the the horn-rimmed glasses
and painted-on freckles of his original "loony schoolboy" image. The fact that both Neil and Tim were good looking, telegenic and naturals on TV was not lost on Mushroom's marketing office, and their teen appeal was pushed hard in the videos for the new LP. Although the trademark Enz strangeness was never far from the surface, Neil's generally optimistic, upbeat songs provided an prefect counterpoint to Tim's edgier and more melancholy pieces.
They now performed (more or less) as themsleves, and Noel's new costume, album and stage concepts were stripped back to simple, striking geometric designs which were both timeless and perfect for the period.
Their fifth LP, True Colours was a triumph for Tim, amply justifying his belief in the new direction, and it also marked the emergence of Neil as a significant pop songwriter. His first masterpiece I Got You was an obvoious choice for first single, and it proved a massive success. Produced by David Tickle, True Colours and I Got You/Double Happy (January 1980) simultaneously topped charts in both Australia and New Zealand during March. Structured very much like Pet Sounds, the Beach Boys' 1965 pop classic, True Colours featured a
strong complement of upbeat pop songs from both writers. The album opens with Tim's manic Shark Attack, then I Got You, Neil's punky What's The Matter With You? and then the first of Eddie's two sterling instrumentals, Double Happy and the album's centrepiece (and one of Tim's finest moments) the achingly beautiful ballad I Hope I Never.
There was an echo of the older, more ethereal style on Tim's Poor Boy, although Eddie's arrangements gave it a disctinctly modern edge. It was probably the best pop album ever released in Australia up to that time and demand kept it at the top for ten weeks, and the single for eight. I Got You went on to become the highest selling single in Australia
for the year.
Mushroom supported the album with an energetic and imaginative marketing campaign, which included several 'world firsts'. They created a video version of album (the first of its kind) with film-clips for each song. They released each new pressing of the LP in different coloured jackets, and even produced a special laser-etched edition, which harnessed laser
technology to etch geometric patterns into the actual playing surface of the album, creating prismatic effects without affecting the music playback. True Colours justified Gudinski's long-held faith in the band and was a huge commercial success -- it went on to sell over 250,000 copies in Australasia - the equivalent of a copy in one out of every ten homes! A&M issued the album in the UK, Canada and the USA.
I Got You reached #12 on the UK charts during August and True Colours #42. The next single,
I Hope I Never (b/w Hypnotised and Carried Away) was released in May and reached #18 on the Australian charts during June.
At last, the band was out of debt; they were also now one of the biggest acts on either side of the Tasman, and they were finally making inroads in the UK and the US. They toured extensively behind True Colours, and the 1980-82 period was perhaps the peak of their performing career. As the New Wave and New Romantic trends emerged in the UK, it seemed that rock fashion was finally catching up with the theatrical niche the Enz had always inhabited.
Their next album, Corroboree (released overseas as Waiata, Maori for `a gathering for a tribal dance') repeated the forumla successfully, and continued their winning streak. Although not as well received by some hard-to-please critics, the pulic had no such qualms, and it was another Australian and New Zealand #1, led by the "one-two punch" of the Neil Finn singles One Step Ahead/In the Wars (#5 in November) and History Never Repeats/Holy Smoke (#4 in April 1981). Significantly though, the album's third single, written by Tim, I Don't Wanna Dance//Shark Attack/What's the Matter?(June) failed to chart. History Never Repeats made #63 in the UK during May. Mid-year, Mal Green left the band to work on solo projects, Noel took over as drummer, and the band headed off on a world tour. On their North American tour, Split Enz were billed equally with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, a testament to their growing popularity there.
Tim: "Endless memories of amazing gigs. Iggy Pop walking backstage in Buffalo and calling us the future of rock and roll."
(de Bruin, 1997)
Hot on the heels of the Enz breakthrough, co-founder Phil Judd launched his new band. After the Enz he returned to NZ and joined the Suburban Reptiles as a part time member. When they split up he took the drummer Buster Stiggs (aka Mark Hough, ex-Afterhours) and bassist Bones Hillman (later of Midnight Oil)and formed The Swingers. The band's debut single, One Good Reason (April 1980) reached #19 in New Zealand, after which The Swingers relocated to Australia and signed to Mushroom Records.
Issued in January 1981 the band's next single, the infectious Counting The Beat/One Good Reason, came out of nowhere and smashed its way to the top, immediately leaping to #1 in both Australia and New Zealand. It was the fastest selling local single since Daddy Cool's Eagle Rock in 1971. From total obscurity, suddenly The Swingers were the hottest band in the land. Unfortunately it was not to last. The next single, It Ain't What You Dance/Flak (June 1981) went Top 5 in New Zealand, but bombed in Australia. Their Practical Jokers album, recorded at John Sayer's Music Farm studio near Byron Bay, yielded two further singles One Track Mind/Distortion (August 1981) and Punch and Judy/In the Middle of Nowhere (April 1982) but failed to ignite any further audience interest, although it contained some excellent material. The Swingers made a cameo appearance in Gillian Armstrong's successful pop musical "Starstruck"
and they played on the singles Starstruck/Starstruck Finale (April 1982) and Starstruck Overture/Monkey in Me (May) with Jo Kennedy. Judd broke up the band in May. In 1983 he recorded a solo album in the USA, Private Lives, which was released on Mushroom, plus two singles, Dreamin' Away/Sooner or Later (August 1983) and Rendezvous/Private Lives (November).
In late 1981, after months of intensive touring, Split Enz retreated to the studio to record what regarded by many as their most personal and creative album. Time & Tide was made with by hot-shot English producer/engineer Hugh Padgham, renowned for his work with Steve Lilywhite on landmark recordings by artists like Peter Gabriel,
XTC and Genesis (Padgham is credited with inventing the "gated reverb" drum sound that became Phil Collins' trademark). Time and Tide, released in April 1982 became Split Enz's third successive #1 album in Australia and New Zealand. The advent of MTV in America, and
its interest in new wave acts helped the band's growing cult status in America -- both Dirty Creature and
Six Months in a Leaky Boat (as well as earlier videos) got heavy airplay on the channel, although this failed to translate into US chart action.
Tim's highly personal songs were offset by Neil's more upbeat tracks, but on the charts it was Tim's show once again. The unsettling pop-funk of Dirty Creature/Make Sense Of It reached #6 in April, Six Months In A Leaky Boat/Fire Drill (#2 in June) and Never Ceases To Amaze Me/I See Red (August) were all issued as singles. Initially, Six
Months in a Leaky Boat looked like providing the major UK hit they they had been hoping for, but this failed to materialise when (after the controversial sinking of the Argentine warship General Belgrano by the British Navy)the BBC placed the song a secret "blacklist", due to supposed negative references to the so-called Falklands War. (Although
the BBC vehemently denied the blacklist at the time, they finally admitted to its existence in 1999). The year ended with the release of their first `Best of' collection Enz of an Era which went to #8 in Australia (December) and sold 30,000 copies in New Zealand alone.
Early in 1983, Tim took a break to record a solo album, with an all-star cast including producers Mark Moffatt (Divinyls, Ross Wilson) and former Beach Boy Ricky Fatarr, and legendary session singer Vanetta Fields. Escapade, released in June, was a major success
in Australasia, spawning several hits singles including Fraction Too Much Friction and the joyous, gospel-tinged 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 Most Popular Group awards. For all of its success, though, Tim's solo album distracted him from the Enz and, deliberately or otherwise, it delayed a timely follow-up to Time & Tide, effectively stalling the momentum the Enz had built over the previous three albums.
Eddie: "I think we started to get a bit jaded, we got a bit sick of a lot of Tim's songs at that point. So Tim went off to do his thing."
(de Bruin, 1997)
In March 1983 Noel Crombie briefly stepped into the limelight and issued a novelty solo single, My Voice Keeps Changing On Me/Ninee Neezup. The same month, the new Enz single Next Exit/Two Of A Kind, Remember When came out, although it was released mainly as a stop-gap measure, until the band could record a new album. It didn't chart. Prior to this
time, Tim had been the primary or equal contributor, but on the new LP Tim's contributions were overshadowed for the first time by Neil, who wrote the majority of songs. Conflicting Emotions (November 1983) was a somewhat patchy effort when compared to the previous three albums, and it was (perhaps inevitably) a commercial letdown, reaching only #13 on the national chart in January, after three successive #1 LPs.
Still, it was a strong album overall and contained some real gems. Their solid, inventive playing and melodic instincts remained intact, and Neil's songs fared well commercially -- the jazzy Straight Old Line/Paradise (October 1983), Message To My Girl/Kia Kaha Kaha (January 1984)
and I Wake Up Every Night/Conflicting Emotions (April 1984) all appeared as singles. Straight Old Line peaked at #31, but the album's highlight, Neil's wistful Message To My Girl made it #6 on the national chart in February. It remains one of Neil's most popular and enduring songs, and one which he still occasionally performs.
For the "Conflicting Emotions" tour, Tim again felt that the band needed a change in the rhythm section, so Paul Hester (ex-Deckchairs Overboard) was brought in on drums, and Noel returned to percussion -- and spoons. However with titles like Conflicting Emotions, Next Exit and Fraction Too Much Friction it becoming increasingly obvious that Tim was unhappy in the band, and that there were growing tensions between him and Neil.Finally, in June 1984, he ended months of speculation by announcing that he would leave before the next LP was begun, in order to promote the release of Escapade in Europe.
The remaining members initially decided to continue, but their next album See Ya 'Round proved to be their valedictory. It was issued in November 1984. Naturally, Neil's songs dominated proceedings. Hester, now a permanent member, contributed one (fairly forgettable) number, but the best of the new material showed Neil gaining even greater depth as a writer. The singles were led by one of Neil's most passionate songs, his stirring and bittersweet farewell to Tim and the Enz, I Walk Away (b/w Overdrive) which was released in September. It was followed by the ominous One Mouth is Fed (b/w This is Massive) in November. Announcing their decision
to end the band, Split Enz buried the hatchet, reunited with Tim and embarked on their rapturously recieved "Enz with a Bang" Australasian farewell tour throughout October/November 1984. Split Enz played its last show on 4 December 1984 in Auckland, a fitting close to the career of New Zealand's most famous group. A double album recorded on the tour, The Living Enz, appeared in December 1985.
After Split Enz ...
One of the most remarkable features of Split Enz is the large number of successful and/or interesting groups and projects that spun off from it. Samples of many of these have been collected on Raven's recent 2CD compilation Other Enz.
Drummer Emlyn Crowther returned to NZ, and played with a various bands there; in recent years he has been doing concert sound for The Mutton Birds. He also makes the "Hotcake" guitar distortion box, which is used by many musicians, including Neil Finn and even Oasis.
Neil Finn and Paul Hester had launched a new band, The Mullanes, by the time The Living Enz appeared. (Mullane is Neil's middle name and his mother's maiden name). The original members were Neil, Paul, Nick Seymour (younger brother of Hunters & Collectors' lead singer Mark Seymour) on bass and Craig Hooper
(ex-The Reels) on guitar and keyboards. Although a terrific player, Craig's place in the band never really gelled and he left amicably within the year. After Craig's departure, the group found its identity as a trio. Neil had been writing furiously, and once they scored a record deal with Capitol,
they headed to LA to record their first album. Realising "The Mullanes" was unlikely to be a world-beater, they renamed the band, famously taking the inspiration for the new name - Crowded House - from the small rented LA house, where the band, their families and friends were crammed in together during the recording. The album and the singles Don't Dream It's Over and Better Be Home Soon became huge international
hits, definitively breaking them in America, again due in large part to the wonderfully evocative videos, which were picked up by MTV. This at last gave Neil the US success that Split Enz had never quite managed to achieve. From then on Crowded House remained one of the most successful and respected groups ever to come out of Australasia. To the delight of Enz fans, Tim joined the group for the making of their third album, Woodface, and featured prominently on the record, although he eventually left again after the subsequent tour, by which time Crowded House was fast heading towards the end of its life. Relations within the band were always volatile - Nick Seymour walked out (or was sacked) on several occasions and tensions between Paul and Neil apparently often ran high. They came to a head in 1997, when Paul walked out on the band mid-tour in the US, and returned to Australia. By this time they had also recruited former Supertramp sideman Mark Hart as the fourth member, and initially Neil replaced Hester with another drummer, but it wasn't long before he announced the end of
the band. Not unlike the Enz With A Bang!" they patched things up with Hester and performed their internationally-televised "Farewell To The World" concert before a huge live audience on the steps of the Sydney Opera House in December 1997.
Meanwhile, Tim Finn hit the solo trail once again, and cut a new solo album, Big Canoe. Although excellent work in its own right, their generally dark mood reflcted the personal turmoil he was going through at the time, and they notably failed to excite anything like the same response
as the first album.
In 1987 Phil Judd, Noel Crombie and Nigel Griggs got back together in a new band, Schnell Fenster with Michael Den Elzen (guitar; ex-Broderick Smith Band, Tim Finn Band). Their quirky guitar pop was imbued with the same edgy weirdness that Phil had brought to early Split Enz and The Swingers; like the Enz they presented a unique image, again thanks to the artistic talents of Phil and Noel. Schnell Fenster issued two albums, The Sound of Trees (1988) on EMI and OK Alright, A-Huh, Oh Yeah (1991) on WEA, plus five singles. Their material and performances were excellent, and the singles were supported by brilliant videos created by Phil and Noel. Although Whisper, from the second album got strong exposure on TV, the band never really had the attention they deserved from their labels or the media, and so never achieved their considerable potential. Both albums are highly recommended.
Phil's link with films (going back to "Starstruck") led him to write the award-winning soundtrack for the comedy film Death In Brunswick, starring fellow Kiwis Sam Neill and John Clarke in 1992.(Clarke, another hugely successful NZ export, is a noted comedian and writer, who created the character "Fred Dagg", and is famous for his collaborations with Brian Dawe on their long-running weekly political satire spots on TV's "A Current Affair" and "The 7:30 Report" and of course their acclaimed Olympic sendup "The Games"). Phil has also written classical scores, and in 1992 he approached his then-record company Warners, hoping to record
his first symphony. Predicatably, they were not interested.
Eddie Rayner was "absolutely devastated" when Split Enz broke up. After the farewell tour, he started doing session work and production for Aussie acts like Machinations, and in the mid '80s he did several early tours with Crowded House, although he turned down Neil's offer of a permanent
place in the band -- a decision he later regretted when they hit paydirt in the USA. Eddie Eddie was a member of the original lineup of Schnell Fenster in 1987, then formed The Makers with Brian Baker (guitar/vocals). They issued two albums on WEA, The Makers (1990) and Hokey Pokey (1993), plus six singles. It's a mark of his international stature that Paul McCartney invited Rayner
to collaborate with him on a couple of songs for his Press to Play album during this period.
After leaving in 1974, Geoff Chunn continued to write songs, worked as a solo artist including occasional supports for Split Enz. He formed Afterhours with the young Neil Finn, and Mark Hough (aka Buster Stiggs), but this was short lived and the band split when Neil got the call to the Enz in London in 1977. Geoff then formed the Citizen Band with brother Mike, Brent Eccles and Greg Clark, and had some success. Citizen Band split up in 1982, and Geoff went on to run a restaurant called "Kenzie" in Parnell, Auckland.
Mike Chunn played bass in Citizen Band with brother Geoff, Brent Eccles and Greg Clark, and had some success, but he left after they failed to make it in Australia. (Eccles remained behind and worked in several Australian bands and for commercial radio). From there Mike went into band management, had a stint as Mushroom records general manager, worked as an accountant in London for three years, became general manager of publishing at Sony, and then general manager of the Australian Performing Rights Association. Mike has also written the only book about the group, "Stranger Than
Fiction: The Life and Times of Split Enz", published in 1992.
There have been a number of Split Enz re-formations over the years, including a 1989 Australian tour, a one-off 1992 show in Sydney for the New Zealand Tourist Commission, their twentieth-anniversary Australasian tour in 1993 (which resulted in the live album Anniversary) and another concert reunion for the millennium celebrations in New Zealand
in December 1999.
Interest in the band remains high, as evidenced by another Enz-related orchestral outing which proved a great (and well-deserved) success in 1994: Eddie Rayner's long-cherished "Enzso" project, which placed some of the best Split Enz songs in an orchestral setting. Although such works have usually been less than satisfactory (e.g. the numerous and awful orchestral
renditions of music by the Beatles and the Rolling Stones) the strength of the Enz material and Eddie's superb arrangements made it one of the best records of its kind ever made. With the blessing of Tim, Phil and Neil, Eddie created rich orchestral arrangements of seventeen Split Enz songs, opting for moodier and more expansive numbers like Stranger than
Fiction, Stuff and Nonsense and I Hope I Never rather than the obvious pop hits (which are generally ill-suited to such treatment anyway). Eddie recorded the songs with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (the -NZSO part of the punning "Enzso" title) in December 1995, with vocals by Neil Finn, guests Annie Crummer and their old mate Dave
Dobbyn (who later supported Tim & Neil on the Finn tour). The Enzso album made its debut at #4 on the Australian chart in July 1996. It attained platinum status selling 70,000 copies in just ten weeks, and staying in the Top 40 for 15 weeks. Enzso
re-entered the national Top 40 in February 1997 when Eddie, Tim, Neil and Noel undertook the Australian Enzso tour backed by the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra.
After the breakup of Crowded House, Neil made a long-awaited a duo album with Tim, simply called Finn, which they toured in 1995. Neil released his critically acclaimed first solo album, Try Whistling This, in 1998 and toured widely to promote it, accompanied by his son Liam, now a teenager, and himself an able guitarist. He also compiled two anthologies of Crowded House material, the 'Best Of ..." collection Recurring Dream and a recent rarities album.
Tim recently released his new solo album, which is available from his new website. (see Frenz.com for links)
All of the major Split Enz websites have comprehensive discographies -- a visit to Frenz.com will link you to them.
Any of the major search engines will guide you to scores of Enz and Enz-related sites - here are a few to get started on:
Further reading: Stranger than Fiction: The Life and Times of Split Enz by Mike Chunn (GP Publications, 1992)