Split Enz
New Zealand's most successful music export, Split Enz, began in
Auckland in 1972 when Tim Finn and Philip Judd formed an acoustic
band called Split Ends. They released three singles in New
Zealand, grew into a seven piece band and became Split Enz.
Shortly after they moved to Melbourne in 1975, Michael Gudinski
signed them to his independent label Mushroom, and they began work
on their first album, Mental Notes.
Split Enz took Australia by surprise. Audiences didn't know
what to make of the band's quirky, idiosyncratic music. Record
sales were modest. They were an arty contrast to the prevalent pub
rock of the time and preferred taking their oddly theatrical stage
show to the university circuit. With their eccentric costumes
(designed by percussionist Noel Crombie), high-rise hairdos and
strange facial expressions, they came across as a troupe of
mentally disturbed clowns.
Not everyone was put off by their weird appearance. When the
British art-rock band Roxy Music toured Australia in 1976,
guitarist Phil Manzanera was so impressed with Split Enz that he
organised for them to record their second album, Second
Thoughts, in the UK and offered to produce it himself.
The band signed an overseas deal with Chrysalis and based
themselves in London for a while. But England in 1976 was in the
grip of the punk rock explosion and it was the wrong time for
what audiences perceived as 'Art Rock'.
When Phil Judd quit the band in March 1977, Tim Finn's younger
brother Neil was summoned from Te Awamutu as his replacement. The
band continued to spend lengthy periods in England, improving as a
live act but getting nowhere, even though their 1977 album went
gold in Australia and New Zealand and spawned the hit single My
Mistake. After touring the world to promote their album, the
band recorded Frenzy (1979), which reached number 24
on the Australian charts.
Frequently changing their appearance, their line-up and their
sound, Split Enz returned to Australia, released the catchy Top 20
rocker I See Red and spent the rest of 1979 playing the
pubs. The big breakthrough came with the True Colours
album.
Released early in 1980, it sold 250 000 copies in Australia
(quadruple platinum). The single I Got You was a
smash, going to number one in Australia for ten weeks, Number 1 in
New Zealand, Top 20 in the UK, Canada and Holland and Top 40 in
the USA .
Neil Finn had blossomed as a pop songwriter - His melodic pop
songs made Split Enz's music more accessible, and coupled with
some noteworthy video clips, helped to broaden their audience.
During his time with Split Enz, Neil wrote and sang many of the
band's most popular songs, including the Top 10 singles I
Got You, One Step Ahead, History Never
Repeats and Message To My Girl.
The albums Corroboree (1981) and Time And
Tide (1982) both went to Number 1 on the Australian charts.
The band toured America, Europe and Canada where Six
Months In A Leaky Boat topped the singles chart. With a lead
vocal by Tim Finn, the song typified his enormous contribution to
the band's commercial success in the early 1980s when he wrote and
sang hits like I Hope I Never and Dirty Creature.
When Tim left Split Enz in 1984 to pursue a solo career, Neil
briefly continued with the band. Following a farewell studio
album, See Ya Round, and the Enz With A Bang
tour in late 1984, Split Enz called it quits. After nine albums
they had been unable to make significant inroads into the US
market.
Neil decided to start from scratch with a new band, initially
known as The Mullanes, which eventually found huge international
acclaim as Crowded House.
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