Split Enz

Split Enz are New Zealand's most famous gift to world music, innovators on stage and video, extremely talented as songwriters.

For the most part the band's story revolves around Tim Finn (born Brian Timothy Finn). He met the band's other founding member at college, and for five years Tim and Mike Chunn wrote songs and performed together, in 1971 in a band called Stillwater. The next year Tim went to Auckland University to study for a Bachelor of Arts Degree in philosophy and politics. It was here he met future bandmates Phil Judd, Noel Crombie and Rob Gillies. At university Tim and Phil Judd shared a room.

Phil Judd seems to have been the one determined that the new group (originally called Split Ends) avoid mediocrity all cost . The group determined that they would play concerts rather than perform in pubs, and Phil took it very personally if the band wasn't received well by audiences. When the band elected to accept to support Yes' New Zealand tour, Phil quit briefly in protest. In the beginning Phil Judd was the driving force musically.

Noel Crombie initially found the band a few gigs before joining as costume and set designer. His occasional appearances on stage playing spoons became permanent. Noel was responsible for the band's wind-up ragdoll "look". He designed the suits with arms and legs that were either too long or too short and didn't quite button up at the front. The band members also had to submit themselves to the Noel's creative whims as hair stylist. Now renamed Split Enz, and with most members taking their middle name as their first name (hence Brian became Tim) the band arrived in Australia in early 1975 sporting an assortment of mohawks-gone-wrong.

They looked like they were from an asylum but their songs evoked Beatlesque melodies and romanticism. They received a puzzled reaction in Australia, and were signed to Mushroom on Skyhooks' recommendation, staying only long enough to release the 'Mental Notes' album before moving on to London and re-rerecording some of those songs and others with Roxy Music's Phil Manzanera for the album they called 'Second Thoughts'. England was just as bemused and fascinated as Australia, but the band did enough to land a contract with Chrysalis. Between New Zealand and London a few members had come and gone, as would continue to happen over the years.

So began the hard slog of conquering the world, and predictably Phil Judd became victim to the struggle. During an American tour he punched his friend Tim Finn in the face backstage in Atlanta because the guitars had been out of tune. He was homesick and hated life on the road. Tim was the nearest target. But Phil stuck it out long enough to complete the US commitments before returning to New Zealand, while Split Enz returned to London.

Tim's brother Neil had seen almost every New Zealand performance. In April 1977 he was 19 and a hospital nurse when summoned to London to replace Phil Judd. Never having performed with the group he joined them in the studio to record what became 'Dyzrythmia'. Back in Australia the band put together landmark video clips for the singles 'My Mistake', 'Bold As Brass' and 'I See Red'. These videos set a new, very high standard. Phil Judd returned for a month in middle of all that, but left again, never to return.

Without management now they recorded the 'Frenzy' album, and then found themselves without a record company - except for Mushroom Records which was prepared to stick its neck out and finance another album for Australian and New Zealand consumption. Producer Mike Chapman (Suzie Quatro, Knack, Blondie) was supposed to work with the band but without an international release assured, he suddenly made himself unavailable. His assistant David Tickle put up his hand instead. With only Tickle and Mushroom championing the cause Split Enz recorded 'True Colours'.

Their songs had always been great pop songs, but with this album the group finally shrugged off all the strangeness and all we heard was the songs. It was also the album where Neil Finn found his songwriting feet, and his 'I Got You' guided both the single and album to No.1 in Australia and New Zealand. With each new pressing the album's cover design by Noel Crombie was given a different colour combination. 'True Colours' was released around the world by A&M and Noel Crombie became a traditional drummer.

The albums 'Corroborre' (alternative New Zealand title 'Waiata') and 'Time And Tide' followed along the same lines as 'True Colours' with Tim and Neil Finn duelling for songwriting supremacy. In 1983, at the same time as recording the next Split Enz album,'Conflicting Emotions', Tim Finn worked on a solo album, 'Escapade'. There were conflicting emotions within the band about Tim's commitment , thoughts that he'd kept his best songs back.

Good songs they were, the single 'Fraction Too Much Friction' taking Tim to the top ten, and the album winning him accolades and awards. On the strength of that success he decided to leave the band in June 1984. Instead of being mad, the band took him to dinner and sang Bon Voyage, reducing Tim to tears.

Six week after Tim's decision Neil Finn decided to put but the whole band to rest. On the last album, appropriately called 'See Ya Round' every band member was allowed to make one songwriting contribution, including new drummer Paul Hester, but it was Neil's songs that provided the bulk of the album's songs, and the singles. Tim rejoined the band for their farewell tour. At the party following the final Australian show, a slightly drunk Nick Seymour approached Neil and offered to be bass player for whatever group he would go on to form. The very last show, fittingly was held in Auckland in December 1984.

Neil Finn, Nick Seymour and Paul Hester of course became Crowded House. Various ex-members of Split Enz rejoined with Phil Judd to record two albums as Schnell Fenster. There have several reunion shows to mark special occasions. There was an orchestral reunion as Enzo. Whatever else they've done, their Split Enz past has never been shelved completely.