Showing posts with label Split Enz. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Split Enz. Show all posts

Thursday 19 August 2021

Bold as brass - Split Enz

About 25 years ago I had a friend with whom I shared the same sense of appreciation for certain kinds of music. During one of my visits she played me the album 'Dizrythmia' by Split Enz. Most of that album went past me, but the opening track 'Bold as brass' certainly made an impression. So much so that I contemplated buying that LP a couple of times over the past decades.

Imagine my surprise when I suddenly saw this single at a record fair recently. (Yes, a real record fair! We haven't had one of those in a long time either...) Obviously I bought this single. And obviously I never saw it before - nor did I ever think this track was released as a single, for some reason. It's great to have this now. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6428
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, 7 August 2021
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Bold as brass' / 'The woman who loves you'

Monday 25 August 2014

Six months in a leaky boat - Split Enz

Easily one of the most imaginative titles of the Eighties, 'Six months in a leaky boat' was thought to be a dig at the British invasion on the Falkland Islands. As a result, the song was 'discouraged from airplay' in the UK, also because the phrase 'a leaky boat' was not thought to be appropriate during a naval action in the war.

The song is actually a reference to the time it took pioneers to sail to Australia and New Zealand, as well as a metaphor that refers to lead singer Tim Finn's nervous breakdown. The single reached number 2 in the Australian singles chart, number 7 in New Zealand and Canada and - despite the lack of airplay - number 83 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 5409
Found: unknown
Cost: unknown
Tracks: 'Six months in a leaky boat' / 'Make sense of it'

Thursday 3 September 2009

I hope I never - Split Enz

'I hope I never' was taken from Split Enz's 1980 album 'True colours'. The single version is 40 seconds shorter than the album version. Like many of their records at the time, this single was released as a laser etched disc, although it was a limited edition; I've got a later, non-etched copy.

The single reached number 30 in the Dutch Top 40. Australian singer and songwriter Tina Arena recorded the song in 2008 with the London Studio Orchestra for her album 'Songs of love & loss 2' and changed the lyrics to reflect her gender.

My collection: 7" single no. 1523
Found: Record fair, September 21, 1991
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'I hope I never' / 'The choral sea'

Friday 21 August 2009

One step ahead - Split Enz

I recently found out that Puck's brother is also a follower of this blog. All you other readers will not know him, so here's a short introduction: he likes early eighties music as long as it's not 'commercial'. That notion is in itself a curious one, since every artist is in the music business to sell records after all. When they don't succeed, it's usually not by design and a cause for a lot of frustration.

Anyway, since I appreciate all of my readers, I like to oblige. So here's an obscure Split Enz single. Released in 1981, it was a top 10 hit in Australia and New Zealand, but it didn't chart in other territories. This copy was pressed in America and is one of those 'laser etched' singles. I only have two of those, the other one being Split Enz's 'History never repeats'!

My collection: 7" single no. 2616
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, February 10, 1996
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'One step ahead' / 'In the wars'

Monday 12 January 2009

History never repeats - Split Enz

There aren't that many records around that were laser etched. A&M Records introduced the laser etched records with Split Enz's 1980 album, 'True colours'. They hoped that laser-etching would lead to economical protection from unauthorized copying of its products. Subsequently, the singles 'I hope I never' and 'History never repeats' were also released on laser etched vinyl.

I found this single in a second hand shop and bought it, despite the fact that the previous owner had blacked out the label of the etched A-side with a black marker. It was a shame, but on the other hand, I never saw this single again, so sometimes even a damaged item is worth having. As for the music: the word Beatles-esque comes to mind.

My collection: 7" single no. 1243
Found: Den Haag, June 9, 1990
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'History never repeats' / 'What's the matter with you'

Wednesday 17 December 2008

Message to my girl - Split Enz

The band Split Enz formed in 1971 at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, in 1971. The original line-up consisted of Phil Judd, Tim Finn, Mike Chunn, Robert Gillies and Noel Crombie. Originally named 'Split Ends', they replaced the last three letters of their name with 'nz', which is the anagram for New Zealand. When Phil Judd left the band in 1977, he was replaced by Tim's brother Neil Finn, and they entered their more commercially successful new wave period.

Split Enz released 'Message to my girl' as a single in 1984. It was taken from their penultimate album 'Conflicting emotions'. It was a firm radio favourite in 1984, although it only reached number 13 in the charts in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 980
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, August 29, 1989
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Message to my girl' / 'Kia kaha'
Download: here
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