Rocktrospectiva: The Outstanding And Memorable "True Colours" Turns 45

 

Released on 21 January 1980, "True Colours" was the sixth studio album released by New Zealand band Split Enz, and was their first major commercial success. The album featured more pronounced contributions from co-lead singer and songwriter Neil Finn than previous releases. The album spaned three singles "I Got you" which was a New Zealand and Australian number 1 single, and also broke them internationally, "I Hope I Never", "Poor Boy", & Nobody Takes Me Seriously". 

Split Enz found their place in new wave with True Colours, shedding the eccentricities and excesses of their past in favor of bright, highly memorable, Beatlesque pop. The album also marked Neil Finn's emergence as a great songcraftsman, on his infectious "I Got You" helped to push the album and the band to international success. Both the single and the album stand as high points of the new wave era. As part of its marketing, the album was released in several different-colored covers with laser-etched vinyl. 

According to Tim Finn: We had been playing so many shows, so the band were very tight. It was like everything was starting to line up to make a really powerful record. Also, Crombie added, "We'd had a rough time up to that in England, and I think we're really just raring to go. We came back to Melbourne and recorded the album and it just felt it was a new beginning. The Producer David Tickle was supremely confident, almost arrogant, but he gave us something to bounce off. Half the time we didn't even like him. 

About the singles, originally, the band thought "Missing Person" to be the album's standout track, not realizing "I Got You" would become the hit. "I Hope I Never" was mixed differently for the Australian single release, with strengthened percussion. "Nobody Takes Me Seriously", "What's the Matter with You" and "Poor Boy" were released as singles in the northern hemisphere. Also a synthesizer melody played in "I Wouldn't Dream of It" was first introduced in an early Split Enz recording, aptly titled "The Instrumental".

The album cover had certain curiosities, it was initially released in four colour combinations – yellow and blue, red and green, purple and yellow, and blue and orange – but would ultimately be given another four makeovers with releases in lime green and pink, hot purple and burnt orange, gold and platinum (to mark its sales milestones), and finally yellow, blue and red.

Crombie later said, "There was a lot of resistance initially. For some reason they thought people would get confused. It was just playing with it really. Why not? In the end there were 11 covers. The rarest one is the black and white one that got sent out to the press. There's about 100 of them, with Textas to colour your own. The album was the first to ever use this technique, originally designed to discourage the creation of counterfeit copies.

The critics described it as, "a thoughtful, reflective album. The approach to songs is more straight forward, more serious, than the Split Enz we are all used to, also marked a change on their style with a different kind of vibe in terms of live performance. 

 

True Colours Track List: 

 

1. Shark Attack

2. I Got You

3. What's The Matter With You

4. Double Happy

5. I Wouldn't Dream Of It

6. I Hope I Never

7. Nobody Takes Me Seriously

8. Missing Person

9. Poor Boy

10. How Can I Resist Her

11. The Choral Sea

Rocktrospectiva: Split Enz's Final Album "See Ya 'Round" Turns 40

 

Released on 22 November 1984 "See Ya 'Round" was the 10th., and final album by New Zealand's prime band Split Enz, released after departure of founding member Tim Finn in order to focused on his solo career, remaining songwriter, his brother Neil, took the direction although he was a little bit keen to take control and leading his older brother's band, after this, the band announced that this would be their final album. 

 

The album spawned two singles "I Walk Away", & "One Mouth Is Fed", with Tim Finn departing for a solo career, Neil Finn takes charge of the aging band for their final studio album. While not living up to the band's previous brilliance, songs such as "Years Go By," "One Mouth Is Fed," and an early version of "I Walk Away" are amongst delightful Finn compositions. Side two features songs written by each of the remaining members. Curiosuly, the album was released only in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. 

 

Neil Finn's demos from this era included an early version of the future Crowded House hit, "Something So Strong" which was at this point a ballad, as well as prototypes for "I Walk Away" known as "Love and Success" and "Your Inspiration", and "Can't Carry On". 

 

The album's lead single, the funny "I Walk Away," had a low-budget video clip which features the band protruding their faces through theatrical costume cut-outs, much like on the artwork of the album. Neither single nor album were released in the United States, because after most copies of 1983's Conflicting Emotions ended up in bargain bins, their American label A&M would not risk another potential Split Enz failure and dropped them from the roster, and in some way this was marking the beginning of the end for the band.

 

The single "I Walk Away" was later re-recorded with a different verse, and re-released in America issue of the first Crowded House album, as it was something new to American audiences. Originally intended as a goodbye to the Enz, key parts of the song were rewritten for the Crowded House album, supposedly to reflect Neil's uncertainty of venturing away from the security of the Enz. 

 

See Ya 'Round was initially released only in Australia and New Zealand, charting at #29 and #5, respectively. A later release in Canada featured a grey border on the cover instead of an orange one.

 

As a farewell from the band and after an appearance on Countdown and the release of "One Mouth Is Fed" as a follow-up single, the band decided to end with a proper goodbye and beckoned Tim Finn back for one final "Enz With a Bang" tour. It is on this tour that Neil met future Crowded House bassist and collaborator, Nick Seymour. 

 

See Ya' Round Track List:

 

1. Breaking' My Back

2. I Walk Away

3. Doctor Love

4. One Mouth Is Fed

5. Years Go By

6. Voices

7. The Lost Car

8. Adz

9. This Is Massive

10. Kia Kaha (Ever Be Strong)

11. Ninnie Knees Up