Split Enz were one of the most successful New Zealand musical acts of the 1980s. Formed in the early 1970s and variously featuring Phil Judd and brothers Tim Finn and Neil Finn, the band would go on to achieve chart success in New Zealand, Australia, and Canada ‒ most notably with their 1980 single "I Got You" - and build a cult following elsewhere. Their musical style was eclectic, incorporating influences from art rock, vaudeville, swing, punk, rock, new wave, and pop. Split Enz established a reputation for a highly distinctive visual style, thanks partly to their colourful, offbeat costumes and hairstyles.
The group's career falls into two phases. The first was rooted in folk and the progressive rock scene of the early 1970s. From 1977 onwards, with the departure of songwriter/guitarist Phil Judd and the arrival of Neil Finn, Split Enz' sound began to move from a progressive rock sound towards New Wave and pop. The early 1980s proved the group's most commercially successful period, with a string of popular albums. The videos for some of the songs from this period were among the first played on MTV. Since the band's breakup in 1984, the group has reunited several times, and its members have gone on to create varied musical groups with one another, including Neill Finn's band Crowded House, Schnell Fenster, Citizen Band and the Finn Brothers.
Read more about Split Enz: Band Member Timeline (1972-1984), Tours, Reunions, Discography
Famous quotes containing the word split:
“Let my hands find such symbols, that can be
Unnoticed in the casual light of day,
Lying in wait for half a century
To split chance lives across, that had not dreamed
Such coasts had echoed, or such seabirds screamed.”
—Philip Larkin (1922–1986)