Brian Timothy FinnOBE (born 25 June 1952) is a New Zealand singer, songwriter, musician, and composer. He is best known as a founding member of Split Enz. Finn founded the band in 1972 with Phil Judd and served as lead singer and principal songwriter. Following Judd's departure in 1977, he was joined by brother Neil. Finn wrote or co-wrote some of the band's best-known songs, including "I See Red" and "Six Months in a Leaky Boat". While still a member of Split Enz, he began a solo career, scoring the two hits "Fraction Too Much Friction" and "Made My Day" in 1983; he left the band in early 1984, briefly returning for their farewell tour later that year.
He reunited with Neil and subsequently joined Crowded House for their third album Woodface, co-writing the majority of the songs on the album, including the hits "Four Seasons in One Day", "Weather with You" and "It's Only Natural". Leaving the band after the album's release, he reunited with Neil again later in the 1990s under the name Finn Brothers. Finn has participated in various collaborations with other artists, including former Split Enz members, and has also composed scores for films and musicals.
Brian Timothy Finn was born on 25 June 1952 in Te Awamutu, New Zealand,[1] weighing 10 pounds at birth, to parents Richard and Mary.[2][3] He has two sisters, and one younger brother, Neil Finn.[citation needed]
In 1971 Finn commenced a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Auckland. There he played in music practice room 129 (later the name of a Split Enz song) with friends and future Split Enz bandmembers Mike Chunn, Robert Gillies, Philip Judd and Noel Crombie. Music soon became more important to him than his studies. In 1972 he quit university. A few months later, Phil and Tim formed the group Split Ends, renamed Split Enz in 1975, shortly before they left New Zealand for Melbourne. Between 1975 and 1984, the group released nine studio albums. Split Enz played its last show on 4 December 1984 in Auckland.
1981–present: Solo work
Finn had his first success away from Split Enz in 1981 when his discarded demo "They Won't Let My Girlfriend Talk to Me" became a top 10 hit for Australian band Jimmy and the Boys.[4] In 1983, Finn recorded his debut solo album, Escapade, while still a member of Split Enz.[1] This met with major commercial success both in Australia and New Zealand, and yielded hit song "Fraction Too Much Friction",[1] which revealed a more rhythm-based sound than Split Enz had been known for. After contributing four songs to Split Enz album Conflicting Emotions, Finn left the band permanently in June 1984, to focus on a solo career.
In 1986 Finn released his second studio album, Big Canoe.[1] The album utilised a wide variety of instrumentation, including guitars, orchestral backings and traditional Indian instruments - most notably on single "No Thunder, No Fire, No Rain", which was inspired by the Bhopal chemical disaster. Though Big Canoe reached number three on the New Zealand charts, it failed to become the international breakthrough that Finn or record company Virgin had hoped.
In 1987, Finn composed music for the Australian comedy Les Patterson Saves the World, which yielded the Australian hit "You Saved the World". Finn had a small part in Australian film The Coca-Cola Kid alongside then-girlfriend Greta Scacchi, and a larger one in her Italian-shot romance La Donna della Luna (The Moon Woman).
Tim Finn in Split Enz costume.
In late 1988, Finn recording his eponymous third album for Capitol Records.[1] The album yielded strong reviews and the New Zealand hit "Parihaka", based on a Māori village known for its campaign of passive resistance to European occupiers. Finn also created the song "Cane Toad Blues" which played during the credits for the documentary film "Cane Toads: An Unnatural History."
In 2000, the album Together in Concert: Live was released, featuring Finn, and fellow New Zealand singer/songwriters Bic Runga, and Dave Dobbyn. Recorded in August and September 2000 in venues around New Zealand, the album saw the three performers each equitably showcased. Both the concerts and album feature all three performers providing vocal and instrumental backing on each other's songs. The album peaked at number 2 on the New Zealand chart.
As England and New Zealand went into COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, Finn and Phil Manzanera began working collaboratively on an album Caught by the Heart. The album was released on 26 August 2021. The album is produced by the two of them, with Manzanera doing the lead instrumental and Finn doing the vocals.
Tim and Neil as the Finn Brothers.Tim Finn performing in Wellington.
In 1989, Finn began playing music with younger brother Neil, for an intended Finn brothers record. After working together on some songs, Neil later proposed incorporating the tracks onto the latest album of Crowded House, the group Neil had formed after Split Enz dissolved.[1] Eight of their songs featured on the resulting Crowded House album "Woodface", including the hits "Weather with You" and "Four Seasons in One Day".[2]
The Finn Brothers resumed their collaborative work and released Finn in 1995. A second and final album was released in 2004 titled, Everyone Is Here. A Mojo magazine review stated that it contained "some of the most haunting music to bear the Finn imprint".
2020–present: Forenzics
In 2020 Finn co-created Forenzics with former Split Enz keyboardist Eddie Rayner. Forenzics is an experimental project with the debut album Shades and Echoes (2022) as a transformation of the songs of Mental Notes. Alongside Finn and Rayner are Noel Crombie and Phil Judd, who were in Split Enz during the recording of the original album - and also Phil Manzanera who was involved in the redevelopment of Mental Notes into Second Thoughts. Initial singles "Chances Are" and "Premiere Fois" were officially released in November 2021, however "Walking", "Strange Stars" and "Abandoned" were all released before on YouTube (from early 2020 until early 2021).
Finn was briefly married to English dancer Liz Malam from 1981–1982.[9] He was in a relationship with actress Greta Scacchi from 1984–1989.[10] Since 1997 he has been married to television presenter Marie Azcona, formerly of MTV and TVNZ One's Music Week.[11][12] Finn and Azcona have two children, and have collaborated on several songs, some of which are featured on Steel City, the dance show that Finn wrote. Aside from co-writing two tracks with Azcona, Finn collaborated on another with former Split Enz member Mike Chunn. Finn's son Harper and daughter Elliot are musicians in their own right.[13][14][15]
Discography
Studio albums
List of studio albums, with selected chart positions and certifications
Countdown was an Australian pop music TV series on national broadcaster ABC-TV from 1974 to 1987, it presented music awards from 1979 to 1987, initially in conjunction with magazine TV Week. The TV Week / Countdown Awards were a combination of popular-voted and peer-voted awards.[24]
Year
Nominee / work
Award
Result
1981
himself
Best Australian Songwriter
Nominated
1982
himself
Best Australian Songwriter
Won
1983
Escapade
Best Australian Album
Won
"Fraction too Much Friction"
Best Australian Single
Nominated
Best Video
Won
himself
Songwriter of the Year
Won
Most Popular Male Performer
Won
1984
himself
Most Popular Male Performer
Nominated
1985
himself
Most Popular Male Performer
Won
Helpmann Awards
The Helpmann Awards for live performance in Australia are awarded annually by Live Performance Australia.
Top 100 (Kent Music Report) peaks to 19 June 1988: Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St. Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 112. ISBN0-646-11917-6. N.B. The Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIA between mid-1983 and 19 June 1988.
Top 100 (ARIA) peaks from January 1990 to December 2010: Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
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