Tim Finn -

Tim Finn is an New Zealander singer and songwriter, best known as the frontman of Split Enz. He debuted as a solo artist with the 1983 album Escapade, which spawned the cross-Tasman No. 2 hit “Fraction Too Much Friction.” In 1985, he appeared as a bandleader and jingle-writer in the Australian romantic comedy The Coca-Cola Kid. He scored a minor US hit with “How’m I Gonna Sleep” from his 1989 third solo album.

His younger brother, Neil Finn, formed Crowded House after Split Enz disbanded in 1984. Tim joined them for their 1991 third album Woodface, which features seven Finn–Finn co-writes. They later released two albums as the Finn Brothers.

Background

He was born Brian Timothy Finn on June 25, 1952, in Te Awamutu, Waikato, New Zealand; one of four children borne to Mary, an Irish-born catholic; and Richard, a farmer’s son and World War II veteran. Finn has two sisters and one younger brother, Neil Mullane Finn, born on May 27, 1958.

Brain (and later Neil) attended Sacred Heart College, a catholic secondary school in Auckland, where he met Jonathan Michael Chunn. Inspired by The Beatles, Finn and Chunn formed a band that competed in the school’s 1969 Walter Kirby contest. They won first prize with a rendition of the Bee Gees‘ “Words.”

Escapade

Tim Finn released his debut solo album, Escapade, in June 1983 on Mushroom.

Finn sings ten originals built on crisp rhythm parts, layered synthesizers, brass flourishes, and vocal-forward arrangements. Finn sings ten originals, backed by guitarist Mark Moffatt, keyboardist Sam McNally, bassist Chris Haig, and drummer Ricky Fataar.

Richard Tee adds piano (“Fraction Too Much Friction”) and Rhodes (“In a Minor Key,” “Wait and See”). Vince Gill plays mandolin on “Not for Nothing.” Steelpanist Doug Lacey guests on “Grand Adventure.” Select parts feature trumpeter Peter Cross and saxophonists Wilbur Wilde and Joe Camilleri.

A1. “Fraction Too Much Friction” (4:14)
A2. “Made My Day” (3:25)
A3. “Not for Nothing” (3:28)
A4. “In a Minor Key” (3:46)
A5. “Grand Adventure” (3:52)

B1. “Staring at the Embers” (3:05)
B2. “Wait and See” (4:01)
B3. “I Only Want to Know” (4:05)
B4. “Growing Pains” (3:02)
B5. “Through the Years” (3:50)

Finn recorded Escapade at Festival Studios in Sydney during early 1983, working closely with co-producers Ricky Fataar and Mark Moffatt. The sessions layered live rhythm tracks with overdubbed brass, keyboards, and vocal harmonies, with a notable emphasis on clarity and concise arrangements. Several guest performers enhanced individual songs with added texture and instrumental flair.

“Fraction Too Much Friction” appeared first in May 1983 and climbed to No. 2 in New Zealand and No. 8 in Australia. It also reached No. 2 in the Netherlands and No. 4 in Flanders. The track won Best Video at the 1983 Countdown Australian Music Awards and was later covered by Wilbur Wilde for the 1984 film The Coolangatta Gold.

“Made My Day,” issued in August 1983, peaked at No. 22 on the Australian chart. “Through the Years” was released concurrently in North America. “Staring at the Embers” followed in October, and “In a Minor Key” appeared as a fifth single in February 1984.

Meanwhile, Finn partook in one further Split Enz album, Conflicting Emotions, then left the band to Neil, who headed their 1984 album, See Ya Round, but decided to fold Enz and start anew. Tim returned for their December 1984 Enz With a Bang tour.

The Coca-Cola Kid

In 1985, Tim Finn made a cameo appearance in The Coca-Cola Kid, a satirical romantic comedy directed by Dušan Makavejev and released internationally that summer.

Set in Sydney, the film follows Becker (Eric Roberts), a brash American marketing specialist sent by Coca-Cola headquarters to investigate a pocket of resistance in the Australian market. Upon arrival, he’s paired with a sharp, unorthodox secretary (Greta Scacchi) who guides him through local quirks and complications. Becker soon discovers that a small soft drink producer in the fictional Anderson Valley has successfully blocked Coca-Cola’s entry into the region. Determined to overcome the holdout, he launches an aggressive campaign, only to confront unexpected ethical and personal dilemmas that challenge his corporate instincts.

Subplots explore workplace drama, mistaken espionage, and Becker’s search for a distinctly Australian sound—at one point intersecting with a Coca-Cola jingle performed by Finn, who commenced a five-year relationship with Scacchi during production.

Phil Manzanera, the original Split Enz benefactor, produced Finn’s August 1985 single “Home For My Heart,” released as a Coca-Cola Kid tie-in with another non-album track, “Strange Night.”

Big Canoe

Tim Finn released his debut solo album, Big Canoe, in April 1986 on Virgin Records.

The album presents an ambitious studio production built on layered keyboards, programmed textures, brass, tabla, and string sections woven through melodic vocal arrangements. Finn collaborated with screenwriter Jeremy Brock on the lyrics, expanding his thematic reach while developing a sound distinct from his earlier work.

Ex-Revillos guitarist Jon McLoughlin plays rhythm and lead throughout, anchored by bassist Steve Greetham and drummer Geoff Dugmore. Finn splits keyboards with Paul Wickens and Danny Schogger. Anne Dudley arranged the string sections. Phil Judd appears on multiple tracks, contributing sitar, rhythm guitar, guitar synth, and brass arrangements.

A1. “Spiritual Hunger” (4:36)
A2. “Don’t Bury My Heart” (4:25)
A3. “Timmy” (3:44)
A4. “So Deep” (3:17)
A5. “No Thunder, No Fire, No Rain” (5:12)

B1. “Carve You in Marble” (5:40)
B2. “Water Into Wine” (4:09)
B3. “Hyacinth” (4:58)
B4. “Big Canoe” (4:39)
B5. “Are We One Or Are We Two” (3:51)

CD bonus tracks:
6. “Searching The Streets” (4:11)
11. “Hole In My Heart” (3:12)

Finn recorded Big Canoe with producer Nick Launay, working across multiple studios with an extended cast of musicians. Tabla player Pandit Dinesh appears on the lead track, while Gary Barnacle adds saxophone solos. Brass comes from Luke Tunney, Simon Gardner, and Pete Toms, while Skaila Kanga plays harp on “Hyacinth.” Vocalists Norma Lewis and Wendy Harris support Finn on several tracks, with Mark McGann adding harmony to “Hyacinth.” The album sessions emphasized arrangement detail and tonal variation, involving frequent overdubs and layered textures across instruments and voices.

“No Thunder, No Fire, No Rain” appeared first in April 1986 and reached No. 24 in New Zealand and No. 46 in Australia. Two separate music videos supported the single: one dramatizing the lyric’s reference to the 1984 Bhopal disaster, the other focusing on a performance setting with monochrome visuals. “Spiritual Hunger” followed in June and “Carve You in Marble” appeared in July as a third single.

Big Canoe peaked at No. 3 in New Zealand and No. 31 in Australia, marking a strong regional showing for Finn’s second solo outing.

Meanwhile, Neil Finn and late-period Enz drummer Paul Hester emerged with a new band, Crowded House. Their 1986 debut album eventually caught hold in the states with the ballad “Don’t Dream It’s Over.”

In 1987, Tim Finn released two standalone singles: “You Saved the World” (b/w “Les’ Fanfare” / “Coup D’Etat”) and “With You I’m Alive” (b/w “Hacia el Sol”), both tied to Les Patterson Saves the World, a 1987 Australian comedy film starring Barry Humphries and Pamela Stephenson. Humphries portrays his two recurring stage creations, Sir Les Patterson and Dame Edna Everage.

Tim Finn

Tim Finn released his self-titled third album in April 1989 on Capitol.

Tim performs ten originals on guitar and keyboard, recorded with Crowded House producer Mitchell Froom. They used multiple guitarists (David Rhodes, Tim Pierce, Neil Finn), bassist Tony Levin, drummer Jerry Marotta, and percussionist Alex Acuña. Neil Finn and Noel Crombie contribute backing vocals, with brass by the Heart Attack Horns.

A1. “Young Mountain” (4:18) – Tim Finn, Mitchell Froom
A2. “Not Even Close” (4:19)
A3. “How’m I Gonna Sleep” (3:56)
A4. “Parihaka” (4:19)
A5. “Tears Inside” (4:04)

B1. “Birds Swim Fish Fly” (3:24)
B2. “Suicide on Downing St.” (3:32)
B3. “Show a Little Mercy” (4:01)
B4. “Crescendo” (4:17)
B5. “Been There Done That” (4:06)

Finn recorded the album in Los Angeles at Soundcastle, Sunset Sound Factory, and Ocean Way Studios with engineer.

“How’m I Gonna Sleep” appeared in March 1989 as the lead single. It reached No. 2 in New Zealand and No. 27 in Australia. The CD edition included a live version of “Six Months in a Leaky Boat” with Neil Finn. “Parihaka,” released in June with guest vocals by Herbs, peaked at No. 6 in New Zealand. The song referenced the historic Taranaki protest community and was supported by a video directed by Fane Flaws, shot inside the Auckland Art Gallery. “Crescendo” followed in July, and “Not Even Close” appeared in early 1990.

Tim Finn peaked at No. 8 on the New Zealand Albums Chart and No. 47 in Australia. It marked Finn’s highest domestic showing since Escapade and confirmed his continued relevance as a solo artist.

Discography: