Table Of Content

Hester and Seymour were reunited when they both joined singer-songwriter Matt O'Donnell's Melbourne-based group Tarmac Adam.[34] The band released one album, 2003's Handheld Torch, which was produced by Seymour. Following the Australian-only release “Mean To Me,” the harmonic, uptempo “World Where You Live” served as the group’s first international single and was typical of the big-sounding production that made up their debut. It became the group’s second Billboard Hot 100 hit as the album reached No.12 in the States. Having broken the States, the group could have easily served up more of the same, but their second album Temple Of Low Men was a darker, more intense affair that highlighted the maturing of Finn’s songwriting, but lacked its predecessor’s obvious hits. It was an early sign that the group were not prepared to compromise for easy commercial gain. For all the stunning songs reflecting Finn’s love of The Beatles and other melodic giants, their music had real potency and was unafraid of exploring difficult, sometimes painful topics.
Primary Wave Acquires Neil Finn's Music Publishing Catalog - Digital Music News
Primary Wave Acquires Neil Finn's Music Publishing Catalog.
Posted: Tue, 23 Apr 2024 23:32:51 GMT [source]
Songwriting and musical influences

Crowded House is a long standing and much-loved vehicle for the song writing talents of Neil Finn. Formed in Melbourne Australia in 1985 out the ashes of New Zealand’s Split Enz by Neil, Paul Hester and Nick Seymour, their eponymous self-titled debut album on Capitol Records went on to global success with the hits “Don’t Dream It’s Over” and “Something So Strong”. Those songs and many that followed are still resonating with audiences today, the former in particular being one of the most covered songs of the last 20 years. The band’s first incarnation lasted from 1985 through 1996 with 4 studio albums and enjoyed much success worldwide, becoming particularly beloved for their freewheeling and interactive live shows. This lineup said Farewell to the World on the steps of the Sydney Opera House in 1996 with a now legendary performance in front of 150,000 people. In 2007 following the tragic death of Paul Hester, Neil and Nick felt emotionally compelled to bring Crowded House back, to put some more good history, as they described it, into the story of the band.
(Don’t Dream It’s Over, Better Be Home Soon, Fall At Your Feet, Four Seasons In One Day, Distant Sun)
At Capitol's behest, the band's name was changed to Crowded House, which alluded to the lack of space at the small Hollywood Hills house they shared during the recording of the album Crowded House.[2][17][18] Former Split Enz keyboardist Eddie Rayner produced the track "Can't Carry On" and was asked to join the band. He toured with them in 1988, but was unable to become a full member due to family commitments. Having helmed the group’s first three albums, Mitchell Froom was replaced by ex-Killing Joke bassist Youth who by Together Alone’’s 1993 release had become an in-demand producer. Although his presence brought more experimentation, the pretty acoustic ballad “Distant Sun” is Finn at his most accessible and it became the group’s third UK Top 20 single. A UK top five hit, Crowded House’s fourth album Together Alone was pitched somewhere between the intensity and experimentalism of the group’s sophomore set and the rich pop melodies that dominated Woodface.
'Dreamers Are Waiting' North American Tour Announced
The atmospheric “Fingers Of Love” fell in between these extremes with a beautiful melody married perfectly to a Finn narrative about yearning. Housed on the same album is “Private Universe,” a five-and-a-half-minute epic about isolation that features a Polynesian percussion and one of Finn’s most profound lyrics. My relationship with you the audience is precious and I am eternally grateful for the level of passion and support that exists for my work. It inspires me to do better music and to keep it coming.I have made this website the hub for increased personal communication and activity, including a regular newsletter which I write and do postings for new music, photos, video pieces and news of live shows as well as links to people and ideas that interest me. In addition the above, KUFALA Recordings released numerous limited edition Crowded House recordings on CDr, recorded across USA and Canada in 2007 and 2010.
Originally active until 1996, the group released four acclaimed albums before splitting on the back of a greatest hits compilation ‘Recurring Dream’. 11 years later the band surprised everyone by reforming and, in good rock and roll tradition, splitting up and reforming a few more times as well.With over three decades of history, thirty-four singles and ten million album sales to their name the story of Crowded House is one of dreams truly coming true. Along with the likes of AC/DC, Nick Cave and Tame Impala, they have come from a land down under and conquered the world.
Oh Hi (lyric video)
April 26, 2022 – Today, iconic multi-platinum selling band CROWDED HOUSE officially announced their highly anticipated North American tour that follows on the heels of both sold-out Australian and European legs of the tour along with their seventh studio album Dreamers Are Waiting – Listen to the album HERE. The new music as well as the tour features founding members Neil Finn and Nick Seymour along with producer and keyboardist Mitchell Froom, guitarist and singer Liam Finn and drummer Elroy Finn. “Crowded House are delighted at long last to be able to play shows in North America. We have been picking up the pace recently as the world opens up and can’t wait present the show with this band lineup in absolute top form to the good folk of North America, from sea to shining sea,” said Neil Finn. Finn’s gift for penning moving, inspiring ballads was evident again on “Better Be Home Soon,” the closing song on the band’s second album Temple Of Low Men.
Crowded House's Neil Finn: "I don't dwell on my old records and seldom listen to them" - Louisville Public Media
Crowded House's Neil Finn: "I don't dwell on my old records and seldom listen to them".
Posted: Sun, 07 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Two charity albums corralled lauded admirers including the Smiths’ Johnny Marr, Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder, Radiohead’s Phil Selway and Ed O’Brien, Wilco and KT Tunstall. And it was the attention of another famous and longtime fan, Mick Fleetwood, that spurred the creation of Dreamers Are Waiting. When Fleetwood Mac’s longstanding lead guitarist Lindsey Buckingham was ousted, Finn was unexpectedly called to their ranks for a tour of North America, Europe, New Zealand and Australia. As the primary songwriter for the band, Neil Finn has always set the tone for the band's sound.
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On 2 December 2021, the band announced that it will be touring Australia in 2022, with 6 shows around the country, including the 2022 Bluesfest lineup.[55] On 24 June 2022, the band played at Glastonbury Festival.[56][57] In May 2023, Crowded House tour North America for the promotion of the album Dreamers Are Waiting. On 6 December 2008 Crowded House played the Homebake festival in Sydney, with warm up gigs at small venues in Hobart, Melbourne and Sydney. For these shows the band were augmented by multi-instrumentalist Don McGlashan and Neil's younger son, Elroy Finn, on guitar. On 14 March 2009 the band joined Neil's older son, Liam Finn, on stage for three songs at the Sound Relief concert in Melbourne.
The original New Zealand and Australia release of the album featured ten tracks; however, when the album was being prepared for export it was decided to include Crowded House's version of the Split Enz song "I Walk Away". At the same time the track listing was re-ordered and the song "Can't Carry On" was dropped from the album. After the release of the band's second album, Temple of Low Men, EMI re-released Crowded House internationally, using the original Australian/New Zealand track listing but with "I Walk Away" included too. The DVD side features a DVD-A version of the album with lyrics, a discography and the music videos for "Don't Dream It's Over" and "Something So Strong."
AllMusic said that Finn "has consistently proven his knack for crafting high-quality songs that combine irresistible melodies with meticulous lyrical detail."[59] Neil's brother Tim was an early and important musical influence. Neil first saw Tim play with Split Enz in 1972, and said "that performance and those first songs made a lasting impression on me."[60] His mother was another significant musical influence, encouraging him to listen to a variety of genres, including Irish folk music and Māori music. She would play piano at family parties and encourage Neil and Tim to accompany her. On 19 August 2021, the band performed their single “To the Island” on CBS's The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
The American sound of their self-titled debut album began to slowly resonate in the US and hit a peak when the single “Don’t Dream It’s Over” climbed to No.2 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album's rhythm tracks were recorded by Larry Hirsh at Capitol Recording Studios, Los Angeles. The remaining recording sessions for the album were at Sunset Sound studios, where the group first collaborated with engineer Tchad Blake who also worked on the next two Crowded House albums. Seymour and Hester do not appear on "Now We're Getting Somewhere", which was recorded early in the sessions with drummer Jim Keltner and bass player Jerry Scheff. For many they’re just that band with infectious ear-worm ‘Don’t Dream It’s Over’ to their name, but for real fans they are so much more. One of Australia's finest exports, Crowded House were formed in 1985 around the songwriting talents of Neil Finn.
The album's first single, "Mean to Me", reached the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart top 30 in June.[4] It failed to chart in the US,[7] but moderate American airplay introduced US listeners to the group. Produced by Mitchell Froom, it was released in August 1986 and was certified platinum in four countries. The album includes the hit singles "Don't Dream It's Over", "Something So Strong", "Mean to Me", "World Where You Live" and "Now We're Getting Somewhere".
He added that they were making a new studio album, the first since 2010's Intriguer. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the band's planned 2020 concerts have had to be rescheduled to 2021, and later again to 2022. Although breaking the US took a while to happen, once “Don’t Dream It’s Over” became a big hit, there was real momentum behind the band with the uplifting “Something So Strong” climbing to No.7 on the Hot 100. Sequenced next to it on the first album is “Hole In The River,” which Finn co-wrote with Split Enz keyboardist Eddie Rayner after being told his aunt had died by suicide. This haunting song stood outside the album’s overall mainstream sound and hinted at real depths to Finn’s songwriting. A further scan of the songwriting credits shows Liam has two songs here, Show Me the Way and Goodnight Everyone, which sit squarely in the middle of the album.
Alongside Elroy, older brother Liam is now a full-time multi-instrumental member, while Tim Finn (last seen on a Crowded House album on Together Alone, in 1993) gets a co-writing credit on Too Good for This World. Mitchell Froom, who produced the band’s first three albums, replaces Mark Hart on keyboards. Nine-tenths of the rhythm tracks were recorded in those LA sessions, at Valentine Recording Studios – a treasure trove of analogue vintage equipment and perfectly preserved 70s interiors. Eventually though, surging Covid-19 cases forced the band to retreat to their corners of the world.