Neil Finn
Crowded House was a great band that actually had considerable success worldwide, and that’s pleasant to report. I also like to reflect on when they first emerged in America, in 1986. At the time I was a DJ with a late-night radio show at WWWV, an FM AOR (that’s album-oriented rock for you young ‘uns) radio station in Charlottesville, Virginia, where I was doing graduate work at the University of Virginia. One day program director and afternoon drive-time jock Jay Lopez brought me a 12-inch piece of vinyl from Capitol Records. On it were three songs from a new band called Crowded House. Well, they had me from the downbeat. They sounded like a rootsy version of Squeeze, or maybe an antipodean Beatles around the time of Magical Mystery Tour crossed with a kind of spare, dreamy rock that reminded me of certain Robyn Hitchcock songs. I was an instant fan and played the grooves off that record on my late-night show.
Jay Lopez was a fine DJ and a great guy to work for. He arranged for me to do a phone interview with Crowded House several months later. The album had been out for quite a while by then, but it hadn’t done much in the market. That, however, was about to change: “Don’t Dream It’s Over” had just been released when I did the interview, and of course that song took Crowded House to the top of the charts and made them famous all over the world.
It was a very interesting time, then, to talk to Neil Finn, the songwriter, guitarist, and lead singer for the band. Crowded House had not yet toured the US. Capitol was trying to break the album one more time with a new single. And Neil was in the mood to talk about this wonderful album that not many people knew about yet.
This is part one of three parts I’ll podcast over the next few days. As you’ll hear, there are some goofy radio moments I’ve left in, even though the interview wasn’t aired live. In fact, I edited the goofy stuff at the beginning out of the version I aired. But for the podcast, you get (almost) the whole thing. (There was some nonsense at the beginning when I thought I was talking to Nick Seymour, not Neil, but I’ll save that for the Director’s Cut.) I think the interview holds up pretty well all these years later, and I’m still very moved by how open, warm, and intense Neil was willing to be with a guy he’d never met before.
I hope you enjoy the interview. Here’s part one.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (8.3MB)
You just made my day! My first concert that I saw in High School was Split Enz, which featured Neil and brother Tim. And Crowded House was, and still is, a perpetual fave – brilliantly catchy pop melodies, but with a richness to the lyrics that is so rare in pop music. But I see the download is finished – I’m off to listen to the interview. I’m anxiously waiting for more.
How cool. I can only imagine what else lies in the archives!
There’s more in them there tapes. Stay tuned.
Great interview. I have enjoyed pt. 1 and 2 a couple of times now. Good job Garndener. You have a wonderful radio voice. Where is pt. 3?
Thanks for the kind words, Harry. It was fun to visit your website and see a little of what you’re up to, too. The internet really does link folks up in an interesting way.
You’ll find the third part of the interview in the Paul Hester memorial entry:
http://www.gardnercampbell.net/blog1/?p=154
I should probably edit the heading to indicate the third part of the interview is there.
Hey Gardner,
thanks for the mp3s
great interview – love your clear sophisticated US accent
i like your in depth deep lyrical anlaysis questions
keep it all up buddy
See Ya Round,
Loose Tongue
Hi,
I think Neil Finn is amazing. What I wonder about are the women I’ve met (die hard fans) that think he’s in love with them just because he looked at them once or twice in concert. They follow him around. Another singer can look at a woman and she’ll know it’s just a performance. Neil has some sort of magic that makes each one of them feel that they’re his! I think the guy is happily married but just what is secret weapon that makes him so different??? He keeps his female fans secretly fantasizing and coming back for more. It’s mind boggling!!!! Way to go Neil!
Hi G
Have to thank you so much for allowing folk like me to grab a listen at this, found you by chance on google, but m so glad I did…
Cheers
B.
Just found this today and had to tell you how much I enjoyed it. I’ll enjoy hearing the other two parts. I especially enjoyed hearing about “Mean to Me”. Thanks for this.
…And Savoy Truffle? I just listened to it and you’re right. I’ll be damned.
Thanks a bunch, Mike. Talking to Neil was a real high point in my young life. I’m delighted that the podcasting phenomenon motivated me to get off my duff and share Neil’s thoughts more widely.
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Hi Gardner
So glad I found or was elinked to this intevie(www.frenz.com)
Great interview, so glad you put it up.