Escapade (album)
Encyclopedia
Escapade is the first solo album by Split Enz
frontman Tim Finn
.
1982 album Time and Tide, Tim Finn
decided to give the band a break after 10 years. Younger brother Neil Finn
worked on some demos for the upcoming Split Enz album, while percussionist Noel Crombie
released the single My Voice Keeps Changing On Me. It was Tim's intention to take the time to work some of the new songs that he wanted to release, but felt were not Enz material. On the radio documentary Enzology Tim says that he tried some of the songs out with the band (he names Fraction Too Much Friction), but it just wasn't working.
Along with Ricky and Mark, Tim worked with music veteran Venetta Fields
whose backing vocals provided a soulful feel to the album. On various songs he worked with Australian music heavy weights such as Wilbur Wilde
and Joe Camilleri
.
When released the first single Fraction Too Much Friction was a huge hit in Australia and New Zealand, and the album took off from there. Tim himself did not expect this level of success. The idea was to experiment musically away from Split Enz
, get it out of his system and then come back to begin the new album.
In spite of the success and the expectation to follow up with a tour, Tim felt an obligation to Split Enz
, and after 5 gigs to support the album he went back to the studio with the band to begin work on the new album to be titled Conflicting Emotions
.
, who had a child on the way. Tim himself only contributed 4 songs to the album, the rest of which were Neil's. There was some conflict within the band regarding where they were going next, and no one except the Finns were particularly happy when Ricky Fataar
was bought in to play drums on Message to my Girl. No one is sure why current drummer Noel Crombie
was not selected to play on the track.
After touring for the album, and bringing in drummer Paul Hester
, Tim made a decision to leave the band, making younger brother Neil the main songwriter for the band. To the surprise of the rest of the band, Neil disbanded Split Enz
and arranged for one final album called See Ya 'Round
.
Tim rejoined the band for one final tour, playing the currently successful single Fraction Too Much Friction with the Enz. After the tour ended, Tim was back in the studio working on the follow-up Big Canoe
.
AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND
USA (resequenced track listing with "Below the Belt" replacing "Grand Adventure")
Split Enz
Split Enz were a New Zealand band of the 1970s and early 1980s featuring Phil Judd and brothers Tim Finn and Neil Finn. They achieved chart success in New Zealand, Australia, and Canada during the early 1980s ‒ most notably with the single "I Got You", and built a cult following elsewhere...
frontman Tim Finn
Tim Finn
Brian Timothy "Tim" Finn, OBE is a New Zealand singer and musician. Finn is most known for his music with New Zealand 1970s and 1980s rock group Split Enz, and later for his solo work, a temporary membership in his brother Neil's band Crowded House and his joint efforts with Neil Finn as the Finn...
.
After Time and Tide
After the release of Split EnzSplit Enz
Split Enz were a New Zealand band of the 1970s and early 1980s featuring Phil Judd and brothers Tim Finn and Neil Finn. They achieved chart success in New Zealand, Australia, and Canada during the early 1980s ‒ most notably with the single "I Got You", and built a cult following elsewhere...
1982 album Time and Tide, Tim Finn
Tim Finn
Brian Timothy "Tim" Finn, OBE is a New Zealand singer and musician. Finn is most known for his music with New Zealand 1970s and 1980s rock group Split Enz, and later for his solo work, a temporary membership in his brother Neil's band Crowded House and his joint efforts with Neil Finn as the Finn...
decided to give the band a break after 10 years. Younger brother Neil Finn
Neil Finn
Neil Mullane Finn, OBE is a New Zealand Pop recording artist. Along with his brother Tim Finn, he was the co-frontman for Split Enz and is now frontman for Crowded House...
worked on some demos for the upcoming Split Enz album, while percussionist Noel Crombie
Noel Crombie
Noel Crombie is a New Zealand singer and former member of the band Split Enz. He fulfilled multiple roles including costume and hair designer, percussionist, album cover designer, and music video director...
released the single My Voice Keeps Changing On Me. It was Tim's intention to take the time to work some of the new songs that he wanted to release, but felt were not Enz material. On the radio documentary Enzology Tim says that he tried some of the songs out with the band (he names Fraction Too Much Friction), but it just wasn't working.
Solo Outing
With a break from touring and some new songs in hand, Tim decided to work with musicians outside of the Enz stable. He grew quite attached to former Beach Boys drummer Ricky Fataar who along with his partner Mark Moffatt played and produced on the album.Along with Ricky and Mark, Tim worked with music veteran Venetta Fields
Venetta Fields
Venetta Fields is an American singer best known as session musician for leading rock and pop acts of the 1970s including Pink Floyd, Barbra Streisand, Steely Dan and the Rolling Stones...
whose backing vocals provided a soulful feel to the album. On various songs he worked with Australian music heavy weights such as Wilbur Wilde
Wilbur Wilde
Wilbur Wilde is an Australian saxophonist. He rose to prominence with the bands Ol' 55, Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons...
and Joe Camilleri
Joe Camilleri
Joseph Vincent "Joe" Camilleri, aka Jo Jo Zep or Joey Vincent, is an Australian vocalist, songwriter and saxophonist. Camilleri has recorded as a solo artist and as a member of Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons and The Black Sorrows...
.
When released the first single Fraction Too Much Friction was a huge hit in Australia and New Zealand, and the album took off from there. Tim himself did not expect this level of success. The idea was to experiment musically away from Split Enz
Split Enz
Split Enz were a New Zealand band of the 1970s and early 1980s featuring Phil Judd and brothers Tim Finn and Neil Finn. They achieved chart success in New Zealand, Australia, and Canada during the early 1980s ‒ most notably with the single "I Got You", and built a cult following elsewhere...
, get it out of his system and then come back to begin the new album.
In spite of the success and the expectation to follow up with a tour, Tim felt an obligation to Split Enz
Split Enz
Split Enz were a New Zealand band of the 1970s and early 1980s featuring Phil Judd and brothers Tim Finn and Neil Finn. They achieved chart success in New Zealand, Australia, and Canada during the early 1980s ‒ most notably with the single "I Got You", and built a cult following elsewhere...
, and after 5 gigs to support the album he went back to the studio with the band to begin work on the new album to be titled Conflicting Emotions
Conflicting Emotions
Conflicting Emotions is a 1983 album by New Zealand New Wave band Split Enz. Although considered by some to be their poorest release, the band themselves were more than happy with the result at the time and refused to make any of the changes requested by their Australian and US record companies.As...
.
Conflicting Emotions and Beyond
Upon returning to the Enz, the dynamic of the band had changed. Tim seemed less interested and increasingly distracted as did Neil FinnNeil Finn
Neil Mullane Finn, OBE is a New Zealand Pop recording artist. Along with his brother Tim Finn, he was the co-frontman for Split Enz and is now frontman for Crowded House...
, who had a child on the way. Tim himself only contributed 4 songs to the album, the rest of which were Neil's. There was some conflict within the band regarding where they were going next, and no one except the Finns were particularly happy when Ricky Fataar
Ricky Fataar
Ricky Fataar is a South African multi-instrumentalist of Malay descent, who has performed as both a drummer, and a guitarist. He gained fame as an actor in the comedic television movie, The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash, a spoof on the actual history of The Beatles, and for his performance as a...
was bought in to play drums on Message to my Girl. No one is sure why current drummer Noel Crombie
Noel Crombie
Noel Crombie is a New Zealand singer and former member of the band Split Enz. He fulfilled multiple roles including costume and hair designer, percussionist, album cover designer, and music video director...
was not selected to play on the track.
After touring for the album, and bringing in drummer Paul Hester
Paul Hester
Paul Newell Hester was an Australian musician and television personality; he was the drummer for the related bands Split Enz and Crowded House.-The early years:...
, Tim made a decision to leave the band, making younger brother Neil the main songwriter for the band. To the surprise of the rest of the band, Neil disbanded Split Enz
Split Enz
Split Enz were a New Zealand band of the 1970s and early 1980s featuring Phil Judd and brothers Tim Finn and Neil Finn. They achieved chart success in New Zealand, Australia, and Canada during the early 1980s ‒ most notably with the single "I Got You", and built a cult following elsewhere...
and arranged for one final album called See Ya 'Round
See Ya 'Round
See Ya 'Round is the ninth, and final album by New Zealand's premier New Wave band, Split Enz, and was released in 1984, following the departure of founding member Tim Finn, whose solo career had officially taken off the year before...
.
Tim rejoined the band for one final tour, playing the currently successful single Fraction Too Much Friction with the Enz. After the tour ended, Tim was back in the studio working on the follow-up Big Canoe
Big Canoe
Big Canoe is the 1986 solo album released by former Split Enz frontman Tim Finn. This album was the first time that Tim had worked with Split Enz co-founder Phil Judd since Judd left the band in 1978. In interviews Tim has said that the idea was that he and Phil were intending on writing again,...
.
Track listing
All tracks by Tim FinnTim Finn
Brian Timothy "Tim" Finn, OBE is a New Zealand singer and musician. Finn is most known for his music with New Zealand 1970s and 1980s rock group Split Enz, and later for his solo work, a temporary membership in his brother Neil's band Crowded House and his joint efforts with Neil Finn as the Finn...
AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND
- "Fraction Too Much Friction" – 4:14
- "Made My Day" – 3:25
- "Not for Nothing" – 3:28
- "In a Minor Key" – 3:46
- "Grand Adventure" – 3:52
- "Staring at the Embers" – 3:05
- "Wait and See" – 4:01
- "I Only Want to Know" – 4:05
- "Growing Pains" – 3:02
- "Through the Years" – 3:50
USA (resequenced track listing with "Below the Belt" replacing "Grand Adventure")
- "Fraction Too Much Friction"
- "Staring at the Embers"
- "Through the Years"
- "Not for Nothing"
- "In a Minor Key"
- "Made My Day"
- "Wait and See"
- "Below the Belt"
- "I Only Want to Know"
- "Growing Pains"
Chart Performance
| Chart (1983) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia | #8 |
| New Zealand | #1 |
| USA | #161 |
Personnel
- Tim FinnTim FinnBrian Timothy "Tim" Finn, OBE is a New Zealand singer and musician. Finn is most known for his music with New Zealand 1970s and 1980s rock group Split Enz, and later for his solo work, a temporary membership in his brother Neil's band Crowded House and his joint efforts with Neil Finn as the Finn...
- vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, PianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal... - Ricky FataarRicky FataarRicky Fataar is a South African multi-instrumentalist of Malay descent, who has performed as both a drummer, and a guitarist. He gained fame as an actor in the comedic television movie, The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash, a spoof on the actual history of The Beatles, and for his performance as a...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
, Keyboards, Backing vocals - Chris Haig - Bass
- Sam McNally - Synthesizers
- Mark Moffatt - Guitars
- Venetta FieldsVenetta FieldsVenetta Fields is an American singer best known as session musician for leading rock and pop acts of the 1970s including Pink Floyd, Barbra Streisand, Steely Dan and the Rolling Stones...
- Backing vocals - International Management - Nathan D. Brenner
Additional personnel
- Richard TeeRichard TeeRichard Tee was a pianist, studio musician, singer and arranger.Tee graduated from the High School of Music and Art and attended the Manhattan School of Music. Though better known as a studio and session musician, Tee led a jazz ensemble, the Richard Tee Committee, and was a founding member of the...
- piano on "Fraction Too Much Friction", Rhodes on "In a Minor Key" and "Wait & See" - Amanda Vincent - Synthesizer
- Wilbur WildeWilbur WildeWilbur Wilde is an Australian saxophonist. He rose to prominence with the bands Ol' 55, Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons...
- Saxophone - Joe CamilleriJoe CamilleriJoseph Vincent "Joe" Camilleri, aka Jo Jo Zep or Joey Vincent, is an Australian vocalist, songwriter and saxophonist. Camilleri has recorded as a solo artist and as a member of Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons and The Black Sorrows...
- Saxophone - Peter Cross - Trumpet
- Vince GillVince GillVincent Grant "Vince" Gill is an American neotraditional country singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He has achieved commercial success and fame both as frontman to the country rock band Pure Prairie League in the 1970s, and as a solo artist beginning in 1983, where his talents as a...
- Mandolin on "Not For Nothing" - Doug Lacey - Steel Drums on "Grand Adventure"
- Phil Scorgie - Bass on "Grand Adventure"