Citizen-Manned

I’ve only been back in the country two minutes (I understate, it’s been eight months) from the West Island (Australia) but I only had to get one email from Mike Chunn to feel (even on paper) he’s energetic! I was feeling a bit worried for the ‘ducks in a row’ because you can get the distinct impression that Mike Chunn only goes at one speed, full throttle! I love it but I did think the ducks were definitely plucked!

Mike makes it two in a row for me as far as living legends go, yesterday it was Larry Morris. In fact, Mike was officially “awarded ‘Living Legend‘ status last year by former Auckland Mayor Dick Hubbard for cultivating the musical talents of high school students in Auckland. He’s the man behind ‘Play it Strange,’ the charitable trust that develops these musical and writing skills in our young people.”

To me, being a legend has several related meanings for instance they may be someone of noted celebrity, someone with larger-than-life accomplishments or someone whose fame is well-known. All of these instances would be true of Mike Chunn but you get the feeling that even without the celebrity, the fame or even the documented accomplishments he’d be doing this for students anyway.

Making Enz Meet

His of course is one of noted celebrity, is one of larger than life accomplishments and is one whose fame is well known. He was of course in the original line-up when Split Ends was formed. “He met Tim Finn at boarding school where they wrote songs and played music together. In 1971 they went to Auckland University, and there they met and befriended a group of art students that included Philip Judd, Geoffrey Crombie and Rob Gillies.

The friendship between Mike Chunn and Tim Finn soon saw them begin writing together. Chunn worked out the basic form and lyrics while Finn provided the melodies. As the partnership developed, they wrote a number of songs. They decided to form a group where the material they wrote together in this original burst of creativity provided the bulk of the Split Enz repertoire for several years afterwards.

In October 1972, they approached classically trained violinist Miles Golding, reed player Mike Howard and together formed a five-piece acoustic group called Split Ends. Golding’s musical skills helped Finn and Chunn to build complex and impressive neo-classical structures and arrangements for their material. Tim Finn said, it’s evident in “the middle part of Under the Wheel, where it starts going quite dissonant, that was pure Miles!” The starting riff of ‘Stranger Than Fiction’ which was more melodic also seemed to come from a different world and different time.”

After months of rehearsals, and with financial backing from a friend Split Ends released its debut single, “For You/Split Ends”, in April 1973. A month before the single was released however Golding left the group to study in London and Mike Howard quit soon after that. In 1975, shortly before their first trip to Australia, the spelling of the group’s name was changed to Split Enz in order to identify with their New Zealand roots. This has I might add, not stopped the Westies over the decades from claiming them as their own though in part I understand it since the band had lived and worked out of Australia for quite some time!

Mental Note to Self

In 1977, the band kicked off the year with a new (non-album) single “Another Great Divide”, coinciding with their return to Australia/New Zealand in January for the “Courting the Act” tour. Chrysalis Records released ‘Mental Notes’ (the American title for Second Thoughts) in the States. At the end of February they set off for the US to support the album.

The tour was a hopeful first attempt to establish themselves in America but it was to mark the end of an era in the band’s history and proved to be the last tour with founding members Phil Judd and Mike Chunn. Mike decided to leave at the end of the US tour since he had a young family back in New Zealand and the constant touring was beginning to take its toll.

They were due to begin their third English tour later that month, so Tim now took charge and hastily reorganised the group. English bassist Nigel Griggs (ex-Octopus) replaced the departing Mike Chunn but before he left Mike gave them a crucial piece of parting advice by suggesting that the replacement for Phil Judd be Tim Finn’s younger brother Neil. Neil officially joined the band on 7 April 1977.

Citizen Band

Later in the same year Mike formed Citizen Band with his brother Geoff who had also been a member of Split Enz. Geoff played guitar, sang, and wrote most of the songs while Mike played bass. The other band members were guitarist Greg Clark and drummer Brent Eccles. This original lineup could generally be regarded as a New Zealand supergroup since both Chunn brothers were former members of Split Enz and Clark and Eccles were formerly part of New Zealand glam-rock band Space Waltz. They recorded two albums ‘Citizen Band’ and ‘Just Drove Through Town.’ Mike left the band after they moved to Australia and was replaced by Roland Killeen. Eventually the band broke up in 1982.”

When Mike finally lined up the ducks they’d relaxed a little and looked something like this:

Penneylane: The name of the most prized NZ vinyl record you have in your collection?

Mike: It’s Larry’s Rebels “I Feel Good” single. It made me think for the first time I could do that too ‘cos they lived in the same town as me!

Penneylane: Three NZ songwriters you’d want to get stranded with on the Chatham Islands?

Mike: Don McGlashan, Anna Macdonald and Paul Scott (Pop Mechanix)

Penneylane: Two NZ albums you’d never leave the country without?

Mike: Once Bitten Twice Bitten (1995) by the Dance Exponents. Jordan Luck is very cool and the Split Enz’ “Frenzy” album. The Finn bros are also very cool writers.

Penneylane: If you could form a ‘Dream Group’ comprised of six NZ recording artists who would you have? N.B. You can’t have more than one member of a known NZ group and you have to have vocal/guitar/drum and keyboard.

Initially Mike passed on this question and marked it as ‘too hard’. I can understand that! As the Monty Python boys would say, “this was never meant to be a Spanish Inquisition” so with my question reframed as ‘imagine if’ Mike generously gave it another burl and came back with the undermentioned. I concede (having considered fully New Zealand’s long musical history) it is a difficult question!

Mike: Dave Dobbyn (Lead Guitar), Tim Finn and Fiona Macdonald sharing lead vocals Peter Warren (DD Smash) on drums!! Matt Thomas (was in the Feelers) on bass, he’s good!!!!! Don McGlashan (Percussion and euphonium) and Eddie Rayner (Split Enz) on keyboards

Penneylane: All time iconic NZ song that epitomises a generation of unsung NZ creativity aka the ‘one that got away!’

Mike: Any song by Pop Mechanix. They were brilliant!

When asked what he did in his spare time by Tim in Ed’s Celebs, my estimation of Mike Chunn went clear through the stratosphere, he said “I spend a lot of time with my family. We all get on like a house on fire. I play guitar with Barney, buy books with Georgia, swim the Olympic pool with Ruby and talk Action heroes with Johnny. Brigid and I sneak off to small bars and talk about ourselves, our lives, our kids, and our future.

Personally? I love paddling out on my bodyboard into the Bethell’s Beach surf. That’s a real escape. I’m also pretty good at just sitting in a chair and gazing into space. Some would call it meditating. I don’t. I just gaze into space. It’s good for you.”

Indeed, how could it not be?