Message to My Girl
| "Message to My Girl" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Split Enz | ||||
| from the album Conflicting Emotions | ||||
| B-side | "Kia Kaha (Ever Be Strong)" | |||
| Released | January 1984 | |||
| Recorded | 1983 | |||
| Genre | Pop rock | |||
| Length | 4:01 | |||
| Label | Mushroom Records | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Neil Finn | |||
| Split Enz singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Message to My Girl" is a song by New Zealand art rock group Split Enz. It was released in January 1984 as the second single from their eighth studio album Conflicting Emotions.
In 2001 the song was voted by members of APRA as the 36th best New Zealand song of the 20th century.
During the 2006 Split Enz tour, Neil dedicated the song to his wife Sharon.
Track listing
- "Message to My Girl" – 4:01
- "Kia Kaha (Ever Be Strong)" – 3:35
Personnel
- Neil Finn – vocals, piano, guitar
- Noel Crombie – vocals, percussion
- Nigel Griggs – vocals, bass
- Eddie Rayner – keyboards
- Ricky Fataar – drums
Charts
| Chart (1984) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[1] | 12 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[2] | 18 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[3] | 28 |
ENZSO Cover
| "Message to My Girl" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by ENZSO | ||||
| from the album ENZSO | ||||
| Released | 1995 | |||
| Genre | Pop rock | |||
| Label | Sony/Epic | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Neil Finn | |||
| Producer(s) | Dave Woodcock Eddie Rayner | |||
| ENZSO singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
When Split Enz member Eddie Rayner collaborated with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra for the project ENZSO in 1995, they made a song cover and Finn once again provided the leading vocals. The re-recording was converted into more of a ballad version than the original.
Track listing
- "Message to My Girl" - Performed by Neil Finn
- "Stranger Than Fiction" - Performed by Tim Finn, Neil Finn and Sam Hunt
- "Time for a Change" - Performed by Tim Finn
Charts
| Chart (1996) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA Charts)[4] | 56 |
Other Covers
The song has been covered a number of times by other bands.
- In 1994, New Zealand R&B band Purest Form released a version that reached number 2 on the New Zealand charts and won Best Song at the 1995 New Zealand Music Awards.
- Peter Andre covered the song on his 1996 album Natural.
- In 2008, the Australian jazz combo Gerard Masters Trio released an instrumental version on their album Pendulum.
- In 2010, Australian R&B singer Ron Kingston released a cover on his album Unplugged in Hong Kong.
- In 2010, Australian Jimmy Barnes covered the song on the compilation album performing songs written by Neil Finn and Tim Finn (The Finn Brothers), He Will Have His Way.
- In 2020, Australian progressive metal band Caligula's Horse released a cover as a bonus track on the studio album Rise Radiant.
Notes
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. p. 288. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. NOTE: Used for Australian Singles and Albums charting from 1970 until ARIA created their own charts in mid-1988.
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Split Enz" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
- ^ "Split Enz – Message to My Girl". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
- ^ "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart – Week Ending 18 Aug 1996". ARIA. Retrieved 19 April 2020 – via Imgur.com. N.B. The HP column indicates the highest position reached.
