NF: Malcolm Hill.
DH: Malcolm Hill, there is a ripple gone throughout the home counties area!
NF: There has! Suddenly, suddenly there has been a burst of activity on the phone line.
DH: Muttering! That was the title track from Neil Finn's upcoming album. When is it coming out? Two weeks? Something like that?
NF: 15th of June!
DH: Try Whistling This, and Neil's with us in the studio, and he's, he's offered to do requests actually and Miles, Miles is behind me here and Miles is proud to be described as the King Neil Finn Crowded House 'Anorak'. He actually wears that anorak don't you Miles?!
M: Regularly, yes!
DH: And um, you can start by requesting something, I suppose! Let him think about it!
M: Is "Distant Sun" a cheesy choice?
NF: No, "Distant Sun" is OK. I need to go and get my capo, capo from my thing.
DH: Well that's OK there'll be a moment's pause because I can play a record while you do that. Do you want to do that?
NF: That would be good, yeah I can get prepared then.
DH: And if any one, anybody wants to call in and request anything, 0171 224 2000 is the number to call GLR 94.9 and this is Neil's chosen Tod Rungdren track.

CAN WE STILL BE FRIENDS (album version)

DH: Tod Rungdren there and "Can We Still Be Friends". Neil, does it still sound as good as you recall it doing?
NF: Yeah, ah its waves of nostalgia there, I was in Sydney when I was about 14 yrs old with my family and we were um staying in Kings Cross and it was just the smell of incense and actually I went into a hippy shop and bought the Kaftan.
DH: A Kaftan?
NF: That song was on the radio, you know when I bought it.
DH: A 14 year-old in a Kaftan.
NF: Yeah, so, it was a pink one too! Can you believe it?! I don't know If I ever wore it!
DH: How did Mum and Dad react when you came back from the shops?
NF: They were there.
DH: What they supervised?
NF: They weren't gonna let a little 14 year-old wander Kings Cross on his own.
DH: Not the most solubrious area?
NF: No, no see it hasn't actually changed very much either. It's much the same now as it was then, although actually in those days it was even more hardcore cause in Australia it was for a period there, you could sell hardcore pornography in milk bars. You know you're local corner shop, and so it was quite unbelievable when I went there for the first time, and amongst all the Time magazines and, X-rated material on sale on full view! Liberated country!
DH: But that's all stopped has it?
NF: It has actually been tightened up somewhat, yeah. I suppose it's like Scandinavia in that respect isn't it?
DH: I dunno!
NF: Well you must have been out there!
DH: No!
NF: Come on, I've heard you've got a collection! You and Brian Eno!!
DH: What, Kaftans?! Right! Back to the requests! This was Miles's request. What was it again?
M: "Distant Sun".
NF: "Distant Sun".
DH: "Distant Sun" for Miles and Lyn.
NF: Yep!

DISTANT SUN (live)

DH: Neil Finn, and of course that's "Distant Sun", requested by Miles here. And there's many people been phoning in requesting. We've got Anna from East Dulwich, you can make a choice here, you don't have to play it straight away obviously, you might want to recover. Anna from East Dulwich, "When You Come", John from Camberwell, "Better Be Home Soon", Pam from South Ken "Nails In My Feet". Bet you don't get asked for that a lot?
NF: Um, that would be a challenge!
DH: Gary from Finchley, "Four Seasons In One Day" and this is the one, what is it Tucker from Whun Hunga?
NF: Oney Hunga. Whun Hunga's will do fine!
DH: And that's in New Zealand?
NF: Yeah, that's in Auckland, on the way to the airport.
DH: He wants "Love This Life", and Anna from East Dulwich, oh I've read that one already. OK. Call in, request anything, 0171 224 2000, and er tell us about the people you worked with on the album. Marius De Vries?
NF: Yeah, Marius. He's a programmer producer from uh, from England and he came down initially from England for two weeks and helped me find my way into the world of computers. He's very skilled and fast and dynamic with the whole thing, and it was good to see what the whole thing was capable of doing and he left me with little vignettes which we made, sound scapes so to speak, out of which the song "Sinner" emerged, which is probably why it has a unusual atmosphere from anything I've done, cause it started with the atmosphere and not with me with an acoustic guitar so...
DH: Right...
NF: ...and then he came in when we got to the end of it all in New York and sort of helped to sort of spruce up the final thing.
DH: He did some work with Madonna didn't he?
NF: He's been working with lots of people recently. Yes he did some work on Madonna's record, he was with Nelly Hooper for quite a few years, and he's just been heads down on The Avengers soundtrack, so er, he's a busy man. He won an Ivor the other day actually, a Novello.
DH: Yes you attended didn't you?
NF: I presented it to him.
DH: Very good. And here's that song in question actually, taking us up to the news. This is er, Neil Finn from the album Try Whistling This and this is er, "Sinner".

SINNER (album version)

DH: That was Neil Finn and "Sinner" from his album Try Whistling This. Neil is in the studio and if you would like to call in and maybe request a tune or possibly fling a question at him 0171 224 2000. We'll be back after the news.

DO IT AGAIN (album version)

DH: Beach Boys there of course and "Do It Again". Welcome back. David Hepworth here GLR 94.9 and my special guest in the studio is Neil Finn. You were remarking on how 'modern' I suppose, that sounds.
NF: Well the drum sound at the beginning, I was... it sounds like a very digital drum sound to me, like sampler kind of material.
DH: And that's about 1968 or something like that?
NF: Yeah I know!
DH: Was that sort of technology available in those days?
NF: Well they would have been doing it with some kind of delay or tape machine... I'm not quite sure how they did that exactly.
DH: Now we asked people to phone in. We've got a few questions actually. I can't believe this... Lee from Kent - on the "Farewell To The World" concert, which of course was the Sydney concert, which I was fortunate enough to be at...
NF: Yeah.
DH: ...an extraordinary occasion.
NF: It was an amazing occasion.
DH: Do you ever watch the video?
NF: Um, I think I watched it afterwards once, but I haven't actually seen it since. No I've seen bits and pieces every now and again. They play it on telly.
DH: And the fireworks at the end!
NF: Yeah, we all stood on the balcony of our little change room and watched it and... embraced each other.
DH: Fireworks over the harbour, and what was the music that was playing, there was something, it was some Disney piece of music wasn't it as everybody was leaving?
NF: Yeah it was. Wow I can't even remember what it was now! There's a question!
DH: It's completely gone. I was wondering whose idea it was but it clearly wasn't your idea!
NF: No it was my idea, but I can't remember what it was. My brain is fried.
DH: I'm sure someone will think of it.
NF: I'll think of it in a minute.
DH: Anyway back to Lee's question. He wants to know what make of acoustic guitar you are playing!
NF: Oh!
DH: Cause he's desperate, cause he want's to try and get one.
NF: It's a Maton. It's an Australian guitar and I'm not sure whether you can get them here but I would think perhaps you can. I've been playing them for years and they make a very fine guitar.
DH: And your not paid to say that!
NF: I'm not paid to say that but I do get a good price on them, having said that!
DH: Now people have been phoning in with loads of requests to play all kinds of things - "Into Temptation", um "We Can Dream"? Am I being dim here? What's that one?
NF: "We Can Dream"? "We Can Dream"? That's really obscure that one!
DH: It could be a typo up on my screen here. Anyway, clearly the most, the most popular choice requested by all manner of people...
NF: Yeah.
DH: "Four Seasons In One Day". Can you do that for us?
NF: Yeah that's an easy one that one. Here we go.

FOUR SEASONS IN ONE DAY (live)

DH: The applause has not become less tumultuous. It's just that there is just two of us here now.
NF: A third of the audience has worked...
DH: Record company has walked out!
NF: Yeah!
DH: Typical! Now you're about to start touring?
NF: Oh yeah.
DH: With who? And how is that going to work?
NF: I'm touring with a, a bunch of friends, which is as it should be. There is a bass player from Brisbane called Robert Moore, and he's formerly only been a painter, never toured professionally before so there's a good element of struggle there and also I will be able to see it through fresh eyes which will be good. And I've got a drummer called Michael Barker who's a New Zealander that lives in Melbourne currently and an Irish keyboard player called Nial Mackin.
DH: So what's the, what's the song list, the set list going to be? Presumably it is going to be mainly from Try Whistling This? Though not purely?
NF: Yeah. I'll be doing most of Try Whistling This every night of course but, I'm quite happy really to delve into the past as long as we can sort of try to manage to re-define it somehow. I don't think were going to try and re-create um, Crowded House arrangements, or attitude or anything but I'm sure we can find new ways around those songs. In fact they work sort of... reasonably well..., just acoustic guitar and vocals so er, yeah. I'm, I'm just really glad that there is no regime to it, that I don't have to play any given song in a night, but I'll be dipping way back, possibly into Split Enz as well.
DH: So you, you think you could go on stage and not play "Weather With You"?
NF: I could, yeah..... and I know probably...
DH: That would be very courageous!
NF: Well no, it's not that I'm opposed to doing it, playing it but, I don't think I'll be playing it every night but I'm sure people will, will, will call out for it and I will maybe respond but, no it's nice not to have any kind of... compulsory items.
DH: Right, now how are relations with yourself and Nick and Paul?
NF: Very good, um, I haven't seen much of them in the last few months but we do run into each other. In fact we were together not so long ago, three weeks ago on Paul Hester's TV show which he's got up and running in Australia called 'Hessie's Shed'.
DH: Which I think, I think there should be a campaign for that to be shown in the UK actually.
NF: Well it's up for grabs!
DH: Channel 5, middle of the night, I can see it there.
NF: I'm sure Paul wouldn't be objecting to a sale to a British TV station. Um I haven't seen any of it yet, but the show we did was really good fun. I've got the feeling it will be pretty good.
DH: Right.
NF: They were filming two-and-a-half hours of live shows with guests, and making 45 minutes out of it so if you can't get a good show out of that, there's something wrong.
DH: You went on there and you played a, what did you play?
NF: Well I played a couple of songs with Paul and his band, and er then we had question time, we took questions from the audience. Paul publicly apologised for leaving the band on stage.
DH: Really?
NF: Yeah. He's obviously bearing a little bit of guilt over the last few years.
DH: Public apology for, this is when he left, in the States?
NF: In the middle of a tour, yeah in America, and er we weren't all that gracious about accepting his apology on stage actually but, we you know, nevertheless it was quite noble of him to do that, and then we played a song. Nick, Paul and I um, "Sister Madly" as it was I think. Yeah.
DH: Do you have to face the fact that your just kind of married to people like that? Because when you've been in groups that long...
NF: Well we're just...
DH: You're never sort of escape each other.
NF: We're grateful that the separation has ended cordially, and er we are all capable of slipping on that old coat every now and again, um hopefully not just for a wallow in nostalgia but for the hell of it, for the sheer spirit of it.
DH: What are the Crowded House tunes that you are finding yourself drawn too at the moment? Because you played, at your show the other night you played "Not The Girl You Think You Are".
NF: Yeah.
DH: Which is a lovely song.
NF: Yeah. That's a particular favourite actually, and it was one we never got to play very much, because it was at the tail end there. I'm enjoying singing that one at the moment. "Private Universe" for some reason is always a staple for me, I always enjoy playing that one, but I'm not too opposed to most of them really. There are a few that are kind of beyond me now because I've forgotten the words.
DH: God!
NF: But um...
DH: We've got a call for you. Is that right Brian? On line 19. Have you got a pair of headphones?
NF: Shall I put the headphones on?
DH: Yes I think you're gonna have to put the headphones on. Is that... is that Erica?
CALLER: It is yes Erica. Hello!
DH: Erica yes, hang on one second while Neil gets his headphones on.
NF: I'm with you! I'm here!
CALLER: Hello!
NF: How are you?
CALLER: I just wanted to say that lately, I mean a few weeks ago, I went to see a band, a tribute band, a tribute to you, they are called Crowdies House, and they were wonderful, and through them I have discovered your songs and er, really now I like them, I've really discovered you, and to find how, how romantic you are and the beautiful lyrics you have and because I'm French I really, really love your songs!
NF: Because your French?
CALLER: Through them, I've discovered you. It was wonderful.
NF: Well...
CALLER: And I think it's great to have tribute bands that play your music you know? Here in London.
NF: Well, um...
DH: Should Miles and I just leave?! Leave you two to it?
NF: Well Erica yes! So um, I'm... I'm slightly puzzled. The tribute band actually had the name Crowded House did they?
CALLER: Crowdies. Crowdies House.
DH: Crowdies House!
NF: Oh, Crowdies House.
CALLER: And the way they were playing you know, they showed that they love your songs...
NF: Yeah...
CALLER: And truly I've discovered you, your band through them.
NF: Well...
CALLER: Because I didn't really know you.
NF: Well that's an interesting turn up isn't it?!
CALLER: I discovered all your lyrics and beautiful melodies you do!
NF: Well it's good to know that I've got a clone band out there, then I sort of... you know...
DH: I don't know if your manager in the other room is taking quite such a sanguine view of this, is he?! He reached for the phone and battalions of lawyers are currently being...
NF: No, it has to be a good thing. Tell me though Erica, in France we never really had, you know - sold massive amounts of records in France, and our record company always told us that it was because Crowded House was a really awkward and ugly word to say in France.
CALLER: Oh!!!
NF: Is that true?
CALLER: I wouldn't know about that, I think they are really stupid!
NF: They're stupid?
CALLER: It is totally stupid. I'm... I'm very surprised because nowadays, it is very, pretty open and everything... and to me your songs, the songs... your songs sound so romantic.
NF: What part of France are you from?
CALLER: Um, the South of France.
NF: South of France.
CALLER: Yes.
NF: Because that's an accent that, you've got a particular accent.
CALLER: Oh really?
NF: No, maybe I'm just used to hearing a Parisian accent. Didn't know I could tell the difference but um, I knew that you were from somewhere outside of...
CALLER: I don't have the Southern accent anyway!
NF: Don't you?!
CALLER: I don't have it.
NF: Don't you, no? What is your accent then, what is the contributing...?
CALLER: Well it's more something from the north-east of France I think, where I was born, I suppose.
NF: Oh, OK.
CALLER: Yes!
DH: Well thanks very much for your call Erica. It was fascinating.
NF: It was very excellent.
CALLER: It was a pleasure!
DH: And Neil is now, is now going off, to, to find this bunch of tribute artistes, and also to establish a new career in France I should think!
NF: We could send, I could have sent them out years ago. We discussed the idea of finding a clone band to send out!
DH: Two groups on the road? Thanks very much for that Erica!
CALLER: Thank-you so much!
DH: Well, extraordinary stuff! There.
NF: Yeah. That was actually quite strange. I actually thought maybe I was, maybe someone was sending me up to start off with, because it sounded so unlikely, that a...
DH: Were you trying to think of a particular, or specific person that could be sending you up as you were listening?
NF: Yeah, but um...
DH: Well it is nothing that Miles or I know anything about!
NF: No, perhaps not. I actually had the notion recently that it would be a good idea to go out on the road with a bench. To have other players on a bench, on stage, you know like a basketball team?
DH: Subs?
NF: Yeah subs. You know - if anybody wasn't cutting the mustard in a particular song, you would sub them off and bring on your alternative bass player or whatever? I'm gonna try that one day!
DH: You know it's really interesting that when Chris Evans used to be on this station he um, I remember once, the Rolling Stones cancelled an entire gig at Wembley (80,000 people or whatever), because Keith Richards did something to his thumb. I can't remember what it was, and Chris Evans took the view that this was a ludicrous thing to do because anybody can play guitar like Keith Richards, and so he said look, "If you can play guitar like Keith Richards, call up!". And so loads of people called up - do you remember this Miles? - and they lined up little practice amps against the phone and he played, you know, "Jumping Jack Flash" or "Start Me Up" or whatever, and these guys played along and they were brilliant! And you thought well you know, 80,000 people are being inconvenienced because we are being told that a guy that we can barely see - you know hundreds of miles away - is... is you know, not fit.
NF: Yeah.
DH: This wouldn't happen at the Royal Shakespeare Company, would it?
NF: No well the show must go on really. I'm, the Rolling Stones... He just fell off a ladder didn't he?
DH: Yes. He fell off a ladder in his library.
NF: Yeah!
DH: Reaching for a book.
NF: Reaching for the stash behind the book!
DH: Surely not?
NF: I shouldn't have said that. I was...
DH: Oh, I'm sure you'll get away with it!
NF: Oh, he's a clean living man now!
DH: Neil, thanks very much indeed for coming in. You've got to rush off, you've got an appointment. We are gonna see you in the UK in September?
NF: September.
DH: With your band, playing where, have you any idea yet?
NF: Well I mean there's a whole run of shows the length and breadth of Great Britain but um, off the top of my head I think London is the Royal Albert Hall so...
DH: That will be good.
NF: That's something to be er, vaguely intimidated by!
DH: Have you played there before?
NF: No. I've never even been in the place.
DH: Oh, it's a wonderful place.
NF: Yeah?
DH: It's a wonderful place. We'll look forward to that. Thanks very much indeed for coming in.
NF: Alright.
DH: One more track now before the record company take it away, from your album Try Whistling This which comes out in a couple of weeks. This is my personal favourite and Tchad Blake's personal favourite.
NF: It is yeah. You're in sync!
DH: This is Faster Than Light.

FASTER THAN LIGHT (album version)