Message to My Girl
"Message to My Girl" is a 1983 song by New Zealand art rock group Split Enz from their second to last studio album Conflicting Emotions. It was written by Neil Finn and released as a single in 1984, peaking at #12 in Australia,[1] #28 in New Zealand,[2] and #18 in the Netherlands, where it was Split Enz's biggest hit.[3] The song was performed by Neil Finn.
| "Message to My Girl" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Split Enz | ||||
| from the album Conflicting Emotions | ||||
| B-side | "Kia Kaha (Ever Be Strong)" | |||
| Released | 16 January 1984 | |||
| Recorded | 1983 | |||
| Genre | Pop rock | |||
| Length | 4:01 | |||
| Label | Mushroom Records | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Neil Finn | |||
| Split Enz singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
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
Released as 7" vinyl record in Australia, France, US, Canada.
- "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
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.
Chart performance
- Split Enz Version
| Chart (1984) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[1] | 12 |
| Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)[4] | 27 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[3] | 18 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[2] | 28 |
- ENZSO Version
| Chart (1996) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA Charts)[5] | 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[6] (higher than that of the original[2]) 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 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. p. 288. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. N.B. The Kent Music Report chart was licensed by ARIA between mid-1983 and 19 June 1988
- "charts.nz > Split Enz in New Zealand Charts". Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
- "dutchcharts.nl > Split Enz in Dutch Charts" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
- "Ultratop Vlaanderen > Split Enz – Message to My Girl" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
- "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.
- "Message to my Girl (Purest Form): Chart Listing". Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 October 2012.
