| Phil Judd |
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BIOGRAPHY Phil is perhaps best known for being one of the founders of the most successful band to come out of New Zealand , Split Enz . In 1972 Tim Finn and Phil founded the arty folk band. In its early days the band was known for its eccentric behaviour, wacky clothes, makeup and crazy hairstyles. In the early days the band members all adopted their middle names, with the exception of Phil Judd who is reportedly the only member to keep his first name. While the other members of the Enz had hairstyles that were out of the ordinary, Phil chose to shave his head after the release of the first album Mental Notes . After the second album Second Thoughts was released, tensions rose between Phil & Tim Finn . Phil left the band in 1977 shortly after the release of the single ''Another Great Divide'' to be replaced by Tim's younger brother Neil Finn . Enz bassist Mike Chunn also left at the same time to be replaced by Englishman Nigel Griggs . After leaving the Enz Phil started writing songs and recording demos until later on that year he was approached by Tim Finn to rejoin the band. The Enz toured in 1977 with 2 lead guitarists in Phil and Neil Finn who reportedly got along rather well. During this time the band played some new songs by Phil that won favour with the audience, including a self confessed favourite of keyboardist Eddie Rayner , ''Play It Strange''. Later on that year the band fell on hard times & Phil was once again forced to leave as the band members struggled to make ends meet. It was after this time that the band has been criticised for ''going commercial'', which it could be argued was neccessary to achieve the success that it did. Not long after leaving . The song was used in the 1990 s on commercials for K-Mart stores. After The Swingers broke up in 1982 Phil released a solo album called ''Private Lives''. It would be 24 years before he released his next solo album. ''Private Lives'' was released as a 5 track LP in the US called ''The Swinger''. While the album was not a commercial success, fans often criticise the US release for being a butchered shadow of the original album and that it was clearly only released to cash in on the success of The Swingers . In the late 80s Phil went on to form Schnell Fenster (originally called The Wanks ) & was involved in recording movie soundtracks, most notably Death In Brunswick . Schnell Fenster comprised of former Split Enz alumni Nigel Griggs , Noel Crombie & Eddie Rayner along with guitarist Michael Den Elzen . Eddie left early on in the piece. The first album The Sound Of Trees was a moderate success, but due to complications the band was unable to tour extensively to support the album. The second album Ok Alright Uh Huh Oh Yeah did not receive the media attention is deserved & was sadly cast aside. The band soon broke up. Phil has worked in movies ( Rikki And Pete ) and on TV ( Stingers ), but only recently has released a new album. Phil has created a Myspace account and talks to his fans through the forums always adding his own very warped sense of humour into the mix. The past couple of months have seen the release of his official website. His new album Mr Phudd And His Novelty Act is described by Phil himself as some of his best work, yet the industry doesn't seem to be taking notice in a time where post Neil Finn Split Enz are gearing up for an huge sellout Australian tour. It has been rumoured however that Neil Finn is trying to work Phil into the Melbourne shows, this has yet to be confirmed. Phil is selling copies of Mr Phudd And His Novelty Act through his website. The album is a throwback to his Split Enz days with some of his wacky humour thrown in for good measure. Some of the tracks from the album can be heard on Phil's MySpace page. In the meantime his fans are hoping that he will be given his well deserved spot on the Split Enz tour. DISCOGRAPHY Split Enz
Swingers
Solo work
Schnell Fenster
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