Don’t Dream It’s Over

With special guest:

• Jeff Apter
  … in conversation with Bill Kable

Jeff Apter has written the definitive story of Neil Finn, one of the Finns, including some remarkable things about this Kiwi icon we claim as an Aussie.

Neil first appeared in our consciousness as a freaky member of the band Split Enz. He was the one up front singing I Got You which he also wrote. The band was not a one hit wonder but there were tensions among the members particularly between Neil and the leader of the band, his brother Tim, which cut short the life of the band.

Ultimately Tim gave his brother good advice, go and form your own band and this led to Crowded House arriving and taking over the world record charts.

Jeff Apter tells us that his book focusses on the music while filling in a lot of the background to the songs and the life of Neil Finn. For many of us a song Neil wrote will have a special meaning because it appeared at an important stage of our lives and the beautiful melody burns the message into our brains.

We hear about the secure family life Neil enjoyed in a little New Zealand town, his close but often turbulent relationship with brother Tim, his long standing marriage with wife Sharon and then how Neil has introduced his children Liam and Elroy into the music making world. It is easy to see how when Fleetwood Mac needed someone to take the place of Linsey Buckingham on tour they wanted someone not only talented but easy to get along with. This led to some 88 shows where Neil not only played the Fleetwood Mac catalogue but also got to play some of his own songs.

This truly is a remarkable journey from a small town in New Zealand to the world stages and then back again to his homeland living in Auckland. We all wonder where his restless spirit will take him next. Reading this book Don’t Dream It’s Over will give you a pretty good idea.

Jeff Apter

As author, co-author and / or ghostwriter, Jeff Apter has worked on more than 30 biographies. His subjects include Keith Urban, George Young (Friday On My Mind), Malcolm Young (The Man Who Made AC/DC). He also worked on 2015’s Helpmann award-nominated live show, A State of Grace: The Music of Jeff and Tim Buckley and was on staff at Rolling Stone for several years.

Song selection by our guest: Don’t Dream It’s Over by Crowded House

Note: This program is an encore presentation of the one aired on 17 August 2023.

Podcast (mp3)