Split Enz, I Hope I Never [Single] (1980) 
What a song this is! Where did it come from? What does it mean? There’s a story – a rumour, perhaps – about the triggering of this song. I know about that. You probably do too. But what I mean is the inspiration for not only the lyrics, the melody and the shaping of it but the performance. Stunning work from Tim Finn, he was never better (and perhaps never more bitter?) and Eddie Rayner is sublime here. The lyrics, separated are kinda corny, sorta silly (“I’m gonna move to a new town/where the people are nice”) but taken as a whole it’s a stunning modern torch ballad. Oh to be a fly on the wall when the phone call that allegedly inspired this went down. I already own the album that houses this Split Enz classic but I’ve long been after the actual single. Now I have it. I hope I never have to buy again. I hope I never have to try again. (I’ll have to move it to a new shelf where the security is tight!) etc…

Sample Track 1: (Side A): I Hope I Never 

Sample Track 2: (Side B): The Choral Sea 
 

The Vinyl Countdown is a document of every LP I listen to, brand new discoveries and old-old favourites; extremely pre-loved, previously abandoned or with the shrink-wrap having just been removed it’s all here at The Vinyl Countdown
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