"History Never Repeats" is a single written by Neil Finn and recorded by Split Enz. It was released in March 1981 as the second single from their seventh studio album, Waiata. The song remains one of their most popular.[1] It was also used as the title of two compilation albums by the band.
| "History Never Repeats" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Split Enz | ||||
| from the album Waiata | ||||
| B-side |
| |||
| Released | March 1981 | |||
| Recorded | AAV Studios, Melbourne, 1980 | |||
| Genre | New wave | |||
| Length | 3:00 | |||
| Label | Mushroom Records | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Neil Finn | |||
| Producer(s) | David Tickle | |||
| Split Enz singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
The guitar bridge in this song, played by Neil Finn, was originally featured in an old Phil Judd song, "Bergen Aan Zee". The band only played the latter song live.
The video was the 12th to be played by MTV upon its launch in 1981.[2] In 2001 the song was voted by members of APRA as the 57th-best New Zealand song of the 20th century.
Track listings
editAustralasian release
edit- "History Never Repeats" – 3:00
- "Holy Smoke"
International release
editReleased in the UK, the Netherlands, Spain and Portugal with different artwork and track listings.
- UK/Portugal track listing
- "History Never Repeats" – 3:00
- "Shark Attack (Live)"
- "What's The Matter With You (Live)"
- Netherlands/Spain track listing
- "History Never Repeats" – 3:00
- "What's the Matter with You (Live)"
Personnel
edit- Neil Finn – vocals, guitar
- Tim Finn – vocals
- Noel Crombie – percussion
- Malcolm Green – drums
- Nigel Griggs – bass
- Eddie Rayner – vocals, keyboards
Charts
editWeekly charts
edit| Chart (1981) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[3][4] | 4 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[5] | 5 |
| UK Singles Chart[6] | 63 |
| US Mainstream Rock[7] | 33 |
Year-end charts
edit| Chart (1981) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[3] | 49 |
References
edit- ^ "History Never Repeats / Holy Smoke by Split Enz (Single, Pop Rock): Reviews, Ratings, Credits, Song list". Rate Your Music. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
- ^ NZ On Screen. "History Never Repeats: Split Enz, Music Video – 1981". NZ On Screen. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
- ^ a b "National Top 100 Singles for 1981". Kent Music Report. 4 January 1982. p. 7. Retrieved 11 January 2022 – via Imgur.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. p. 288. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. NOTE: Used for Australian Singles and Albums charting from 1970 until ARIA created their own charts in mid-1988.
- ^ "Split Enz – History Never Repeats". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
- ^ "The Official Charts Company". Official Charts. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
- ^ "Split Enz - Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
