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Half a year after Chills leader Martin Phillipps' death from liver failure at the too young age of 61, we're gifted with this collection which effectively rights a historical wrong. This band should have been huge; why weren't they?
New Zealand underground music in its 1980s zeitgeist achieved the platonic ideal of what one might call the "downer anthem." Detuned but elegiac, and decidedly postpunk but also obsessed with the best '60s pop, this was, for many music freaks, simply the greatest musical scene of its time, with the Chills at the absolute top of the heap. Phillipps had an incredible knack for combining the lugubrious and the upbeat in his strangely beautiful songs; he explored nerdy sci-fi obsessions and dreams of lost, perfect love while battling his own demons of addiction, illness, and erratic behavior. The group went through almost as many lineup changes as the Fall, so they rarely toured or got the airplay they deserved, with the exception of the aptly titled "Heavenly Pop Hit," which reached number 2 on the New Zealand charts.
Spring Board: The Early Unrecorded Songs collects 20 archival recordings, many from 40 years ago, which were then "revisited, revised and finally put to record" just before the pop maestro's death. A host of friends then worked to help complete some of the material, making it a real community effort and celebration of Phillipps, whose first recordings were made when he was still a teenager. Sonically, there's a contemporary sheen to the entire thing. None of it sounds like the self-released demo and live collection Secret Box. "Dolphins" could have appeared on 1985's "Lost" EP, "Meet My Eyes" could have been on 2021's Scatterbrain, and "If This World Was Made for Me" has the bounce of an outtake from 1990's Submarine Bells.
From live favorites like "I Saw Your Silhouette" to the in-jokey "Juicy Creaming Soda" (the band infamously recorded a jingle for Coca-Cola) to the sketch-like "Bad Eggs," there's so much here for the longtime fan. Equal parts sad tribute and final proof of genius, Spring Board is a truly bittersweet listen. © Mike McGonigal/Qobuz
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The Chills, MainArtist - Martin Phillipps, Composer, ElectricGuitar, LeadVocals - Greg Haver, Percussion - Tom Healy, ElectricGuitar - Hollie Fullbrook, BackgroundVocals - Oli Wilson, Keyboards, Organ, Synthesizer - Callum Hampton, Trumpet, BackgroundVocals, BassGuitar - Erica Scally, Violin, AcousticGuitar, BackgroundVocals - Todd Knudson, Drums
2024 Fire Records 2025 Fire Records
The Chills, MainArtist - Martin Phillipps, Composer, AcousticGuitar, ElectricGuitar, LeadVocals - Greg Haver, Percussion - Tom Healy, ElectricGuitar - Tami Neilson, BackgroundVocals - Oli Wilson, Keyboards, Organ, Synthesizer - Callum Hampton, BackgroundVocals, BassGuitar - Erica Scally, Violin, BackgroundVocals - Todd Knudson, Drums
2024 Fire Records 2025 Fire Records
Neil Finn, SlideGuitar - The Chills, MainArtist - Martin Phillipps, Composer, ElectricGuitar, LeadVocals - Greg Haver, Percussion - Shona Laing, BackgroundVocals - Tom Healy, ElectricGuitar - Oli Wilson, Keyboards, Organ, Synthesizer - Callum Hampton, Trumpet, BackgroundVocals, BassGuitar - Erica Scally, Violin, BackgroundVocals - Todd Knudson, Drums
2024 Fire Records 2025 Fire Records
The Chills, MainArtist - Martin Phillipps, Composer, ElectricGuitar, LeadVocals - Greg Haver, Percussion - Shona Laing, BackgroundVocals - Tom Healy, ElectricGuitar - Oli Wilson, Keyboards, Organ, Synthesizer - Callum Hampton, BackgroundVocals, BassGuitar - Erica Scally, Violin, AcousticGuitar, BackgroundVocals - Todd Knudson, Drums
2024 Fire Records 2025 Fire Records
Neil Finn, BackgroundVocals - The Chills, MainArtist - Martin Phillipps, Composer, ElectricGuitar, LeadVocals - Greg Haver, Percussion - Dianne Swann, BackgroundVocals - Shona Laing, BackgroundVocals - Tom Healy, Keyboards, ElectricGuitar - Oli Wilson, Keyboards, Organ, Synthesizer - Valentine Nixon, BackgroundVocals - Clementine Nixon, BackgroundVocals - Callum Hampton, BackgroundVocals, BassGuitar - Erica Scally, Violin, BackgroundVocals - Todd Knudson, Drums
2024 Fire Records 2025 Fire Records
The Chills, MainArtist - Martin Phillipps, Composer, ElectricGuitar, LeadVocals - Greg Haver, Percussion - Tom Healy, ElectricGuitar - Hollie Fullbrook, Cello - Oli Wilson, Keyboards, Organ, Synthesizer - Callum Hampton, BackgroundVocals, BassGuitar, ElectricGuitar - Erica Scally, Violin, BackgroundVocals - Todd Knudson, Drums
2024 Fire Records 2025 Fire Records
The Chills, MainArtist - Martin Phillipps, Composer, ElectricGuitar, LeadVocals - Greg Haver, Percussion - Tom Healy, ElectricGuitar - Oli Wilson, Keyboards, Organ, Synthesizer - Callum Hampton, BackgroundVocals, BassGuitar - Erica Scally, Violin, BackgroundVocals, ElectricGuitar - Todd Knudson, Drums
2024 Fire Records 2025 Fire Records
Neil Finn, BackgroundVocals - The Chills, MainArtist - Martin Phillipps, Composer, ElectricGuitar, LeadVocals - Greg Haver, Percussion - Tom Healy, ElectricGuitar - Oli Wilson, Keyboards, Organ, Synthesizer - Callum Hampton, Trumpet, BackgroundVocals, BassGuitar - Erica Scally, Violin, BackgroundVocals - Todd Knudson, Drums, Percussion
2024 Fire Records 2025 Fire Records
Neil Finn, SlideGuitar - The Chills, MainArtist - Martin Phillipps, Composer, ElectricGuitar, LeadVocals - Greg Haver, Percussion - Tom Healy, ElectricGuitar - Hollie Fullbrook, BackgroundVocals - Oli Wilson, Keyboards, Organ, Synthesizer - Callum Hampton, BackgroundVocals, BassGuitar - Erica Scally, Violin, BackgroundVocals - Todd Knudson, Drums, Percussion
2024 Fire Records 2025 Fire Records
The Chills, MainArtist - Martin Phillipps, Composer, ElectricGuitar, LeadVocals - Greg Haver, Percussion - Tom Healy, ElectricGuitar - Hollie Fullbrook, Cello - Oli Wilson, Keyboards, Organ, Synthesizer - Callum Hampton, BackgroundVocals, BassGuitar - Erica Scally, Violin, BackgroundVocals - Todd Knudson, Drums
2024 Fire Records 2025 Fire Records
The Chills, MainArtist - Martin Phillipps, Composer, ElectricGuitar, LeadVocals - Greg Haver, Percussion - Tom Healy, ElectricGuitar - Oli Wilson, Keyboards, Organ, Synthesizer - Callum Hampton, BackgroundVocals, BassGuitar - Erica Scally, Violin, BackgroundVocals - Todd Knudson, Drums
2024 Fire Records 2025 Fire Records
The Chills, MainArtist - Martin Phillipps, Composer, ElectricGuitar, LeadVocals - Greg Haver, Percussion - Tom Healy, ElectricGuitar - Oli Wilson, Keyboards, Organ, Synthesizer - Callum Hampton, BackgroundVocals, BassGuitar - Erica Scally, Violin, BackgroundVocals - Todd Knudson, Drums
2024 Fire Records 2025 Fire Records
Elroy Finn, Percussion - The Chills, MainArtist - Martin Phillipps, Composer, ElectricGuitar, LeadVocals - Greg Haver, Percussion - Julia Deans, BackgroundVocals - Tom Healy, Keyboards, ElectricGuitar - Oli Wilson, Keyboards, Organ, Synthesizer - Valentine Nixon, BackgroundVocals - Clementine Nixon, BackgroundVocals - Callum Hampton, BackgroundVocals, BassGuitar - Erica Scally, Violin, BackgroundVocals - Todd Knudson, Drums
2024 Fire Records 2025 Fire Records
The Chills, MainArtist - Martin Phillipps, Composer, ElectricGuitar, LeadVocals - Greg Haver, Percussion - Oli Wilson, Keyboards, Organ, Synthesizer - Callum Hampton, BackgroundVocals, BassGuitar - Erica Scally, Violin, BackgroundVocals - Todd Knudson, Drums
2024 Fire Records 2025 Fire Records
The Chills, MainArtist - Martin Phillipps, Composer, ElectricGuitar, LeadVocals - Greg Haver, Percussion - Oli Wilson, Keyboards, Organ, Synthesizer - Callum Hampton, BackgroundVocals, BassGuitar - Erica Scally, Violin, BackgroundVocals - Todd Knudson, Drums
2024 Fire Records 2025 Fire Records
The Chills, MainArtist - Martin Phillipps, Composer, ElectricGuitar, LeadVocals - Greg Haver, Percussion - Tom Healy, ElectricGuitar - Oli Wilson, Keyboards, Organ, Synthesizer - Callum Hampton, BackgroundVocals, BassGuitar - Erica Scally, Violin, BackgroundVocals - Todd Knudson, Drums
2024 Fire Records 2025 Fire Records
The Chills, MainArtist - Martin Phillipps, Composer, ElectricGuitar, LeadVocals - Greg Haver, Percussion - Tami Neilson, BackgroundVocals - Oli Wilson, Keyboards, Organ, Synthesizer - Callum Hampton, BackgroundVocals, BassGuitar - Erica Scally, BackgroundVocals - Todd Knudson, Drums
2024 Fire Records 2025 Fire Records
The Chills, MainArtist - Martin Phillipps, Composer, ElectricGuitar, LeadVocals - Greg Haver, Percussion - Oli Wilson, Keyboards, Organ, Synthesizer - Callum Hampton, BackgroundVocals, BassGuitar - Erica Scally, BackgroundVocals - Todd Knudson, Drums
2024 Fire Records 2025 Fire Records
The Chills, MainArtist - Martin Phillipps, Composer, ElectricGuitar, LeadVocals - Greg Haver, Percussion - Oli Wilson, Keyboards, Organ, Synthesizer - Callum Hampton, BackgroundVocals, BassGuitar - Erica Scally, BackgroundVocals - Todd Knudson, Drums
2024 Fire Records 2025 Fire Records
The Chills, MainArtist - Martin Phillipps, Composer, ElectricGuitar, LeadVocals - Greg Haver, Percussion - Julia Deans, BackgroundVocals - Dianne Swann, BackgroundVocals - Shona Laing, BackgroundVocals - Tom Healy, AcousticGuitar, ElectricGuitar - Hollie Fullbrook, BackgroundVocals - Troy Kingi, BackgroundVocals - Oli Wilson, Keyboards, Organ, Synthesizer - Valentine Nixon, BackgroundVocals - Clementine Nixon, BackgroundVocals - Callum Hampton, Mellotron, Omnichord, BackgroundVocals, BassGuitar - Erica Scally, Violin, BackgroundVocals - Todd Knudson, Drums
2024 Fire Records 2025 Fire Records
Album review
Half a year after Chills leader Martin Phillipps' death from liver failure at the too young age of 61, we're gifted with this collection which effectively rights a historical wrong. This band should have been huge; why weren't they?
New Zealand underground music in its 1980s zeitgeist achieved the platonic ideal of what one might call the "downer anthem." Detuned but elegiac, and decidedly postpunk but also obsessed with the best '60s pop, this was, for many music freaks, simply the greatest musical scene of its time, with the Chills at the absolute top of the heap. Phillipps had an incredible knack for combining the lugubrious and the upbeat in his strangely beautiful songs; he explored nerdy sci-fi obsessions and dreams of lost, perfect love while battling his own demons of addiction, illness, and erratic behavior. The group went through almost as many lineup changes as the Fall, so they rarely toured or got the airplay they deserved, with the exception of the aptly titled "Heavenly Pop Hit," which reached number 2 on the New Zealand charts.
Spring Board: The Early Unrecorded Songs collects 20 archival recordings, many from 40 years ago, which were then "revisited, revised and finally put to record" just before the pop maestro's death. A host of friends then worked to help complete some of the material, making it a real community effort and celebration of Phillipps, whose first recordings were made when he was still a teenager. Sonically, there's a contemporary sheen to the entire thing. None of it sounds like the self-released demo and live collection Secret Box. "Dolphins" could have appeared on 1985's "Lost" EP, "Meet My Eyes" could have been on 2021's Scatterbrain, and "If This World Was Made for Me" has the bounce of an outtake from 1990's Submarine Bells.
From live favorites like "I Saw Your Silhouette" to the in-jokey "Juicy Creaming Soda" (the band infamously recorded a jingle for Coca-Cola) to the sketch-like "Bad Eggs," there's so much here for the longtime fan. Equal parts sad tribute and final proof of genius, Spring Board is a truly bittersweet listen. © Mike McGonigal/Qobuz
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 20 track(s)
- Total length: 01:10:28
- Main artists: The Chills
- Composer: Martin Phillipps
- Label: Fire Records
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock
2024 Fire Records 2025 Fire Records
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