Zaine Griff is a New Zealand singer-songwriter who began his artistic career in a group called 'The Human Instinct', a group with which he produced two modestly successful albums between 1974 and 1975.
We find him later in a new group called 'Screemer', an adventure to say the least ephemeral once again. Group which will produce in all and for all 2 singles between 1976 and 1977 with success once again of the most modest...
Start of the solo career from the year 1979, a career that he began alongside musicians such as a certain…Hans Zimmer. The same Hans Zimmer who will later become the incredible soundtrack composer we know today...
He released a debut album "Ashes and diamonds" in 1980, which would produce his two best-known singles, "Tonight" and "Ashes and diamonds".
New album "Figures" two years later in 1982, album with less success and which unfortunately will be the last highlight of the artist at the highest level...
To discover or rediscover.
Discography (among others…) :
Passing lanes (The Human Instinct) 1974
The hustler (The Human Instinct) 1974
Free bird (The Human Insticnt) 1975
All time loser (The Human Instinct) 1975
Interplanetary twist (Screemer) 1976
In the city (Screemer) 1977
Ashes and diamonds 1980
Tonight 1980
Run 1980
Figures 1982
Flowers 1982
Hot 1982
The proud ones 1982
This strange obsession 1982
Swing 1983
Holding on 1983
The ball 1983
The secret 1984
Living in the heart of you 2011
Sweet felling of falling 2011
Child who wants the moon 2011
Devil or angel 2013
Only one you 2013
Body and soul 2013
So many pieces 2016
Mood swings 2016
Tenement hideaway 2016
Clips :
1974... the beginnings in grouped mode. You have to start well one day and what better than to do this together, we are always stronger in these cases...
1974 ... certainly the group will not end up at the top of the planetary Charts but that at least allows the young Zaine to do his classes as they say. It's already that...
1975...an ideal launching pad for this adventure together for the future career of the young artist. An apprenticeship in the trade that will necessarily benefit him at one time or another...
1975...the 70s will mainly serve as a launching pad for him through several grouped experiences. The first one is coming to an end...
1976...and the second starts now. An adventure for the less ephemeral but which will at least have the merit of reinforcing his experience of the profession...
1977... two small titles and then goes away, that's what we call work for the less expedited, to say the least. The young Zaine is now ready for solo take-off...
1980...the big take-off will not take place immediately but only at the very beginning of the 80s. And from the start, the quality is already there...
1980... there is potential in this young artist, that's for sure. It remains to be seen whether he will know how to exploit it properly in the long term...
1980...the beginning of the decade will above all allow him to set his marks and begin to make himself known solo. A well-deserved start to recognition...
1982...a status of sure value which is still asserting itself a little more 2 years later. The artist confirms with this title that he is surely not there by chance...
1982...he reveals a certain talent title after title and clearly shows that he has everything to succeed at the highest level. Anyway, it's good to go...
1982...in just a few titles he will have succeeded in establishing himself as one of the essential values of the New Zealand music scene. All good as they say !
1982...a first part of a perfectly mastered and inevitably promising solo career for the years to come. So we are eagerly awaiting the sequel...
1982...he leads his solo career with a certain mastery but that does not prevent him from continuing to work with others. The proof with this duet for the less successful with Yukihiro Takahashi...
1983...for the moment everything is going well and above all allows him to envisage the future under the best auspices. To be continued as they say...
1983...he multiplies the partnerships and the least we can say is that they are of obvious quality. We imagine that there will necessarily be others...
1983...who would imagine that his current partner would become in a few years one of the greatest film composers of the contemporary era. Not many people that's for sure...
1984 ... already 10 years of career on the clock and a prize list that grows year after year in a consistent way. No wonder given the boy's potential...
2011...then the huge air hole. We will lose sight of him for more than 20 years, which is totally unexpected to say the least. But what happened...?
2011 ... what is certain is that the singer has lost none of his talent, it is clear. A successful return in terms of quality but which will go somewhat unnoticed...
2011...it is clear that we cannot disappear for so many years without there being a price to pay. Only the basic fans are now interested in the artist because the general public has gone elsewhere for a long time...
2013...a particularly rich 2010 decade in terms of titles, to say the least. But why did he wait so long to come back...?
2013...it must be said that the 2010 decade saw a number of former glories of the 80s return. And most of the times the returns were up to par !
2013...the strength of these unexpected returns is that the artists involved have this unique ability to mix old and new influences. Something that the younger generation does not know how to do...
2016...he had nothing more to say, or at least to sing, for almost 20 years and here he is, giving us 3 opuses in this decade of 2010, just that. Strange paradox...
2016... what is certain is that it was really worth it for him to come back when you see what he is capable of producing in terms of quality. As they say, talent cannot be lost...
2016...we hope that this title will not be the last. But knowing him, we know that he can come back at any time, even if it takes a little longer than expected...
Wiki :
Discography :