Yeah we don't get a lot of time to check the Forum at the moment, so sorry if it sometimes takes me a few days. If anyone every has any questions around things like this you can always email me (peter@frenz.com) happy to reply.
cheers
Gryph

Gryphon,

I fully understand what you are saying & also what others have said about this subject. I was not trying to upset anyone, that is why after some thought about what I originally wrote, I decided to apologise to anyone who would be offended by my thoughts at the time. I clearly do apologise because I do understand that my comments were a bit one sided without giving too much thought to go a bit deeper & see why the club would purchase 2000 cds. I am all for it, for the Mental Notes line-up to get a Gold award as I do realise that you may have had other plans with 2000 cds than what I first thought.

As for Savage Garden, I was not implying that they had received "false" awards. I was just giving an example of a band like Savage Garden with only 2 studio albums with all the fame & millions in sales that they had achieved as well as all their awards in such a short period of time, they simply do not come close to what the "Split Enz" legacy has achieved with their family tree because so far Darren Hayes just does not have what he had with Savage Garden so they have not sprouted very far at all (yes, I know they only had two members). I do admit that I am not big on Savage Garden but oddly enough, I have their two studio albums sitting in the rack (that's the wife's fault).

Nor was I implying that awards are false based on whether they are re-issued with bonus tracks or autographed or issued with a bonus DVD. That is entirely up to the powers that be if they want to re-issue with extras. I welcome any new bonus bits as I myself am interested in unreleased stuff.

As for the Club Charity project, I also stated that I did realise that the amounts raised were made up of voluntary donations. But I know what you mean.

I guess that is it for me on this subject. I have consumed your "Dr Phil" lesson & taken it all in & I will next time try & look at both sides before I make a comment that may offend others.

Yeah it's never an easy thing- and to be honest it's a huge effort to even do this. Every so often I roll my eyes and truly ask the Gods if it's worth the huge effort.

I prefer to look at things like this in a positive way though - and the good outweighs the bad I guess (but hey just my opinion does not mean it's correct).

The good:
The Mental Notes line-up gets a gold record, for some of them (probably most) their first. (and possibly only). I know Phil would love to give his copy to his young son Pete. he probably has one for Counting The beat single but never spotted an Enz one at his house.

They get an extra 2000 units worth of sales money on their royalty cheques

It could keep Mental Notes profile high enough- if there are more chops to what Mushroom-Warner define as low sellers it could keep MN alive in the catalogue. I like the idea that a wonderful CD like Mental Notes is around for many more years to come and this could help.

New fans get a chance to experience this album via the club, especially if it's hard to find in their country.

If all goes well, a chance for fans to own a Mental Notes cd signed by all those guys- very few of us have a fully signed Mental Notes!!! The fan boy in me still loves fully signed CDs.

and who knows sometimes even a gold award can set a pebble rolling down a hill- similar to the Hall of Fame helped get the Enz to tour, it might well add some positive energy into the almost impossible M.N. line up playing... stranger things have happened....

The bad

Could be like what Enz Boy says, sometimes by giving something a nudge it can feel forced and lose some value (in this case 1/17th value)

We end up with a second or 8th copy of Mental Notes but then again that comes down to choice- no one is forced to buy it I guess. saying no is always fine.

PG builds a spare room onto the office from recycled Mental Notes cd cases if not a single copy sells (OK I am sure they will..just from the hundred or so emails I've had from this Forum topic).

Not sure what other bad points there are....

Yeah Enz Boy me too... kind of exhausted it.
Gryph

New Charity Total for those interested is $9620.90

So a mere $379.10 to go.

Thank you to the numerous people who have supported this so far. There is a link to the barometer & thank you list from the Famous for 16 Minutes diary site.

Cheers
Gryph

A huge thank you to the hundreds of Frenz that took part in the recent club auction. It will helps a lot!!! All your goodies are being mailed out now, so many cool things going to good homes.
Thanks again
Gryph.

Go mental, Gryph! I think this is a great idea.

Under The Wheel - with Sam Hunt (Poet) No not that other Poet who tried to steal Sharon who will remain nameless .. still a great poet though.
I stopped to pick Sam up on one really super hot summers day in the late 70's,he had his trusty dog Minstrel with him,he used to hitchhike everywhere (like we all used to do in those times)not so safe to do these days.

Sam,unmistakably visible with his never combed hair and trademark gumboots,it was a privilege to have the guy in the car,especially after devouring a marley,and we laughing so much I had to pull the car over to the side of the road.One would never have thought that the guy comes from a wealthy background - and preferring to live in a boat shed in paramata - his less is more attitude was inspiring to say the least.A Fabulously soft and kind person,a man of his word and his words.A true genius of our time.

A slight typing error from our office person. As per our original VIP email, the date for the signed mental Notes via the club is around October 22nd.

(Obviously we have to get all the guys to sign them but more importantly wait for Mushroom-Warner to press more stock- they currently only have 126 copies in their stock area, we need another 1800 more). So around OCT 22nd.

On the update paper sheet our typist put the release date for the Tim rarities cd (August 22nd) for mental Notes..so please it is still October NOT August. (and yes the final 20 TF rarities cds went out on the date as promised.).

Gryph

That first little bit of stock arrives from Warners next week so we start getting signatures when it arrives. Possibly we may send them out earlier, just depends on getting those all those names on the cover- so the wheels are turning.
Gryph.

Noel signed all of his today (on ya Cromb), Wally gets them over the next few days and then onto Juddy.

After that the NZ four..... so wheels are turning.

I'm snapping photos of each of the Mental Notes guys signing covers, and will have some related collage further down the track, as I just said on Frenz.com digest..."so you can all see that they haven't aged a bit since 1975"! (and neither have I!).

Thanks to the Frenz who have supported this venture so far. Email me (peter@frenz.com) if you need details on obtaining a fully signed Mental Notes (make sure you include your full name and address as well).

I noticed the copies we have from Warners also have the 2 bonus tracks from Reefer cabaret (Ormond Hall) on them too..so an added bonus.

Gryph

After that the NZ four..... so wheels are turning.

.... now if we could just change the 'f' to a 't' and wouldnt that be a treat

onya gryph for making this happen

the pleasure will be when the 7 get their gold records.
yeah I'd love for a Mental Notes tour too, even one show, I understand the reasons why it "probably" never will but it's one of those few things I'd love to see happen one day.
as time goes on I do worry about something happening to one of the guys and that's it, (sorry I know that sounds morbid) but it happens a lot. lets hope that it becomes a reality one day.

Gryph

both tim and phil have both said they'd like to do a mental notes reprise concert - but I think it would take someone other than them to suggest and make it happen.

how cool would a mental notes gold concert be??

Phil has now signed this first batch too...still awaiting on Wallys call before the cds go to NZ for signing. So two down.

Gryph

Small delay with this first batch - Emlyn is away playing some shows, so while I'm in NZ his will be the last signature... so a delay of about a week. Sorry, just getting 4 Enz guys in the same city can be hard enough sometimes. I suppose a week isn't too much of a delay.
Gryph

hey gryph, while you're in nz talking mental notes - be great to ask eddie + mike (and jeremy) what gems they have from those daze.

recon a rarities disk (club only?) would stir up more interest in the early enz

It's been a long night but have just mailed the first 100 fully signed Mental Notes, will be mailing off the other ones over the next week.
Looks great with all those signatures (of course Mr Judds is the only one in gold pen!!!*grin*).

Once this first batch of stock goes I have to wait for Warner-Mushroom to repress, and that second batch (signed) will be the last time this is offered via the club fully signed (the 2nd batch will make it go gold!).

So for some of you your copies will arrive as early as Tuesday!

Thank you so much for supporting this 'quest' and yes club members can still order fully signed copies.

A huge thanks to the 7 guys too who have been scrawling their names on the cover art!

Thanks all!
Gryph

Mine arrived today - looks very cool

Thanks Peter for driving this - hope the gold record isn't too far away

Yeah everyone else waiting it's Batch #2 (the final batch) Jan-Feb- it's a lot so will push the record to Gold status.

Gryph