I'm considering adding a section to a VERY SECRET WEBSITE I'm organising. Shhhhhh.
The idea is to list all sorts of "Oh-my-goodness, I-never-knew-that-about-that-Split-Enz-record, how-interesting" facts that would normally be sensibly brushed under the carpet as not-important-enough-to-mention.

Yes, trivial information that's enough to make the reader to go "Oh!", or maybe "Huh!" Possibly even "So what? Where's that Kelis site gone..."

Little things that might have leapt out at you after years of listening to Split Enz and not noticing before. Tiny facts that wouldn't fit neatly into a radio documentary, for example, but demand to be let loose on the public anyway.

Things like:

Sweet Talking Spoon Song /One Two Nine
7" single 1973
The A-side of this New Zealand EMI single is sped up considerably and equalised
differently from the version on the album.
The B-side is the correct speed but is
slightly longer than the version on the Beginning of the Enz compilation. The pub crowd FX is preceded by the engineer or producer announcing to the band
that they were �Recording!�.


No Bother To Me/Home Sweet Home
7" single 1975
These two songs, recorded in 1974 and 1973, respectively, were remixed for the
White Cloud single release. Tim�s vocals are completely obscured on the A-side by too much rotating speaker effect. The album features the original demo mixes.


OK, those ones were rather nerdy. Try these, then:


Mental Notes
album 1975
On the original LP, the very end of Mental Notes on side 2 runs into the inner groove around the label. Record buyers in the 70s who didn�t have auto-return tonearms on their record players were treated to an endless loop of Phil saying �Make a mental note� as the needle wore through the vinyl.
���������..
The painting on display at Te Papa, The Museum of New Zealand, is subtly different
from the original Australasian Mental Notes cover. By the time the re-recorded Mental Notes was released overseas, Wally Wilkinson had been replaced in the band by Rob Gillies� and Phil Judd painted Rob�s head over the top of Wally�s on the actual painting. He also updated a few hairstyles.
���������.
The baby on the back cover is Phil�s daughter, Amy.


True Colours
album 1980
Poor Boy
Who�s that saying �Mal!� over the intro?
.............................
On the back cover of the LP, a credit says "No thanks to Wayne". This is private Split Enz code and refers to the guy they kept being running into at parties: the infamous Wayne Kerr.


Time and Tide
album 1982
Haul Away
After Tim sings �Ambition has lost me friends and time�, a few seconds of the 1973 recording Split Ends can be heard: �Telling them all about Split Ends�.


Conflicting Emotions
album 1983
Our Day
A verse was removed from the recording of this song before the album was released, but after the lyric sheet was printed. This tripped up many fans who liked to sing along.
When the Spirit Moves Us
This is the title of one of Tim's songs, rejected from the album's final line-up. It's similar in style to the tracks on his Escapade solo album.


See �Ya Round
Album 1984
In homage to the first Split Enz LP, Mental Notes, the final words on the final Split Enz studio album play infinitum around the inner groove on side 2. OK, says Noel� or does he?


Etc. There's much, much more I could add... but does anyone want to know?

Feel free to add any interesting, stimulating, party-starting facts that you feel most people haven't cottoned onto before. I'm mainly after info to do with the records, but I'm open to all suggestions (other than "Get a life" and other unsavoury comments).

Jaffa

Bring on the Enz trainspotting, Jaff...I'll put my hand up for more trivial tidbits...

See �Ya Round
Album 1984
In homage to the first Split Enz LP, Mental Notes, the final words on the final Split Enz studio album play infinitum around the inner groove on side 2. OK, says Noel� or does he?

It always sounded to me like Noel was saying 'f**k it', must be the accent....

I would find this very enjoyable, in fact I have found it enjoyable and will be listening to Time and Tide and true colours tonight, if I can stop my bleeeeeeedin turntable buzzzzzzing!

I'll be there (heck, I've bugged you with enough geeky questions about Enz trivialities lately, Jaffa)

I knew that about the origianal Mental Notes and the endless groove - my brother's turntable used to do that. Did they keep the groove for later repressings though? I had my own vinyl copy in the 80's but the tone arm always picked up before it went into it.

Didn't know they did the same thing on See Ya 'Round...

Werra interestin'...

quote:

Originally posted by Jaffaman.:
[qb]
Time and Tide
album 1982
Haul Away
After Tim sings �Ambition has lost me friends and time�, a few seconds of the 1973 recording Split Ends can be heard: �Telling them all about Split Ends�.[/qb]

Cool! I always wondered what that was, but couldn�t figure it out. So, I had to run upstairs right away and put the song on. It�s so obvious to me now and I feel like a big loser for not recognizing it before!

Thanks for sharing these tidbits!

I'd love to hear more!! I knew the one about Haul Away, but none of the others
Keep them coming!.....................

This rocks! I love this sort of trivial goodness.

I knew the bit about Haul Away... I always thought that the bit on Poor Boy was just someone saying "Ah!". I can't honestly tell which of two phrases Noel's repeating on See Ya Round.

What I'd like to know is what's being said at the beginning of Shark Attack. Sounds like, "You have that one? You have that one?" Just sort of curious.

What I'd *really* like to know is this... I apologize if this is a question that has been answered billions of times but I keep not seeing the answer to... was the end of I See Red intentional that way? Did they keep playing and just have someone flip a switch while they wound down playing? Or did the tape run out once and they thought it sounded good?

Twas actually the Frenzwebmistress who pointed out the Haul Away\Split Ends thing years ago.

Mental Notes UK\US (Second Thoughts)
The Chrysalis release of this was actually mastered slightly too fast. "Mental Notes" cuts off early on both the vinyl and cassette versions.

This would make my job easier. I've been trawling the forum, and various other websites to find even the smallest piece of information about the boys and their music. So anything like the names of the bands that Nigel was in between Kincade and Split Enz would be great.

Thanks
Fellow Trivia Geek

quote:

Originally posted by Jaffaman.:
[qb]True Colours
album 1980
.............................
On the back cover of the LP, a credit says "No thanks to Wayne". This is private Split Enz code and refers to the guy they kept being running into at parties: the infamous Wayne Kerr. [/qb]

Wayne Kerr? Is that name for real?

quote:

[qb] See �Ya Round
Album 1984
In homage to the first Split Enz LP, Mental Notes, the final words on the final Split Enz studio album play infinitum around the inner groove on side 2. OK, says Noel� or does he?
[/qb]

I'm with Van, I thought it sounded very rude too.

After 'Ninnie Knees Up', I always thought Noel was saying "Ugger! Ugger!" or summat.

This is another fine example of Jaffaman's irreplaceable contributions! When he posts, I, for one, listen _hard_. "Trainspotting"? Nah, just "advanced studies" I have a detail from Phil Judd's "Private Lives" album. Would that count?
PL

Thanks for the feedback. I'm glad you think it's a worthwhile exercise, so it shall be done.

As I said, the information will appear on an upcoming, as yet unpublished website, so I won't add any more here. If you'd like to add some facts about the albums though, please do so!

I've just re-listened to the opening of "Poor Boy". Not sure why I thought the voice over the intro sounded like "Mal!" but now I don't think that's what is being said after all. Sorry to put you wrong there.

Interesting opinions here on what Noel's last word on the last album might be. I was guessing that it was "OK", but the other options sound more likely.

That's a good question about "I See Red" . When I was doing the Enzology interviews I didn't think to ask David Tickle or the Enz guys about the reason for the sudden cut at the end. There is an alternative mix of it about which fades down before the cut-off point, which leads me to believe that either the multi-track tape ran out, was damaged or the ending was just sloppy. The cut's an inspired move, though. Maybe they meant to do this all along? The Luton version pretty much ends with the band stopping suddenly, without the aid of a tape splice.

Flicker - Wayne Kerr was a general name applied to people who were boring.

Private Life - I'm only going for Split Enz album triva for this exercise, but I'm keen to hear your "Private Lives" info if you want to start a new thread in the Phil Judd section.

Oh yeah... and greasing up will always get you places...

Duh... Another correction to my earlier post. That's not Amy on the back cover after all. Ah, yeah... had ya going there...

I'll get me coat.

Then I wonder who that crying baby was, may I ask, Jaffaman?

Thanks for the info on I See Red, Jaffaman!

Gives me even more reason to look forward to hearing this fabled Luton version.

Here's hoping to hear more of your website in the future...

Maybe the crying baby was thinking "It's not faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaair!" at the time...

That image always seems to remind me of Under The Wheel

There'll be a clue about the baby in Episode 2 of the radio documentary, Juddfinn.

I always thought the baby was one of the photos that Phil used to pinch out of the bins behind a processing place, I'm sure it's mentioned in STF.

Don't know if this is of interest at all, but Remember When is obviously a melody that Tim really likes, as he's reused it in Glide from Steel City and also in part of Say It Is So (The Song).

Things was originally sung by Tim.

Sure the ending to I See Red isn't influenced by the end of I Want You (She's So Heavy) from Abbey Road?

Why does Neil sing Stuff and Nonsense on EnzSo?

Am I right in thinking that Outer Mongolia became Murder and then morphed into Firedrill?

The Instrumental contains the outro of I Wouldn't Dream of It.

Bergan Aun Zee (or however you spell it) contains the guitar riff from History Never Repeats.