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In Stranger Than Fiction, Mike Chunn mentions "hours and hours of tapes" from rehearsal sessions in November at Rockford Studios, near Monmouth, Wales. (I was wondering where "Stuff and Nonsense" came from, if not Luton, and this sounds like it.) The details are on page 155.

I had no idea these existed, though, and they're not in Enzology. So, are these just lo-fi cassette recordings? Or are they hiding out with the Mandrill demos?
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PAGING JAFFAMAN! If I'm not mistaken, aren't Rockfield and the Old Mill House one and the same? I think 'Stuff And Nonsense' might have been new at the Frenzy album sessions. It was very late in the piece anyway...

1978 was a *very* fruitful recording year for the Enz, studio or otherwise...BBC radio sessions, Aylesbury and Hull live concerts, Luton demos, Startling recordings, Old Mill House rehearsals, The Manor album sessions, London Bridge rehearsals, the Ninnies home recordings................
Gav's right. Split Enz stayed at and rehearsed at The Old Mill House rehearsal space which were a mile and a half away from the Rockfield studios. The rehearsals were recorded on cassette by Nigel, who would stay up for hours after each day's session editing together highlights. Many of these cassettes still exist but they're lo-fi.

Old Mill House songs featured in Enzology:
untitled falsetto jam
OLD MILL HOUSE
UP AGAINST A BRICK WALL
GIVE IT A WHIRL
DIRTY CREATURE
CATHERINE WHEELS (The First To Say Gone)

other songs rehearsed or jammed include:
BOLD AS BRASS (slow)
CARRIED AWAY (jam)
DO RE MI
GOD DEFEND NEW ZEALAND
GOING BACK TOMORROW
HYPNOTISED
I HOPE I NEVER (a vague inkling of the piano intro idea)
I SEE RED
I'M SO TIRED
LADY MADONNA
LIVIN' IT UP
MARKS AND SPARKS
MAROONED
MASTER PLAN
NEXT EXIT
OUTA MONGOLIA
OVERDRIVE
RELEASE ME
REMEMBER WHEN
THE ROUGHEST TOUGHEST GAME
SAILOR'S HORNPIPE
STRANGER IN MY OWN HOUSE
STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER
STUFF AND NONSENSE
WHO'S GOT THE BIGGEST BUMHOLE?
YER BLUES
YOU AND YOUR LONG LOST LOVER
YOU REALLY GOT ME

and lots and lots of untitled instrumental jams.
quote:


Old Mill House songs featured in Enzology:
untitled falsetto jam
OLD MILL HOUSE
UP AGAINST A BRICK WALL
GIVE IT A WHIRL
DIRTY CREATURE
CATHERINE WHEELS (The First To Say Gone)

other songs rehearsed or jammed include:
BOLD AS BRASS (slow)
CARRIED AWAY (jam)
DO RE MI
GOD DEFEND NEW ZEALAND
GOING BACK TOMORROW
HYPNOTISED
I HOPE I NEVER (a vague inkling of the piano intro idea)
I SEE RED
I'M SO TIRED
LADY MADONNA
LIVIN' IT UP
MARKS AND SPARKS
MAROONED
MASTER PLAN
NEXT EXIT
OUTA MONGOLIA
OVERDRIVE
RELEASE ME
REMEMBER WHEN
THE ROUGHEST TOUGHEST GAME
SAILOR'S HORNPIPE
STRANGER IN MY OWN HOUSE
STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER


Man - Could you imagine the Enz doing Strawberry Fields forever - especially with the Mental Notes Line-up - it would be something out-of-this world Big Grin
Ah, so it's the Old Mill House. Wow, they got a lot out then.

But wait!
quote:
Originally posted by Semi-Detached:
1978 was a *very* fruitful recording year for the Enz, studio or otherwise...BBC radio sessions, Aylesbury and Hull live concerts, Luton demos, Startling recordings, Old Mill House rehearsals, The Manor album sessions, London Bridge rehearsals, the Ninnies home recordings................

What were the London Bridge rehearsals?
"London Bridge Rehearsals" - That's the title of one of the surviving cassettes of rehearsals. This one was recorded in June 1978, probably just before the Luton sessions. I don't know whether "London Bridge" was the name of the rehearsal space or something else. There's a much faster version of "Straight Talk" on this. Both "London Bridge" and the later "Old Mill House" tapes feature Tim singing "Master Plan" rather than Neil.
quote:
Originally posted by Jaffaman:
Gav's right. Split Enz stayed at and rehearsed at The Old Mill House rehearsal space which were a mile and a half away from the Rockfield studios. The rehearsals were recorded on cassette by Nigel, who would stay up for hours after each day's session editing together highlights. Many of these cassettes still exist but they're lo-fi.

Old Mill House songs featured in Enzology:
untitled falsetto jam
OLD MILL HOUSE
UP AGAINST A BRICK WALL
GIVE IT A WHIRL
DIRTY CREATURE
CATHERINE WHEELS (The First To Say Gone)

other songs rehearsed or jammed include:
BOLD AS BRASS (slow)
CARRIED AWAY (jam)
DO RE MI
GOD DEFEND NEW ZEALAND
GOING BACK TOMORROW
HYPNOTISED
I HOPE I NEVER (a vague inkling of the piano intro idea)
I SEE RED
I'M SO TIRED
LADY MADONNA
LIVIN' IT UP
MARKS AND SPARKS
MAROONED
MASTER PLAN
NEXT EXIT
OUTA MONGOLIA
OVERDRIVE
RELEASE ME
REMEMBER WHEN
THE ROUGHEST TOUGHEST GAME
SAILOR'S HORNPIPE
STRANGER IN MY OWN HOUSE
STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER
STUFF AND NONSENSE
WHO'S GOT THE BIGGEST BUMHOLE?
YER BLUES
YOU AND YOUR LONG LOST LOVER
YOU REALLY GOT ME

and lots and lots of untitled instrumental jams.


I would love hear these, especially Catherine Wheels (My fave CH song). Smiler
Jaffaman posted:
"London Bridge Rehearsals" - That's the title of one of the surviving cassettes of rehearsals. This one was recorded in June 1978, probably just before the Luton sessions. I don't know whether "London Bridge" was the name of the rehearsal space or something else. There's a much faster version of "Straight Talk" on this. Both "London Bridge" and the later "Old Mill House" tapes feature Tim singing "Master Plan" rather than Neil.

It would be great to hear how "Master Plan" sounded in Tim's voice (either on the "London Bridge" or the "Old Mill House" tapes). I didn't even hope there was a recording which preserved it. Could you perhaps make it public in some way?

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