The Beginning of the Enz

For the similarly named 1980 compilation album, see Beginning of the Enz.

The Beginning of the Enz is the fifth studio album from New Zealand rock group Split Enz. The album is a collection of non-album singles and demos that pre-date the band's first album, 1975's Mental Notes. Three of these songs, "129", "Lovey Dovey" and "Spellbound", were later re-recorded and included on Mental Notes and Second Thoughts.

The Beginning of the Enz
Compilation album by Split Enz
Released	November 1979
Recorded	1973–1974
Genre	folk rock, rock music
Length	29:27
Label	Mushroom Records
Split Enz chronology
Frenzy (1979) The Beginning of the Enz (1979) True Colours (1980)

The album reached #35 in New Zealand, but did not chart in Australia.

An unrelated compilation album, Beginning of the Enz (dropping "The" from the title), was released in the UK in 1980 by Chrysalis Records.

Track listing

• All songs by Phil Judd and Tim Finn, except track 7 by Phil Judd.

1. "Split Ends" – Single B-side ("For You"), recorded and released 1973 – 1:49
2. "For You" – Single, recorded and released 1973 – 3:50
3. "129" – Single B-side ("Sweet Talkin' Spoon Song"), recorded and released 1973 (re-recorded as 'Matinee Idyll (129)' on Second Thoughts in 1976) – 2:49
4. "Home Sweet Home" – Single B-side ("No Bother To Me"), recorded 1973 and released 1975 – 3:43
5. "Sweet Talkin' Spoon Song" – Single, recorded and released 1973 – 3:24
6. "No Bother to Me" – Single, recorded 1974 and released 1975 – 3:11
7. "Malmsbury Villa" – Previously unreleased demo, recorded 1974 – 2:49
8. "Lovey Dovey" – Previously unreleased demo, recorded 1974 (re-recorded on Second Thoughts in 1976) – 3:23
9. "Spellbound" – Previously unreleased demo with Tim Finn on lead vocal, recorded 1974 (re-recorded on Mental Notes in 1975 with Phil Judd on lead vocal) – 4:35

Personnel

Split Enz

"Split Ends" and "For You"

• Tim Finn - Vocals, Piano
• Phil Judd - Vocals, Guitar, Mandolin
• Mike Chunn - Bass
• Miles Golding - Violin
• Mike Howard - Flute
• Div Vercoe - Drums

"129", "Home Sweet Home" and "Sweet Talkin' Spoon Song"

• Tim Finn - Vocals, Piano
• Phil Judd - Vocals, Guitar, Mandolin, Spoons
• Mike Chunn - Bass
• Paul "Wally" Wilkinson - Guitar
• Geoff Chunn - Drums

"No Bother to Me", "Malmsbury Villa", "Lovey Dovey" and "Spellbound"

• Tim Finn - Vocals, Piano
• Phil Judd - Vocals, Guitar, Mandolin
• Mike Chunn - Bass
• Paul "Wally" Wilkinson - Guitar
• Geoff Chunn - Drums
• Eddie Rayner - Keyboards
• Rob Gillies - Saxophone, Trumpet

Additional musician

Rob Gillies played saxophone on "129", recorded before he joined the band as a full member

Charts

Chart (1979–80)	Peak position
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)	35