By David Meikle (62.252.128.6 - 62.252.128.6) on Monday, August 26, 2002 - 05:11 pm:

Hi Dennis

Do you recall writing a song with John Rhys in 1965 called "the beginning of my end".

It was released on GW subsidiary label Volkano.

The artists were Little John & Tony.

I'm wondering if this was Little John the trumpet player? aka John Wilson.

Do you remember this short lived Ed Wingate label too?

By acooolcat (211.78.28.72 - 211.78.28.72) on Tuesday, August 27, 2002 - 01:26 am:

I asked John Rhys abouy this 45 David... but I can't remember what he said. I'll dig out my notes!
TTYL, Graham

By acooolcat (211.78.28.72 - 211.78.28.72) on Tuesday, August 27, 2002 - 01:48 am:

David - the artists are John Rhys and Pete Saputo, aka Anthony Raye.
Graham

By David Meikle (213.122.184.187 - 213.122.184.187) on Tuesday, August 27, 2002 - 03:54 am:

Graham

Great stuff!

I think I saw Pete Saputo's name on another GW release....must have a look.

I love his "Give me one more chance" on Impact.

By acooolcat (211.72.121.66 - 211.72.121.66) on Tuesday, August 27, 2002 - 09:39 am:

There was another Volkano 45 David. Do you have the details? ... I think there were only two.
Graham

By Davie G (213.251.162.249 - 213.251.162.249) on Tuesday, August 27, 2002 - 09:53 am:

I'll have to check my notes but I think the
other Volkano release was by the Classmen
who appear to be one of Harry Balk's acts.

By Flynny (213.1.132.212 - 213.1.132.212) on Tuesday, August 27, 2002 - 04:12 pm:

VOLKANO 5001 LITTLE JOHN & TONY - THE BEGINNING OF THE END
VOLKANO 5002 THE CLASSMEN - EVERYTHING'S ALRIGHT
VOLKANO 5004 BOB SANTA MARIE - YOU AND I

By Joe Moorehouse (205.188.208.135 - 205.188.208.135) on Tuesday, August 27, 2002 - 09:19 pm:

The Classmen 45 was also released on Impact. B-side is Susie Jones.

By acooolcat (211.72.121.66 - 211.72.121.66) on Wednesday, August 28, 2002 - 12:23 am:

Thanks Flynny - I wonder if #5003 is waiting to be found?
Graham

By MEL&THEN SOME (195.219.7.79 - 195.219.7.79) on Saturday, August 31, 2002 - 10:05 pm:

The other side to Little John&Tony is All I Ask,and the flip to Bob Santa Maria is Ive Cried My Last Tear.MEL.

By MEL&THENSOME (195.219.7.60 - 195.219.7.60) on Sunday, September 01, 2002 - 09:55 am:

Thanks for that bit of info above Mel,glad to see your still with us.Dont mention it Mel,at least we can pass on info to aech other,no matter how trivial it may appear to be.Oh Mel,you never know,somebody may acknowledge us,one day.I say you are a Wag,ho,ho.Catch you later mel,rightio,ta,ta.MEL(Alias B.Baker,The Joker).

By Davie G (213.251.162.249 - 213.251.162.249) on Sunday, September 01, 2002 - 10:22 am:

Hi Mel,

This is your acknowledgement :- )

don't spend it all at once

By MEL&THENSOME (195.219.7.88 - 195.219.7.88) on Sunday, September 01, 2002 - 01:30 pm:

Ooh you wee scunner,as my ma would say.MEL(1/2 A GORDON,on my mas side).

By Davie G (213.251.162.249 - 213.251.162.249) on Sunday, September 01, 2002 - 03:16 pm:

Mel,

As Flip Wilson used to say "the Devil made me do it!"

Hmmm, half a Gordon ? Where's your mum from ?

By MEL&THEN SOME (195.219.7.57 - 195.219.7.57) on Sunday, September 01, 2002 - 04:24 pm:

Davie,the old girl is no longer alive.Still have lots of relatives,in Edinburgh.She grew up around the Haymarket,dont know if you know it.I always get up when Everton are at either Celtic or Hearts pre season.Never been on the Huns ground,always Parkheed.(NO MALICE INTENDED IF YOUR A GER).Got up regular when went to the niters in FIFE,what a drag,100 club friday,fife saturday,derby all dayer sunday.Some sound guys and tarts up there,do you knowany of these,Colin Law,Jock o Conner,Kenny Burrell,Keb Darge etc.Mines a pint o heavy,with a wee dram.I could bore you all night.MEL(Afore ye go)

By Davie G (213.251.162.249 - 213.251.162.249) on Sunday, September 01, 2002 - 05:04 pm:

Mel,

Sorry to hear that. My paternal grandfather's
side of the family came from Edinburgh but I
don't know much about them - my grandad died
when I was about a year old - never met or heard
much about the Edinburgh side of things.

Oh yes, I know the Haymarket - went to a soul
club there in the "Spider's Web" once - I don't
really go to many clubs these days ( or in those days either ). I've met Kenny Burrell a few times
- he usually comes along to the Caledonian Soul
club in Glasgow when it's on - I dare say I'll bump into him at the next one in September.

Mine's a lager :-)

By Dennis Coffey (64.12.96.230 - 64.12.96.230) on Monday, September 02, 2002 - 09:19 pm:

Hi everyone. I do remember writing and recording the song but the title was The Beginning of the End. The last time I saw Pete Saputo I was doing a session at United Sounds and he was the recording engineer about 1986-87.

Dennis

By David Meikle (213.122.110.195 - 213.122.110.195) on Tuesday, September 03, 2002 - 04:00 am:

Thanks Dennis

By Davie Gordon (213.251.162.249 - 213.251.162.249) on Friday, September 20, 2002 - 02:15 pm:

Just noticed that "The Beginning of the End"
was recorded by the Supremes on their "Cream of
the Crop" album - one of the last Diana Ross-led
albums.

By Dennis Coffey (64.12.96.230 - 64.12.96.230) on Friday, September 20, 2002 - 08:04 pm:

Hey Davie. Was it the same song? Was I listed as one of the writers?

Dennis

By Davie Gordon (213.251.162.249 - 213.251.162.249) on Saturday, September 21, 2002 - 07:53 am:

Hi Dennis,

I can't lay my hands on my copy to check but in one discography I've seen the writers are listed
as "Rhys - Coffey"

Do you mean you haven't been paid yet ? :- )

By Dennis Coffey (64.12.96.230 - 64.12.96.230) on Sunday, September 22, 2002 - 06:54 am:

Hey Davie. No and neither has John Rhys. We never even got a statement. John is looking in to it.
Dennis

By Davie Gordon (213.18.222.34 - 213.18.222.34) on Monday, September 23, 2002 - 12:07 pm:

Hi Dennis,

I had a look at the recent UK CD reissue of the
"Cream of the Crop" album - the "Beginning of the End" track is credited to Margaret Johnson who
was Berry Gordy's one-time girlfriend

My apologies for the initial incorrect info - I
should have done a bit more checking before posting.

Davie

By John Rhys (63.198.70.120 - 63.198.70.120) on Saturday, September 28, 2002 - 08:09 pm:

Greetings Soulful Detroit!
A funny story about "The Beginning Of The End."

About a week after we released the record at Impact (Volkano), Robin Seymour (host of Swingin' Time (CKLW) called me to ask if Pete and I would come and do the show one Saturday.
Pete and I got all dressed up and went to do the show the following week.
Robin gives us this big build up and the kids were all sitting there waiting when Pete and I walked out on stage. For the most part, all the acts on Swingin' Time lip synced their records, as we were prepared to do.
So there we were, standing in front of three huge cameras, ready to do our thing.
The music starts and we go into the act we had prepared for the song.
We were seriously into the whole scene. When the record got to the second verse, it started skipping. We had a few records with us to give out to the audience so Robin actually stopped us, talked to us for a minute and then gave us another shot with a new copy. The same thing happened again in the same place and that was it. We walked out of CKLW totally embarrased and we never sang together again except on "Give Me One More Chance" on which I was in the background group with the Debonaires.
So much for stardom.
C'est La Vie!
John Rhys

By Davie Gordon (193.122.21.34 - 193.122.21.34) on Monday, September 30, 2002 - 07:20 am:

Hi John,

God, what an embarassing story - bet you'd got
all your friends and relatives to watch the show
too !

If you've got time could you let us know who the members of the Tartans were - and are they the
same group as the Tartans of Lavender who had a
single on Capitol that you wrote and produced ?