JOB APPLICATION AND THE TEMPTATIONS

Around February 1982 I was trying to get back into Work, I had wrote to Butcheries and Hotels, I didn't really know whether to stick to Butcher's Shop, for the Easier Hours or go back to being a Chef!


As it turned out, one of the Hotels (The Sandringham) I had wrote to, (that was Re-Opening after a Period of being Closed) had a Head Chef who used to be my Teacher/Chef at College about 3 Years earlier, a Chap by the Name of "Brian Thompson" so I had a  great chance of getting the Job.


I went for the Interview, it was, as I said Re-Opening with a New Owner and a Complete Re-Furbishment, plus all new Menus etc, and we were going to have an Open Plan Kitchen, that was un-heard of back then!


It was going to be Different Working there, because it was about 3/4 Months away from Re-Opening, so I would not be Cheffing/Cooking straight away, I was going to be  Helping putting the finishing touches to the Kitchen and I was going to be Helping getting the Hotel ready for the Opening!  


The Interview as I remember went well, so I just had to wait for a Letter, to see if I had the Job.


As for Music around this period, in April of 1982, the Temptations got back together for the "Reunion" Album and Tour!


Included in the Line-up were:

• Dennis Edwards: vocals
• Glenn Leonard: vocals
• Richard Street: vocals
• Melvin Franklin: vocals
• Otis Williams: vocals
• Eddie Kendricks: vocals
• David Ruffin: vocals
• 
  
• With help from the following:

• Rick James: vocals, producer
• Paulinho Da Costa: percussion
• Mary Jane Girls: background vocals

The Best and Biggest Hit Track on the Album by far was "Standing On The Top" Written, Produced and Performed on, by Rick James, it was Really a Rick James Track, Featuring The Temptations!

All them Great Voices on one Track!
Download the "Reunion " Album

THE 72nd MIX FOR F.S.V.B

Here's the 72nd Mix for F.S.V.B, Its been Mixed by Musicology, there's some classic Soul and Funk Music Tracks on here, From the Great Stax Record Label, Its called The Soul of Stax Records Volume 3!

Its features Isaac Hayes, Dramatics, Sam and Dave, Staple Singers, Carla Thomas and The Temprees, to name but a Few!

Check Out Web Page For Track Listing and Download.

GREAT SOUL / FUNK RECORD LABELS # 1

STAX RECORDS

One of the Better Record Labels STAX started life as Satellite Records back in 1957 by a  Brother and Sister Team, by the Names of Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton, they were White and from Memphis!

In 1961 they Discovered somebody else  was already using the Name of Satellite so they Decided to Combine the First Two  Letters of their Surnames, Stewart and Axton, and came up with..... Stax. 


They wanted the Music on the Label to be a Mix of the Southern and Memphis Soul Styles!

In them Days, all Record Labels had their Own House Band, as well as doing their Own Music, they use to Play  on other Artists Recordings (on the label) and Stax was no different, their band was the Great  "Booker T and the Mg's"

In 1968 a New Co-Owner came into Stax, it was Al Bell he was a Record Producer, Song-Writer and Record Executive, he was Credited with Helping the likes of Isaac Hayes, Staples Singers, Dramatics and Mel and Tim become Big Recording Artists. 


Later in his Life he would become President of Motown Records!


Some other Great Acts to Record for Stax are:

Jean Knight, Eddie Floyd, Bar-Kays, Shirley Brown, The Soul Children, Johnnie Taylor, Rufus Thomas, William Bell, Mar-Keys, Frederick Knight, Fat Larrys Band, Carla Thomas, Rance Allen, Luther Ingram, Albert King and The Emotions amongst others, even Elvis Presley Released 3 Albums for Stax!

Stax has always been linked with other Great Labels, including Atlantic Records and Volt Records, and with these Labels comes other Great Artists including two of the Biggest in "Otis Redding" and "Sam and Dave"

In 1972 Stax organised one of the Biggest Musical Events in History, with"Wattstax" over 100,000 attended, it was a Memorial to the People who had Died in the Riots, in the Watts District of L.A. seven years Previously.


But by 1975 things started going wrong for "STAX" and the Company went Bankrupt.


In 1977, Fantasy Records brought "STAX" back Catologue, and by 1978 started Signing New Acts and Recording New Material, but this did not last too long, by 1980 all this had Finished and they  started to Re-Issuing some of the Old Recordings again!

By 2004, one of the Original Founders of "STAX" Estelle Axton had Died and Concord Records brought "Stax" back Catologue and by 2006 Started Signing New Acts to the Label, these included Angie Stone, Teena Marie, Lala Hathaway and Leon Ware.

Over the Years "Stax" has Changed the Look of its "Record Label" I have put several different ones on here!


Here's some great Tracks to Download!



and Albums Here and Here!


LOOK OUT FOR A GREAT STAX MIX NEXT WEEK!

71st Mix For F.S.V.B

Here's the 71st Mix for F.S.V.B, Featuring some Great Soul Music from the 60's and 70's. 

Its been Mixed by HeavySoulBrutha, Its called "Plum Outta Sight Soul", there's some classic tracks on here, including James Brown, Smokey Robinson, Jackie Wilson, Ray Charles and Temptations.

Check Out Web Page For Track Listings and Download.

Plum Outta Sight Soul! by Heavysoulbrutha on Mixcloud

STRANGE NEIGHBOURS AND PATRICE RUSHEN

In the New House, as it was 3 Bedrooms, Natalie had her Own Bedroom, which was a First for Her and a  Luxury for us!


The Neighbours next to us in the New House, were not that Great, We had the ones of the Left, who were there all the Time we lived there, and we ended up (not by choice) Living in this House for 12 Years and the ones on the Right, Changed every Couple of Years!


The First Neighbours (we had) on the Right-Hand Side were a Pair of Lesbians, not your usual Choice of Neighbour, back in the 80's, cant really remember anything about them, not even their Names, all I do Remember was there was 2 of them (lol)! 


The Neighbours on the Left-Hand side were a Pain in the *rse, from the time we first see them until we eventually Moved in 1993, not in a Aggro type of way, just very Petty. I remember back then, knowing nothing about Gardening, and then one day I cut some of the Top of our Dividing Bush Edge, between our Houses, and She came Flying out complaining about "Her Privet Edge" I said I didn't know what she was Talking about! that only made Her even more Irate , than she was before!


I have many Stories about that Pathetic Family, perhaps I will write about them in another Post if I get Bored!

Another Quick one springs to mind, the day Nathan ran , telling me the Neighbour was Pinching my Wood, sure enough I went outside in the Garden, and the Neighbours Hand was coming through the Bottom of the Fence, and taking my Wood!


I must be Bored, another example of them Neighbours, on about the only occasion he (the Husband) ever Spoke to me, he asked if I could run him and his Box (covered with a towel) to the Local Train Station, as he was going Somewhere! 


I agreed, and ran him there, and when I let him out at the Train Station, I asked him where he was going!  he Casualy said  "me and my Owl are off to prison" I had an Full Grown Owl  in the Boot of the Car and He was off to Prison!  "WHAT A FAMILY"

A Great Album Released Early April 1982, was  Patrice Rushen's "Straight From The Heart" it was on "Elektra Records" it was Her Best Ever Selling Album and it Contained  Her  Biggest Selling Single  "Forget Me Nots" 




The Album also contained some Great Musicians including: 

• Drums:Ollie Brown, James Gadson
• Percussion: Paulinho Da Costa, Patrice Rushen
• Bass: Freddie "Ready Freddie" Washington
• Guitars: Patrice Rushen, Paul M. Jackson Jr., 
• Keyboards: Charles Mims Jr., Patrice Rushen
• Saxophone: Gerald "Wonderfunk" Albright

HAPPY 2nd BIRTHDAY MIXES (69th AND 70th)

Hello and Welcome to FSVB, Its Been 2 Years today since my First Real Post, Time has Flown By and still going Strong, in fact I'm now Starting Different kinds of Post from Next Week, Read my Previous Post! 


I now get on Average about 130 / 150 Viewers/Readers Per Day, which is Great and I would like to Thank-You for taking the Time to Visit and Read, I know the Value of the Reader, I have just started another Blog, the only Readers I get there is Myself!

To Celebrate the 2nd Birthday of this Blog, I'm going to Post 2 Mixes Today, the First is Mainly Funk/Soul from the 70's, its called "The Big Payback" its been Mixed by "Payback" theres some Great Music included in the Mix from James Brown, Gil Scott Heron, BarKays and Willie Bobo.


The 2nd Mix is Getting you ready for my Next Post this coming Week, The Music should give you a Clue! Its Been Mixed by Musicology and its called "The Soul of Stax Music...Vol 2" More Great 70's Funk and Soul from Artists such as Isaac Hayes, Dramatics, Johnnie Taylor and Rufus Thomas!

Once again Thanks for Reading this Blog, and keep Coming Back!

Payback Vol. 100 December 2010 The Big Payback by Payback: Soul Funk & Jazz on Mixcloud

WHAT'S UP NEXT!!!!!!!

As Reader's of this Blog will know, I generally do a Bi-Weekly Feature on a Different Artist or Band, I went all out to finish these Just before the Christmas Period, I Concluded Bio's on The Isley Brothers, Maze and Barry White.


I have been thinking of what to do next, on this Blog, I really wanted some sort of stuff that I have not seen on Music Blogs Before!  for Example:

1) A Selection of the Best Music from an Artist or Band, with some Info on the Songs, the Band, the Music etc. 

2) A Compilation of the Best Music from a Certain Record Label, say Stax, Atlantic or Salsoul, again with Info on the Band/Artist and the Tracks!


3) A Selection of "The Best Of",  Sax Players, Bass Guitarists or Drummers! 


4) Bio's on Certain Producer's,  Jam and Lewis, Willie Mitchell or George Clinton!


Anyway thats a few of my Ideas (perhaps you have an idea!), I shall start One or the other Subjects this Week, in Time for the Next Musical Section/Week of this Blog!


Here's some Stax Stuff! this maybe the way I'm Going!


Create a MySpace Music Playlist at MixPod.com

THE 68th MIX FOR FSVB

Here's the 68th Mix for F.S.V.B, Featuring some Great Soul Music from the 70's. 

Its been Mixed by Ray Bausa, Its called "Always There", there's some classic tracks on here, including Chi-Lites, Lamont Dozier, Leroy Hutson, Four Tops and Natural Four.


Check Out Web Page For Track Listings and Download.

NEW YEAR / NEW HOUSE & THE D-TRAIN

Christmas 1981, cant really Remember too much about it, but what I can remember was we were Looking forward to moving into the New House!

As I said in Previous Post, during the Christmas Period we had a walk round to the New House, to look through the Window, we saw a nice Fireplace and what looked like a Gas Fire, we could'nt wait!

It was'nt until February 1982, that we Finally got the Keys to our New House,  after about 2 Years of Living in a Flat, that was pretty cramped as it had only 2 Bedrooms, and we had 2 Kids!

I cant remember How we Moved or who Helped us, Move in,  but the First Thing I Remember upon getting in the Front Room of the House, the Fireplace was Gone, along with the Gas Fire!!!!!

What a Disaster we were Really Looking forward to that Gas Fire heating the Downstairs up, all that was left was the Mains Gas Pipe, ready to have a New Fire Attached to it!

I found out Later, anything left by the Previous Tenants was Ripped Out for Safety Reasons, by the Local Council, this kind of thing is Common place Today, what with Health and Safety, but back 30 Years ago was Really Stupid, Annoying and Cost us Money!

The Area we moved to was'nt that Bad back in the Early 80's, but lets say I'm Glad we dont live there now, although I am not Ashamed of where we lived , its all part of Growing up and Life!

Although Susan Hates the Area, and to this Day she never Talks about it or Passes the Old House,and its only about 10 Minutes from where we Live Now, but its a World away, in some aspects!

On the Music Front in Early '82, was the Debut Album from D-Train "You're The One For Me", he had already had the Title Track Released as the  first Single release, and it was a Hit, both sides of the Atlantic!  

Another Great Track on the Album, was D-Train's Version of "Walk On By"

D-Train were a Duo, comprising of James "D Train" Williams and Hubet Eaves. They only ever Released a further 2 Albums!