CHRISTMAS 1981 and MASS PRODUCTION

 By Christmas 1981, we had been in the flat nearly 2 Years, can't say I remember too much actually about the Christmas Period, but the 2 things that stands out the Most around this Time are, First of all we were going to be Moving to a 3 Bedroomed House (Rented from the Local Council) and Secondly, after 9 Months of  Working at a Place I Hated, I was Leaving!

First Moving, I cant remember all the Circumstances, but what I do remember is , our 2 Kids were a Boy (aged nearly 3) and a Girl (aged nearly 2), and we lived in a 2 Bed Flat, so we Needed a Bigger Place!

Just before that Christmas, we had recieved a Letter from the Council, saying we were being Considered (along with others!)  for a Move,  and would we like to be Considered , but we knew this Meant, the House was probably ours!

We actually knew where the New House was, and during the Christmas Period we took the Kids in their Pushchair / Pram, to have a Look through the Window, it Looked Great through the Window, I can Remember a Lovely Fireplace, and I believe it was fitted with a Gas Fire!

As for Losing my Job, now Most people would have been Miserable, Losing your Job right on top of Christmas, but I was the opposite, I was Happy!

I Hated the place, what had happened was they decided to lay off Several Worker's, on the Last Come/ First Out Basis, and that was me, Sacked! (Thank God), but  I knew knew I would soon get another job!

One thing I do remember about the Last Day working (that was Christmas Week) we were all called into the Factory Manager's Office, one by one, to get our Last Wages, an explanation and some Goods!

Now the Manager's name was Fred, I can't remember his last Name, but he was a Right Tw*t, he thought he was something Higher than any of the Worker's!

Anyway to my Surprise he was Really Nice and Really Sorry about Laying me off! in fact he gave me More Wages than I should have had, plus he gave me (and the others) a Food Hamper, it had loads of different Meats , Drink etc etc!

And to Top it all off, he said I'll give you a Lift Home with all your Stuff, but I had a Bike at that time, and when I told him this, he said that's alright and put the the Bike in the Boot of his Car!

 What a Shock that all was, so we ended up having a Decent Christmas after all !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Checkout the photos of Natalie, one on the Settee in the Flat (above) and the one to the Left is Natalie with Susan (at Susan's Mothers House) as I have said Previously these are the Earliest/First Photos we have, read my Earlier Blog Entry!

Music around this time, I remember the Album "Turn Up The Music" by Mass Production That was a Great Album as were all of their 8 Releases between the Years of 1976 and 1983, plus at a "Best Of"  Album in  1996.

The Best Track on the Album was the Title Track, Have a Listen! "Turn Up The Music"

THE 60th MIX FOR F.S.V.B

 For the 60th Mix for FSVB, I have a couple of James Brown Mixes,  Mixed by DJ Rom and DJ Gil Flash, both are members of the Website:
ORIGINAL  FUNK MUSIC.COM 



CHECK OUT THE "ORIGINAL FUNK MUSIC" PAGE FOR DOWNLOADS, MORE MIXES & SOME OTHER GREAT INFO!

MIXED BY DJ ROM



01 - "super bad intro"
02 – “payback”
03 – “funky drummer”
04 – “after you done it”
05 –  “cross the track (we better go back)”
06 – The JB’s “pass the peas”
07 – “more peas”
08 – “down and out in new york”
09 – “the boss”
10 –“give me some skin”
11 – “soul power”
12 – “blow your head”
13 – “king heroin”

BY GIL DJ FLASH

1- MAKE IT FUNKY
2 – THE PAY BACK
3 – PASS THE PEAS
4 – IT'S TOO FUNKY IN HERE
5 – SEX MACHINE
6 – GRAVITY (12′ INCH)
7 – LET'S GET PERSONAL
8 – GET UP OFFA THAT THING

MAZE FEATURING FRANKIE BEVERLY Part 3

Over the period of the next 2 Albums, Maze moved around the Country (USA) quite a bit (Recording Wise).

For 1979 Release "Inspiration" the Band moved to Louisiana to Record it, by this time "Maze" were known as "Album Sellers" rather than "Single Hitmakers" This and the next 2 Releases were all on Capitol Records.

The Album went "Gold" again and it reached Number 33 in US Pop Charts and Number 5 in US R&B Chart.

It contained 2 Singles "Feel That You're Feelin' ( 67 US Pop and 7 US R&B) and "Timin' (55 US R&S).

During most of 1980 Maze took a break from Touring, during this period they made a few Personnel Changes:  Ron Smith replaced Wayne Thomas on Guitar, Billy Johnson replaced Ahaguna Sun on Drums and Phillip Woo replaced Kevin Burton on Keyboards.

The Band moved again, this time to Sausulito, just outside of "San Francisco" to Record the next Album, the Album was the Great "Joy and Pain" the Title cut is Probably "Maze's" Signature / Greatest Track and the Most Requested in Concerts, but it was never Released as a Single!

The Album again went Gold peakin' at 31 in US Pop Charts and reaching 5 in US R&B Chart.

The 2 Single Releases were "Southern Girl" reaching Number 9 in US R&B Chart and " The Look in Your Eyes" reaching 29 in US R&B Chart.

During their time "Maze" have released 2 Live Recording's on Vinyl/CD, The First being in 1981,  the Album entitled "Live In New Orleans"  it as previous Albums went Gold.

It was Recorded at the "Saenger Theartre" in New Orleans on 15 November 1980, this Venue was chosen as a "Thank You" to the People of New Orleans, as this was where Maze's first Album a few years earlier had "Broken First"

Maze appeared here for several Shows, but the Album was Cut from 1 single show!

6 Live Tracks and 4 Studio Tracks were used, 3 of the Studio Tracks were released as singles with R&B Chart placings in Bracket's: "Running Away" (7)  "Before I Let Go" (13) and "We Need Love To Live" (29).

Chart Positions for the Album were 34 US Pop and 3 US R&B.

The Album is reguarded as one of the "Best" Live Albums of all time by an R&B Act, it is Rated alongside James Brown's 

"Live at The Apollo"

Download some Maze

"Inspiration"

"Joy and Pain"

THE 59th MIX FOR F.S.V.B

Here's the 59th Mix for F.S.V.B, Its been Mixed by UNIQBEAT, there's some classic Soul and Funk Music Tracks from the 80's on here, Its called Aint Nuttin Like Da Ol Skool Part 1!

Its features Dennis Edwards, Controllers, Kleeer, Fatback Band, Lillo Thomas and Cameo!

Check Out Web Page  For Track Listing.

Aint Nuttin Like Da Ol Skool Pt 1 from uniqbeat at Letsmix.com.

SPIDERMAN and SADAO WATANABE!

A couple of incidents I remember about living in the Flat, concerned Nathan!

At that particular time his Favorite Kids Cartoon was "Spiderman" so we had brought Him a Spiderman Suit including the Mask, I'm not sure whether these were Pyjamas's but I think it was a proper Spiderman Suit.

Anyway I came home from Work one Day and Susan was in a Right State, Nathan had his Spidey Suit on and was running about the Flat as he usually did, but this time he tried to open one of the Lounge Windows to Fly out of!

Normally this may have been Alright, but we lived on the Third (top) Floor of a Block of Flats!

And down below outside the Flat Window, as I have said in Previous Post, was the Local Cemetery!

We Laugh about this now, but at that time it was very Serious, so after that time we had Locks put on all of the Windows!

Another incident which Nathan was Involved in was I had Brought an Expensive 7" Single, it was on the "Champagne Record Label" and was called  "Hunt Up Wind" by Hiroshi Fukamura with Sadao Watanabe, that was a Great Track, and may have been the Dearest Single I have ever Brought!

Anyway to cut a long Story Short, the Record had been missing for a While and I had looked Everywhere, but could not find it, in fact I Believe I had given up looking for it!

Then one day I went in the Airing Cupboard looking for something else, and to my Surprise there was my Missing Single, I believe it was under a load of Clothes etc, Great I thought, until I looked more Closely, as I have said before in the Flat, our Heating System was a 
Hot Air Blowers, and the airing cupboard used to get Red Hot!

The Single was Warped from one side to the other , it was Ruined, in fact it had Cracked, right across the middle, in fact I still have the Single, checkout the Picture above!

I can also remember another time, when somebody spilled a Full Cup of Coffee over a pile of my 7" Singles, luckily that time only the Sleeve's were Ruined!

Kid's are Great!