PARAFFIN BUDGIE and MARVIN GAYE

I worked at the Co-op Butchery in Cobholm for around 1 Year, I believe (not 100% sure) which took me from the end of 1982 to around Autumn of 1983.


I cant remember why I finished, but what ever it was I was going to go back into Catering. My Brother-in -Law at that time worked on the Offshore Rigs, as a Steward, for a local Company, it was called OCS (Offshore Catering Company), I asked him to get me an Interview as they Employed Chefs as well!


I remember it was a lengthy time between Interview and finding out if I got the Job.

But eventually I heard that I had got the Job, so a little while after I had to go to the Head Office, to get measured for all my Chef’s gear etc, I remember I had a Special little OCS Coat you had to wear at all times! it was a lovely shade of Blue with Stripes down the arms and all their badges all over the place!


So I was all kitted out and all I had to do was wait for the Call, to say when I was going out on a Helicopter to the Gas Platform in the North Sea!

At that time I had not even been on an Airplane, let alone a “Paraffin Budgie” (as my Brother in law used to call Helicopter’s). So I had that to think about, also I would be Leaving  my Wife and Kids at Home, and working away for the first time in my Life. as well, so I was a bit Apprehensive!


By this time, me and Susan  had been Married just over 5 Years and Nathan was 5 years old and Natalie was 3 years old, so Susan did not really like me Working away, and nor did the Kids, but I needed a Job!

As for Music, I would like to go back about 10 Years before (1983) to 1973, the year after  Marvin Gaye Released  his Album “What’s Going On” He had moved to L.A to record a Soundtrack Album “Trouble Man” just after this Period Marvin Gaye had a Recording Session with Producers Freddie Perren and Fonce Mizell.

One of the Song’s to come out of that Session was a Great Track called “Where are you Going” This is a Great Track and Surprised it was never Released as a Single before it did eventually get Released on the 2001 CD, called “The Very Best Of Marvin Gaye”


Fonce Mizell also played a Great Trumpet Solo, on the Track.


The Track was Written by Edward Gordon and Larry Mizzell (Fonce’s Brother).


Incidentally Freddie Perren Produced some of the “Tavares” Music!


Donald Byrd also did a Cover of the track on his “Black Byrd” Album! which by coincidence, also included Freddie Perren and both of the Mizzell Brothers!


DOWNLOAD “WHERE ARE YOU GOING”!

A NICE LEAN BANGER and FAT LARRYS BAND

I was now Working on my Own, in the Butchery Department, as I said I had to do everything myself, but it did have its Perk’s!

One being I had a Choice of all the Meat in the Shop, at that time I think you could have around £3.00 of Meat each Week Allowance, (as a Staff Purchase) 30 Years ago that was a Decent amount of Meat, so of course any  Meats I took home for my Family, was the Best Cuts, i.e Steaks and Loins, one thing I remember doing was Making Home Made Sausages, I use to use Prime Pork Leg Meat and hardly any of the Extras, which normally went into Sausages (Rusk, Fat etc) So our Bangers were always Tasty with Hardly no Fat!


I got on with all the Staff in the Co-op Supermarket (where my Butchery Department was) I remember a couple of the Old Girls names (who worked there) one was Vi and Ivy, I also remember one of them had a Son (who used to shop there) who was about 6 feet 9 inches Tall.

The Area where the Shop was situated was a place called “Cobholm” I knew it well as I used to have Friends in that area and when I was a Kid, and when I was about 13 years old, every Sunday Morning I used to play Football (for about 2/3 hours) in the Hairdresser’s College Playground, it was about 20 a Side, that was a Great Memory from my Childhood!


As for Music around ’82, a Great single Release was “Zoom” from “Fat Larry’s Band” it reached Number 2 in the UK, it was taken from the Album “Breakin’ Out” (this reached Number 58 in UK)


Fat Larry was Larry James, he was a Vocalist and Drummer with the Band.


Before his Death in 1987 (from an Heart Attack) FLB Released 8 Studio Albums and 19 singles in a 10 year Career.


Zoom was by far his Biggest Hit in the UK, but it was a different story in US, where about 10 of his other Releases faired better in their Charts!

COBHOLM and ZAPP

Trying to remember things that happened around this period is, I must admit is “Getting Harder” I believe I finally moved to the Cobholm Branch of the Co-op Butchery’s, around the October/ November time in 1982.


I was still using my Bike to get to Work, but it only took about 20 minutes to get there, which was a lot better than more than an Hour to Caister!


It turned out, there were about 3 Full-Time Women and about 3 Part-Time Women, who worked there, there was also a Shop-Manager, but I cant remember his Name, but I got on with him Great!

As I said previously, I was on my own in the Butchery Section, which was Great, but I had to do everything myself, Cutting & Displaying the Meat, serving the Customers, taking the Money, keeping the Book work up to date, Keeping my Section Clean & Tidy, but as I said, it was great being on my own!


As for our Home life, we were coming up to our First Christmas in our New House, which we had now been in just under 1 Year, we had moved into the previous January.


The House was alright, but the Area & the Neighbours were not that great, and little did we know then, we were going to spent another 11 Years in this House, apart from a 3 Month period around 1986 (3.5 years later), when we Moved to Norwich, which is about 20 Miles away!

As for the Music, a Great Album which was to be Released in a few months time in 1983, was 3 by Zapp, led by Roger Troutman, this was to be their 3rd Release out of 6 Studio Abums!


They had some Great Music Released up until Roger Troutman’s un-timely Death in 1999, along with his brother Larry (Band Member and Manager).


 This Album had some Classics including “Heartbreaker” I Can Make You Dance and my 2 favorites “Play Some Blues” and Tut Tut (Jazz).
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FOR A MORE IN-DEPTH STORY ABOUT ZAPP AND TO DOWNLOAD ALL THE ALBUMS VISIT HERE. INCLUDING BOTH GREATEST HITS COMPILATIONS!

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>DERRICK and HOWARD JOHNSON

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I carried on Cycling and Working for the Co-op Butchery in Caister for a few months in mid to late 1982, but in the end, I got a message from the Area-Manager, asking to give him a Telephone Call!


I remember this as it was unusual occurrence, anyway I Phoned him, and he asked me if I would like to go and be Butchery Manager in the Cobholm Branch, this as it turned out was not such a Big Deal, as only One Butcher worked there!


I would be in Charge, doing everything myself, all the Butchery, all the Shop Serving and all the Bookwork, but Best of all, I would be on my own, working in a Small Supermarket, with a Few Old Woman Shop Assistants!


I jumped at the Chance of Working there and as it turned out, it was a Great place to Work!

One thing I always remember about Leaving the Caister Shop, the Manager (Derrick) gave me a Great Reference (which would come in handy later, if and when I left the Co-op) it was also his Recommendation that got me the move to Cobholm, so I was always Grateful to Derrick!

A few years later when I finally left Butchery, to go back into Catering, I had a few Great Reference’s by this time and Derrick’s was one of them, but when my Future New Boss followed up the Reference given to me by Derrick, he discovered that Derrick had Died a couple of years earlier, which I was Sad to find this out, as Derrick was a Great Bloke and a Great Boss.


As for the Music around the later part of the Summer of ’82, A second Single for former Niteflyte Lead Singer “Howard Johnson” called “So Fine” it Reached Number 1 in the Dance Chart.


The song was on A&M Records and Written and Co-Produced by “Kashif”


I believe Howard Johnson only ever Released 3 Solo Albums, but this Track along with the Track Released in 1985 called “Knees” were his Best 2 Tracks!

THE RACER & STONE COLD LOVER!

This must have been somewhere around Autumn time in 1982, I was still working in the Great Yarmouth Branch of the Co-op Butchery, and doing the odd day’s relief Work at the Caister Shop.


Then one day the shop Manager of the Caister Shop, “Derrick” asked me if I would like to do some Work in his Shop on a Permanent basis (as he thought I was a Good Reliable Worker), if he could get it Sorted with Head -Office, I said “Yes” straightaway, as I said in previous Post, I did not like my usual Shop Manager in Great Yarmouth!


So after a couple of weeks I started permanently working at the Caister branch, on a Monday, Wednesday & Friday, I had 2 Days off a Week & I did 2 days in the Yarmouth Branch.

I was still Cycling to work, so about 8/9 miles per day, 3 times per week, I must have been quite Fit!


But by this time around September/October time, it used to Rain a bit, so I had to wear Water-proof Trousers and Jacket, most days, Christ I used to Sweat, I thought I had done a days Work before I even got to work!  


I remember my Bike at that time, it was a Racer with 10 gears, it was painted Metallic Blue with Yellow Trim and Handle-bars, I had that Bike for several years, and later when I moved jobs , I still Cycled to work in Great Yarmouth, I must have clocked up Thousand’s of Miles on that Racer!


I Loved that Bike, nearly as much as The Wife!

Music around this time, one Great Album I remember Buying was “The Real Deal” by The Isley Brothers, it was on the “Epic” Record label and Produced by Ronald and Rudolph Isley.


It had a Great Couple of Tracks, (both Featuring  Great Guitar Playing by Ernie)   “All In My Lovers Eye”  but my Favorite was “Stone Cold Lover” this was a Rockier Track, I still play that Track quite often now!


Incidentally the Album got to number 9 in the US R&B Chart.

DOWNLOAD “THE REAL DEAL” ALBUM

>NEW JOB & GRANDMASTER FLASH &THE FURIOUS 5

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Around this period of my Life, I’m finding it hard to remember Certain Dates etc, What I can Remember is, I left The Sandringham Hotel around the Early to Mid Summertime of 1982 and went back to Butchery, for the Easier Hours, No Work on Sundays and all Bank Holidays Off!

I worked for (at that time) a Big Chain of Butchers “The Co-op”, it was their Main Shop in Great Yarmouth’s Town Centre. There were as I remember 2 other Butcher’s Working there, the Shop Manager & his Deputy Manager, I cant remember who the Deputy Manager was, but I can vaguely remember the Manager, not his Name though, he was a Right Smart Arse, as I remember, and I did not get on with him that great!


As I recall he was a Right Big-Head and thought he Knew everything about everything, I think he liked Rock Music and thought Soul/Funk Music was a Load of Sh*t, I remember buying “The Message” by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious five, around this time, and he thought it was the Biggest load of Rubbish , he had ever heard!


At this time I was still Biking to work, I lived in Gorleston, which was about 4 Miles from work, so I got plenty of Exercise, I used to bring the Bike through the Shop when I arrived to work and put it in the back room, I don’t think we had a Back way, to the Shop, as it was Joined to the Main Co-op Shop! so everything including the Meat Deliveries had to come through the Front Door

The actual Butcher’s shop is still in the same place as it was nearly 30 Years ago, but the Co-op Shop/Brand has long gone, and the Shop itself  is now Closed!


As for the Music around this Period (as I said previously), Rapping/Hip Hop had just begun, and one of the Biggest Releases then (and Now), was “The Message” by Grandmaster flash & The Furious Five, that was something New around this Period, Music Wise!


As a Group GMF only ever Released 2 Studio Albums, although they had plenty of Compilation Albums, over the years!http://mediaservices.myspace.com/services/media/embed.aspx/m=2197904,t=1,mt=video