BANKRUPT and RONNIE DYSON

The Date was now about Late Summer Time of 1988, I had Closed Down the Takeaway and with the Debt I had Accumulated through that, I was advised to go Bankrupt, Which I did!

After Speaking to Several Different Companies and People (who know about these Things) I was Advised about a Couple of the Most Important Thing’s to Concern us at that Time, The Main Thing was Our House, We were Actually in a Council House, so this Could Not be Taken from Us, and Secondly, we had a Car, which I had only Brought about 2 months Earlier (I had Swapped my Van for a Morris Marina) so this Would have been Taken off us by the Official Receiver.

Obviously I Needed to Keep our Car at that Time, Not Least for, I was Started to Look for a New Job and Needed Transport for Job Interviews!

I was Advised by Somebody, to Start Parking Our Car, Somewhere else at Night Times and Not Outside Our House, this I did for a Couple of Weeks, this was in Case of Bailiffs Visiting!

Thankfully Bailiffs Never Did Visit Our House, but we did have Somebody from the Receiver’s Office come Round, this was to Check on Our Belonging’s etc, and to see whether I had Told The Truth in about our Circumstances!

I Remember this Period of Time, being a Strain on us (me and Susan) and Our Kids, not to Mention my Mother who had put Her House up for Security on the Takeaway!

The Landlord from the Takeaway Wasted No Time in Trying to get Money from Me Personally and Via the Official Receiver, as I have said Previously, that Bloke was a Tw@t, who I Did Not Like.

I Believe Nowadays, if you want to go Bankrupt, you can do so on the Internet, back in the 80’s it was a Bit Harder than that, I can Remember Several Trips to Norwich to see the Receiver on my own, Trying to Sort things out, I Never Wanted Susan with me, as I thought I had got into that Mess, she had Nothing to do with that, so I had to Sort it out Myself!

After Several Weeks of being Treated like a Murderer and Sending Papers Backward and Forward to the Receivers Office etc etc, I got a Date for the Bankruptcy Hearing, I believe it was early October Time of 1988, so at Last things were going to be Resolved!

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Cover of Ronnie Dyson

Now for some Music, Back in 1971 Actor/Singer Ronnie Dyson had  his 3rd Single Released on Columbia Records, it was a Cover Version from 1970’s Hit from the Delfonics “When You Get Right Down To It” 

What a Great Voice “Ronnie Dyson” had, his Version of the Song in my Opinion is as Good as the Delfonics!

Ronnie Dyson Released some Great Music for around a 13 Year Period, He Seemed to be Very Under Rated in the Music World for Some Reason!

This Track Reached the Chart Position of Number 37 on the US R&B Chart, the Delfonics Version had Reached Number 12, but Ronnie Dyson’s Version did Achieve Something that the Delfonics Did Not Manage, it got to Number 34 on the UK Pop Charts, his Only Ever UK Chart Entry!

During his Career “Ronnie Dyson” Released 7 Albums in Total with  13 Singles also Released.

Ronnie Dyson Died in 1990 from Heart Disease.

                                   

TAKEAWAY CLOSED! and SAM COOKE

The Date was around Late Summertime of 1988, the Takeaway Trade Never really picked up too much during that Summer, and things were getting Worse, Trade was Dropping and in turn that Meant I was Making Hardly any Money, and I can Remember the Takeaway Lack of Business was starting to  effect my Family Life!

I was doing a lot of Arguing with Susan and Moaning at the Kids, so things Needed Changing, I had put a Lot into the Takeaway and Did Not want to Close it for Good!

I Cant Remember what Day of the Week it was, but I do Remember Susan Phoning me up one Night, to see how things were Going, and as Usual, Not Too Much was Happening, she then asked “How I was Feeling” I Remember saying to her, I Felt like Putting my Head in the Deep Fat Fryer!

Now that wont have done me a lot of Good, I know, but that is How Bad I Felt, Susan said Straightaway, “Shut that Bloody Shop Down and Come Home”

And for once in my Life, I Did Not do Too Much Thinking of the Concequences of what will Happen, I just Turned Everything Off and Walked out of the Takeaway!

I got into my Van and went Straight Home, I Remember Susan and the Kids, being Very Surprised and Very Happy when I got there!

That in Hindsight was Probably the Worst I had Ever Felt in my Life about “My Job or My Working Life”

I Remember the Next Day after it all Settled Down, I thought to Myself “What the Hell am I now going to do about a Job, Now”

I also had to Contact the Landlord, to tell him what had Happened, and I Knew then, this was when my Troubles were Really Going to Start, I Did Not Like him either!

I had a Lease on the Takeaway, I Cant Remember “How Long it was For” but, I knew he (the Landlord) was going to want that Paid Up or he would go after what was “Put up as Collateral, on the Takeaway” and that was “My Mothers House”

I then had to seek Advice from Various different People, including, Citizens Advice Bureau, Business Advice Places, a Solicitor etc, what a Nightmare that all was!

After doing all this for a Couple of Weeks, the Outcome was amongst other things, I had to Straightaway go, Bankrupt!

What a Shock this was, I was like Most People of my Age (around 30), had some Debt through being Married with Kids etc, but this was Really Something Else, they were Going to go through my Life and Finances etc like I had never Experienced before and have not Experienced Since!

As this would eventually Turn Out (the Bankruptcy), Apart from One other Incident in my Life, Would Probably be the Worst Period of Time in my Life!

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As for some Music, I think I may have Featured the Following Track before in this Blog, but who Cares, this I reckon is One of the Best Soul Records Ever Released!

It was Written and Recorded in 1963, so its now 50 Years Old, It was not actually Released as a Single until about 2 Weeks after Sam Cooke was Killed on 11th December 1964!

The Song is the Great “A Change is Gonna Come” what a Fantastic Song this is, it was Later to be used by the “Civil Rights Movement” in the USA during the 1960’s.

This Song was a Change of Direction for Sam Cooke, as he had Previously Recorded Songs for the “Pop Market” and Feared he would Lose his “White Fans” if he Recorded a Song about “Discrimination and Racism” in the US during the 1960’s!

The Song Peaked at Number 31 on the US Billboard Top 100 and Number 9 on the US R&B Singles Chart. 

This Song been Recorded by Many Great Soul Artists over the Years, including amongst others, Al Green, Otis Redding and Luther Vandross, it has also been Voted by the  Magazine “Rolling Stone” at Number 12 in the Top 500 Greatest Songs of All Time 





I was born by the river in a little tent
Oh and just like the river I’ve been running ever since
It’s been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will

It’s been too hard living but I’m afraid to die
Cause I don’t know what’s up there beyond the sky
It’s been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will

I go to the movie and I go downtown somebody keep telling me don’t hang around
It’s been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will

Then I go to my brother
And I say brother help me please
But he winds up knockin’ me
Back down on my knees

Ohhhhhhhhh…..

There been times that I thought I couldn’t last for long
But now I think I’m able to carry on
It’s been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will

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TAKEAWAY SLOWDOWN and SOS BAND

Back in Early1988, things were now going really Slowly in the Takeaway, Business were getting less and less, but I thought “Things would Pick-up when the Weather got Better” I was just about Hanging on to the Business!

One of the Worst things I Remember was Every Saturday Morning, the Landlord Used to Visit for his Rent, his Name was Peter Samson, He Lived in Nearby Lowestoft and had a Business Selling Flowers.

As I said I Never liked Saturday Morning’s or him for that Matter, I always had to Scrape the Rent Together at the Last Minute, (even going as Far as to Take Monies out of our Housekeeping), what I did not like about him is, Apart from his Manner, was he must have Known the Previous Tenant’s Struggled, and Probably knew they Cooked the Books as well!

Over this Slow Period I found Myself Making less and less Homemade Stuffs, because I Never had the Money to Buy Any Ingredients, I used to Stand there “Willing Customers to come in and Buy Something” 

I Remember I had a Tv in the Shop, behind the Counter, I found Myself watching that More and More, as Time went by!

A Couple of things I well Remember around this Period were, I used to Leave my Money for the Next Days Chips at the back of the Till, No one could See it though, I had to Leave the Cash with the Owner of the Paper Shop (nearby), the Night Before, as the Spud Bloke used to come Early the Following Day and he Paid him for me!

Anyway I had a Couple of Idiots that used to come into the Takeaway and Buy Some Chips now and again, now they Must have seen me one Night putting the £6 behind the Till.

A Couple of Days later they came back in, and Asked for something other than Chips, so I had to go out back and get whatever they asked for, so I got what they Wanted and they Paid and went out of the Shop, when I went to put there Monies in the Till, I Noticed the £6 Gone, what a Pair of Arseholes, as if I had Monies to Waste, I Never saw that Pair Again!

Another Memory was, I once gave this Boy of about 12 Years of Age, about £5 Worth of Takeaway and he had about £1, so I let him have the Food and he was going to bring the Money back the Next Day, I also Never saw him again!

Perhaps I should have Known then, that “This Business is Never going to be a Success”

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Now for some Music, back in 1983 The SOS Band Released their 9th Single, Entitled “Just Be Good To Me” from their 4th Album “On The Rise”

The Single and Album was on the Tabu Record Label and Written and Produced by “Jam and Lewis”

The Single Turned out to be The SOS Band’s Biggest Hit in the UK and Reaching Number 2 on the US R&B Chart.

Over their Recording Period (8 Albums and about 11 Years) “The SOS Band” had some Great Music, I think their Best Stuff was when it involved “Jam and Lewis” they had some Great Tracks!

This Track being one of the Best!

    

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1988 and MICHAEL JACKSON

The Date was Christmas Time 1987, incidentally Exactly 25 Years ago to this Date!

The Picture to the left (its a bit Blurry) is the Actual Takeaway now, some 25 Years later, its still going as a Chinese Takeaway these Days!

I had just Closed the New Takeaway for the Christmas and New Year Period, and things were going Great, Work and Money Wise, by this time we had been Living in the same House for Nearly 6 Years, Nathan was 9 Years of Age and Natalie was nearly 8 Years.

Me and Susan had been Married for Nearly 10 Years by now, and things were going Great for us as a Family!

After 2 Weeks off Work (I believe) for Christmas and New Year, I was back in the Takeaway, as you would expect, just into the New Year things were Fairly Slow, but I thought “Not too Worry, things would soon Pick-Up” 

But for me in the Takeaway, things Never got back to the Heights of the Trade as they were before Christmas, things seemed to Drag on for Weeks, and I was Beginning to Realise what a “White Elephant” I had Brought into!

A Couple of things that Stand out in my Mind from around this Period, which was early to Mid 1988 were: Firstly, I used to Sell Cans of Pepsi etc in the Takeaway, and I used to have a Rep come to the Shop, now and again, on one of his Visits, he asked if I would like to Enter a Competition that Pepsi was Running!

It concerned Michael Jackson, who Pepsi were Sponsoring him and his Bad World Tour of that Year, there was all sorts of Prizes, and one of the the Main Prizes was to see Wacko at Wembley in July of ’88!

So as Susan liked Wacko, I entered the Competition, and thought Nothing more of it.

About 2 Months later, I took a Phone Call one Day from the Pepsi Rep, who had came into the Takeaway previously, and he said “Do you Remember that Competition you Entered a few weeks back”
I said “Yes” he then went on to say, “You have Won, 2 Tickets to see Michael Jackson”

I couldn’t believe it, I never had Won anything in my Life, not back then or Now!

I Remember Susan was “Over the Moon” so we had a few months to save up, as we were off to Wembley!
The 2nd thing I always Remembered was, I used to get a lot of Customers, all the way from a Holiday Camp‘s in Hopton, which is a Few Miles Away, and they All used to say the same thing to me, when they returned the Next Time “Your Fish and Chips are Great, Better than the Chips Shops around here and in the Camp!

I used to get them Sort of Comments all the Time, and always Believed I could get the Takeaway, making a Few Bob, and having a easier Life, but unfortunately for me and the Family, things were going to get a Whole lot Worse, later! 

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Now for some Music, I thought I would put a few Classic Soul Christmas Tracks on here, from 3 Soul Greats including Sam Cooke,  Donnie Hathaway and of course Al Green………..  






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CHRISTMAS 1987 and DONALD BYRD

It was now Christmas Time 1987, I had been in the Takeaway for about a Month, and things were Really Picking up now, I was getting really Busy around the Weekend and the other Nights were Fine to!

I Remember some Weekends actually Running out of Cod, and I never Actually got the time to do as much Home Baking as I wanted to do, Lasagne‘s, Curry’s, Pie’s etc etc.

One Particular thing I had Noticed, was when I was thinking of taking the Lease on, I would go to the Shop to see the Couple who ran it, and they always had a Bloke in the Small Restaurant, having his Evening Meal, I was introduced to him by the Couple Running it, and he said “I come here every night for my Tea and will Continue when you take over” 

This at the time, I thought would be Very Handy, just to get me going on the Trade Front, But Guess what, I Never saw Him Again, after I took over, this was when I had my First Bad Feeling’s about the Takeaway!

English: The Takeaway logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This Bloke was obviously a Mate of theirs, and they were giving Him Free Meal every night , Just to Fool Me into Thinking they had a Good Restaurant Trade.

Anyway as I said things were going OK and Ticking along Nicely, so I just thought Myself, I can do this (Run this Business), as things at that Time were going Great!

By this time, I had stop Selling Things from the Mobile Shop, and putting Everything into the Takeaway, we Never made that Much Money, just enough to keep the Shop Ticking Over, and for me , that was Fine for Now, but later would be Different!

I was Glad when the Christmas Holidays came, I was Happy to have a Break, I finished for about a Week, I can Remember, so I was looking forward to Returning in the New Year, and Building up the Trade for Myself, Susan and the Kids, for Us to have a Better Life!

Just thought I would give a Special Mention to the Couple who I Took over the Lease from, they were Named Braddock, His Name was “Billy” and I Cannot Remember Her’s, but they Turned Out to be the Biggest Pair of Lying Bullshitting Tw@ts, I have ever had the Mis-Fortune to Meet, more of this Later! 

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Now for some Music, Back in 1981, The Great Jazz Trumpeter of the Middle 50’s, Donald Byrd Released his Second Album for Elektra Records, it was Entitled “Love Byrd” the Album also Featured his Band “125th Street NYC”

And Taken from that Album was the Single, Written by William Duckett, “Love Has Come Around” it was Produced by the Great Isaac Hayes.

What a Great Track this was, the 12 in being Nearly 8 minutes in Length, I Remember having the 7 and the 12 in Vinyl.

The Track Reached Number 15 on the US R&B Chart, Number 4 on the US Dance Chart, but it Never made the Hot 100.





Here’s a Great Mix by Combolito

Check out a bit more on Donald Bryd Here!

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TAKEAWAY KEYS and TERRY CALLIER

The time was now around September of 1987, I had found a Takeaway Shop to Rent, it also had a Small Restaurant and Sold Burgers, Fish, Pizza’s, Homemade Pies, Chips etc etc.

As I said Previously we Checked the Place out During Opening Times and it seemed a Fairly Busy Place, we also had the Shop Books to Look at, for all the Incomings and Outgoings etc, we had these for about a Week.

I had an Accountant look at the Books and he said he thought Everything Looked Ok, but I Remember at the time, Susan’s Father, who was a Businessman, with about 4/5 Betting Shops (so he knew what he was Talking about) said “he thought the Shop was a White Elephant” and a Waste of Time, Energy and Money!

But Unfortunately for Myself, I did not Listen to my Father-in-Law, 
because I had the Chance of a Lifetime to Start a New Business (for Myself and Family) and I only Listened to my Mother, who kept Saying to me “Your Father wanted you to have your Own Business”

So I Stupidly took the Help my Mother was Providing (with Cash) and Signed the Dotted Line to take over the Takeaway Shop! 

The Couple who Ran the Takeaway before me, were a Married Couple from Great Yarmouth, they Lived Near the St.Georges Park in the Centre of Town, I’m Trying to Remember their Names, His Name was Billy, but I cant Remember Her Name or their Surname, but I will Remember Sooner or Later!

The Reasons for Naming them will become Clear in a Few Post’s Time, I have Never Seen them Since that Time, we had the Takeaway, but I would Love to Meet them, Just to tell them what I think of them Now (and Back then) and about all the Crap they caused us to Suffer!  

I think it was about October of 1987 that I Finally got the Keys to the Takeaway Shop, but as it Turned Out, this was only the Start of Loads of Trouble and Heartache for Me Susan and Our Kids, while Running this Takeaway Shop!

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Now for some Music, this Week saw the Death of another Great Singer “Terry Callier” over his Career he Released 16 Albums, and one of my Favorites was “Fire on Ice” which was Released in 1978.

This was his 5th Album, and it was on the Elektra Record Label, it contained some Great Tracks including: Be a Believer, Holdin’ On (To Your Love), Butterfly, Disco in the Sky and the Great African Violet, but the Track I’m going to Feature is “Martin St. Martin”

This Track was a Tribute to “Martin Luther King” and Written by Terry Callier and Larry Wade and Produced by Richard Evans.

Terry Callier Made some Great Music during his Life, I have put a Few Examples Below!

Also this Coming Wednesday’s Mix will be a Tribute Mix to Terry Callier, Mixed by Michael Ruetten.

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TAKEAWAY and WILL DOWNING

After my Father Died in June of 1987, things took a while to get back to Normal, we had Just Moved back into the same House we had previously moved out of, so we were trying to Sort this out and keep an eye on my Mother.

As I said previously my Mother was only in her Mid-Forties, so this was a Big Shock to her, me and Susan used to go round to the House several times per Week, and taking her Places, getting her Shopping in and generally making sure she was not on her own a lot.

I can’t Remember to much around this Period, understandably I suppose,  but I do Remember I was still Self-Employed, so I needed to start earning some more Money again! 

I had my Mobile-Shop still so I was selling stuff around our way, People used to bang on the Front Door and I would go and open up the Van to Sell them what ever they wanted!

I cant Remember how long this went on for, but what did happen shortly afterwards was, my Father’s Will was Read, and my Mother Insisted that my Father Wanted me to have some sort of  Help, Starting up a Business!

This I agreed to and then I Started Looking for some sort of Business to Rent or Buy.

As I was a Qualified Chef, I started Looking for some sort of Food/Eating Place, I did after a few weeks of Searching find a Take-Away in my Home Town of Gorleston, It was Actually 2 Minutes from where we used to live, so I knew the Area well.

So we started doing some Research on the Place, we also went down there when it was Open for Business, and it seemed a Fairly Busy Little Place, Selling Fish & Chip’s and a Very Small Restaurant, as well!

But as it Turned out, things were not all they Seemed at the Take-away (more on this next time)!

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Now for some Music, back in 1988 Will Downing Released his Self-Titled Debut Album for the 4th & Broadway Record Label, and the First Single from the Album was a Track Called “A Love Supreme”

It was his Version of the “John Coltrane” Classic, it Reached Number 4 on the US Billboard Hot 100 Chart!

The Song was Produced by Arthur Baker and Will Downing and Features the Great Stanley Turrentine on Saxaphone.

There was also a Great Mix Released shortly after, it was Called “A Love Supreme Jazz House Mix Dub, I’ve included that as well below! 

Will Downing has Released a Total of 13 Albums during his Career, and is still Recording Today!

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