We were sat in my car in the car park outside of the Richer Sounds head office in Bermondsey, South London. It was September, the album was in the bag and we had recently finished recording our Christmas single, 'Run, Rudi, Run.'

Heilco had managed to secure a meeting with Richer Sounds owner, Julian Richer, because he believed that the hi-fi retail entrepreneur would be just the man to sponsor us and help get the money together to get the single out. The idea was that, in return for some cash, the sleeve of the record would carry advertising for Julian's hip hi-fi shops and he would also get the benefit of being associated with a top ten single because 'Run, Rudi, Run' was clearly destined for big things.

Heilco told me that he'd spoken to Julian's secretary about a 'business opportunity within the music industry' and that all we had to do was go in there and play him the song and he would jump at the chance to be associated with such brilliance. It all seemed easy enough.

We got out of the car and I retrieved the boom box were were going to play the song on from the boot. I checked the tape was in and ready to go. Heilco picked up a couple of bags from the back seat that he had put there when I had picked him up earlier and we made or way across the car park to keep our appointment.

The offices were on the first floor and to get to the entrance you had to climb up some metal stairs rather like a fire escape outside the building. When we reached the bottom step, Heilco asked me to stop and opened the bags he was carrying. He pulled out two Santa outfits complete with flowing white beards.

"Put this on."

I had not been expecting this but I should have, knowing his past antics. I also knew that it was pointless to refuse so, in the September sunlight, we got into the costumes and carried on up the stairs. Through the door and into the reception we went.

"Ho! Ho! Ho! We're here to see Julian!", Heilco announced in a booming Santa voice.

The receptionist almost laughed out loud and, after requesting our names, asked us to follow her. She opened a door that lead into an open plan office with around twenty staff in it who all immediately stopped what they were doing to gawp at the couple of Santas who had just entered their workspace. As he was now in full character, Heilco bade them all a very merry Christmas as we trudged through. I was suddenly very grateful for the fluffy beard that obscured most of my face.

We were shown to a glass office in the far corner of the room. Sat in it was a man who had watched us all the way from the main door. He was laughing as we entered and he offered us seats in front of his desk.

Almost as soon as we had sat, Heilco jumped up.

"Merry Christmas Julian! We're here to play you our single and to give you the opportunity to be part of something wonderful. Andy, play him the song. Play the song!"

By now I felt like I was under the influence of an entertainment hypnotist. I knew this was ridiculous but I had no power to stop the proceedings. I put the boom box on the desk in front of us and pressed play. The opening bars of our festive tune rang out from the speakers. Heilco climbed onto his chair and started conducting. I could not just sit there so I got on my chair and started waving my arms in the air to the time of the music. When the singing started, Heilco launched into it and sang along. Between verses he enthusiastically encouraged Julian to, "Join in! You should know it by now! Come on!"

It was a long four minutes and six seconds.

At the end, we sat down and Heilco asked, "Well? What do you think?"

Julian wiped the tears from his eyes and said that it would appear that his staff liked it. I looked behind us and, sure enough, the whole office was standing on the other side of the glass, clapping.

Julian decided not to invest his money that day but he did thank us for the best afternoon he had in ages. He also wished us a very merry Christmas.

'Run, Rudi, Run' did not make the top ten that year but Christmas will be upon us again in the blink of an eye and, well, you just never know, do you?

Maybe this is our year?


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