Twenty Flight Rockers were a late 1980s English rock music band, founded by the singer Gary Twinn, drummer Mark Laff, and the bassist Steve Counsel.[1][2][3][4][5]
Twenty Flight Rockers | |
|---|---|
 Twenty Flight Rockers (1986) | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | London, England, United Kingdom |
| Genres | Rock, rock 'n' roll, rockabilly, punk rock |
| Years active | 1985–1989 |
| Past members | Gary Twinn Mark Laff Ian McKean Jeff D. Vine Danny B. Harvey Steve Counsel |
Career
The band was formed in London in 1983 by Gary Twinn, former singer/frontman of the Australian band Supernaut; the drummer Mark Laff, recently from the band Empire, and the former Puncture bass player Steve Counsel. Shortly after its commencement it recruited the lead guitarist Ian McKean.[6][7] Counsel soon quit the new band to join The London Cowboys, and was replaced by the bass guitarist Jeff D. Vine.[1]
Drawing inspiration from 1950's traditional Rock & Roll artists such as Eddie Cochran, Elvis Presley, Gene Vincent and Johnny Kidd, the new band named itself after the 1957 song Twenty Flight Rock, adopted a rocker style, and wrote old school Rock & Roll/Rockabilly music, blended slightly with a retro punk rock image.
The band played gigs in London, performing several dates at The Marquee Club[8][9] and Mayfair Ballroom.[10] They were subsequently invited to play the BBC's Janice Long show. The Janice Long show consisted of three tracks Tower Block Rock , Weekend Revolution & Making The Punishment Fit The Crime. On 7 July 1985 the band appeared at the free entry Greater London Council's "Jobs for a Change" music festival in Battersea Park, being driven off the stage by a barrage of bottles, beer-cans and traffic cones from the crowd within a couple of minutes of walking on.[11]
In 1985 it released the single "Tower Block Rock" (ranked #31 for Best Single of the year in Rockerilla Magazine)[12] with ABC Records, and in 1986 the single "Johnny 7" was released with WEA Records, but both records failed to enter the pop music charts.[13] In March of that same year the song "Searching for a Hero", was given away for free on the Spools Gold compilation released on cassette with the Record Mirror Magazine.[14][15]
The band performed at Richfield Avenue for the first day of the resumed Reading and Leeds Festivals on 22 August 1986.[16][17]
In 1987 Bernie Rhodes was hired as the band's manager,[18] and secured a contract for it with Epic Records. Rhodes also had McKean replaced by guitarist Danny B. Harvey.[19][20] The band recorded a series of sessions (compiled by Twinn and Harvey) as well as a studio album entitled Ride.[21][22][23][24] In 1988 the song "Black Leather Jacket" was released as a single promo (which again failed to chart),[25] with the album's release due to follow in mid-1988. However, in the meantime Epic Records was bought out by Sony, which subsequently dropped the band from the label after a review of its newly acquired holding's acts. Unable to find another record label willing to sign them, Twenty Flight Rockers broke up in 1989.[26][27][28]
Members
- Gary Twinn - lead vocals (1985-1989)
- Mark Laff - drums (1985-1989)
- Danny B. Harvey - lead guitar, backing vocals (1986-1989)
- Jeff D. Vine - bass, backing vocals (1985-1989)
- Ian McKean - lead guitar, backing vocals (1985-1986)
- Steve Counsel - bass, backing vocals (1985)
Discography
- Albums
- 2001 – Twenty Flight Rockers (Revel Yell Music) (Originally recorded in 1988 as Ride.)
- 2004 – The New York Sessions 1988 (Revel Yell Music) (Originally recorded in 1988.)
- Singles
- 1985 – "Tower Block Rock" b/w "Weekend Revolution" (ABC Records)[29][30] (7" version w/ "Tower Block Rock" marked at 3:26 for running time.)
- 1985 – "Tower Block Rock" b/w "Weekend Revolution" & "Young Man (Live)" (ABC Records)[31] (12" version w/ "Tower Block Rock" marked at 5:50 for running time.)
- 1986 – "Johnny Seven" b/w "Tower Block Rock (W.1)" (WEA Records)
- 1988 – "Black Leather Jacket" b/w same track (Epic Records)
- Others
- 1985/1986 – 9 Yards of Dead Cow - Live (Never officially released.)
- 1986 – "Searching for a Hero" featured on the limited and rare Spools Gold cassette compilation. (Record Mirror Magazine)
- 2001 – "Guns 4 Sale (NY Sessions)" featured on the History Of Danny B. Harvey CD compilation. (Revel Yell Music)[32] (Mislabeled as the studio version.)
- 2016 – "King of a Lonesome Road" & "We Are the Rockers" featured on the Danny B. Harvey: Rock 'n' Roll Guitar Hero compilation. (Naked Spurs Records)