Twenty Flight Rockers

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
OriginLondon, England, United Kingdom
GenresRock, rock 'n' roll, rockabilly, punk rock
Years active1985–1989
Associated actsSupernaut, Generation X, Puncture, Thirteen, Balaam and the Angel, The Runner Brothers, Dead Horse, The Honeydippers, Speedtwinn, The International Swingers
Past membersGary Twinn
Mark Laff
Ian McKean
Jeff D. Vine
Danny B. Harvey
Steve Counsel

Career

The band was formed in London in 1985 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. 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)
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See also

References
  1. "Twenty Flight Rockers". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2015-02-26.
  2. "Gary Twinn". TheInternationalSwigers.com. Retrieved 2015-02-26.
  3. Garner, Ken (June 11, 1993). "In session tonight: the complete Radio 1 recordings". BBC Books – via Google Books.
  4. Garner, Ken (June 11, 1993). "In session tonight: the complete Radio 1 recordings". BBC Books – via Google Books.
  6. Gregory, Andy (June 11, 2002). "The International Who's Who in Popular Music 2002". Psychology Press – via Google Books.
  7. Strong, Martin Charles (June 11, 2002). "The Great Scots Musicography: The Complete Guide to Scotland's Music Makers". Birlinn, Limited – via Google Books.
  8. "The Marquee Club - 1985". Themarqueeclub.net. Retrieved 2015-02-26.
  9. "The Marquee Club - 1986". Themarqueeclub.net. Retrieved 2015-02-26.
  10. "Mayfair Ballroom - 1985". Newcastlestuff.com. Retrieved 2015-02-26.
  11. "Laff? I Nearly Shat". Badsoundsmagazine.com. July 6, 2012. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  12. "Rockerilla 1985 list". Rockerilla Magazine. Retrieved 2015-02-26.
  13. "Twenty Flight Rockers – Johnny Seven". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2015-02-26.
  14. "Various - Spools Gold". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  15. "Tape: Various Artists - Spools Gold (1986)". 45worlds.com. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  16. "Reading Rock Festival 1986". Ukrockfestivals.com. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  18. Melanie Smith. "Mark Laff: De-stresing with Mr. Laff, as we discuss punk and beyond". Mudkiss.com. Retrieved 2015-02-26.
  19. "Danny B Harvey Homepage". Dannybharvey.com. Archived from the original on 2015-02-03. Retrieved 2015-02-26.
  20. Stephen K. Peeples. "Dec. 27: Rockabilly Star Danny Harvey Performs at Keyboard Galleria". SCV News. Retrieved 2011-12-26.
  21. "Ride - Twenty Flight Rockers - Release Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  22. "Schwann CD". NILS Publishing Company. January 11, 1989 – via Google Books.
  23. "Schwann Spectrum". ABC Consumer Magazines. June 11, 1990 – via Google Books.
  24. "Spectrum". ABC Consumer Magazines. June 11, 1991 – via Google Books.
  25. "Twenty Flight Rockers – Black Leather Jacket(1988, Epic)". Vinyl Rock. Retrieved 2011-12-26.
  26. "Gary Twinn Interview". Inthepoppyfields.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2013-08-14.
  27. "Danny B Harvey Homepage". Dannybharvey.com. Archived from the original on 2015-02-03.
  28. "The last days of TFR. (Bernie Rhodes &... - Twenty Flight Rockers - Facebook". Facebook.com. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  29. "Twenty Flight Rockers - Tower Block Rock". 45cat.com. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  30. "Twenty Flight Rockers - Tower Block Rock". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  31. "Twenty Flight Rockers - Tower Block Rock". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  32. "Danny B. Harvey - History Of". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
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