Twenty Flight Rockers

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.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gZIjT8PgJMEC&dq=%22Twenty+Flight+Rockers%22&pg=PA325|title=The International Who's Who in Popular Music 2002|first=Andy|last=Gregory|date=June 11, 2002|publisher=Psychology Press|isbn=9781857431612|via=Google Books}}{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hRQ5AQAAIAAJ&q=%22Ian+McKean+guitar%22|title=The Great Scots Musicography: The Complete Guide to Scotland's Music Makers|first=Martin Charles|last=Strong|date=June 11, 2002|publisher=Birlinn, Limited|isbn=9781841830414|via=Google Books}} Counsel soon quit the new band to join The London Cowboys, and was replaced by the bass guitarist Jeff D. Vine.

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{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.themarqueeclub.net/1985 |title=The Marquee Club - 1985|website=Themarqueeclub.net |date= |accessdate=2015-02-26}}{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.themarqueeclub.net/1986 |title=The Marquee Club - 1986|website=Themarqueeclub.net |date= |accessdate=2015-02-26}} and Mayfair Ballroom.{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.newcastlestuff.com/mayfair/Riverside.htm |archive-url=https://archive.today/20150227043532/http://www.newcastlestuff.com/mayfair/Riverside.htm |url-status=usurped |archive-date=27 February 2015 |title=Mayfair Ballroom - 1985 |website=Newcastlestuff.com|date= |accessdate=2015-02-26}} They were subsequently invited to play the BBC's Janice Long show. The Janice Long show consisted of three tracks [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZIbEb1Kczs Tower Block Rock], [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJSzRmH1aUw 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.{{Cite web|url=http://badsoundsmagazine.com/2012/07/laff-i-nearly-shat/|title=Laff? I Nearly Shat|date=July 6, 2012|website=Badsoundsmagazine.com|accessdate=2020-06-11}}

In 1985 it released the single "Tower Block Rock" (ranked #31 for Best Single of the year in Rockerilla Magazine){{cite web|author= |url=http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/rockerilla.htm#1985 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060223023834/http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/rockerilla.htm#1985 |url-status=usurped |archive-date=23 February 2006 |title=Rockerilla 1985 list|publisher= Rockerilla Magazine|date= |accessdate=2015-02-26}} 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.{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.discogs.com/Twenty-Flight-Rockers-Johnny-Seven/release/2182172 |title= Twenty Flight Rockers – Johnny Seven |website=Discogs.com|date= |accessdate=2015-02-26}} 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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Various-Spools-Gold/release/985847|title=Various - Spools Gold|website=Discogs.com|accessdate=2020-06-11}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.45worlds.com/tape/media/rmc60ii|title=Tape: Various Artists - Spools Gold (1986)|website=45worlds.com|accessdate=2020-06-11}}

The band performed at Richfield Avenue for the first day of the resumed Reading and Leeds Festivals on 22 August 1986.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ukrockfestivals.com/reading-86.html|title=Reading Rock Festival 1986.|website=Ukrockfestivals.com|accessdate=2020-06-11}}[https://web.archive.org/web/20150924085226/http://www.readingmuseum.org.uk/collections/social-history/reading-festival/reading-festival-bands-directory/?letter=t&page=3]

In 1987 Bernie Rhodes was hired as the band's manager,{{cite web|author= Melanie Smith|url=http://www.mudkiss.com/marklaffinterview.htm |title=Mark Laff: De-stresing with Mr. Laff, as we discuss punk and beyond|website=Mudkiss.com |date= |accessdate=2015-02-26}} and secured a contract for it with Epic Records. Rhodes also had McKean replaced by guitarist Danny B. Harvey.{{cite web|url=http://www.dannybharvey.com/dbh.html|title=Danny B Harvey Homepage|website=Dannybharvey.com|access-date=2015-02-26|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150203093440/http://www.dannybharvey.com/dbh.html|archive-date=2015-02-03}}{{cite web|author= Stephen K. Peeples |url=http://scvnews.com/2011/12/26/dec-27-rockabilly-star-danny-harvey-performs-at-keyboard-galleria/|title= Dec. 27: Rockabilly Star Danny Harvey Performs at Keyboard Galleria |publisher= SCV News|date= |accessdate=2011-12-26}} The band recorded a series of sessions (compiled by Twinn and Harvey) as well as a studio album entitled Ride.{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/release/ride-mr0001153265/credits|title=Ride - Twenty Flight Rockers - Release Credits - AllMusic|website=AllMusic|accessdate=2020-06-11}}{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1fY4AQAAIAAJ&q=%22Twenty+Flight+Rockers%22|title=Schwann CD.|date=January 11, 1989|publisher=NILS Publishing Company|via=Google Books}}{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2_s4AQAAIAAJ&q=%22Twenty+Flight+Rockers%22|title=Schwann Spectrum|date=June 11, 1990|publisher=ABC Consumer Magazines|via=Google Books}}{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LXtTAAAAYAAJ&q=%22Twenty+Flight+Rockers%22|title=Spectrum|date=June 11, 1991|publisher=ABC Consumer Magazines|via=Google Books}} In 1988 the song "Black Leather Jacket" was released as a single promo (which again failed to chart),{{cite web|author= |url=http://vinylrock.net/wordpress/?p=1629&ckattempt=1|title= Twenty Flight Rockers – Black Leather Jacket(1988, Epic) |publisher= Vinyl Rock|date= |accessdate=2011-12-26}} 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.{{cite web|author= |url=http://inthepoppyfields.blogspot.com/2013/08/gary-twinn-interview.html|title= Gary Twinn Interview |website=Inthepoppyfields.blogspot.com |date= |accessdate=2013-08-14}}{{cite web|url=http://www.dannybharvey.com/dbh.html|title=Danny B Harvey Homepage|website=Dannybharvey.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150203093440/http://www.dannybharvey.com/dbh.html|archive-date=2015-02-03}}{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=668401383230140&id=136345686435715|title=The last days of TFR. (Bernie Rhodes &... - Twenty Flight Rockers - Facebook|website=Facebook.com|accessdate=2020-06-11}}

• 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)

;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){{Cite web|url=http://www.45cat.com/record/abcs008|title=Twenty Flight Rockers - Tower Block Rock|website=45cat.com|accessdate=2020-06-11}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Twenty-Flight-Rockers-Tower-Block-Rock/release/2182239|title=Twenty Flight Rockers - Tower Block Rock|website=Discogs.com|accessdate=2020-06-11}} (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){{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Twenty-Flight-Rockers-Tower-Block-Rock/release/1086893|title=Twenty Flight Rockers - Tower Block Rock|website=Discogs.com|accessdate=2020-06-11}} (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){{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Danny-B-Harvey-History-Of/release/6292780|title=Danny B. Harvey - History Of|website=Discogs.com|accessdate=2020-06-11}} (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)

• List of songs about London
• Reading and Leeds Festivals line-ups

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Category:English punk rock groups

Category:Musical groups established in 1985

Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1989

Category:Rockabilly music groups

Category:1985 establishments in England