LITTLE TINA AND FLIGHT '56

Back to the 70s. The Little Tina & The Flight '56 album "This Little Girl Is Gonna Rock It!" was first issued in 1977 on the Dutch Rockhouse label and licensed to the British Charly label. And now, 23 years later, this beautiful example of 70s revival rockabilly has been re-issued on CD by Rarity Records.

Back in the "old" days, the band was well known for their dynamic live show which consisted mostly of female fifties stuff from the likes of Brenda Lee, Wanda Jackson, Ruth Brown, Janis Martin and Barbara Pittman.

The band was originally formed in 1971, but didn't make much of a name until Tina Dawes joined in 1975. In 1976, when they already had quite a name in the UK, Bert Rockhuizen contacted the band to record an album for his new Rockhouse label. And so Flight '56 did their first Dutch tour in 1976, but they were short one piano player. Dave Taylor, of Dynamite and Hellraisers fame, was contacted and although he never considered himself a fulltime member of the band, he agreed and Dave came along on the tour and also joined in on the recording session in January 1977 in Haarlem (Holland), where they recorded two songs featuring Dave Taylor: The instrumental "Honky Tonk Train Blues" & Dave’s own "Don’t ever go" which resulted in the first and only LP by Little Tina & The Flight '56 "This Little Girl Is Gonna Rock It" (Rockhouse LP 7704).

At the time of the recording seesions the line-up of the band was as follows: Tina Dawes - Vocals, Dave Taylor - Piano, Nick Barnes - Vocals & Bass, Jerry Kelk - Guitars, Lesly Bailey - Drums. And although there had been rumours that the band was gonna record a second LP for the Dutch Dynamite label, it never happened and the Flight disbanded at the top of their career in 1978. Tina Dawes went her own way and re-recorded some of her most popular songs with Shakin' Stevens' band "The Sunsets" as "Little Tina & The Sunsets" and she married Riot Rockers' drummer Paul Wittingham.

Les Bailey also kept on playing rock 'n' roll music with Memphis Beat and The Falcons and in 1992 he joined the Freddy Fingers Lee band.

Dave Taylor's career is an open book for rockers and Teddy Boys and he achieved star-status in Finland and most parts of Europe, he issued about a dozen albums and many 45s.

Nick Barnes is now the owner of Bald Brothers Studio.

I'm very pleased that Rarity re-issued the Flight's one and only album on CD, because whether you like Tina's 50s female covers or not, it surely is a milestone in the history of European rockabilly revival and on the live rockabilly circuit, the band was as popular as her contemporaries Crazy Cavan, Flying Saucers and Riot Rockers.

Tracklisting: This Little Girl's Gone Rockin' / My Boy Elvis / Can't Help Loving You / 12 O'Clock Rock / Cupid / Need A Little Lovin' / Why Do Fools Fall In Love / Honky Tonk Train Blues / Everlasting Love / Let's Jump The Broomstick / Who Else But Me / Frankie / Ooby Dooby / He's Gone / Don't Ever Go / Let's Elope Baby / Twenty Flight Rock / Let's Have A Party

Dave Taylor sessioning

with ‘Flight ‘56 in August 1977

Rockin Dave - Mister Boogie Woogie -Midnight Rock