Rockin’ In A♭

The Lot, 1999

Chris: Rockin’ In A♭ was one of the rock ‘n’ roll covers we played live in the early days of the band. We also did Tequila by The Champs, Poison Ivy by the Coasters and Jailhouse Rock by Elvis Presley. We used to rehearse in Mike’s house. His brothers were in bands, so there were instruments lying around. Rocking In A♭ was a song that one of his brother’s bands played. Those old songs were the first to go once we started writing our own stuff.

One Step Beyond, 2023 CD reissue

Woody: Mike’s brother Dan was in a group called Bazooka Joe, and ‘Rockin’ In A Flat’ was one of their songs. They were playing it before I joined the band. A lot of people were doing covers of rock and roll classics back then, like ‘Johnny B Goode’ and ‘Hound Dog’. We all liked 50s rock ‘n’ roll, and it’s a good song.
Mike: We’d all go and see Bazooka Joe when we were younger. The piano player wrote songs that sounded really authentic, like they came from the rock ‘n’ roll era. The title was a joke – it meant “A flat”, like an apartment, and also the note, “A♭”. We’d all grown up with that song, so it was very organic that we’d cover it.
Chris: We played a hall in Hampstead for one of our very early shows. There were these Teddy Boys there, and we sort of appeased them for a while by doing ‘Rockin’ In A Flat’. But then they started chucking stuff at us when we went a bit reggae. We just liked that song, it wasn’t like, “Right, we’re going to become rockabillies!” Should have done, but no.

The song first appeared on the ‘One Step Beyond…’ LP (Stiff)

‘MISTAKES’ 2LP – The Paradise Ballroom, Boston, Massachusetts, USA 24 Feb 1980

‘IN CONCERT – 247’ – Hammersmith Odeon, London 23 Dec 1980

Also on ‘ABSOLUTELY‘ Salvo 2CD (2010)

‘MADSTOCK!’ – Finsbury Park, London 8 Aug 1992 (video only)