Twenty Per Cent (1965-1966). Nottingham group.
Paul Atkinson, Harry Beighton, Tim Disney, Keith Pinfold, Phil Smith

All this information came from a short lived website dedicated to Tim Disney and the music he created after he passed away in 2013. I’m fairly sure it was set up by his family so all credit goes to them. I first saw Tim when he was with Desperate Dann in the mid seventies which was probably his best known band but this is where he first started.

Tim’s first group was called 20% and was formed in 1965 when Tim was attending the Mundella Grammar School in Nottingham. Harry Beighton, a fellow band member and school friend, remembers how the band was formed:

‘His first band was called 20%. We were trying to be a little cute with the name and get away from all the others being called ‘The’ something or others.

It all started when I received a summons from a fellow Mundella school friend, who told me I was in his group – despite not being able to play the guitar – and did I know a singer? I volunteered Tim, as he had achieved seven out of ten in a class singing test and, as he was an extrovert, he was in.

We constructed our gear ourselves, hammering together speaker cabinets, screwing in speakers and assembling amplification. On June 19th 1965, we made our true debut at the Albert Hall in Nottingham – not the main hall, however, but a more modest side room. We played mainly covers by the Stones, and blues men like Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry, playing around thirty gigs at venues such as the Carlton Hotel, The Trades Hall, both the White Harts, Hendon Rise Social Club, The March Hare and Digby College. On December 15th 1965, we played the Mundella School dance with another school band called The Salty Dogs.

On August 8th 1966, we played our last gig at the Beechdale Hotel for a fee of just under three pounds. Tim had already started writing songs. He was getting to grips with the harmonica. He was a good front man with a strong personality and image, and he was a treat to know’

We are indebted to Harry Beighton who kept a record of the band’s playlist, venues and fees and these are reproduced below.

20% Playlist

Nadine – Chuck Berry
I’m Evil – Lightning Slim
Louie, Louie – Kingsmen, Kinks
Route 66 – Bobby Troup/Chuck Berry
Dimples – John Lee Hooker
High Heel Sneakers – Tommy Tucker
House Of The Rising Sun (Just Twitching) – Trad
Walking The Dog – Rufus Thomas
Everybody Needs Somebody – Solomon Burke/RS
What A Shame – RS
Ode To A Trouble Free Life – 20%
Soul Dance Music Blues -20%
Talking About U – Chuck Berry
Fortune Teller – Neville
Olde Rocking Chair – 20%
Memphis T – Chuck Berry
Off The Hook – RS
Got My Mojo Working – Muddy Waters
Wake Up In The Morning Rise In The Afternoon Blues – 20%
Pretty Thing – Bo Diddly
Escape – 20%
Baby Please Don’ t Go – Big Bill Broonzy
Johnny Be Good – Chuck Berry
You Can’t Judge A Book – Bo Diddly
Black Pudding – 20%
Right Time – Ray Charles
He’s Too Dumb – 20%
Oh Carol – Chuck Berry
Down Home Girl – Lieber Stoller/RS
Shame, Shame, Shame – Jimmy Reed
Keep Your Mouth Shut – Bo Diddly
I’m Leaving – John Lee Hooker
I Wanna Be Loved – Rufus Thomas
Down In The Valley – Solomon Burke
Shake – Sam Cooke
Sweet Mary – Lead Belly

20% Venues And Fees

1965
19/06 Albert Hall
15/09 Trades Hall £4
25/09 Gay Youth Club
09/10 The Grand £5
17/11 Trades Hall £4
20/11 Digby Hall £7
??/12 School Conference
15/12 School Dance £3

1966
07/01 White Hart £3
21/01 White Hart £3
28/01 Beacon Hotel £6
30/01 Hendon Rise £6.00
15/02 March Hare £4
12/02 Adjutant White £6
26/02 Adjutant White £6
20/03 Carlton Hotel £5
08/05 Jewish Centre £5
14/05 Carlton Hotel £5
19/05 Piccadilly Club
21/05 Pop Inn, Ilkeston £9
27/05 Ilkeston College £6
25/06 Station Hotel, Newstead £7.10
06/08 Carlton Hotel £6
08/08 Beechdale Hotel £2.80

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Harry Beighton later played with Medicine Hat and Pancho amongst others.