Five Thirty was formed in London, England, by Tara Milton and Nick Baker while still at school near Oxford in 1983; the original trio included Milton on bass, Baker on guitar, and Steve Beatty on drums. The band played its first official gig in May 1984 and soon supported acts such as The Truth, Makin' Time and Direct Hits. In March 1985 Baker left and American guitarist Shawn Gwin joined, contributing songs like "Catcher in the Rye" and "Mood Suite" for a demo released on 12" vinyl. Gwin departed before the band signed with Atco/East West Records, where Paul Bassett replaced him on guitar and vocals, and drummer Phil Hopper completed the lineup. Five Thirty issued the single "Catcher in the Rye" in 1985, followed by "Air Conditioned Nightmare" and "Abstain!" in 1990, and "13th Discile" and "Supernova" in 1991; the album Bed was released on 19 August 1991 and reached number 57 on the UK Albums Chart. The group disbanded in 1992 after contributing a cover of "My Sweet Lord" to the anti‑poll tax compilation Alvin Lives. In 2013 Bed was re‑released by 3 Loop Music as a double CD, and in 2014 Cherry Red Records issued Millions Like Us (The Story of the Mod Revival 1977‑1989), which included the original 1985 version of "Catcher in the Rye".
