GRAND SLAM were a short-lived rock ‘n’ roll band, formed in 1984 as the brainchild of ex-Thin Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott.
Although Lynott missed-out on his ideal line-up by failing to recruit guitarist John Sykes and drummer Brian Downey, he nevertheless soldiered on with a fab outfit that included: Laurence Archer (lead guitar; Wild Horses,) Donal ‘Doish’ Nagle (guitar, The Bogey Boys), Robbie Brennan (drums, Scullion), amd Mark Stanway (keyboards, Magnum).
Lynott was keen to shed the ‘second-rate Thin Lizzy‘ tag and was sincere in his desire to write and produce new music for the outfit. Therefore, it’s a pity that the Grand Slam project achieved little commercial success, and any songs of true note have often since been wrongly accredited to Lizzy.
Lynott died in 1986 and Brennan died in 2016.
In 2016 the keyboardist Mark Stanway — having already produced and released the CD “Grand Slam: Live 1984” — rekindled the Grand Slam flame with Laurence Archer, Micky Barker, Neil Murray and Stefan Berggren.
In 2018, guitarist Laurence Archer reformed Grand Slam altogether (now with Mike Dyer, David Boyce and Benji Reid). This new band honors the traditions of the band’s history whilst also looking to the future — so classic tracks co-written by Lynott & Archer will sit alongside a set of brand new songs that embody the same sense of freedom, positivity and adrenaline that ran through the original Grand Slam of 1984.
Grand Slam have now announced they have signed to Marshall Records and are set to release a debut album later this year.
Link: https://www.facebook.com/grandslamrocks/
RAW RAMP 
Reformed Grand Slam altogether? Grand Slam – if at all – would only be complete with both Laurence Archer and Mark Stanway in the band. Stanway was already touring with Lynott’s Solo Band which was to form the basis of Grand Slam and Archer only got the chance to take over after Sykes decided to join Whitesnake instead. Archer’s so called new Grand Slam is only a weak attempt to cash in on former glories.