Mark Matthews - bass guitar, backing vox,
Bob Collins - lead guitar, backing vox,
Michael Murphy - guitar and vocals,
Ian Smith - drums (ver 1),
Alun Jones - drums (ver 2),
Rob Grigg - drums (ver 3),
Influences
Really hard to say - The Kinks, Joy Division, Sammy Davis Jr, The Doors, Go Betweens, Smiths, Pavement, Love, and if we're being honest probably Gong, Human League, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Sparks, The Action, The Prisoners, The Milkshakes, Teardrop Explodes, Prefab Sprout, Echo and The Bunnymen, the Fall.... These influences don't mean we tried to sound like these people, but they're in the collective psyche of the band, especially attitude and approach to our art.
You could also list Chatham, Gillingham FC, Billy Liar, any major football tournament and the England team, C86, punks, mods, second hand clothes, Blue Peter, Billy Childish, Belgium, The Rutles, bitter, salt and vinegar crisps, Peter Osgood, subbuteo, the lay-dees, James Patrick McGarry, bereavement, old films, curry, Cotter, and an initial distrust of anything digital including watches.
Sounds Like
The sound of true pop, now sounding like Badger, The Great Lines, Echo Heights, Spitfire 4, and Fortress Madonna....
This was written for a recent first album re-issue ;
The Dentists existed, from the mid-eighties to the mid-nineties, on the fringes of numerous "renaissance of guitar music" movements, psychedelia, trash, mod, C86, paisley underground, britpop, but never threw in their lot with any of them. Who wants to live and die with a scene? The Dentists were different; their own band. Not for them a headlong rush from obscurity to fame and back to oblivion in 2 or 3 years. They spent eleven years on the backburner plotting a slow career trajectory, usually on an upward incline but ultimately not enough to propel them into orbit. It all happened around them as they observed but never quite got to be on the inside looking out.
'Bout sums it up!
After Bob's departure, Mick, Mark and Rob recruited a new guitarist and continued for an album as Coax, while Bob became a founder member of Fortune West.
After Coax, Mick went on to form Fortress Madonna, with major help from Bob and a little help from Mark. FM released an album and an EP. He now lives and works in Kenya.
In 2005, Mark and Bob collaborated in The Great Lines, who appeared at SXSW 2005, and there's an unreleased album sitting around waiting, hoping.
Mark now fronts The Echo Heights, who have their first album due out towards the end of 2007.
Bob now plays bass in Badger, with Rob Grigg on drums.
Ian Smith is drumming with the Garden City Project.
Alun's whereabouts is unknown.
Calling all DENTISTS fans - the new book from drummer Ian Smith aka Vic Templar is now available from www. blackheathbooks. org. uk(see promo film below). It's a right good read.
Hello The Dentists. Thank you for adding us. We think the band and all your tunes are Groovy! Since the 80's we've been looking at life through our Psychedelic Kandy Koloured Glasses and we've always seen The Dentists in our horizon!
All our very best from the 'Acid Beach Party' soundtrack team and The King Kandy.
i noticed that Coax listed Cheese in a hostile Matrix as an influence but the Dentists excluded this unique band.. was that something to do with the absence of Bob i wonder?
thank you so very much for the add lads. the dentists were like a rare flower that i was so glad to find in the early part of the 1980s under a bush in The Hammersmith Clarendon..
We had an excellent dream of a brilliant jangly psychedelic indie garage pop combo, and then Spruck Records made it come true. Thanks for all the great tunes (and the add).
