This band is unrelated to the short-lived Nazi punk band of the same name. See Nazi punk

Nazi punk

A Nazi punk is a neo-Nazi who is part of the punk subculture. The term also describes the related type of music. Nazi punk music sounds similar to most forms of punk rock, but it differs by having lyrics that express hatred of Jews, homosexuals, communists, anarchists, anti-racists and people who...

 for information on the latter.

The Dentists were an indie

Indie (music)

In music, independent music, often shortened to indie music or "indie" is a term used to describe independence from major commercial record labels or their subsidiaries, and an autonomous, Do-It-Yourself approach to recording and publishing....

/pop

Pop music

Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...

 band from the Medway

Medway

Medway is a conurbation and unitary authority in South East England. The Unitary Authority was formed in 1998 when the City of Rochester-upon-Medway amalgamated with Gillingham Borough Council and part of Kent County Council to form Medway Council, a unitary authority independent of Kent County...

 towns (as part of the Medway scene) in England who were active from 1984 to 1995. The band's permanent members were Mick Murphy (lead vocals), Bob Collins (guitar

Guitar

The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...

) and Mark Matthews (bass

Bass guitar

The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....

). The band also had three different drummers: Ian Smith (1984-1986), Alun Jones (1986-1991) and Rob Grigg (1991-1995). All members participated in writing songs. Mark ('Jock') Reid was Mick Murphy's predecessor as lead singer for the band in 1983 when they were known as The Ancient Gallery.

History

The band met at school in the early 1980s and began playing gigs in their local area around Chatham and Rochester. Their first single, Strawberries are Growing in My Garden (and It's Wintertime), was quickly followed by the album Some People Are On The Pitch They Think It's All Over It Is Now (a reference to Kenneth Wolstenholme

Kenneth Wolstenholme

Kenneth Wolstenholme DFC & Bar was the football commentator for BBC television in the 1950s and 1960s, most notable for his commentary during the 1966 FIFA World Cup which included the famous phrase "some people are on the pitch...they think it's all over....it is now!", as Geoff Hurst scored...

's famous commentary at the end of the 1966 World Cup). The record was produced by Allan Crockford of fellow Medway band The Prisoners

The Prisoners

The Prisoners were a band who formed in 1980 in Rochester, Kent, England. Their 1960s garage sound made them a regular live fixture in London's underground "psychedelic revival" and "mod revival" scene of the early 1980s. They often toured with The Milkshakes, who included Billy Childish on guitar...

 and featured the standout track I Had An Excellent Dream.

In December 1986 the band supported Del Amitri

Del Amitri

Del Amitri were a Scottish pop-rock guitar band, formed in Glasgow, Scotland in 1983. The band grew out of Justin Currie's Jordanhill College School band and came together after teenager Currie placed an advertisement in the window of a music store asking for people who could play to contact him...

 at the Marquee Club

Marquee Club

The Marquee was a music club first located at 165 Oxford Street, London, England when it opened in 1958 with a range of jazz and skiffle acts.It was also the location of the first ever live performance by The Rolling Stones on 12 July 1962....

 in London, and the Go-Betweens at the Astoria, London. In the same year, a reissue of Strawberries ... received radio play from John Peel

John Peel

John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...

 and Andy Kershaw

Andy Kershaw

Andy Kershaw is a British broadcaster, known for his interest in world music.His shows feature a mix of country, blues, reggae, folk music, spoken word performance from the likes of Ivor Cutler, and other music from around the world.- Early Life :Kershaw and his sister, fellow broadcaster Liz...

 and was named 'runner-up Single of the Week' by Smash Hits

Smash Hits

Smash Hits was a pop music based magazine, aimed at teenagers and young adults and originally published in the United Kingdom by EMAP. It ran from 1978 to 2006 and was issued fortnightly for most of that time...

magazine; it reached the Top 40 indie charts. The following year, the band recorded a radio session for Janice Long

Janice Long

Janice Long is an English radio broadcaster currently working on BBC Radio 2. Her show is on Sunday to Thursday nights from midnight to 02:00. She is the older sister of TV and radio personality Keith Chegwin.-Early career:...

. Shortly afterwards, their Writhing On The Shagpile EP also made the indie charts.

In 1987, on their third visit to mainland Europe, the band were signed by the Belgian

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

 label Antler Records, who released a compilation album, Beer Bottle and Bannister Symphonies, and 12" single, The Fun Has Arrived.

During the late 1980s the Dentists were the main attraction in the Medway Bands' Cooperative (their closest rivals being The Claim

The Claim (band)

The Claim were a British band from Cliffe, Kent, England.-Biography:They formed around 1980, as part of an independent scene around the nearby Medway Valley towns of Rochester, Chatham and Gillingham and influenced by classic acts such as The Kinks, The Jam, The Clash and The Smiths...

). The cooperative was chiefly run by Andy Webber of The Hyacinth Girls and would organise both small gigs and multi-act showcases (including the Blabber Club at Churchill's in Chatham), featuring up-and-coming bands such as The Drunken Popes, The Strookas and Power In Motion. In June 1987 The Dentists headlined a show at the George Hotel in Chatham which featured all 23 acts.

After a relatively quiet period with no new releases for over two years, the band's second album, Heads and How to Read Them, was released on Antler in 1991. Third drummer, Rob Grigg replaced Alun Jones on the eve of the European Tour to promote the album.

Over the years, the band had attracted an underground following in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, and two American fans arranged for the band to play the 1991 College Music Journal

College Music Journal

College Music Journal, commonly known as CMJ, is a music events/publishing company which hosts an annual festival in New York City, the CMJ Music Marathon, as well as a weekly magazine of and for the music industry and college radio stations in the United States and Canada. It publishes top 30...

 festival. Shortly afterward, the Dentists were signed by the American label Homestead Records, which released the compilation Dressed (1992) and the album Powdered Lobster Fiasco (1993).

In 1992, the Dentists released three seven-inch singles -- See No Evil, Hear No Evil and Speak No Evil -- simultaneously on three different record labels. Each single consisted of two songs by the band and an eponymous poem by John Hegley

John Hegley

John Richard Hegley is an English performance poet, comedian, musician and songwriter.-Early life:He was born in the Newington Green area of Islington, London, England, into a Roman Catholic household. He was brought up in Luton and Bristol...

, read by the poet.

Powdered Lobster Fiasco finally attracted the attention of a major label, and the band signed to Eastwest Records in 1993. Their first album for Eastwest, Behind the Door I Keep the Universe, reached Number 8 on the CMJ College Radio charts and was followed by a six-week tour of the U.S. supporting Shonen Knife

Shonen Knife

Shonen Knife, written in Japanese characters as 少年ナイフ, which transliterates as Shōnen Naifu, literally "Boy Knife," is an all-female Japanese pop-punk band formed in Osaka, Japan, in 1981...

. A second album, Deep Six was recorded in early 1995 and produced by Wharton Tiers

Wharton Tiers

Wharton Tiers is an American audio engineer, record producer, drummer and percussionist.- Biography :Diplomed from Villanova University , he moved to New York City in 1976 and was part of the No Wave scene.As an audio engineer and record producer, he has worked on projects such as Sonic Youth,...

, but it failed to sell, and the band parted company with Eastwest. A demo of new songs was recorded in France, produced by Mike Hedges

Mike Hedges

-Career:Mike Hedges started as a tape-op at Morgan Studios in London in the late 1970s. Having graduated to engineer, he went freelance in 1981 and became an engineer/producer....

 but Collins left the band shortly afterwards, their final appearance coming at the 1995 CMJ Music Marathon

CMJ Music Marathon

CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival is put on by CMJ Network. CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival 2010 is scheduled for October 19–23 and will be headquartered at New York University and other downtown NYC venues.- History :...

 in New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

. The other members went on to form a new band, Coax with Chris Flack on guitar.

Some People Are On The Pitch They Think It's All Over It Is Now was re-released on CD in 2005 by Rev-Ola Records

Rev-Ola Records

Rev-Ola Records is a UK record label formed in 1988 that specializes in reissues, as well as select new releases. The label is headed by Joe Foster, a former child actor and musician/producer...

, a subsidiary of Cherry Red

Cherry Red

Cherry Red is a London-based independent record label formed in 1978.-History:Cherry Red grew from the rock promotion company founded in 1971 to promote rock concerts at the Malvern Winter Gardens...

.

Lida Husik

Lida Husik

Lida Husik is a Washington D.C./ New York City artist who was very prominent in the 90's. She released three albums for New York based label Shimmy Disc. She later signed a deal with Caroline Records/Astralwerks releasing a psychadelic record for Astralwerks and a more folky record for Caroline...

 covered Strawberries are Growing in My Garden (and It's Wintertime) on her 1995 album Joyride.

In 2010, a new Dentists compilation of previously unreleased demos and rarities If All The Flies Were One Fly, was released and the band played two reunion gigs, one with fellow Medway band The Claim

The Claim (band)

The Claim were a British band from Cliffe, Kent, England.-Biography:They formed around 1980, as part of an independent scene around the nearby Medway Valley towns of Rochester, Chatham and Gillingham and influenced by classic acts such as The Kinks, The Jam, The Clash and The Smiths...

 on Thursday 25th March 2010 at Dingwalls

Dingwalls

Dingwalls is a venue adjacent to Camden Lock in London, England. It houses bars, cafes, clubs . The building itself is one of many industrial Victorian buildings that were put to new use in the 20th century. The original owner of the building, T.E...

 in Camden Town, London, and the following night, supported by The Love Family, at the Beacon Court, Gillingham.

Albums

• Some People are on the Pitch They Think It's All Over It Is Now (Spruck Records, 1985; re-released on Rev-Ola Records
  Rev-Ola Records
  Rev-Ola Records is a UK record label formed in 1988 that specializes in reissues, as well as select new releases. The label is headed by Joe Foster, a former child actor and musician/producer...
  
  , 2005)
• Heads and How to Read Them (Integrity Records
  Integrity Records
  Integrity Records is an independent record label based in Bedford, England. The label was founded in the early 1990s and specialised in discovering new bands in the rock/indie/punk genres....
  
  , 1991)
• Powdered Lobster Fiasco (Homestead Records, 1993)
• Behind the Door I Keep the Universe (Eastwest Records, 1994)
• Deep Six (Eastwest Records, 1995)
• If All The Flies Were One Fly (Bedroom 14, 2010)

Singles and EPs

• Strawberries are Growing in My Garden (And It's Wintertime) (single, Spruck Records, 1985)
• You and Your Bloody Oranges (EP) (Spruck Records, 1985)
• Down and Out in Paris and Chatham
  Chatham, Medway
  Chatham is one of the Medway towns located within the Medway unitary authority, in North Kent, in South East England.Although the dockyard has long been closed and is now being redeveloped into a business and residential community as well as a museum featuring the famous submarine, HMS Ocelot,...
  
  (EP) (Tambourine Records, 1986)
• Writhing on the Shagpile (EP) (Tambourine Records, 1987)
• The Fun Has Arrived (EP) (Antler Records, 1988)
• Beautiful Day (single) (Antler Records, 1991)
• House the Size of Mars (single) (Antler Records, 1991)
• See No Evil (single) (Homestead Records, 1992)
• Hear No Evil (single) (Independent Project, 1992)
• Speak No Evil (single) (Bus Stop Label, 1992)
• Bigbangredshiftblackholes (boxed set of three seven-inch singles) (Eastwest Records, 1993)

Compilations

• Beer Bottle and Bannister Symphonies: A Collection of Some of the Finer Moments of Dentistry (Antler Records, 1988)
• Naked (Independent Project Records, 1991
• Dressed (Homestead Records, 1992)

External links

• Official site, maintained by former guitarist Bob Collins.
• VH1.com profile including the promo video for 'Gas'
• TrouserPress biography
• MSN Music entry
• Indie chart entries From Cherry Red's book Indie Hits 1980-89