The Inmates are a
British pub rock
Pub rock is a rock music
Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as " rock and roll" in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of different styles in the mid-1960s and later, particu ...
band, which formed after the split of The Flying Tigers in 1977. In 1982, they had a medium-sized international
hit with a
cover
Cover or covers may refer to:
Packaging
* Another name for a lid
* Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package
* Album cover, the front of the packaging
* Book cover or magazine cover
** Book design
** Back cover copy, part of co ...
of
The Standells' "
Dirty Water
"Dirty Water" is a song by the American rock band The Standells, written by their producer Ed Cobb.
The song is a mock paean to the city of Boston, Massachusetts, and its then-famously polluted Boston Harbor and Charles River.
History
Accordin ...
", and a UK
Top 40 hit with their cover of
Jimmy McCracklin's track, "
The Walk".
"Dirty Water" reached number 51 in the United States in January 1980.
The song led directly to them recording their debut album,
''First Offence'', produced by
Vic Maile
Vic Maile (1943 – 11 July 1989) was a British record producer. After starting his career as sound engineer with Pye mobile studios for the Animals on their song "We Gotta Get Out of This Place", Maile worked with some of the biggest names in th ...
for
Radar Records
Radar Records was a UK-based record label formed in late 1977 by Martin Davis (managing director) who had previously worked at United Artists Records, and Andrew Lauder, who had previously been head of A&R at the UK divisions of Liberty Recor ...
. Two further albums were quickly recorded; ''Shot in the Dark'' again produced by Vic Maile, and ''Heatwave in Alaska'' produced by
Stuart Coleman
The Music are an English alternative rock band, formed in Kippax, Leeds in 1999. Comprising Robert Harvey (vocals, guitar), Adam Nutter (lead guitar), Stuart Coleman (bass) and Phil Jordan (drums), the band came to prominence with the releas ...
.
Around 1981, lead singer Bill Hurley became ill following a breakdown, and his place was taken for some time by Barrie Masters, who had recently split with
Eddie and the Hot Rods. The Inmates continued to record (''True Live Stories'', a live album recorded by Vic Maile at London's the Venue nightclub and, ''Five'', a studio album again produced by Maile) and tour with Masters until he decided to reform the Hot Rods, and Hurley was well enough to return to fronting the Inmates.
In 1987, The Inmates recorded ''Meet the Beatles'', a
live album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
of
Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developme ...
cover versions.
It was re-released on
CD with bonus cuts including a live version of "Dirty Water".
One of The Inmates' songs, "So Much in Love" (written by
Mick Jagger and
Keith Richards), was covered by
Los Lonely Boys
Los Lonely Boys are an American musical group from San Angelo, Texas. They play a style of music they call "Texican Rock n' Roll," combining elements of rock and roll, Texas blues, brown-eyed soul, country, and Tejano.
The band consists of thr ...
in the mid-1990s.
Another song, "I Can't Sleep" from their debut LP ''First Offence'', was included as a chapter heading in the Stephen King bestseller ''Christine''.
"(I Thought I Heard A) Heartbeat" was recorded by American band
Will and the Kill
Will and the Kill were an American rock band from Austin, Texas.
Will and the Kill's members included Will Sexton, brother of guitarist Charlie Sexton, and David Grissom, later of Storyville. The group released one self-titled album on MCA Recor ...
, which included guitarist Will Sexton (brother of
Charlie Sexton
Charles Wayne Sexton (born August 11, 1968) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Sexton is best known for his years as a guitarist in Bob Dylan's band, though also has become well known as a music producer. Sexton co-founded the Ar ...
) and
Dr. Feelgood on the album ''Classic'', the last release on Stiff Records. Dr. Feelgood also recorded "Sweet Sweet Lovin'" on their album ''Fast Women, Slow Horses''.
As of 2013, The Inmates were still working and touring, especially in continental Europe. After thirty years, they still have four of the original five band members, and continue to play both original songs and covers.
In 2022, Peter Gunn, the lead guitarist of the Inmates, released a solo album, credited to Peter Gunn & the Neatbloods, entitled ''Life Savings''. This included a guest appearance on drums by Jim Russell.
Line-up
*Bill Hurley - vocals
*Peter Gunn - guitar
*Tony Oliver - guitar
*Ben Donnelly - bass
*Eddie Edwards - drums
;Former members
*Jim Russell - drums
*Paul Turner - drums
*
Barrie Masters - vocals
Discography
*''First Offence'' (1979)
US number 40
*''Shot in the Dark'' (1980)
*''Heatwave in Alaska'' (1981)
*''True Live Stories'' (1984)
*''Five'' (1985)
*''Meet the Beatles'' (1988)
*''Fast Forward'' (1989)
*''Inside Out'' (1991)
*''Wanted'' (1993)
*''Silverio'' (1997)
*''Heat of the Night (Live)'' (2003)
*''Back in History (Live)'' (2008)
References
External links
Official Myspace
{{DEFAULTSORT:Inmates, The
English rock music groups
English new wave musical groups
British pub rock music groups
Musical groups established in 1977
Radar Records artists
Polydor Records artists