# The Mock Turtles

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English band

Not to be confused with [The Turtles](/source/The_Turtles).

For the comic opera, see [Mock Turtles (opera)](/source/Mock_Turtles_(opera)). For the Lewis Carroll character, see [Mock Turtle](/source/Mock_Turtle).

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The Mock Turtles Origin Middleton, Greater Manchester, England Genres Madchester, indie rock, baggy Years active 1985–present Labels Imaginary, Siren, Virgin

Musical artist

**The Mock Turtles** are an English [indie rock](/source/Indie_rock) band, formed in [Middleton, Greater Manchester](/source/Middleton%2C_Greater_Manchester), in 1985, who enjoyed some success in the early 1990s. Their most famous song, "[Can You Dig It?](/source/Can_You_Dig_It%3F_(The_Mock_Turtles_song))", which was released in the UK in 1991, charted at no. 18. When the song was re-released in slightly remixed form in 2003, it again reached the top 20 of the [UK Singles Chart](/source/UK_Singles_Chart).[1]

## Career

This article needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (November 2011)

Led by former Judge Happiness singer [Martin Coogan](/source/Martin_Coogan), elder brother of actor/comedian [Steve Coogan](/source/Steve_Coogan),[2] the band began to pick up attention around 1990, with debut album *Turtle Soup* and tracks such as "Lay Me Down" and "And Then She Smiles" on the [Imaginary](/source/Imaginary_Records) label.[3] It was "Can You Dig It?", however, which gained them wider attention. Originally a [B-side](/source/A-side_and_B-side) to "Lay Me Down", the band's new record label, Siren, re-issued it with additional guitar work,[3] and "Can You Dig It?" breached the [Top 20](/source/Top_40) in the [UK Singles Chart](/source/UK_Singles_Chart).[4] Their follow up single "And Then She Smiles" failed to replicate the success of the previous single,[3] only reaching no. 44 in the chart.[5]

In March 1991, the British music magazine *[NME](/source/NME)* reported that the band were appearing at the 'Great Indie Festival – A Midsummer's Day Dream' at [Milton Keynes Bowl](/source/Milton_Keynes_Bowl) in June that year. Also on the bill were [808 State](/source/808_State), [Gary Clail](/source/Gary_Clail), [Shades of Rhythm](/source/Shades_of_Rhythm_(band)), [The Shamen](/source/The_Shamen), [Paris Angels](/source/Paris_Angels) and [Flowered Up](/source/Flowered_Up).[6]

The Mock Turtles, however, were unable to follow up the early success and were dropped by their label, three members briefly joining up as Ugli in the mid-1990s,[3] remaining in limbo until [Vodafone](/source/Vodafone) used "Can You Dig It?" for an [advertising campaign](/source/Advertising_campaign) in late 2002 and more famously in 2003. This saw the band make a comeback with [Norman Cook](/source/Fatboy_Slim) doing a [remix](/source/Remix) of the song,[7] taking the track to no. 19 in the United Kingdom. Eight new tracks were included on a new *Greatest Hits* album, together with older songs from their early 1990s peak. Most recently, the track "And Then She Smiles" has been used as the theme song for the television programme *Stella* on Sky1.

*Turtle Soup* was reissued in 2017 with additional non-album singles and B-sides and covers.[8]

## Current members

- [Martin Coogan](/source/Martin_Coogan) – vocals, guitar, percussion (1985–present)

- [Martin Glyn Murray](/source/Martin_Glyn_Murray) – guitar (1985–present)

- Andrew Stewardson – bass, viola, guitar (1989–present)

- Joanne Gent – keyboards, cello, guitar (1989–present)

- [Steve Barnard](/source/Steve_Barnard) – drums (1993–present)

## Former members

- Steve Cowen – drums (1985–93)

- Steve Green – bass (1985–89)

- Krzysztof Korab – keyboards (1985–89)

## Discography

### Albums

- *Turtle Soup* (1990), [Imaginary](/source/Imaginary_Records)

- *87–90* (1991), Imaginary

- *Two Sides* (1991), [Siren](/source/Siren_Records_(UK))

- *Can You Dig It – The Best of the Mock Turtles* (2003), [Virgin](/source/Virgin_Records)

### Singles and EPs

- "Pomona" (1987), [Imaginary](/source/Imaginary_Records)

- "Wicker Man" (1989), Imaginary

- "And Then She Smiles" (1989), Imaginary

- "Lay Me Down" (1990), Imaginary

- *Magic Boomerang EP* (1990), Imaginary

- "Are You Experienced?" (1990), Imaginary

- "[Can You Dig It?](/source/Can_You_Dig_It%3F_(The_Mock_Turtles_song))" (1991), [Siren](/source/Siren_Records_(UK)) - UK no. 18[4]

- *And Then She Smiles EP* (1991), Siren - UK no. 44[4]

- "Strings and Flowers" (1991), Siren

- "Can You Dig It? ([Fatboy Slim](/source/Norman_Cook) Remix)" (2003), [Virgin](/source/Virgin_Records) - UK no. 19

### Compilation appearances

- *[Beyond the Wildwood](/source/Beyond_the_Wildwood) – A Tribute to Syd Barrett* – "No Good Trying" (1987), Imaginary

- *[Fast 'n' Bulbous - A Tribute to Captain Beefheart](/source/Fast_'n'_Bulbous_-_A_Tribute_to_Captain_Beefheart)* – "Big Eyed Beans from Venus" (1988), Imaginary

- *Shangri-La – A Tribute to the Kinks* – "Shangri-La" / "Big Sky" (1989), Imaginary

- *Time Between – A Tribute to the Byrds* – "Time Between" / "Why" (1989), Imaginary

- *Indie Top 20 Volume X* – "Lay Me Down" (1990), Beechwood Music

- *Ouch. Relativity Sampler* – "Mary's Garden" (1991), Relativity

- *Fifteen Minutes: A Tribute to the Velvet Underground* – "Pale Blue Eyes" (1994)

Compilations that feature "Can You Dig It?" are:[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

- *The Best Bands... Ever!* Virgin/EMI, 2002

- *Q: The Album* Virgin/EMI/Universal, 2003

- *I Luv Smash Hits* Virgin/EMI, 2003

- *[Now That's What I Call Music! 54](/source/Now_That's_What_I_Call_Music!_54_(UK_series))* Virgin/EMI, 2003

- *The X-List* Virgin/EMI, 2003

- *Smash Hits Chart Summer 2003* Virgin/EMI, 2003

- *EPIC* Sony Music Entertainment UK, 2010

- *101 Indie Classics* EMI TV, 2010

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-UK_Charts_1-0)** ["Mock Turtles"](https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/26847/mock-turtles/). Official Charts Company.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Coogan's Bluff"](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2007/11/05/coogans-bluff). *[The New Yorker](/source/The_New_Yorker)*. 5 November 2007. Retrieved 20 August 2019.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Larkin_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Larkin_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Larkin_3-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Larkin_3-3) [Colin Larkin](/source/Colin_Larkin_(writer)), ed. (1997). *[The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music](/source/Encyclopedia_of_Popular_Music)* (Concise ed.). [Virgin Books](/source/Virgin_Books). p. 860. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1-85227-745-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-85227-745-9).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-British_Hit_Singles_&_Albums_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-British_Hit_Singles_&_Albums_4-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-British_Hit_Singles_&_Albums_4-2) Roberts, David (2006). *British Hit Singles & Albums* (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 373. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1-904994-10-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-904994-10-5).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Artist Chart History: Mock Turtles"](http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/_/mock%20turtles/). [Official Charts Company](/source/Official_Charts_Company). Retrieved 15 June 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-NME_Rock_'N'_Roll_Years_6-0)** Tobler, John (1992). *NME Rock 'N' Roll Years* (1st ed.). London: Reed International Books Ltd. p. 482. CN 5585.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["One-hit wonders | | guardian.co.uk Arts"](https://www.theguardian.com/arts/page/0,,1074166,00.html). *Theguardian.com*. Retrieved 14 March 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["The Mock Turtles - Turtle Soup - Expanded Edition - CDx2"](https://www.roughtrade.com/gb/the-mock-turtles/turtle-soup-expanded-edition). *Roughtrade.com*. Retrieved 20 June 2021.

Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF National United States France BnF data Artists MusicBrainz

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [The Mock Turtles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mock_Turtles) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mock_Turtles?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.