The Mock Turtles

The Mock Turtles are a Manchester based indie rock band, formed in Middleton, Greater Manchester in 1985, who enjoyed some success in the early 1990s. Their song "Can You Dig It?" which was released in 1991, charted in the UK top 20 in 1991 and again in 2003.

Career

Led by former Judge Happiness singer Martin Coogan, older brother of actor/comedian Steve Coogan, the band began to pick up attention around 1990, with tracks such as "Lay Me Down" and "And Then She Smiles" on the Imaginary label. It was "Can You Dig It?", however, which gained them wider attention. Originally a b-side to "Lay Me Down", the band's new record label, Siren, re-issued it with additional guitar work, and "Can You Dig It?" breached the Top 20 in the UK Singles Chart. Their follow up single "And Then She Smiles" failed to replicate the success of the previous single, only reaching no. 44 in the charts.

In March 1991, the British music magazine NME reported that the band were appearing at the 'Great Indie Festival – A Midsummer's Day Dream' at Milton Keynes Bowl in June that year. Also on the bill were 808 State, Gary Clail, Shades of Rhythm, The Shamen, Paris Angels plus Flowered Up.

Mock Turtles (opera)

Mock Turtles is a one-act comic opera with a libretto by Frank Desprez and music by Eaton Faning. It was first produced at the Savoy Theatre on 11 October 1881 as a curtain raiser to Patience, then from 26 November 1882 to 30 March 1883 with Iolanthe. The piece also toured from December 1881 throughout 1882. It also toured in 1883 and 1884 and enjoyed further revivals, including a tour in 1897 with J. M. Gordon and his company.

A vocal score was published by Chappells, in 1882, which contains full dialogue as well as music. A copy is in the British Library. The libretto to Mock Turtles was republished by The Gaiety journal in September 2001.

The fashion in the late Victorian era was to present long evenings in the theatre, and so producer Richard D'Oyly Carte preceded his Savoy operas with curtain raisers such as Mock Turtles.W. J. MacQueen-Pope commented, concerning such curtain raisers:

Synopsis

Mr. and Mrs. Wranglebury quarrel like two tigers whenever they are together. Things come to a head when Mrs. Wranglebury's mother comes unexpectedly to stay with them. Mr. Wranglebury borrowed money from his mother-in-law many years ago to start his business, and he is fearful that she may ask for it back. They pretend to be very amiable and discover that they really prefer being amiable to each other and want to live happily together. When the servant Jane nearly spoils everything by telling the mother-in-law of the quarrels, she is branded a liar and sacked on the spot.