The Inmates

British Pub Rock Band

British pub rock/R&B group formed in North London in the late-'70s, with a short peak in the early-'80s. Peter Staines (gguitar), Tony Oliver (guitar), Ben Donnelly (bass) and Jim Russell (drums) emerged in the late-'70s as a UK R&B group in the style of Dr. Feelgood. They failed to hit the UK chart in 1979 with their debut single, a cover of the '60s garage rock track 'Dirty Water' (originally recorded by The Standells), but succeeded to chart elsewhere. However, the follow-up, which was also a cover, 'The Walk', managed to reach no.36 in the UK top 40 (6th January 1980), as well as earning them an appearance on Top Of The Pops (13th December 1979). The singles were followed by two albums that were not only in the vein of Dr. Feelgood, but were also produced by Feelgood's producer, Vic Maile. Their lead singer, Bill Hurley, took a break from the industry, but after his return they failed to gain the same level of success that they had previously received. They have sporadically continued to release and perform.