The Suede Crocodiles
{{Short description|Scottish indie pop band}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = The Suede Crocodiles
| image =
| caption =
| image_size =
| genre = Indie pop
| years_active = 1983–1985
| label = NoStrings, Optic Nerve Recordings
| associated_acts =
| website =
| past_members = Kevin McDermott
Davie McCormick
Ross Drummond
Roddy Johnson
}}
The Suede Crocodiles were a Scottish rock band from Glasgow, active from 1983 until 1985. Fronted by singer, songwriter and guitarist Kevin McDermott, the group are best known for their single Stop The Rain.{{cite news | author=Billy Sloan | title=Perspective - Kevin McDermott | agency=The Herald (Glasgow) | publisher=Herald and Times Group. | pages= 40–41 | date=18 April 2021|url= https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/19241345.billy-sloan-kevin-mcdermott-orchestra---mother-natures-kitchen/}}
Formation
The band was formed in 1982, under their original name, Popgun, with McDermott (vocals, guitar), Davie McCormick (drums), and Ross Drummond (bass/vocals). They were later joined by Roddy Johnson (vocals/guitar).{{cite news | author=Billy Sloan | title=Perspective - Kevin McDermott | agency=The Herald (Glasgow) | publisher=Herald and Times Group. | pages= 40–41 | date=18 April 2021|url= https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/19241345.billy-sloan-kevin-mcdermott-orchestra---mother-natures-kitchen/}}
Name change and ''Stop the Rain''
In 1983, having changed their name to The Suede Crocodiles, they released a single, Stop The Rain, written by McDermott, on the NoStrings record label run by Nick Low and Grahame Cochrane. Low had started managing the band after seeing them perform at The Venue, Glasgow, in 1982.{{Cite AV media notes |title=Stop the Rain |first=Nick |last=Lowe |others=The Suede Crocodiles |date=2001 |type=liner notes |id=NoStrings Records}}
Stop The Rain was made Single of the Week in both NME and Melody Maker.{{cite web
|title=Optic Nerve Recordings |url=https://opticnerverecordings.com/products/suede-crocodiles-the-stop-the-rain-7?_pos=1&_sid=862e9a18a&_ss=r&variant=40614060458095|access-date=13 December 2021}}
Tour, lineup changes, and split
The Suede Crocodiles joined Nick Heyward on a UK wide tour, including two sell-out gigs at the Dominion Theatre in London.{{cite news | author=Ann Fotheringham | title='The 'weegies are a lively crowd' - Robyn Hitchcock and Kevin McDermott on gigs after lockdown | agency=Glasgow Evening Times | publisher=Newsquest Media Group Ltd. | pages= 24–25 | date=23 September 2021|url= https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/19595895.the-weegies-lively-crowd---robyn-hitchcock-kevin-mcdermott-gigs-lockdown/}}
Alan Cruickshank later replaced Davie McCormick on drums, but the band split up before releasing their second single, Paint Yourself a Rainbow.{{Cite AV media notes |title=Stop the Rain |first=Nick |last=Lowe |others=The Suede Crocodiles |date=2001 |type=liner notes |id=NoStrings Records}}{{Cite AV media notes |title=Big Gold Dreams - The Story of Scottish independent Music 1977-1989 |others=The Suede Crocodiles |date=2019 |type=liner notes |id=Cherry Red Records}}
Johnson and Drummond went on to form The Forth Room, and Kevin McDermott went solo.{{Cite AV media notes |title=Stop the Rain |first=Nick |last=Lowe |others=The Suede Crocodiles |date=2001 |type=liner notes |id=NoStrings Records}}{{Cite AV media notes |title=Big Gold Dreams - The Story of Scottish independent Music 1977-1989 |others=The Suede Crocodiles |date=2019 |type=liner notes |id=Cherry Red Records}}
Post-split releases
Stop the Rain, a compilation of unreleased material, was released in 2001 on Accident Records, and re-released in 2010 on Fastcut Records.{{Cite AV media notes |title=Big Gold Dreams - The Story of Scottish independent Music 1977-1989 |others=The Suede Crocodiles |date=2019 |type=liner notes |id=Cherry Red Records}} Stop The Rain was re-released on Optic Nerve Recordings in April 2022, entering in at 39 in the singles chart.{{cite web
|title=Official UK Singles Chart |website=Official Charts |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/vinyl-singles-chart/|access-date=26 April 2022
}}