The Crocodiles were a New Zealand pop/new wave band formed in 1979 with lead singer Jenny Morris, who went on to commercial success as a solo artist in Australia;[1] and later included drummer Barton Price, who subsequently joined Sardine v and then Models.
[4] The Crocodiles evolved from the Spats, under the mentorship of US producer Kim Fowley,[5][6] and were founded in 1979 in Auckland with Backhouse, Dasent, Flaws, Lawrence and Mark Hornibrook on bass guitar and songwriter Arthur Baysting.
[4] They were managed by Mike Chunn (ex-Split Enz), Mark Hornibrook was subsequently replaced by Mathews.
[7] Lawrence then left the band and was replaced by Ian Gilroy (the Whizz Kids); Flaws also left the group but continued to provide material for the band's second album, Looking at Ourselves (produced by Ian Morris), which was released in November 1980 but failed to chart.
In February 1981, the band flew to Australia but did not last long before dissolving;[4] Morris beginning her solo career, Price joining Sardine v and then Models, with Backhouse becoming a session musician with artists including Renée Geyer, Joe Walsh, Jenny Morris, Dave Dobbyn, Tim Finn and Vince Jones and immersing himself in a cappella gospel music.