Ian Dench
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ian Dench | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Ian Alec Harvey Dench |
| Born | 7 August 1964 Cheltenham, England |
| Occupation(s) | Songwriter, musician |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar, keyboards |
Ian Alec Harvey Dench (born 7 August 1964) is an English songwriter and musician. He is the guitarist and principal songwriter for EMF,[1] who scored a major international hit reaching number 1 in the United States with "Unbelievable" in 1991. It was voted one of BBC Radio 2's 'Greatest Guitar Riffs'.[2]
Ian Alec Harvey Dench was born in Cheltenham. His father, Harold Dench, taught Ian classical guitar. He attended The Crypt School in Gloucester from 1975, where one year at Prizegiving, his chosen prize of "100 Greatest Rock Licks" was somewhat frowned upon, compared to the preferred academic tomes of others. Dench began his music career playing in a Gloucester City punk band called Curse. He then formed the Gloucester-based band Apple Mosaic, who were signed to Virgin Records and released the single "Honey If".
EMF
In 1989, Dench met the other members of EMF, and within a few months of playing together, they were signed to a major label. Their debut hit, "Unbelievable", was written by Dench although credited as EMF, and reached number three in the UK singles chart. Six months later, the song reached number one in America.[3]
In an interview with Spin in September 1991, Dench commented on the dynamics within the band, stating that: "I'm the musical director, but I couldn't do it without them. They provide so much attitude.[4]
The band split in 1997 due to musical differences.[5]
