Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
    • Television
      • TV by Decade
        • TV – 1950s
        • TV – 1960s
        • TV – 1970s
        • TV – 1980s
        • TV – 1990s
      • Comedy
      • Drama
      • Kids TV
      • Variety
      • News & Sport
      • Advertisements
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • Music – 1950s
        • Music – 1960s
        • Music – 1970s
        • Music – 1980s
        • Music – 1990s
      • Artists – A to K
        • Artists – A
        • Artists – B
        • Artists – C
        • Artists – D
        • Artists – E
        • Artists – F
        • Artists – G
        • Artists – H
        • Artists – I
        • Artists – J
        • Artists – K
      • Artists – L to Z
        • Artists – L
        • Artists – M
        • Artists – N
        • Artists – O
        • Artists – P
        • Artists – Q
        • Artists – R
        • Artists – S
        • Artists – T
        • Artists – U
        • Artists – V
        • Artists – W
        • Artists – X
        • Artists – Y
        • Artists – Z
      • Artists – 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Playlists
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • Movies – 1950s
        • Movies – 1960s
        • Movies – 1970s
        • Movies – 1980s
        • Movies – 1990s
      • Movies – 0 to 9
      • Movies – A to K
        • Movies – A
        • Movies – B
        • Movies – C
        • Movies – D
        • Movies – E
        • Movies – F
        • Movies – G
        • Movies – H
        • Movies – I
        • Movies – J
        • Movies – K
      • Movies – L to Z
        • Movies – L
        • Movies – M
        • Movies – N
        • Movies – O
        • Movies – P
        • Movies – Q
        • Movies – R
        • Movies – S
        • Movies – T
        • Movies – U
        • Movies – V
        • Movies – W
        • Movies – X
        • Movies – Y
        • Movies – Z
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Music»Artists - A to K»Artists - C
    Artists - C Music - 1990s 3 Mins Read

    Crash Test Dummies

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    This Canadian band evolved from a Winnipeg bar band called Bad Brad Roberts and the St. James Rhythm Pigs.

    Possessed of a highly-distinctive bass-baritone voice, vocalist/guitarist Brad Roberts was joined by Ellen Reid on co-vocals and keyboards, George West on bass, Ben Darvell on harmonica and mandolin and Curtis Riddell on drums.

    West quit and was replaced by Brad’s brother, Dan. Riddell was replaced by Vince Lambert, who was then fired and replaced by Mitch Dorge in 1991 (just before the release of their debut studio album, The Ghosts That Haunt Me).

    That album achieved considerable commercial success in Canada largely due to the popularity of the hit single Superman’s Song, which earned the band the 1991 Juno Award for Group of the Year.

    The band did not receive much international recognition until the 1993 release of their second album, God Shuffled His Feet.

    The first single from that album, Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm, peaked at #4 in the US Hot 100 and did even better in the United Kingdom, where it was a #2 hit and Australia where it reached #1.

    Afternoons & Coffeespoons was also a top 40 hit in Australia and the UK and hit the lower portion of the US Hot 100.

    In January 1995, the band released The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead (a cover of XTC‘s 1992 track) as a single and on the soundtrack of the Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels comedy Dumb and Dumber. The single charted at #30 in the UK singles chart and was a #4 hit in Canada.

    Subsequent albums, A Worm’s Life (1996) and Give Yourself A Hand (1999) did not perform as well and the band parted ways with their label, BMG, and Brad Roberts formed his own independent label Cha-Ching Records (later renamed to Deep Fried Records).

    After suffering a near-fatal car accident in 2000, Brad found himself recuperating in the town of Argyle, Nova Scotia, where he met some locals who happened to be quite musically inclined – Kent Greene, Dave Morton, and Danny MacKenzie. Together, they recorded the bulk of I Don’t Care That You Don’t Mind, which was to have been Brad’s first solo album.

    Later, Ellen Reid was brought in to record backing vocals for a few tunes, and Dan agreed to tour with Brad. When Ellen and Mitch agreed to tour as well, the Crash Test Dummies name was put on the record.

    The band members then concentrated on a number of solo releases and after a few more CTD albums, Roberts took a break in New York between 2006 and 2010, where he became a songwriting teacher and indulged in yoga, chanting and meditation.

    The band reconvened temporarily in 2010 and 2011 to tour their new album, Oooh La La.

    In the summer of 2017, the full band, except Benjamin Darvill, reunited for a show in Winnipeg and Brad Roberts went on a tour of South Africa in early 2018. A reunited photo of Brad Roberts, Ellen Reid, Dan Roberts, and Mitch Dorge was later posted on the official CTD Facebook page, along with the announcement of Canadian tour dates.

    Brad Roberts
    Vocals, guitar
    Ellen Reid
    Vocals, keyboards, accordion
    Ben Darvell
    Harmonica, mandolin, guitar
    Dan Roberts
    Bass, vocals
    Mitch Dorge
    Drums
    Vince Lambert
    Drums
    Curtis Riddell
    Drums
    George West
    Bass

    Related Posts

    • Chesterfields, The
      Chesterfields, The
      For a while, The Chesterfields' charming, jolly guitar pop was very much in vogue. They were formed in Yeovil, Somerset,…
    • Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine (Carter USM)
      Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine (Carter USM)
      Formed in South London, Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine began in 1987. Guitarist Fruitbat (born Les Carter) and singer Jim…
    • Choirboys, The
      Choirboys, The
      The Choirboys formed in the Northern Beaches area of Sydney in 1979. The original members of the band were Mark…
    • Bad Religion
      Bad Religion
      Blending old-school power chords with hardcore thrash, Bad Religion formed in Woodland Hills, California, in 1980. The debut album from…
    • Red Hot Chili Peppers
      Red Hot Chili Peppers
      The Red Hot Chili Peppers came together in Los Angeles in 1983, formed by high school friends Anthony Kiedis and…
    • Cast
      Cast
      Cast was formed in Liverpool in 1992 by John Power after he left The La's. Emerging from the Britpop movement…
    • Boston
      Boston
      Boston leader and guitarist Tom Scholz got a masters degree in mechanical engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and worked…
    • Wedding Present, The
      Wedding Present, The
      This rapid-fire band of jangly punk/poppers was formed in Leeds in 1984 by guitarist, vocalist and songwriter David Gedge and bass…

    Canada
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleFive Satins, The
    Next Article Blossoms, The

    Comments are closed.

    Follow us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
    You May Also Like
    • Titfield Thunderbolt, The (1953)
      The picturesque village of Titfield is linked to a nearby town, […]
    • Whistle Blower, The (1987)
      Michael Caine gives a full-bodied performance as a middle-aged […]
    • Spitting Image
      1 9 8 4 – 1 9 9 6 (UK) 137 x 30 minute episodes 4 x 45 […]
    • Buck Rogers In The 25th Century
      1 9 7 9 – 1 9 8 1 (USA) 37 x 60 minute episodes The […]
    • CinderFella (1960)
      The classic Cinderella story was reversed here with Jerry Lewis […]
    • Enter The Dragon (1973)
      Enter The Dragon was a defining moment for martial arts films […]
    Twitter Feed
    Please note


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Popular Tags
    1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1975 1976 Action Figures Amicus Arcade games Australia Beach movies Beatles Blaxploitation Board games Britpop Canada Crime Disco Disney Doo-Wop Elvis Presley Girl groups Glam Goth Hammer Heavy Metal Irwin Allen Labels Merseybeat Mod revival Motown New Romantic New Wave NWOBHM Oi! One-hit wonders Power Pop Pub rock Punk Radio Scotland Ska Soul music Surf music
    Search Nostalgia Central
    Copyright © 1998, 2022 Nostalgia Central
    • About
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.