The Bitter Monk

MMM MMM MMM MMM - CRASH TEST DUMMIES - (1993)

The CRASH TEST DUMMIES are a Canadian folk rock/alternative rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba, widely known for their 1993 single Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm. The band is most identifiable through Brad Roberts (vocals, guitar) and his distinctive bass-baritone voice. During its heyday, the band consisted of Roberts, Ellen Reid (co-vocals, keyboards), Brad's brother Dan Roberts (bass guitar, backing vocals), Benjamin Darvill (harmonica, mandolin), and Mitch Dorge (drums, percussion). Today, only Brad Roberts and Ellen Reid have appeared on every album with the other members being busy pursuing their own projects. However, the full band (minus Ben Darvill) reunited for a show in October 2010. Brad Roberts, Ellen Reid and Stuart Cameron have continued to tour throughout 2010/2011.

History

Beginnings: 1988--1991

The origin of the Crash Test Dummies is tied to the history of two Winnipeg nightspots, the Spectrum Cabaret and the Blue Note Cafe, owned by Curtis Riddell. In the mid-1980s, Riddell joined with Brad Roberts to form the decidedly less-than-serious bar band Bad Brad Roberts and the St. James Rhythm Pigs. Over time, the band evolved into the Crash Test Dummies, a name suggested by a friend of the band who was in medical school. The diagnostic mannequin, known colloquially as a crash test dummy, was known to the public already by this time. Ellen Reid and Benjamin Darvill became permanent additions. George West, the original bass player, quit and was replaced by Dan Roberts, Brad's brother. Riddell was replaced by Vince Lambert, who was fired and replaced by Mitch Dorge just before the release of The Ghosts That Haunt Me. After signing with BMG Records, the band signed with manager Jeff Rogers (Swell).

Mainstream success: 1991--1999

The band first began to achieve commercial success in Canada with the release of The Ghosts that Haunt Me in 1991. The album eventually reached sales of 400,000 in Canada, largely due to the overwhelming 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. Particularly instrumental in increasing the band's exposure in the American market was the appearance of a new type of radio format, adult album-oriented alternative rock (AAA). These stations put the first single Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm in high rotation and the song peaked at No. 4 in the US Hot 100. Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm did even better in the United Kingdom, where it was a No. 2 hit, and Australia where it peaked at No. 1. Popular parodist Weird Al Yankovic parodied the song under the title Headline News in 1994. In their native Canada, Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm was a comparative disappointment on the charts, only peaking at No. 14. Two other songs from the album went top 10 in Canada: Swimming In Your Ocean and Afternoons & Coffeespoons. This latter song was also a top 40 hit in Australia and the United Kingdom and hit the lower portion of the US Hot 100. The result was that by mid-1994 the album had passed the platinum sales mark (one million) in the United States and had also earned the band three Grammy nominations and three more Juno nominations. To date, God Shuffled His Feet has sold more than five and a half million copies worldwide. 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, credited to The Crash Test Dummies and Ellen Reid, charted at No. 30 in the UK singles chart and was a No. 4 hit in Canada. In 1996, the Dummies' third album, A Worm's Life, was released to mixed critical and moderate commercial success. The guitar-heavy singles were warmly received in some markets (lead single He Liked To Feel It hit No. 2 in Canada), but internationally nothing matched the runaway success of either Superman's Song or Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm. Still, the album went platinum in Canada in less than one month. Give Yourself A Hand, the Dummies' fourth album, was released March 23, 1999. The album showcased a new sound for the Dummies, as it featured Ellen Reid singing lead vocals on three tracks, and Brad Roberts singing in a falsetto on several others. The whole sound of the album was much more electronic than the previous recordings. Once again, the lead single (Keep A Lid On Things) was a top 10 hit in Canada. During a hiatus between albums, Benjamin Darvill became the first Dummy to release solo material. Under the name Son Of Dave, Darvill first brought out the album B. Darvill's Wild West Show, followed with 01, both released on Benjamin's own label, Husky Records.