Crash Test Dummies: Winnipeg Icon

In many ways, the origin of Crash Test Dummies is tied to the history of two Winnipeg nightspots, the Spectrum Cabaret and the Blue Note Cafe. These were 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. 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 later left, and was replaced by Mitch Dorge around the time that The Ghosts that Haunt Me was released.

Crash Test Dummies first began to achieve commercial success in Canada with the release of The Ghosts that Haunt Me in 1991. The album eventually reached quadruple gold sales (400,000) in Canada, largely due to the overwhelming popularity of the smash hit single Superman's Song, which earned the Dummies the 1991 Juno Award for Group of the Year.

However, the Dummies did not receive much international recognition until the 1993 release of their second album, God Shuffled His Feet. Particularly instrumental in increasing CTD's exposure in the U.S. market was the appearance of a new type of radio format: adult album-oriented alternative rock (AAA). These stations put the single "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" in high rotation. The result was that by mid-1994, the album had passed the platinum sales mark in the U.S. (one million), and had also earned the Dummies three Grammy nominations and three more Juno nominations. To date, GSHF has sold more than five and a half million copies worldwide.

Crash Test Dummies - Amsterdam 1994

13 tracks @ 192kbps