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51-579: Anchored by Brad Roberts (vocals, guitar) and his distinctive bass-baritone voice, the other band members have fluctuated over the years. Its most prominent line-up 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). The band is widely known internationally for their 1993 single " Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm " and in Canada for

102-442: A taxicab , tying one to a steak and throwing it to a dog on the other side of a fence, and tying a tooth to a crane . After the boy falls off the crane, a man approaches him and pulls out another tooth with pliers. Prosthetic teeth and gums were utilized to obtain the tooth effects used in the video. As a result of the graphic footage, the music video was banned from airing on Canadian television channel YTV , and all close-ups of

153-631: A Brad Roberts solo project. Co-written by Stuart Cameron , 13 songs were selected from a pool of 30. Ellen sang backing vocals and Dan played bass, though much of the music – funky grooves that would not have seemed out of place on Give Yourself A Hand – was performed by other musicians. Songs of the Unforgiven , the eighth studio album under the Crash Test Dummies name, was recorded not long after Puss 'n' Boots . After releasing three records through his own label, Roberts realized he

204-475: A Hand . As a result, the band and the label parted ways, and Brad Roberts formed his own independent label "Cha-Ching Records" (later renamed to "Deep Fried Records"). Free from major-label restrictions, the Dummies surprised their fans in 2001 by putting their solo projects on hold for a fifth studio album and tour. After suffering a near-fatal car accident in the fall of 2000, Brad found himself recuperating in

255-486: A Top 10 on radio in United States. Following the completion of touring for Oooh La La , the band went on an indefinite hiatus, as Ellen Reid decided to retire from performing and Brad Roberts began to develop back problems. However, the hiatus was ended when Brad Roberts decided to go on a solo tour in 2015. In the spring of 2016, Brad Roberts announced his first tour of Canada in five years. In an interview about

306-554: A bartender at The Spectrum Cabaret, Roberts began writing his own songs and introducing them to the band. After attending a songwriters' workshop with Lyle Lovett at the Winnipeg Folk Festival , he wrote " Superman's Song ". Demos of Roberts's songs found themselves in the hands of various music company execs across Canada, and the quirky bar band that had just begun to write original material found itself with record deal options which led The Crash Test Dummies into

357-426: 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. The band adopted the name as a joke, but nevertheless kept it. 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

408-493: A new lineup with Roberts and Mark Crozer from Jesus and Mary Chain. This led to the release of the re-vamped lineup's debut single " Promised Land ", featuring both Marc Mysterio and Brad Roberts on lead vocals, with Mark Crozer on Bass and Drums. Mysterio wrote, composed and produced the song as well as playing guitar and keyboard on the record. Proceeds went to benefit the International Red Cross to assist with

459-422: 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

510-693: A rushed, but nevertheless well-received debut album, The Ghosts That Haunt Me . The album introduced the band to the rest of the Canadian provinces, selling over 400,000 copies in Canada alone and also garnering a 1991 Juno Award for Group of the Year. With more time and finances, Roberts set about writing the band's second album, God Shuffled His Feet . This to date is the band's best selling and most popular album, bringing an international audience and selling over six million copies. The Crash Test Dummies were nominated for three Grammy Awards in 1994. The group

561-512: A stop at Ontario's Burl's Creek Event Grounds in July. In the fall of 2018, it was announced that Brad Roberts, Ellen Reid, Dan Roberts, and Mitch Dorge would be going on their first full tour of Canada and the United States in nearly two decades to celebrate the 25th anniversary of God Shuffled His Feet . The band continued to tour through 2022 in celebration of the 30th anniversary of their first album, The Ghosts That Haunt Me . In early 2023,

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612-427: Is a song by Canadian rock band Crash Test Dummies , released as the second track on their third studio album , A Worm's Life (1996). The song was written by the band's lead singer, Brad Roberts , and was produced by Brad alongside his brother and bassist Dan Roberts alongside drummer Michel "Mitch" Dorge . Arista Records released it as the lead single from A Worm's Life on September 9, 1996. The lyrics of

663-544: Is the last remaining active member of Crash Test Dummies, with it just being him and guitarist Stuart Cameron going on tour. On May 28, 2016, to commemorate his first Canadian tour in five years, Brad Roberts released the new song " I'll Be Peaceful Then ". In the summer of 2017, the full band, except for Benjamin Darvill , reunited for a show in Winnipeg and Brad Roberts went on a tour of South Africa in early 2018. The band continued to perform together that summer, including

714-504: The Cape Breton Lobster Bash series was released on July 27, 2009. Oooh La La was released on May 11, 2010. The album's release was accompanied by the band touring in an "Acoustic Trio" format consisting of Roberts and Ellen Reid, accompanied by either Stuart Cameron or Murray Pulver on guitar. On October 9, 2010, as part of the Canadian leg of the tour, Dan Roberts and Mitch Dorge joined Brad Roberts and Ellen Reid in

765-590: The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States. Crash Test Dummies received three nominations. Brad Roberts Bradley Kenneth Roberts (born January 10, 1964) is the lead singer and guitarist for the Canadian folk-rock band Crash Test Dummies and the only constant member since its inception. He sings in the bass-baritone range. The band is best known internationally for their 1993 album God Shuffled His Feet and single " Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm " and best known in Canada for

816-518: The soundtrack to the film Dumb and Dumber , and "All You Pretty Girls" for the XTC tribute album A Testimonial Dinner . Current members Current touring musicians Former members Former touring musicians Timeline Delivered since 1991, the GAFFA Awards are a Danish award that rewards popular music by the magazine of the same name. The Grammy Awards are awarded annually by

867-461: The urban influences of Give Yourself a Hand , and the optigan -based compositions of Oooh La La! Crash Test Dummies recorded as a full five piece band from their debut album The Ghosts That Haunt Me until Give Yourself a Hand . At this time, the most notable instrumentation of the band's music included Brad Roberts' lead guitar, Ellen Reid's keyboards, and Benjamin Darvill's harmonica. Another notable element of Crash Test Dummies' music are

918-700: The 1991 single " Superman's Song ". He studied English Literature and Philosophy, receiving a bachelor's degree with honours from University of Winnipeg in 1986. As a musician, he is largely self taught. Roberts began performing with Paul James and Curtis Riddell at the Blue Note Cafe in Winnipeg. Curtis, without consulting Brad, advertised them under the moniker Bad Brad Roberts and the St. James Rhythm Pigs. The band dropped this name quickly at Brad's insistence, and after Curtis left, they evolved into The Crash Test Dummies. While studying at university and working as

969-477: The 1991 single " Superman's Song ". The origin of 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 1986, 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 Crash Test Dummies, a name suggested by

1020-584: The Crash Test Dummies name was put on the record. This album saw the Dummies returning to their acoustic roots. Brad compared this album to the Dummies' first, The Ghosts That Haunt Me , though he calls it more atmospheric and polished. Near the end of 2001, some new Dummies solo albums were released. First, Ellen Reid launched her debut solo effort, Cinderellen . Soon after, Brad Roberts' long-awaited double-live CD and rockumentary, entitled Crash Test Dude , were made available through MapleMusic . Mitch Dorge 's surprise debut album, As Trees Walking ,

1071-574: The albums Let It Bleed by The Rolling Stones , Abbey Road by The Beatles , Diamond Dogs by David Bowie and Oranges & Lemons by XTC , which was introduced to him by his friend on his car stereo in the late '80s. At age 12 he bought his first record, Dressed to Kill by Kiss , and was inspired by guitarist Ace Frehley . He took guitar lessons for four years from that point. He has honour degrees in English and philosophy. He Liked to Feel It " He Liked to Feel It "

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1122-411: The backup vocals and keyboards on the song while Dan Roberts plays bass and Dorge plays drums. Murray Pulver, who would join the band in 1996, provides additional guitars on the track. Roberts began to write the lyrics, creating a story about a boy who likes to remove his baby teeth through bizarre means. At the end of the song, the boy's father forcefully rips out a tooth with a pair of pliers , which

1173-399: The band released Demo-litions: Cast-off Recordings 1996–97 featuring previously unreleased demos of songs written during the recording of Give Yourself a Hand . In June 2012, Brad Roberts wrote a blog post saying that there is an incomplete new album lying around, but that producer Stewart Lerman is currently too busy with other projects to work on it. In 2014, Marc Mysterio helped form

1224-427: The band released "Sacred Alphabet", their first song with the full band in over a decade. The song did not chart and received no substantive airplay on radio in Canada or elsewhere. Throughout their career, Crash Test Dummies have experimented with many different styles and genres of music. These styles include the acoustic folk rock of The Ghosts That Haunt Me , the electric alternative rock of A Worm's Life ,

1275-408: The band's entire catalog, including most of their singles and several album tracks. The compilation would later be re-released on March 10, 2008, as "Best of Crash Test Dummies – Collections" with two previously unreleased tracks: "Laid Back" and "You Said You'd Meet Me (In California)", the latter being an early version of a song that would later appear on Oooh La La . In addition a new online store

1326-621: 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 on 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

1377-480: The band's highest-charting single in their home country, but internationally nothing matched the runaway success of either "Superman's Song" or "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm". Regardless, 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 was recorded in Nassau, Bahamas, at Compass Point Studios and produced by Greg Wells. It showcased

1428-432: The band's hometown of Winnipeg for the first performance by the original line-up in a decade. Benjamin Darvill was not present for the reunion, despite having played a solo show in town a few days earlier. During the tour, Brad Roberts began the habit of taking photographs at random and posting them on his blog and the band's Facebook page. In 2011, the band continued to tour in support of Oooh La La . On April 19, 2011,

1479-479: The band, independent of a major record label . Puss 'n' Boots was released in October 2003 with a European and additional American version. A Crash Test Dummies album, Oooh La La! , was released in 2010. This was followed with the solo release on an album of Mantras , entitled Rajanaka: Mantra , in 2011. His influences as a musician are primarily rooted in late-'60s, '70s and '80s British music, from

1530-455: The boy does not enjoy because he is not the one removing it. "He Liked to Feel It" was included as the second track on A Worm's Life , which was released on October 1, 1996; it was released as the album's lead single in both Canada and the United States. Arista Records serviced the song to adult album alternative radio on September 9, 1996, and to modern rock and rock stations on September 23. On Canada's RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart,

1581-493: The contrasting harmonies between Brad Roberts' deep lead vocals and Ellen Reid's backing vocals in the higher register. Beginning with I Don't Care That You Don't Mind in 2001, the band's albums were recorded primarily by Brad Roberts, Ellen Reid, and a rotating roster of session musicians. One of the biggest influences for Brad Roberts was the band XTC and Andy Partridge in particular. The band even went on to cover two of XTC's songs: " The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead " for

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1632-412: The name Son Of Dave , Darvill first brought out the album B. Darvill's Wild West Show , followed with O1 , both released on his own label, Husky Records. The less-than-stellar commercial success of both A Worm's Life and Give Yourself a Hand resulted in the band feeling much more restricted by their label BMG , especially after the label rejected 35 songs during the production of Give Yourself

1683-527: The popularity of the hit single " Superman's Song ", which appeared on the RPM Top Singles chart that year, featured on the soundtrack of an episode of the TV series "Due South" and earned the band the 1992 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

1734-404: The rest of A Worm's Life . The lyrical theme of "He Liked to Feel It", intended as dark humour , came about when Brad Roberts began to ponder over his own teeth. He explained, "I was sitting around one day feeling my teeth, and I noticed that they were firmly imbedded in my skull [...] Teeth are part of the human body, but I thought that it was strange that they come out." Ellen Reid provides

1785-473: The song debuted at number 83 on the issue dated September 16, 1996. On September 30, it jumped from number 68 to number 36, becoming that week's highest climber. The song continued to rise up the chart during the next several weeks, attaining its peak of number two on November 25, 1996. The song logged 21 weeks in the top 100. It is Crash Test Dummies' highest-peaking single on the RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart, and it

1836-470: The song did not appear on the UK Singles Chart . The music video for the song was directed by Ken Fox and produced by David Moskowitz. Eric Barret executive produced the video for Original Films. The video features the band performing on a New York City rooftop interspersed with scenes of a boy, played by Leo Fitzpatrick , pulling his teeth out in various ways, including tying a tooth to

1887-615: The song originated from Brad Roberts' personal reflections about teeth, telling a story in which a boy likes the removal of his baby teeth via bizarre methods. The song is Crash Test Dummies' highest-peaking single in their native Canada, reaching number two on the RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart in 1996. "He Liked to Feel It" failed to chart elsewhere except on the US Billboard Triple-A chart, peaking at number 18. A music video directed by Ken Fox and produced by David Moskowitz

1938-531: 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

1989-584: 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, becoming

2040-430: The tour, Roberts provided an update about the other members of the band, who he still keeps in touch with: Dan Roberts now has a family in Winnipeg, Mitch Dorge devotes most of his time now to motivational speaking at schools, Ellen Reid is married and spends her time creating elaborate Facebook pages with all her own illustrations, and Benjamin Darvill has found success for himself as Son of Dave . Roberts confirmed that he

2091-458: The town of Argyle, Nova Scotia . It was there that he met some local "lobster fishermen" 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 on, Ellen 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,

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2142-499: The unprecedented refugee crisis in Europe. Brad Roberts of Crash Test Dummies described how the new group came to be to scores of media outlets, "Marc Mysterio and I shared a few common friends and when his deal with Godsmack fell through, I stepped up to record the new song. In studio, Marc asked me to add in humming to the track and then after, my wife commented, 'Marc is really on to something there'". "Promised Land" went on to score

2193-593: Was losing money. As such, he stopped recording and touring and instead worked as a songwriting teacher in New York City, while participating in yoga, chanting, and meditation (the latter influencing Roberts's side-project Satsang Circus ). Despite the hiatus, in 2006 Brad Roberts began to record the album that would become Oooh La La with producer and friend Stewart Lerman, using the optigan and omnichord . In October, 2007 Sony BMG released The Best of Crash Test Dummies , featuring twelve tracks selected from

2244-475: Was made for the song, featuring a boy who pulls out his own teeth through different means. The video generated controversy due to the graphic imagery of the boy's mouth, which utilizes prosthetic teeth and gums. Brad Roberts wrote "He Liked to Feel It". His brother Dan Roberts helped him produce the song, as did Michel Dorge . The song was recorded at Compass Point Studios in The Bahamas along with

2295-616: Was nominated for eleven other Junos from 1992 to 2000. A Worm's Life was released in 1996, selling over one million copies and showcasing a harder-edged sound as the band continued to evolve, producing this album on their own. 1999 introduced a mix of electronic funk and spontaneous wordplay with Give Yourself a Hand . Roberts met Greg Wells at a songwriters' workshop and invited him to co-write and assist in recording this album inspired by influences and flavours of Roberts' new home in Harlem, New York . On September 28, 2000, Roberts

2346-448: Was opened allowing users to purchase downloads from all of the band's post-BMG releases, including Cape Breton Lobster Bash series , a collection of songs written about Brad Roberts's experiences at Cape Breton and an annual tradition known as the "Lobster Bash". Work continued in 2008 on songs for an album which was tentatively titled Toys . In July 2009, the title of the album was renamed from Toys to Oooh La La . A fourth song in

2397-454: Was released in early 2002. He played almost all of the instruments, took some of the photos for the liner notes, and won a Prairie Music Award for Best Instrumental Recording. Brad, Dan, and Ellen returned as Crash Test Dummies at the end of 2002 with Jingle All the Way , a long-rumoured Christmas album. In 2003, Puss 'n' Boots was released. Much like I Don't Care , the album began life as

2448-496: Was replaced by Mitch Dorge just before the release of The Ghosts That Haunt Me . After signing with BMG Records in 1991, the band signed with manager Jeff Rogers (Swell) who managed the band until the end of 1999 when he left to become Head of Artist Development at Richard Branson's V2 Records. 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

2499-540: Was severely injured when he crashed his car on a dirt road in Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia ; he was charged with drug possession when marijuana was discovered on his person by the RCMP . While recuperating, he began to jam with locals (The Great Wind Jammers from Argyle, Yarmouth County), subsequently producing his next album, I Don't Care That You Don't Mind , from the sessions — the first album released by

2550-411: 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

2601-544: Was the 23rd most-successful single on the chart in 1996. "He Liked to Feel It" also appeared on RPM ' s Adult Contemporary and Alternative 30 weekly rankings, achieving peaks of numbers seven and 21, respectively. In the US, "He Liked to Feel It" appeared on the Triple-A chart, on which it peaked at number 18 on November 2, 1996. In the United Kingdom, a CD single and cassette single were issued on October 7, 1996, but

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