Quick Hit
“The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead, Ellen Reid of the Crash Test Dummies (1996)
The voice of Brad Roberts is unmistakable. His bass-baritone timbre resonates in songs like “Superman’s Song” and “Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm”.
The Canadian, ‘Crash Test Dummies’ from Winnipeg, got their name from a suggested by a friend of the bands who was in medical school. Really started as a bit of a joke, Brad played as “Bad Brad Roberts & The St. James Rhythm Pigs” at the Spectrum Cabaret and the Blue Notes Cafe owned by Curtis Riddell. When the name change occurred, Ellen Reid (vocals/keyboards), Ben Darvill (harmonica/mandolin) were permanent members of the ‘Dummies’ and the line later added Robert’s brother Dan (bass), and Mitch Dorge (drums).
