Central Line (band)
Encyclopedia
Central Line were a British
pop and jazz-funk
group, based in London
, England
. They recorded three album
s for Mercury Records
in the 1980s, and had two hit single
s in the United States, as well as one Top 40 success in their native country.
. Salvari joined TFB after the departure of Kenny Wellington in late 1976, as their second keyboard player and the band members then stood at Salvari, Hinds, Francis, Defoe and Kennedy. The band gigged for about a year then broke up. Francis and Defoe went to work with a bass player who was in Boney M., and Salvari and Hinds staying together to work on various projects.
In early 1978, four of the TFB members got back together, and expanded the previous format by recruiting Linton Beckles and Jake Le Mesurier. The band decided they needed a new identity, and Defoe came up with the name Central Line, because the band were now running down a central line of funk
and soul
.
They toured with Roy Ayers
, Grover Washington, Fat Larry's Band
and The Real Thing
. Central Line released their first single
, "Wot We Got Its Hot" to a good reception, but their second single "Sticks & Stones" did not fare so well. They finished the year appearing on BBC Television
's, Linda Lewis' Roadshow.
Salvari left in early 1980. After working with Barry White
, Robert Palmer and Sheena Easton
, he continues in the music industry as a record producer
. Hinds later formed Hindsight with Defoe, and also played bass in The Style Council
. Francis and Beckles are now dedicated to the church, and Le Mesurier died in the 1990s.
Despite a club hit with "Walking into Sunshine" which sold well in the United States
, and a UK
Top 40 hit
with "Nature Boy", consistent mainstream success eluded them, and they disbanded in August 1984.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
pop and jazz-funk
Jazz-funk
Jazz-funk is a sub-genre of jazz music characterized by a strong back beat , electrified sounds, and often, the presence of the first electronic analog synthesizers...
group, based in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. They recorded three album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s for Mercury Records
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
in the 1980s, and had two hit single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
s in the United States, as well as one Top 40 success in their native country.
Career
The band was formed in March 1978, and were signed to Mercury Records early in 1979 by John Stainze. The original founding members were Steve Salvari, Camelle Hinds, Lipson Francis and Henry Defoe. Hinds, Francis and Defoe were previously in a band called TFB (Typical Funk Band), which had contained members that would go on to form Light of the World. TFB also contained the drummer Errol Kennedy, who later joined ImaginationImagination (band)
Imagination were a three piece British soul and funk band, who came to prominence in the early 1980s. They had chart hits in 28 countries, earning four platinum discs, nine gold discs and more than a dozen silver discs around the world between 1981 and 1983....
. Salvari joined TFB after the departure of Kenny Wellington in late 1976, as their second keyboard player and the band members then stood at Salvari, Hinds, Francis, Defoe and Kennedy. The band gigged for about a year then broke up. Francis and Defoe went to work with a bass player who was in Boney M., and Salvari and Hinds staying together to work on various projects.
In early 1978, four of the TFB members got back together, and expanded the previous format by recruiting Linton Beckles and Jake Le Mesurier. The band decided they needed a new identity, and Defoe came up with the name Central Line, because the band were now running down a central line of funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
and soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
.
They toured with Roy Ayers
Roy Ayers
Roy Ayers is an American funk, soul, and jazz composer and vibraphone player. Ayers began his career as a post-bop jazz artist, releasing several albums with Atlantic Records, before his tenure at Polydor Records beginning in the 1970s, during which he helped pioneer jazz-funk .- Biography :Ayers...
, Grover Washington, Fat Larry's Band
Fat Larry's Band
Fat Larry's Band was an American R&B/funk band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who enjoyed some commercial success in the early 1980s.-Career:...
and The Real Thing
The Real Thing (band)
The Real Thing is a Norwegian jazz quartet. Due to the sudden death of the band's saxophonist Sigurd Køhn in December 2004 The Real Thing has been hibernating since Køhn's death....
. Central Line released their first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "Wot We Got Its Hot" to a good reception, but their second single "Sticks & Stones" did not fare so well. They finished the year appearing on BBC Television
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
's, Linda Lewis' Roadshow.
Salvari left in early 1980. After working with Barry White
Barry White
Barry White, born Barry Eugene Carter , was an American composer and singer-songwriter.A five-time Grammy Award-winner known for his distinctive bass voice and romantic image, White's greatest success came in the 1970s as a solo singer and with the Love Unlimited Orchestra, crafting many enduring...
, Robert Palmer and Sheena Easton
Sheena Easton
Sheena Easton is a Scottish recording artist. Easton became famous for being the focus of an episode in the British television programme The Big Time, which recorded her attempts to gain a record contract and her eventual signing with EMI Records.Easton rose to fame in the early 1980s with the pop...
, he continues in the music industry as a record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
. Hinds later formed Hindsight with Defoe, and also played bass in The Style Council
The Style Council
The Style Council were an English band, formed in 1983 by the ex-The Jam singer and guitarist Paul Weller, with keyboardist Mick Talbot. The permanent line-up grew to include drummer Steve White and Weller's then-wife, vocalist Dee C. Lee. Other artists such as Tracie Young and Tracey Thorn also...
. Francis and Beckles are now dedicated to the church, and Le Mesurier died in the 1990s.
Despite a club hit with "Walking into Sunshine" which sold well in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and a UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Top 40 hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
with "Nature Boy", consistent mainstream success eluded them, and they disbanded in August 1984.
Original members
- Steve Salvari - vocals, keyboards
- Camelle Hinds - vocals, bass
- Lipson Francis - vocals, keyboards
- Henry Defoe - vocals, guitar
- Jake Le Mesurier - drums
- Linton Beckles - vocals, percussion
Albums
- Central Line (Mercury RecordsMercury RecordsMercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
, 1981) USBillboard 200The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
#145 - Breaking Point (Mercury, 1982) UKUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
#64 - Choice (Mercury, 1984)
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Pop Singles Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
U.S. Black Singles Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
U.S. Club Play Singles | UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
||
| 1981 | "(You Know) You Can Do It" | - | - | - | 67 |
| "Walking into Sunshine" | 84 | 14 | 5 | 42 | |
| 1982 | "Don't Tell Me" | - | - | - | 55 |
| "You've Said Enough" | - | 54 | 11 | 58 | |
| 1983 | "Nature Boy Nature Boy (song) "Nature Boy" is a song by eden ahbez, published in 1947. The song tells a fantasy of a "strange enchanted boy... who wandered very far" only to learn that "the greatest thing... was just to love and be loved in return"... " |
- | - | - | 21 |
| "Surprise Surprise" | - | - | - | 48 |