Central Line
'The Collection'
Universal/Spectrum
UK Release Date - June 2003
East London's finest brit funk band Central Line were perhaps the unluckiest of all the UK outfits during the early 1980's as they failed to achieve any credible UK chart success that they so deserved despite being possibly THE best of their kind at the time. Sure they hit the Record Mirror club chart with almost all of their single releases and at one point during the early 1980's that chart nearly always had a Central Line song trogging around somewhere and it is a pity they weren't more commercially successful.

I speak with a certain degree of authority on the band having been the first DJ in North Wales to introduce and feature the group at my venues at that time where they became regular figures during their PA tours to promote their singles. You couldn't have found a nicer set of guys and I became very friendly with Linton & Camille and became committed to promoting the group in this part of the UK. Their songs apart from being very soulful, were also very appealing at dance floor level and 'Walking Into Sunshine' became one of the most requested disco tracks at my venues at that time.

Whilst being a brilliant band they never quite got the exposure at radio level as their counterparts Second Image/Level 42/Shakatak who were all around during that time all vying for chart and club action. Having witnessed the group play support to Hi Tension during the early eighties they delivered such a powerful performance that it was hard to distinguish that night in Liverpool just who was the best act on the night. This new collection of 'hits' via Universal Music is a great kick back to when soul music really was soul music, complete with melodies and real instruments. For those checking out the group for the very first time will love tracks like the heavy plodding bass line of 'Don't Tell Me' and the funky sounding 'You've Said Enough' both of which became Central Line favourites alongside classic dance floor orientated tunes such as 'Walking Into Sunshine' which is the opening track on this CD.

My personal favourite is the superb '(You Know) You Can Do It' which was a major tune on my playlist for months and always guaranteed plenty of follow up requests and enquiries after each play. I recall the closest the band got to a UK chart placing was their rendition of Nat Cole/George Benson's 'Nature Boy' which suffered with a poorly produced promo video filmed on horseback deep in the heart of the Essex countryside. Despite everybody's best intentions the single did generate some prime time TV slots and specialist plays but sadly faded into obscurity soon after.

This CD is crammed full of uptempo dance tunes but I feel compelled to draw your attention to a gorgeous ballad right in the EWF mould entitled 'Goodbye' and displays Camille at his very best and shows the groups vocal dexterity to the max and this track certainly set the tone for future things to come in the year 2003 where lead singer Camille Hinds surfaced as a solo artist with his 'Closer To The Source' project which is still generating daytime radio plays on Jazz FM.

Whilst Central Line may have long gone as a collective unit they unquestionably produced some of the best dance tunes of the early eighties and must quite rightly so take their place in UK soul/jazz funk history. A great CD for those who lived through that great soul era.

Rating 7/10