Central Line (band)
| Company type | Music group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | March 1978 |
| Founder | Steve Salvari, Camelle Hinds, Lipson Francis, Henry Defoe |
| Headquarters | London , United Kingdom |
| Products | Soul and R&B music |
Number of employees | 7–13 (varied lineup) |
| Parent | Mercury Records (label) |
Central Line is a soul and R&B ensemble from London that released two albums through Mercury Records during the 1980s, securing two hit singles in the United States and one single reaching the UK top 40.
1970s
Established in March 1978, Central Line secured a contract with Mercury Records early in 1979, managed by John Stainze. The original lineup featured Steve Salvari, Camelle Hinds, Lipson Francis, and Henry Defoe, all previously part of TFB (Typical Funk Band), a group associated with future members of Light of the World and Imagination. Following TFB's breakup, members pursued individual ventures until regrouping in 1978 with new additions Linton Beckles (17 December 1955 – 3 April 2015) and Kim "Jake" Le Mesurier—who is the son of actors John Le Mesurier and Hattie Jacques. The name Central Line was chosen to signify their dedication to funk and soul music.
They supported tours for artists including Roy Ayers, Grover Washington, Fat Larry's Band, and The Real Thing (UK band). Their first single, "Wot We Got Its Hot," garnered favorable reviews, although the subsequent release, "Sticks & Stones," did not achieve similar success. They wrapped up that year with an appearance on BBC Television's Linda Lewis' Roadshow.
1980s
During the week of 3 October 1981, Cash Box magazine noted that the "Walking in the Sunshine (remix)" track had reached number one on the Northeast Dance Music Chart. Two weeks afterward, while still holding that position, it entered the Cash Box Top 100 Singles chart at number 90.
Their eponymous album, produced by Roy Carter, was issued by Mercury Records under catalog SRM-1-4033 in late 1981. Highlighted as a featured selection in Cash Box's issue dated 26 December, the album received acclaim as "the true cream of the genre," with particular emphasis on "Walking into Sunshine." Other standout songs included "Goodbye" and "Shake It Up." That same week, the album debuted at number 62 on the Cash Box Black Contemporary Top 75 Albums chart.
Although Central Line enjoyed club popularity in America with "Walking into Sunshine" and achieved a UK top 40 hit with "Nature Boy", sustained mainstream breakthrough proved elusive, culminating in their disbandment in August 1984.
Work outside the group
Salvari exited early in 1980 and subsequently collaborated with Barry White, Robert Palmer, and Sheena Easton before advancing his career as a record producer. Mel Gaynor left following the debut album to join Simple Minds, while Henri Defoe worked alongside Michael Finbarr Murphy.
Bassist Hinds established Hindsight with Defoe, performed bass for the Style Council, and co-founded the Walkers alongside trumpeter Canute Wellington; they released "(Whatever Happened to) the Party Groove" / "Sky's the Limit" in 1983.
Later years
Le Mesurier passed away in Spain during the 1990s due to an accidental drug overdose.
Beckles died from pneumonia complications in London on 3 April 2015 at age 59. His son is professional footballer Omar Beckles of Leyton Orient.
Lipson Francis died on 29 June 2018.
As of 2025, a version of Central Line remains active and performs live shows.
Original members
- Steve Salvari – Lead vocals, keyboards
- Camelle Hinds – Vocals, bass guitar
- Lipson Francis – Vocals, keyboards
- Henri Defoe – Vocals, guitar
- Jake Le Mesurier – Drums and percussion
- Linton Beckles – Vocals, percussion
- Mel Gaynor – Drums and percussion
- Michael Finbarr Murphy – Guitar, keyboards
- Roy Carter – Guitar, keyboards
- Steve Jeffries – Keyboards
- George Chandler – Backing vocals
- Dee Sealy – Backing vocals
- Jimmy Chambers – Backing vocals
Albums
| Year | Album Title | Record Label | Chart Rankings | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | UK | |||
| 1981 | Central Line | Mercury Records | 145 | 32 | — |
| Breaking Point | — | — | 64 | ||
| 1983 | Choice | — | — | — | |
| "—" indicates releases that either did not chart or were not issued in that region. | |||||
Singles
| Year | Song Title | US Pop | US R&B | US Dance | UK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | "Wot We Got (It's Hot)" | — | — | — | — |
| 1980 | "Sticks & Stones" | — | — | — | — |
| "You Can Do It (You Know)" | — | — | — | 67 | |
| 1981 | "That's No Way to Treat My Love" | — | — | — | — |
| "Walking into Sunshine" | 84 | 14 | 5 | 42 | |
| 1982 | "Don't Tell Me" | — | — | — | 55 |
| "You've Said Enough" | — | 54 | 11 | 58 | |
| "Nature Boy" | — | — | — | 21 | |
| "Surprise Surprise" | (1983) |
48 |
External links
- English boogie musicians
- English dance music groups
- English disco groups
- English pop music groups
- British contemporary R&B musical groups
- British post-disco music groups
- British soul musical groups
- English funk musical groups
- Contemporary R&B musical groups from London
- Musical groups established in 1978
- Musical groups disbanded in 1984
- Mercury Records artists
- Musical groups disestablished in 1984