Central Nervous System – I Could Have Danced All Night (LP 1968) @ VBR

 

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Members:

Bruce Cassidy, Doug Billard, Jack S. Lilly, Jim White (, Keith Jollimore, Richard Oakley

A pop-soul band from Canada that made it to Billboard but didn't get very far due to poor management...

Band was originally known as "Five Sounds" and included keyboardist Joe Sealy. They released two singles in 1965 and 1966 on Epic which charted on Halifax radio station CHNS. In 1968 the "Five Sounds" were the house band on CBC television's "Where It's At" (the local segment of the national series) which was hosted by Frank Cameron and produced in Halifax. In 1968 the band went to New York to record "I Could Have Danced All Night" album and changed name to "Central Nervous System" at the suggestion of Mark Joseph who worked at the Record Plant where the album was recorded.

Band split up in 1969 just before the album had a chance to try itself in the marketplace and dates were lined up to tour in the United States. Billard and White both went on to play in "Pepper Tree" at different times. Oakley switched to lead guitar and was a founding member of "Soma". Jollimore and Cassidy both went to Lighthouse.

Central Nervous System – I Could Have Danced All Night (1968)

 01. Central Nervous System - Comin' To Get Ya 

 02. Central Nervous System - Undecided 

 03. Central Nervous System - She's Everything Good To Me 

 04. Central Nervous System - I'm My Own Keeper 

 05. Central Nervous System - Sweet Hot Lucy 

 06. Central Nervous System - Silence In My Room 

 07. Central Nervous System - Why 

 08. Central Nervous System - It's So Hard 

 09. Central Nervous System - Welcome Back Girl 

 10. Central Nervous System - A Heart That's Cold 

 11. Central Nervous System - Mystery Lady 

"What's here is quite good, if a little undifferentiated. Most of the songs only differ in their relative positions on the pop-rock continuum. It's often derivative: "Comin' to Get Ya" offers James Brown-style vocals and horn charts, while "I'm My Own Keeper" sounds a bit too much like the Supremes, and "Welcome Back Girl" sounds more like Jay and the Americans than Jay and the Americans. What keeps the album interesting is the band's knack for melody.

CNS shines brightest when they go to extremes. Ballads like "Silence in My Room" and "Mystery Lady" sound like potential hits. At the other end of the spectrum, screamers like "Sweet Hot Lucy" and a cover of Lonnie Mack's "Why?" (the only non-original) show the group's comfort level with guitar feedback. If more of the album occupied these edges, instead of the middle ground exemplified by the majority of the material, it might be better known.

The album cover art is perhaps the greatest disservice to the band. It gives a false impression of the music inside, being more appropriate for an ultra-trippy psych band. From a marketing aspect, they were bound to miss their target audience, even under the best of circumstances. The point is rendered impotent by the lack of promotion they received. Rather than missing their target audience, they largely missed _every_ audience, leaving this obscure set as the only testament to their skills." ~ ochsfan Oct 26 2008

The Five Sounds Singles : 

Members:

Bruce Cassidy, Doug Billard, Jack S. Lilly, Jim White , Joe Sealy, Keith Jollimore, Richard Oakley

The Five Sounds – Loadin' Coal / Baby, Please Don't Cry (1965)

01. The Five Sounds - Loadin' Coal 

02. The Five Sounds - Baby, Please Don't Cry 

The Five Sounds – Peanut Butter /  Miss Ann (1966)

 01. The Five Sounds - Peanut Butter 

 02. The Five Sounds - Miss Ann 

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