Sometimes it’s just the wrong time.

Central Line formed in London in the late 1970’s. Some of the members had already worked together for a few years in a now defunct funk outfit called Typical Funk Band. These musical refugees added a couple of new members and decided to blend their typical funk with contemporary R&B/soul elements. Hence the name, Central Line — walking down the middle of those two genres.

The group’s first couple of singles were more miss than hit, but in 1981 they released “Walking Into Sunshine,” a song which proved very popular in both US and UK dance clubs and would have fit perfectly on Kool & The Gang’s Celebrate! or Michael Jackson’s recent Off The Wall album. Unfortunately for Central Line’s future, Michael was currently hard at work on his next album, and the musical landscape was about to shift dramatically.

The following year saw the release not only of Jackson’s Thriller, but also Prince’s 1999 and Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five’s The Message. The revamped sound of R&B would incorporate rock and new wave influences and de-emphasize the disco. Rap and hip hop also continued to emerge as a serious and ever more popular art form, shedding any lingering aura of novelty. Bands like Central Line now sounded slightly anachronistic, and they were unable to adapt and capitalize on their brief success.

But they released a great, feel-good single while they were around. Forget winter, and let the sunshine in.