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Electric Six Information
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'Electric Six' is a six-piece Detroit-based rock band, that plays a mix of hard rock, funk and disco. They can be considered part of the Post-punk revival.
Biography
The band's first notorious formation was comprised of Dick Valentine (vocals), Rock and Roll Indian (guitar), Surge Joebot (guitar), Disco (bass, ex member of Detroit Cobras), and M (drums). Dick Valentine (real name Tyler Spencer) is and has always been the primary songwriter (both music and lyrics) of Electric Six, currently and under their former incarnation, when they were known as the Wildbunch. During the band's temporary split at the end of the 1990s, Tyler Spencer formed his own band called 'The Dirty Shame' and released one CD entitled 'Smog Cutter Love Story' which featured, among other tracks, a first version of Fire track 'Vengeance and Fashion'. The band reformed by 2001 to record and release the first release of 'Danger! High Voltage' and record the track 'Dealin' with death and stealin' in the name of the Lord' with Troy Gregory for his 'Sybil' album.
The Six's sound is immediately distinguishable by its frequent fusing of the macho aggression of heavy metal and punk with the laid-back funky rhythms and falsetto vocals of disco, and a distinctly comic touch. They, however, vehemently reject such genre classifications as disco-metal and disco-punk. They formed the band in 1996 and were initially known as The Wildbunch, eventually dropping that name due to pressure from the Bristol trip-hop collection of the same name. Throughout the latter half of the '90s, they played about once a month at the Magic Bag in Ferndale, Magic Stick, and the now-defunct Gold Dollar in Detroit, the epicenter of a scene that produced breakout acts like the White Stripes.
Electric Six's 2002 breakout single "Danger! High Voltage" was an infectious dance-rock number, and many have been led to believe that Jack White from The White Stripes helped sing back up vocals to this track. However, he has denied this, though most trained ears will know that White did contribute. It reached number 2 on the UK singles chart, and they enjoy a status as icons in that nation.
Their second single, "Gay Bar", released in 2003, became a hit as well in the UK, reaching #5 in the charts and further aided the group's growth. This rapid expansion in popularity and relentless touring became too much for some members and after fulfilling their recording duties (namely their debut album) three members left in June, leaving Dick Valentine, Tait Nucleus, and M.
The Colonel (guitar, ex member of Brendan Benson and Mood Elevator), John R Dequindre (guitar) and Frank Lloyd Bonaventure(bass) subsequently joined the group, though they had all been credited on the album and most had been associated with the group for some time. At that time, they were touring in the UK, and they managed to seamlessly replace the members without interrupting the gigs. In time, Johnny Nashinal joined the group on guitar, Dequindre switched to bass, and Bonaventure switched to law school.
2003 was a successful year for Electric Six in spite of the departure of half of the band. They released the album Fire, which made it into numerous best-of-2003 lists, as well as reaching the top 10 in the UK album chart, and another single "Dance Commander," which gave E6 its 3rd Top 40 single in the UK. They also toured the world including such far flung places as Japan and Russia.
Electric Six became minor Internet celebrities in 2003, an unknown internet user created a music video comprising pieced-together clips of public appearances by George W. Bush and Tony Blair and featuring Electric Six's song "Gay Bar". The clips and music were juxtaposed in such a way as to make it appear, to humorous effect, that Bush and Blair were singing along to the song. They have also got a second unofficial video of the same song, animated by Joel Veitch of .
Songs by Electric Six are primarily concerned with topics like fires, nuclear wars, human sexual behavior and enforced dancing, generally employing a heavy degree of irony in the lyrics and cliche musical techniques.
They have recently caused a lot of fuss, especially with Queen fans following a cover of the Queen hit song Radio Ga Ga. The promo video shows lead singer Dick Valentine comically impersonating Queen's flamboyant lead singer Freddie Mercury.
A latest album, Seņor Smoke, was released in the UK on February 14, 2005. The album will be released in North America on 7th February, 2006, with a third album (as yet untitled) to follow in the fall of 2006.
In November of 2004, drummer M. called it quits, leaving Dick Valentine as the sole original member of the former Wildbunch. Their new drummer, Percussion World has been affiliated with the band and its members for some time, and has been named as a permanent member of the band.
Discography (as The Wildbunch)
Albums
* An Evening With The Many Moods Of The Wildbunch's Greatest Hits... Tonight! (8-Track) (Uchu Cult) (1996)
*Don't Be Afraid Of The Robot: Live At The Gold Dollar (CD) (Off Woodward Productions, GD-101) (1998-07-25)
:1. Nuclear War (On The Dance Floor)
:2. Speak English
:3. Naked Pictures
:4. The Model
:5. Computer
:6. The Ballade Of MC Sucka DJ
:7. Clones
:8. Immolate Me
:9. Taxi To Nowhere
:10. Don't Be Afraid Of The Robot
:11. Breaking Up
:12. I'm On Acid
:13. R U Afraid Of The Devil?
:14. Meat The Band
:15. I Am the Knife
:16. I Am Detroit
:17. I Lost Control
:18. Freshman
:19. I'm A Demon
:20. Tiny Little Men
:21. Take Off Your Clothes
:22. Gay Bar
:23. I Know Karate
*Rock Empire (CD) (Uchu Cult) (1999-07-??)
:1. Don't Be Afraid Of The Robot
:2. Remote Control (Me)
:3. Gay Bar
:4. TV
:5. Getting Into The Jam
:6. Take Me To Your Leader
:7. Animal Attraction
:8. Dancing Like An Idiot
:9. Synthesizer
:10. I Am The Knife
:11. Naked Pictures (Of Your Mother)
:12. R U Afraid Of The Devil?
:13. I'm On Acid
:14. Computer
:15. Christian Radio Manchester
:16. I Am Detroit
:17. Honolulu
:18. I'm A Demon
:19. Gay Bar (Remix)
:20. Persona Vs. Wildbunch
Singles
*"I Lost Control (Of My Rock'n' Roll)" (7") (Uchu Cult, SC 001) (1996)
::500 copies
:1. "I Lost Control (Of My Rock And Roll)"
:2. "Tiny Little Men"
:3. "Gay Bar"
:4. "I Know Karate"
*"The Ballade Of MC Sucka DJ" (7") (Flying Bomb Records, FLB-105) (1997)
:1. "Take Off Your Clothes"
:2. "Nuclear War (On The Dancefloor)"
:3. "The Ballade Of MC Sucka DJ"
*"Danger! High Voltage" (7") (Flying Bomb Records, FLB-117) (2001)
::recorded by Jim Diamond
:1. "Danger (High Voltage)"
:2. "Neurocameraman"
:3. "She's Guatemala"
Compilations
*X-Mas Surprise Package (7") (Flying Bomb Records, FLB-106) (1997)
::clear green or black vinyl
:- X-Mas Xorcismus (Ho Ho Ho)
*Troy Gregory's Sybil (CD) (Fall Of Rome Records, FOR 1005) (2002)
::recorded by Jim Diamond
:- Dealin' In Death N' Stealin' In The Name Of The Lord
Discography (as Electric Six)
Albums
*Fire (Beggars Xl Recording) (May, 2003)
*Seņor Smoke (WEA Records) (February, 2005)
Singles
"Danger! High Voltage"
*7" (XL-Recordings, XLS 151) (2002)
*# Danger! High Voltage (Original 7" Mix)
*# I Lost Control (Of My Rock & Roll)
*12"-promo (XL-Recordings) (2002)
**recorded by Jim Diamond
*# Danger! High Voltage (Soulchild Mix)
*# Danger! High Voltage (Kilogram Mix)
*# Danger! High Voltage (Kilogram Dub)
*CDS (XL-Recordings, XLS 151 CDS) (2002)
*# Danger! High Voltage (Soulchild Radio Mix)
*# I Lost Control (Of My Rock & Roll)
*EP (XL-Recordings, XLS 151 CDS) (February, 2003)
*# Danger! High Voltage (Soulchild Radio Mix)
*# I Lost Control (Of My Rock & Roll)
*# Remote Control (Me)
*# Danger! High Voltage (Thin White Duke Remix)
*CDS (UK) (March 2003)
*# Danger High Voltage
*# I Lost Control (Of My Rock And Roll)
*# Remote Control (Me)
*CDS (Mixes) (UK) (March 2003)
*# Danger High Voltage (Soulchild 12 Inches Blitz Mix)
*# Danger High Voltage (Thin White Duke Mix)
*# Danger High Voltage (Kilogram Remix)
"Gay Bar"
*7" (XL-Recordings, XLS 158) (2003)
*# Gay Bar
*# The Living End
*CDS (UK) (XL-Recordings) (June, 2003)
*# Gay Bar
*# Don't Be Afraid Of The Robot
*# Take Off Your Clothes
*1xcd, 1xdvd
Dance Commander
*1x12"
*CDS (UK) (XL-Recordings) (October, 2003)
*# Dance Commander [Radio Edit]
*# I Am Detroit
*# Dance Commander [Soulchild Extended Night Version]
*CDS (Beggars XL-Recordings) (November 25, 2003)
*# Dance Commander [Radio Edit]
*# I Am Detroit
*# Dance Commander [Soulchild Extended Night Version]
Radio Ga Ga
(See main article: Radio Ga Ga)
*Promo
*# Radio Ga Ga (Rock Radio Edit)
*# Radio Ga Ga (Vertigo Remix - edited)
*CD1
*# Radio Ga Ga
*# Gay Bar (Live at Manumission)
*CD 2
*# Radio Ga Ga
*# Vibrator (Download Mix)
*# Radio Ga Ga (Vertigo Remix)
*# Radio Ga Ga (Remix)
*7 inch
*# Radio Ga Ga
*# Gay Bar (Live at Manumission)
Others
*Rockshow (rare joint release on 7" with Peaches)
Past formations
*The Wildbunch #4 (Sybil CD-track)
**Disco
**Surge Joebot
**Martin M.
**Rock'n'Roll Indian
**Dick Valentine
*The Wildbunch #3 (FLB-117 7")
**Dick Valentine: vocals
**Surge Joebot: guitar, synth
**The Rock And Roll Indian: guitar
**Frank Lloyd Bonnaventure: bass
**M. Cougar Mellencamp: drums
**Dr. Blacklip Hoffman (intern): synth
*The Wildbunch #2 (FLB-105 7")
**Disco: bass
**Mojo Frezzato: guitar
**Martin M.: drums
**Jackson Pounder: vocals
**Rock&Roll Indian: guitar
**Blacklips Hoffman: keyboard, rhodes
*The Wildbunch #1 (Uchu Cult 7")
**Jackson Pounder: vox, guitar, bass, synth
**Martin M: drums
*Appearances: John S. O'Leary: vocals (appears on "Danger (High Voltage)" only)
**Bill Clinton: sax (appears on "Danger (High Voltage)" only) - This is highly questioned.
*Former Members:
**Johnny Vegas: keyboards
**Jeff Simmons: keyboards
**Macro Duplicato: keyboards
**Dr.Diet Mt. Dew: keyboards
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