There are two artists that have used the name Electric Six
1. An alterna… Read Full Bio ↴There are two artists that have used the name Electric Six
1. An alternative rock band from the United States
2. A musical group from South Africa

1. Electric Six is a six-piece Detroit-based rock band consisting of Dick Valentine (vocals), Tait Nucleus? (synthesizers), Johhny Na$hinal (guitar), Da Ve (guitar), Percussion World (drums), and Smorgasboard (bass) who play a mix of rock, funk and disco.

The band's first notorious formation comprised Valentine, Rock and Roll Indian (guitar), Surge Joebot (guitar), Disco (bass, former member of Detroit Cobras), and M (drums). Dick Valentine (real name Tyler Spencer) 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, 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 N' Stealin' In The Name Of The Lord' with Troy Gregory for his Sybil album.

Electric Six fuses rock and punk with the laid-back funky rhythms and falsetto vocals of disco, and a distinctly comic touch. However, they tend to 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 center 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 Jack White from The White Stripes helped sing back up vocals to this track. White has denied this, though Spencer has confirmed it in several interviews. The single reached number 2 on the UK singles chart, and they enjoy icon status 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. Curiously, in the American Radio Edit of this track, The words "Nuclear War" are censored with whip-crack sound effects. After fulfilling their recording duties (namely their debut album) three members left in June, leaving Dick Valentine, Tait Nucleus? (synthesizer), and M.

The Colonel (Zach Shipps, guitar, ex-member of Brendan Benson and Mood Elevator), John R Dequindre (guitar and whose stage name is a combination of two Detroit streets) 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 Na$hinal joined the group on guitar, Dequindre switched to bass, and Bonaventure switched to law school.

The band's sophomore album, Señor Smoke, was released in the UK on February 14, 2005. Percussion World replaced M on drums around the same time.

The first single from the album put the band at the center of controversy, especially with Queen fans following a cover of the Queen hit song "Radio Ga Ga". The controversial music video shows lead singer Dick Valentine as the ghost of Queen's flamboyant lead singer Freddie Mercury and a backing band of poodles. Queen drummer Roger Taylor, who wrote the song, said that he was "unimpressed" with the video; however, Queen guitarist Brian May reportedly liked it. Electric Six claims they were contractually obligated to commit the song to the album. Issues with Warner Brothers caused a switch to Metropolis Records, who released Señor Smoke in the US.

Switzerland was released in September 2006. A plethora of videos have also been released, and a fan contribution contest led to the video for the single "I Buy the Drugs."

I Shall Exterminate Everything Around Me That Restricts Me From Being the Master was released in October 2007. Their next album, titled Flashy, was released in October 2008. In October 2009, their sixth album, KILL, was released. The 7th album, Zodiac was released on September 28, 2010, with one tour-exclusive single ("Jam it in the Hole") and the 8th, Heartbeats and Brainwaves, on October 11th 2011.

A double live album is set for release in 2012.

2. Electric Six was a Soweto-based South African combo active in the 1960s and 1970s

Fabulous People
Electric Six Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

These are your clothes
This is your hair
you aren't fooling anybody
but I still want to touch you
ooh oooh

the supermarket tabloid appeal
of the crazy little lives of

fabulous people
fabulous people
fabulous people
makin' all their money off of
dirty little people
dirty little people
dirty little people
givin' all their money to the fabulous people

whoa whoa whoooooooaaaaaaaooooo

This is your business
This is your pleasure
don't mean nothin' to no one
but I still wanna have you, oh

when you're makin' love now
what do you feel?
do you think you're good enough
for fabulous people

fabulous people
fabulous people
makin' all their money off the
dirty little people
dirty little people
dirty little people
givin' all their money to the fabulous people

whoa whoa whoa whooooooaaaaaaaooooo

Britney Spears and David Beckham
Paris Hilton and Red Skelton
every penny you spend helps them take over the world
present past and participle
Dale Jr. and Dick Trickle
and let us not forget Don Rickles
scaring the young girls

scaring the young girls
scaring the young girls

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Electric Six's song 'Fabulous People' seem to be a sarcastic critique of the obsession of people with celebrities and their lifestyles. The opening lines suggest that the person being addressed is trying to impress others with their clothes and hair, but in reality, no one is fooled. However, the singer still wants to be close to this person. The chorus refers to "fabulous people," who are making all their money off "dirty little people," implying that celebrities are becoming wealthy by exploiting their fans.

The second verse seems to emphasize the emptiness of celebrity culture. The lines, "This is your business, This is your pleasure, don't mean nothin' to no one," convey a sense that the things that make up the lives of celebrities are unimportant and meaningless to the general public. The question posed in the last line of the verse, "do you think you're good enough for fabulous people?" seems to imply that people aspire to be like celebrities, although the rewards of such a lifestyle are uncertain.

The name-dropping of famous people like Britney Spears, David Beckham, and Paris Hilton in the bridge of the song highlights the celebrity culture, which dictates that people are more interested in the private lives of famous people than the substantive issues that affect society.

Line by Line Meaning

These are your clothes
The clothes you are wearing belong to you.

This is your hair
The hair that you have is yours.

you aren't fooling anybody
Your appearance is not deceiving anyone.

but I still want to touch you
Despite this, I still have a desire to touch you.

the supermarket tabloid appeal
The attraction of lifestyles of the rich and famous that is found in supermarket tabloids.

of the crazy little lives of fabulous people
The intriguing and peculiar lifestyles of wealthy and popular individuals.

makin' all their money off of dirty little people
These fabulous people are earning their fortunes off the backs of ordinary people.

givin' all their money to the fabulous people
These ordinary people are giving away their wealth to the fabulous people.

This is your business
The business that you conduct is yours.

This is your pleasure
The activities that bring you enjoyment are yours alone.

don't mean nothin' to no one
These activities do not hold any importance to anyone else.

but I still wanna have you, oh
Despite this lack of significance, I still desire to be with you.

when you're makin' love now, what do you feel?
During sexual activity, what sensations and emotions do you experience?

do you think you're good enough for fabulous people
Are you confident in your ability to be accepted by and be considered equals to wealthy and popular individuals?

Britney Spears and David Beckham
Two examples of famous and wealthy individuals.

Paris Hilton and Red Skelton
Two more examples of famous individuals from different eras.

every penny you spend helps them take over the world
By spending money on things associated with these famous individuals, you are contributing to their continued rise to power and influence.

present past and participle
A reference to verb conjugation in grammar, and its irrelevance to the theme of the song.

Dale Jr. and Dick Trickle
Two individuals associated with car racing, who are not necessarily considered famous or wealthy.

and let us not forget Don Rickles
Another reference to a famous individual, but more likely included for the sake of rhyme than for any deeper meaning.

scaring the young girls
A humorous description of Don Rickles' behavior, playing on his reputation as a comedian who made controversial or risqué jokes.

Contributed by Lucas F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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