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
Making Progress
Electric Six Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Watching things you sold being purchased for less
Euthanasia that's easy to ingest
And they call this making progress
If you take a billion plus a little finesse
And dreamy Yale boys cashing in on their "success"
Then you take a bath in Uncle Sam's treasure chest
That equals making progress
Analyzing data for a sure, sure bet
An affordable commodity that I can invest
Your love
Your sweet, sweet love I guess
Baby, baby it would be the best
If we got together tonight and regressed
It's not like we'd be de-evolving
And the world wouldn't stop revolving
We could forget the problems no one's solving
Surely I jest
And you're not listening anyway
Where we go from here baby is anybody's guess
So repress your insecurities and take off that dress
Cause the day we realize no one can clean up this mess
Will be a fine day for making progress
The lyrics to Electric Six's song "Making Progress" are a commentary on the state of society and the illusion of progress. The opening lines, "Love is nothing more than a stain on a dress, Watching things you sold being purchased for less," suggest that love is fleeting and material possessions are devalued over time. The line "Euthanasia that's easy to ingest" refers to the idea that society is becoming increasingly desensitized to death and suffering. The chorus, "And they call this making progress," suggests that society is moving forward, but at what cost?
The second verse highlights the financial aspects of progress with lines like "If you take a billion plus a little finesse, And dreamy Yale boys cashing in on their 'success'" suggesting that money and privilege are often the driving forces behind progress. The lines "Meanwhile I am drowning in an ocean of stress, Analyzing data for a sure, sure bet" suggest that the pursuit of progress can be overwhelming and stressful.
The final verse encourages the listener to forget about their problems and regress. While it may seem like society and the world are in chaos, the line "Surely I jest" suggests that there is still hope for progress. The closing line "the day we realize no one can clean up this mess, Will be a fine day for making progress" suggests that progress can only be made once we acknowledge the problems that need to be addressed.
Line by Line Meaning
Love is nothing more than a stain on a dress
Love is fleeting and does not hold much value or meaning.
Watching things you sold being purchased for less
Things you once owned and sold are now being sold for less than what you originally paid for them.
Euthanasia that's easy to ingest
A reference to the ease of taking one's own life, suggesting that society has become more accepting of death.
And they call this making progress
Despite the negative consequences mentioned in the previous lines, society still views these changes as progress.
If you take a billion plus a little finesse
If you have a lot of money and know how to use it wisely...
And dreamy Yale boys cashing in on their "success"
...and you combine it with privileged Ivy League graduates who are taking advantage of their status to achieve their goals...
Then you take a bath in Uncle Sam's treasure chest
...you can easily acquire a large amount of money that the government has collected in taxes.
That equals making progress
Despite the questionable means of obtaining wealth, society still views it as a sign of progress.
Meanwhile I am drowning in an ocean of stress
The artist is overwhelmed with stress and anxiety.
Analyzing data for a sure, sure bet
The artist is trying to find a guaranteed profitable investment opportunity by analyzing data.
An affordable commodity that I can invest
The singer is looking for a cheap investment opportunity that will yield high returns.
Your love
The artist addresses a person and brings up the concept of love.
Your sweet, sweet love I guess
The singer is uncertain and not fully convinced of the value of love.
Baby, baby it would be the best
Despite their uncertainty, the singer suggests that love could be the best thing for them.
If we got together tonight and regressed
The singer suggests that reverting back to a simpler time could be beneficial for them.
It's not like we'd be de-evolving
Despite the idea of regression, the artist reassures that they would not be regressing in a negative way.
And the world wouldn't stop revolving
The world would not be affected by their decision to regress.
We could forget the problems no one's solving
By regressing, they could forget about unsolvable problems in the present.
Surely I jest
The singer is not being completely serious and is making a joke.
And you're not listening anyway
The artist suggests that the person they are addressing is not paying attention to what they are saying.
Where we go from here baby is anybody's guess
The artist is unsure of what the future holds and suggests that it is uncertain for the person they are addressing as well.
So repress your insecurities and take off that dress
Instead of dwelling on insecurities, they suggest being more confident and comfortable in one's own skin.
Cause the day we realize no one can clean up this mess
Once society realizes that there is no easy solution or fix to the world's problems...
Will be a fine day for making progress
...only then can we truly make progress and move forward.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
DoctorStarky
It's a testament to Dick Valentine's song writing ability that he can write lyrics that still sounds unmistakably Electric Six, even when he distorts his distinctive voice to an almost unrecognizable degree.
Amanda Hugankiss
They ALL sing.
Like birds.
The band is amazing. :)
Ross Skates
This song deserves a lot more tha 1749 views awesome song
case627
this song is tattooed on my brain
Amanda Hugankiss
"Cause the day we realize no one can clean up this mess
Will be a fine day for making progress"
Yup.
WickedCheesyPuff
I totally shared this <3