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
The Future Is In The Future
Electric Six Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If time is money than I'm out of time
And I was once with a million quid
Have a seat I'll tell ya what I did
Can't sit down because I'm a dancer,
And you know that I'm the answer
Die slow die fast now
We'll karaoke all night long,
We'll Macarena 'til the break of dawn
We'll drive around until the morning light
All night, all night, all night, all night
Baby, you got to single before you turn,
I think you're heading for the disco burn
Cause the future is in the future,
And the past is a big brick wall,
You know I need to make you understand now,
I'm a man not a disco ball
Can't sit down because I'm a dancer,
And you know that I'm the answer
Die slow die fast now
Cause its never going to last now
We'll karaoke all night long,
We'll Macarena 'til the break of dawn
We'll drive around until the morning light
All night all night all night all night
We'll karaoke all night long,
We'll Macarena 'til the break of dawn
We'll drive around until the morning light
All night, all night, all night, all night
All night, all night, all night, all night
All night, all night, all night, all night
All night, all night, all night, all night
All night, all night, all night, all night
The lyrics to Electric Six's song The Future Is In The Future discuss various themes such as money, time, and the futility of life. The first few lines talk about the singer's relationship with money, suggesting that they may have had a lot of it at one point but are currently unable to access it. This is reflective of the idea that time is money, and in the singer's case, they may have missed their chance to capitalize on their wealth. The line "If time is money than I'm out of time" expresses this sentiment precisely.
The singer then changes the topic to dancing, stating that they can't sit down because they're a dancer. This repetition of the phrase "can't sit down" emphasizes their energy and zest for life. They also refer to themselves as the answer, which may suggest that they have the key to something—an understanding of life or a way of living that others may not.
The latter half of the song discusses the future and the past. The singer advises someone to "single before you turn," which implies that they should take advantage of their youth and not settle down too quickly. They also state that "the future is in the future, and the past is a big brick wall." This line highlights the idea that the past cannot be changed, and the future holds endless possibilities. The final lines express the singer's desire to enjoy life to the fullest, singing about karaoke and dancing until dawn.
Line by Line Meaning
If money talks than I'm a mime,
I am unable to speak or express my opinions regarding money
If time is money than I'm out of time
I don't have enough time for anything, let alone to make money
And I was once with a million quid
I had one million pounds (currency)
Have a seat I'll tell ya what I did
I can explain what I did to earn a million pounds (currency)
Can't sit down because I'm a dancer,
I cannot stay still because of my profession as a dancer
And you know that I'm the answer
I am the solution or what you're looking for
Die slow die fast now
Death can come slowly or quickly at any moment
Cause its never going to last now
Because everything is temporary and will eventually end
We'll karaoke all night long,
We will sing karaoke for a prolonged period of time until it's very late
We'll Macarena 'til the break of dawn
We will dance the Macarena until the sun rises
We'll drive around until the morning light
We will drive aimlessly until the sun rises
Baby, you got to single before you turn,
You need to enjoy your life while you're still young and single
I think you're heading for the disco burn
I believe you will suffer consequences from your actions, especially from attending too many disco events
Cause the future is in the future,
The events yet to occur determine the future
And the past is a big brick wall,
The past cannot be changed or undone
You know I need to make you understand now,
I have to make you comprehend this at present
I'm a man not a disco ball
I'm a human with thoughts and feelings, not an object to be used for entertainment
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Hugo Swenson
I don't know why, but this song just hits a beautiful and happy nostalgia I cant put my finger on. Even though the lyrics are silly and hold no real relevance, its one of the few songs that just keeps me dancing alone in my apartment. I love it from the bottom of my heart.
MerlynMusicman
Was in my head all through my sisters wedding reception. No idea why. Didn't mind :D
Andrew Jensen
"If money talks then I'm a mime," is quite possibly the most brilliant lyric of all time.
Trodur
haha I was for: if time is money then I’m out of time but yeah this song is pure genius. I sometimes cry at “I’m a man, not a disco ball” for some reasons haha.
Maciej Lewandowski
Yeah, and it freaking rhymes with "If time is money, then I'm out of time". Brilliance squared :D
Richard Pagel
"if time is money then I'm out of time..."
Eelco J. van Kampen
15th album of this band, "Turquoise", is coming already! I just love this band and its continuing creativity! This band really is one of the lights in my life :)
Cosmic Dimensions Art
That opening line tho...
God this band is the fucking best!
jehadsound
This is my favorite E6 album. Everyone always thinks I'm crazy, but I just love the shit out of it.
L H
A tough decision, definitely. But I agree.