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
Transatlantic Flight
Electric Six Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
JFK to Heathrow in the middle of the night.
And if I am mistaken you must let me know.
I'll take your leave and away I go.
Ooh.. ooh..
Ooh.. ooh..
Taxi down the runway and sail into the sky.
I thought I caught your eye then, you seemed a little shy.
The captain's on the radio, he says "Buckle your seat tight"
"There's nasty weather; we're in for a bumpy flight"
In the event of a water landing,
You can use my body as a floatation device.
It's getting cold now,
You can use my body as a floatation device!
Headline of the paper reads a tragedy,
A fire in the night over the Nova Scotia sea,
There's no survivors, no signs of life are found,
The ocean a mute witness to what has just gone down.
Did i meet you, baby, on a transatlantic flight?
The one that disappeared there in the middle of the night,
You know I loved you, baby, though I never got to show you,
Seems we've an eternity for me to get to know you.
In the event of a water landing,
You can use my body as a floatation device.
It's getting cold now,
You can use my body as a floatation device!
Everybody's dead,
Everybody's dead,
Everybody's dead,
Everybody's dead,
Everybody's dead...
The song "Transatlantic Flight" by Electric Six is a love story that takes place on a flight from JFK to Heathrow. The singer, unsure if he met his love interest on the flight, asks her to confirm their meeting. The lyrics, "And if I am mistaken you must let me know, I'll take your leave and away I go" shows that he is willing to respect her wishes if she did not meet him on the plane. As the flight takes off, the singer noticed that the woman seemed a little shy and tries to make a move by telling her that she can use his body as a floatation device if there is a water landing. The chorus "In the event of a water landing, you can use my body as a floatation device. It's getting cold now, you can use my body as a floatation device!" repeated twice in the song shows that the singer is ready to make a sacrifice for his love.
Towards the end of the song, a tragedy is reported, and it is suggested that their flight could be the one that disappeared. The verse, "Did I meet you, baby, on a transatlantic flight? The one that disappeared there in the middle of the night" shows the possibility that the singer and love interest could have been on the doomed flight. The song ends with the repetition of "everybody's dead," emphasizing the tragedy and the possibility that the couple never got to experience their love story.
Overall, "Transatlantic Flight" is a unique love story with a twist of tragedy. The song portrays the intense emotions of a short-lived love story and its hypothetical tragic end.
Line by Line Meaning
Did I meet you, baby, on a transatlantic flight?
Asking if the singer met someone on a flight from JFK to Heathrow and if they had a connection.
JFK to Heathrow in the middle of the night.
A description of the flight the singer is referring to.
And if I am mistaken you must let me know.
Clarifying that the singer wants to know if they remember meeting correctly.
I'll take your leave and away I go.
If mistaken, the artist will leave and not bother the other person.
Taxi down the runway and sail into the sky.
Describing the events of taking off on a flight.
I thought I caught your eye then, you seemed a little shy.
The singer thought they noticed the other person noticing them, but they weren't completely sure.
The captain's on the radio, he says "Buckle your seat tight"
The captain gives instructions to the passengers for safety purposes.
"There's nasty weather; we're in for a bumpy flight"
The captain warns the passengers of turbulence during the flight.
In the event of a water landing,
Referring to safety instructions given on flights in case of an emergency landing on water.
You can use my body as a floatation device.
The artist offers themselves as a means of flotation in case of emergency.
It's getting cold now,
Possibly referring to the temperature of the water in the event of a water landing.
You can use my body as a floatation device!
Reiterating the offer of the artist's own body for flotation in case of emergency.
Headline of the paper reads a tragedy,
Referring to the aftermath of a tragic event.
A fire in the night over the Nova Scotia sea,
Describing the location and cause of the tragic event.
There's no survivors, no signs of life are found,
The tragic event led to many casualties and fatalities, and there is no hope of finding anyone alive.
The ocean a mute witness to what has just gone down.
The ocean is described as a silent observer or witness to the tragic event.
You know I loved you, baby, though I never got to show you,
The artist loved someone they met on a flight but never had a chance to express their feelings.
Seems we've an eternity for me to get to know you.
Despite the tragic event, the singer believes they will have an eternity to get to know the person they loved.
Everybody's dead...
Repeating the tragic outcome of the event mentioned earlier.
Contributed by Micah M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Prime Philosophy
The magnitude of amazing this bands songwriting presents is unquantifiable. 👍👍👍👍
WildFungus
I completely forgot how hard rocking awesome this album was.
Iain T
Fun fact: "In the event of a water landing you can use my body as a flotation device" is a quote from Star Trek Insurrection.
bionicleisreal
Holy fuck
DMG Roberts
Also, human corpses float.
Cid Highwind
My favorite song of this album! I love this song!
Endroo
+Cidhighwind2 Only because of the 'You can use my body as a floatation device' part, right?
Tom Het
best song on the album
The Devil In The Circuit
The visuals generated by his tune sure beat the hell out of skinny little Leonardo Dicaprio disappearing into the black depths of the icy waters of the north Atlantic Ocean.
NEEDbacon
Honestly this and "We were witchy White Women" almost deserve animated music videos. But at the same time might ruin just how wonderful the story telling is.