Hi-Tension | |
---|---|
Origin | London, England |
Genres | Brit funk [1] |
Years active | 1971 | –1984 , 2014–present
Labels | Island Records, EMI, Streetwave |
Members | Paul Philips Jeffrey Guishard Paapa Mensah Patrick McLean Paul McLean |
Past members | Phil Fearon David Joseph Ken Joseph David Reid Leroy Williams Courtney Pine |
Hi-Tension are a British band based in North West London, and are pioneers of Brit funk. [1] with the original line-up being Paul Philips (guitarist), Jeff Guishard (percussionist & vocalist), David Joseph (keyboard player and lead vocals), Paul McLean (lead guitar and vocals) Ken Joseph (bass player) Patrick McLean (Saxophonist & vocalist), David Reid and Paapa Mensah (both drummers) [2] and Leroy Williams. Hi-Tension originally performed as 'Hot Wax' but due to a legal technicality, they changed the band name to Hi-Tension in 1977. They had hits with the songs "Hi Tension" and "British Hustle", both were top 20 hits in the UK.
In 1971, the group started as Hott Wax with original members being Paul Philips, Lloyd Philips, David Joseph and Ken Joseph. In 1975, Phil Fearon (later a member of the bands Galaxy and Kandidate) joined as a member of the group but had later left by 1977. After this, David Joseph recruited other members that lived in the area to join the group. [3]
In 1978 they released their first single aptly named "Hi Tension" that peaked to No. 13 in the UK Singles Chart in May 1978. [4] They then released a second single titled "British Hustle" which eclipsed their first single and peaked to No. 8 in late 1978. [4] In the same year a short film was subsequently made about British soul music called British Hustle. [1] [5]
By 1981, David Reid, Patrick McLean and Paul McLean left the band. The remaining members of Hi Tension continued and secured another recording contract with EMI records. Whilst touring they recruited Courtney Pine as a session player, playing saxophone during their tour. Subsequently, Paul Philips left the band. From 1983 to 1987 David Joseph secured a solo career and accomplished two hit songs: "You Can't Hide (Your Love from Me)" and "Let's Live It Up (Nite People)". [6]
In 1984, Ken Joseph, Leroy Williams and Jeffrey Guishard remained resilient and secured a further recording contract with Streetwave Records and released the singles "Rat Race" and "You Make Me Happy" in 1984. The latter single was written, produced and arranged by David Pic Conley of the band Surface whom later released a cover version of the song under the title "Happy" for their debut album in 1986. [3]
In 2014, Paul McLean reformed Hi Tension with four original members, Paul Philips, Jeffrey Guishard, Paapa Mensah and his brother Patrick McLean to headline and perform at the Summer Soulstice Festival in Barnet, London. [3]
Year | Album | Label | UK [7] [8] |
---|---|---|---|
1978 | Hi-Tension | Island Records | 54 |
1983 | The Joys of Life [9] (only solo album of David Joseph) | — |
Year | Song | Label | UK [7] [8] | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1978 | "Hi Tension" | Island Records | 13 | ||
"British Hustle" | 8 | ||||
"Peace on Earth" | — | ||||
"Autumn Love" / "Unspoken" | — | ||||
1979 | "Funktified" | — | |||
"There's a Reason" | — | ||||
1981 | "We've Got the Funk" | EMI | — | ||
1982 | "How D'you Feel" | — | |||
1984 | "Rat Race" | Streetwave | 83 | ||
"You Make Me Happy" | — | ||||
"—" denotes releases that did not chart. |
Year | Song | Label | UK [6] |
---|---|---|---|
1983 | "You Can't Hide (Your Love from Me)" | Island Records | 13 |
"Let's Live It Up (Nite People)" | 26 | ||
"Be a Star" | 81 | ||
1984 | "Joys of Life" | 61 | |
1987 | "No Turning Back" | 4th & Broadway | 85 |
Gerry and the Pacemakers were an English beat group prominent in the 1960s Merseybeat scene. In common with the Beatles, they came from Liverpool, were managed by Brian Epstein and recorded by George Martin. Their early successes helped make popular the Merseybeat sound and launch the wider British beat boom of the mid-1960s.
The Fatback Band is an American funk and disco band that was popular in the 1970s and 1980s. The Fatback Band is most known for their R&B hits: "(Do the) Spanish Hustle", "I Like Girls", "Gotta Get My Hands on Some (Money)", "Backstrokin'" and "I Found Lovin'".
Silver Convention were a German Euro disco recording act of the 1970s. The group was originally named Silver Bird Convention or Silver Bird.
Kenneth George Boothe OD is a Jamaican vocalist known for his distinctive vibrato and timbre. Boothe achieved an international reputation as one of Jamaica's finest vocalists through a series of crossover hits that appealed to both reggae fans and mainstream audiences.
Mud are an English glam rock band, formed in February 1966. Their earlier success came in a pop and then glam rock style, while later hits were influenced by 1950s rock and roll and rockabilly, and they are best remembered for their hit singles "Dyna-mite", "Tiger Feet", which was the UK's best-selling single of 1974, and "Lonely This Christmas" which reached Christmas number 1 in December 1974. After signing to Rak Records and teaming up with songwriters/producers Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman, the band had fourteen UK Top 20 hits between 1973 and 1976, including three number ones.
I'm Talking are an Australian funk-pop rock band, which featured vocalists Kate Ceberano and Zan Abeyratne. They formed in 1983 in Melbourne and provided top ten hit singles "Trust Me", "Do You Wanna Be?" and "Holy Word" and a top fifteen album, Bear Witness, before disbanding in 1987. The group reunited in October 2018, and went on a 2019 tour as well as a series of small venue shows.
Edison Lighthouse are an English pop band, formed in London in 1969. The band was best known for their 1970 hit single "Love Grows " recorded in late 1969.
Van Allen Clinton McCoy was an American record producer, arranger, songwriter and singer. He is known for his 1975 internationally successful hit "The Hustle". He has approximately 700 song copyrights to his credit, and produced songs by such recording artists as Brenda & the Tabulations, David Ruffin, The Stylistics, The Presidents, Faith, Hope & Charity, New Censation, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Aretha Franklin, Peaches & Herb, Lesley Gore, and Stacy Lattisaw.
Wings Greatest is a compilation album by the British–American rock band Wings, released in the U.K. December 1, 1978. It was the band's last release through Capitol in the US. The album is notable as being the first official retrospective release from Paul McCartney's post-Beatles career.
"Mull of Kintyre" is a song by the British-American rock band Wings. It was written by Paul McCartney and Denny Laine in tribute to the Kintyre peninsula in Argyll and Bute in the south-west of Scotland and its headland, the Mull of Kintyre, where McCartney has owned High Park Farm since 1966.
"The Hustle" is a disco song by songwriter/arranger Van McCoy and the Soul City Symphony. It went to No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Soul Singles charts during the summer of 1975. It also peaked at No. 1 on the Canadian RPM charts, No. 9 on the Australian Singles Chart and No. 3 in the UK. It would eventually sell over one million copies. The song won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance early in 1976 for songs recorded in 1975.
The Circle & the Square is the debut album by British pop group Red Box, released in 1986. The album contains the group's two UK top ten hit singles, "Lean on Me", which reached number three, and "For America", which reached number 10. Three other singles are included on the album: the band's debut "Chenko (Tenka-Io)", which originally failed to chart in 1984 but reached number 77 when re-issued in 1987, "Saskatchewan", which also failed to chart in 1984, and "Heart of the Sun" which reached number 71 in 1987.
"Southern Freeez" produced by John Rocca was the first single released by British dance band Freeez from their debut album, also entitled Southern Freeez. The album was self-funded by member John Rocca and initially released on his Pink Rhythm record label before the group was signed to Beggars Banquet.
Beggar and Co are a British jazz-funk group formed by Kenny Wellington, David Baptiste and Neville 'Breeze' McKrieth, originally members of the group Light of the World.
Helen Rogers is a British singer/songwriter who has been active since 1978. She has been featured vocalist with Brit funk bands Direct Drive and 7th Heaven. She has also been a session singer for Paul Hardcastle.
The discography of the British-American rock band Wings, also known as Paul McCartney and Wings, consisted of seven studio albums, one live album, two compilation albums, 29 singles and 19 music videos. Founded in 1971 by former Beatle Paul McCartney, his wife Linda McCartney, Denny Laine and Denny Seiwell after the release of the McCartneys' album Ram, the band made their debut with Wild Life, released in December that year. The album garnered minimal commercial success and received generally poor reviews. In 1972, the band added Henry McCullough to the lineup and released several non-album singles, including "Give Ireland Back to the Irish", "Mary Had a Little Lamb", and "Hi, Hi, Hi", before releasing their second album, Red Rose Speedway, in 1973. While receiving mixed reviews, the album and its lead single, "My Love" were huge commercial successes, both reaching number one in the US charts. Wings' continued their commercial success with the title track to the James Bond film Live and Let Die. At the beginning of the recording sessions for their next album, McCullough and Seiwell left the band prompting the McCartneys and Laine to record their next album as a trio. Backed by the successful singles, "Jet" and the title track, the album, Band on the Run, became Wings' most successful album, reaching number one in both the US and the UK. The album also garnered highly positive reviews from critics and significantly restored McCartney's tarnished post-Beatles reputation.
Just to Let You Know... is the debut album by the British/Jamaican reggae artist Bitty McLean, released in 1993 by Brilliant Records and re-released by Virgin Records in 1994. It reached number 19 on the UK Albums Chart.
Disco Baby is the second studio album recorded by Van McCoy & the Soul City Symphony, released in 1975 on the Avco label.
Hi-Tension is the sole album by Britfunk band Hi-Tension, released in 1978 by Island Records. Following the domestic success of the band's hit single "Hi-Tension", considered the first Britfunk song, the band recorded the album with producers Alex Sadkin and Kofi Ayivor at Island Studios, London. Disagreements arose between producer Sadkin, who proposed a commercial direction, and band leader David Joseph who wanted the album to retain the band's strong vibrant live sound. Hi-Tension reached number 54 on the UK Albums Chart, while "British Hustle" provided the band with their sole Top 10 hit. Despite its muted reception, and the group subsequently disbanding, Hi-Tension has since been regarded as a key and influential album in Britfunk and British R&B.
"We Got Love" is a song written by Lynsey de Paul and Terry Britten that was first recorded by British soul group, The Real Thing. It was produced by the American R&B and pop record producer, Nick Martinelli, and released on the RCA label, both as a 7-inch single, and a 12-inch extended play version, in October 1984.