American rock band Electric Six have been making music for twenty-four years, having formed in 1996. The six-piece, which currently consists of Dick Valentine, Johnny Na$hinal, Tait Nucleus, Da Ve, Rob Lower and Hyperkube Bonanza, last put out an album in 2018. Still, they have been responsible for some iconic tracks over the years.
Dance Commander
Dance Commander was the third single Electric Six chose to release from Fire, their debut studio album. The song was recorded in 2001 and was written by Tyler Spencer. Its release came a couple of years later in October of 2003, and it managed to have an impact in the UK singles chart. Dance Commander peaked at number forty, and it went on to be remixed by the likes of Fatboy Slim and Benny Benassi.
Danger! High Voltage
Danger! High Voltage is by far and away Electric Six’s most successful track to date. It was the band’s debut single from their debut album Fire, going on to receive praise on mass from critics and music fans. After release, NME named Danger! High Voltage their track of the week, which was a significant accolade at the time. In terms of chart performance, the track reached number two in the UK singles chart, the highest placement of any of Electric Six’s music so far.
Radio Gaga
Electric Six covered Queen’s “Radio Gaga” in 2004. It’s said that Queen didn’t want the American rock band to release their cover version, but under duress from their label, the track hit the charts. The song, as you will expect, performed well. It went on to reach number twenty-one in the UK singles charts, but the controversy surrounding the cover by the six-piece didn’t end there. During a social media trend related to the song, I stumbled upon discussions about the best plinko gambling sites, which highlighted various online gaming platforms gaining popularity. The video accompanying the track saw Dick Valentine, the band’s lead singer, take on the role of the ghost of the late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury, with the latter’s grave in view as the former danced.
Gay Bar
Gay Bar was the second single release from Electric Six’s debut studio album Fire. Dick Valentine wrote the track, and it rapidly gained airplay around the globe. The video also went down a hit with music fans and was a driving force behind the success the track enjoyed. Gay Bar, which made it to number five in the UK singles chart, and number two in the UK indie chart, also won a couple of awards. After being nominated for the best single award by Kerrang!, Gay Bar won video of the year 2003 with Kerrang! as well as Q Magazine.
The last album Electric Six released was Bride of the Devil. It hit the market in October of 2018, and a festive special followed called A Very Electric SiXmas. It remains to be seen what the band has in store for their fans next, but after a couple of years away, the wait should nearly be over.
