Danger! High Voltage Explained

Danger! High Voltage
Cover:ElectricSix Danger!HighVoltage.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Electric Six
Album:Fire
B-Side:
  • "I Lost Control (Of My Rock and Roll)"
  • "Remote Control (Me)"
Recorded:Early 2000
Genre:
Label:XL
Next Title:Gay Bar
Next Year:2003

"Danger! High Voltage" is a song by American rock band Electric Six. It was released as the band's debut single and the lead single from their debut studio album, Fire (2003), in December 2002 by XL Recordings. It peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart and reached the top 20 in Ireland and the Netherlands. It received positive reviews from critics and was named Single of the Week by the NME.

Background

The song was originally recorded in early 2000,[3] when the band was under the name the Wildbunch. They were forced to drop this name following legal pressure from the Bristol trip hop collective of the same name.[4] The later album and single version were produced by British music producers Damien Mendis and Stuart Bradbury, who also created club mixes under the name of Soulchild.

Fellow Detroit native Jack White of the White Stripes performed the secondary lead vocals on the track.[5] Members of the band have claimed in interviews that the singer was an auto mechanic named John S. O'Leary and not White,[6] [7] although music critics suspected this name was a pseudonym for White.[8] [9]

Critical reception

The New York Times called the song "catchier than anything on the radio by the White Stripes."[10] The Guardian called it "insanely catchy", though "the archetypal comic novelty single."[11] Josh Tyrangiel with Time magazine also praised the track.[12] NMEs Piers Martin wrote "[Electric Six] rustle up the sort of pop-party thrash which sounds like the idiot half-brother to The Rapture's 'House Of Jealous Lovers'. That good."[13] The song is listed at number 234 on the best songs of the 2000s by Pitchfork Media. It was also featured in The Pitchfork 500.[14] Writing for The Village Voice, Amy Phillips said, "The two men shout declarations of affection to each other over a sizzling Saturday Night Fever groove, and the sax sounds as if it's being played by someone with a long, luscious mullet. The video features taxidermy and a glowing codpiece."[15]

Music video

The video for this song was directed by Tom Kuntz and Mike Maguire. Set in a manor house, it shows lead singer Dick Valentine and actress Tina Kanarek as a wealthy couple, outfitted with a brightly flashing codpiece and bra respectively. Paintings featured in the video were created by artist Brian Rea.[16]

Track listings

US CD single[17]

  1. "Danger! High Voltage" (Soulchild radio mix)
  2. "I Lost Control (Of My Rock & Roll)"
  3. "Remote Control (Me)"
  4. "Danger! High Voltage" (Thin White Duke remix by Jacques Lu Cont)

Australian CD single[18]

  1. "Danger! High Voltage" (Soulchild radio mix)
  2. "I Lost Control (Of My Rock & Roll)"
  3. "Remote Control (Me)"
  4. "Danger! High Voltage" (Soulchild 12-inch Blitz mix)
  5. "Danger! High Voltage" (Kilogram mix)

UK CD1[19]

  1. "Danger! High Voltage" (Soulchild radio mix)
  2. "I Lost Control (Of My Rock & Roll)"

UK CD2[20]

  1. "Danger! High Voltage" (Soulchild 12-inch Blitz mix)
  2. "Danger! High Voltage" (Thin White Duke mix)
  3. "Danger! High Voltage" (Kilogram remix)

UK 7-inch single[21]

A. "Danger! High Voltage" (original 7-inch mix)

B. "I Lost Control (Of My Rock & Roll)"

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2003)Peak
position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[22] 10
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)[23] 15

Year-end charts

Release history

RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)
AustraliaDecember 23, 2002CDXL[25]
United KingdomJanuary 6, 2003[26]
January 20, 20037-inch vinyl[27]
United StatesMarch 17, 2003Alternative radio[28]

Bibliography

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Fire – Billboard. Billboard. May 31, 2003. June 25, 2021. "It's the catchiest dance-rock track to come along in years.".
  2. Web site: Interview: Electric Six. musicOMH. August 3, 2005. June 25, 2021. "...Electric Six’s Danger! High Voltage! single, an insanely catchy piece of sleazy funk rock...".
  3. Handyside, 2013, pg. 180
  4. Handyside, 2013, pg. 183
  5. Web site: IN Interview: The Electric Six | inweekly . Inweekly.net . September 29, 2010 . February 12, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120313062425/http://inweekly.net/wordpress/?p=1896 . March 13, 2012 .
  6. Web site: Ieg / Ecc . Music From the Underground - Electric Six . antiMUSIC . February 12, 2012.
  7. Web site: Electric Six Interview . Freewilliamsburg.com . February 12, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070319143901/http://www.freewilliamsburg.com/august_2003/electric.html . March 19, 2007 .
  8. Web site: Haag . Stephen . Electric Six: Fire . PopMatters . February 12, 2012.
  9. Web site: Jack White’s Greatest Collaborations . . January 19, 2012 .
  10. Strauss, Neil (February 16, 2003). "MUSIC: SPINS; Burning Down the Garage". The New York Times. Retrieved on January 4, 2008
  11. Petridis, Alexis (June 27, 2003), "Electric Six: Fire" The Guardian. Retrieved on January 4, 2008
  12. [Josh Tyrangiel|Tyrangiel, Josh]
  13. Web site: Electric Six: Danger! High Voltage . . January 7, 2003 . May 17, 2009.
  14. Book: Plagenhoef . Scott . Schreiber . Ryan . November 2008 . . . 165–166 . 978-1-4165-6202-3 .
  15. Web site: Sax as a Weapon. Amy. Phillips. Village Voice. April 2003 .
  16. Web site: Altpick.com. Rea's Flaming Painting(s) In Music Video. February 10, 2003.
  17. Danger! High Voltage. Electric Six. 2002. US CD single liner notes. XL Recordings. XLS 157CDUS.
  18. Danger! High Voltage. Electric Six. 2002. Australian CD single liner notes. XL Recordings. XLS151CDE.
  19. Danger! High Voltage. Electric Six. 2003. UK CD1 liner notes. XL Recordings. XLS 151CDS.
  20. Danger! High Voltage. Electric Six. 2003. UK CD2 liner notes. XL Recordings. XLS 151CD2.
  21. Danger! High Voltage. Electric Six. 2003. UK 7-inch single sleeve. XL Recordings. XLS 151.
  22. Eurochart Hot 100 Singles. Music & Media. 21. 5. 15. January 25, 2003. August 28, 2020.
  23. Web site: Tipparade-lijst van week 7, 2003. Dutch Top 40. nl. 29 April 2023.
  24. Web site: Official UK Singles Chart 2003. UKChartsPlus. June 27, 2018.
  25. Web site: The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 23rd December 2002. ARIA. 26. December 23, 2002. dead. https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20030106130000/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20030107-0000/Issue669.pdf. January 6, 2003. May 7, 2021.
  26. New Releases – For Week Starting 6 January 2003. Music Week. 12. December 28, 2002. September 1, 2021.
  27. New Releases – For Week Starting 20 January 2003. Music Week. 35. January 18, 2003.
  28. Going for Adds. Radio & Records. 1495. 26. March 14, 2003. June 11, 2021.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Danger! High Voltage".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.