Hi Tension
Encyclopedia
Hi Tension were a North London
based boy band
, seen as pioneers of Brit funk
and started as Hott Waxx in the early 1970s. They included Phil Fearon
(Galaxy and Kandidate) and Lloyd Phillips (Kandidate) brother of guitarist Paul, before becoming Hi Tension and riding high on the Brit funk wave with the tracks, "Hi Tension" and "British Hustle".
The group was composed of brothers
Paul Mclean (lead guitar
), Patrick Mclean (saxophone
); brothers David Joseph (keyboards
/ lead vocals
) and Ken Joseph (bass guitar
); uncle and nephew Jeffrey Guishard (percussion
/ lead vocals) Leroy Williams (congas) Paul Phillips (rhythm guitar
/ vocals) David Reid (drum
s) and Courtney Pine
(saxophone on tour).
The band split in the early 1980s with David Joseph pursuing a solo
career. In 1984 Ken Joseph, Leroy Williams and Jeffrey Guishard reformed the band (with old members David Joseph and Paul Phillips playing on the recording
sessions) and released "Rat Race" in 1984, and "You Make Me Happy" (originally recorded as "Happy" by Surface
) in 1985. Neither cover version
scored in the UK Singles Chart
.
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
based boy band
Boy band
A boy band is loosely defined as a popular music act consisting of only male singers. The members are expected to dance as well as sing, usually giving highly choreographed performances. More often than not, boy band members do not play musical instruments, either in recording sessions or on...
, seen as pioneers of Brit funk
Brit funk
Brit funk is a musical style that has its origins in the British music scene of the late 1970s-80s. It mixes elements from funk and soul music with original jazz-funk and Caribbean overtones....
and started as Hott Waxx in the early 1970s. They included Phil Fearon
Phil Fearon
Phil Fearon is a British record producer. He was the lead singer, songwriter and keyboardist for the 1980s band Galaxy.-Career:...
(Galaxy and Kandidate) and Lloyd Phillips (Kandidate) brother of guitarist Paul, before becoming Hi Tension and riding high on the Brit funk wave with the tracks, "Hi Tension" and "British Hustle".
The group was composed of brothers
Sibling
Siblings are people who share at least one parent. A male sibling is called a brother; and a female sibling is called a sister. In most societies throughout the world, siblings usually grow up together and spend a good deal of their childhood socializing with one another...
Paul Mclean (lead guitar
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
), Patrick Mclean (saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
); brothers David Joseph (keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
/ lead vocals
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
) and Ken Joseph (bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
); uncle and nephew Jeffrey Guishard (percussion
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
/ lead vocals) Leroy Williams (congas) Paul Phillips (rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
/ vocals) David Reid (drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s) and Courtney Pine
Courtney Pine
Courtney Pine CBE is an English jazz musician. At school he studied the clarinet, although he is known primarily for his saxophone playing. Pine is a multi-instrumentalist, also playing the flute, clarinet, bass Clarinet and keyboards...
(saxophone on tour).
The band split in the early 1980s with David Joseph pursuing a solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
career. In 1984 Ken Joseph, Leroy Williams and Jeffrey Guishard reformed the band (with old members David Joseph and Paul Phillips playing on the recording
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
sessions) and released "Rat Race" in 1984, and "You Make Me Happy" (originally recorded as "Happy" by Surface
Surface (band)
Surface was an American R&B and pop music group, active from 1983 to 1994, and best known for its #1 pop and R&B hit "The First Time".-Early years:...
) in 1985. Neither cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
scored in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
Singles
- "Autumn Love" / "Unspoken" - Island RecordsIsland RecordsIsland Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
(GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
) 1978 - "Hi Tension" / "Girl I Betcha" - Island RecordsIsland RecordsIsland Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
(UK, WIP 6422) 5/1978 - UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
#13 - "British Hustle" / "Peace On Earth" - Island RecordsIsland RecordsIsland Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
(UKUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, WIP 6446) 8/1978 - UK #8 - "Autumn Love" / "Unspoken" - Island RecordsIsland RecordsIsland Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
(UK, WIP 6462) 1978 - "Funktified" / "Latin Inspiration" - Island RecordsIsland RecordsIsland Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
(UK, WIP 6489) 1979 - "There's A Reason" / "If It Moves You" - Island RecordsIsland RecordsIsland Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
(UK, WIP 6493) 1979 - "Hi Tension" / "British Hustle" - Island RecordsIsland RecordsIsland Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
(UK - reissue, WIP 6705) 1981 - "We've Got The Funk" - EMIEMIThe EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
(UK) 1981 - "Rat Race" - Serdisco 1984
- "You Make Me Happy" - Streetwave 1984