Hi Tension

This British funk group started as Hott Waxx in the early '70s before becoming Hi-Tension. Lead vocalist, primary songwriter, and keyboardist David Joseph, bassist Ken Joseph, guitarist Paul Phillips, percussionist Jeff Guishard, saxophonist Paul McLean, drummers David Reid and Paapa Mensah, trumpeter Guy Barker, trombonist Peter Thomas, and saxophonists Bob Sydor and Ray Alan Eko were the original lineup. Despite having an energetic, sometimes catchy sound, they never made much impact on American shores, although they were quite successful in Britain. "Hi-Tension" and "British Hustle" were big English dance hits in the late '70s. They resurfaced with an altered lineup in the mid-'80s on Streetwave. Ken Joseph, Leroy Williams, and Jeff Guishard tried to rekindle the sparks but didn't make much headway with a pair of singles in 1984 and 1985.
© Ron Wynn /TiVo