| 5000 Volts | |
|---|---|
| Origin | London, United Kingdom |
| Genres | Disco |
| Years active | 1974–77 |
| Labels | Philips Records |
| Members | |
| Linda Kelly Martin Jay Martin Cohen Kevin Wells Mike Nelson |
|
5000 Volts is the name of a British disco recording act that achieved success throughout Europe during the 1970s. The group consisted of vocalists Tina Charles and Martin Jay, with a changing group of session musicians.
They released several singles in the mid 1970s, but did not achieve success until radio stations began playing the B-side to their 1975 single, "Bye Love". The song, "I'm on Fire", was released in its own right and became a major hit throughout Europe, peaking at number 4 on the UK Singles Chart;[1] and at number 1 on the German Top100 Singles chart and the Swedish chart and also number 10 in South Africa. It also charted in the United States where it reached number 26.
Although Tina Charles provided the vocals, she was not publicly acknowledged as the group's singer and for the band's 1975 appearance on BBC Television's Top of the Pops they were fronted by singer/actress Luan Peters (best remembered for her role as Raylene Miles, an Australian tourist in an episode of Fawlty Towers), first broadcast in 1979.
In 1975 the group was expanded by record producer Tony Eyers into a permanent five piece, with the inclusion of Martin Cohen (bass and vocals), Kevin Wells (drums) and Mike Nelson (keyboards). Subsequent singles failed to attract widespread interest in the UK, although the group became popular in South Africa and Germany. On the eve of a German tour, Charles left the group after a dispute with the record label and continued with her solo career, [2] she was replaced by Linda Kelly.
The next single "Doctor Kiss Kiss" reached number 8 in the UK,[1] and number 6 in South Africa, but the band struggled to maintain public interest. A handful of further UK singles and a self-titled album followed, as the band tried to come back with "Light the Flame of Love", "Take Me Back" and "(Walkin' On) A Love Cloud" throughout 1976/77. ("(Walking On) A Love Cloud" did top the South African charts in June 1977), but no other songs registered with the UK commercial mainstream. The last single, "Can't Stop Myself from Loving You" (South Africa #12), appeared the following year before the band, who never fully recovered from Charles' departure, disbanded.[2]
Martin Jay launched a solo career without success, before returning to his earlier role as a session musician, working for bands such as Enigma, Tight Fit in 1981 and the UK Mixmasters in 1990.[2]