5000 Volts is the name of a British disco recording act which 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 single “Bye Love”. The song “I’m On Fire” was then released in its own right and became a major hit throughout Europe, peaking at number 4 on the British charts. It also charted well in the United States where it reached number 26. Though Charles provided the vocals, she was not at the time publicly acknowledged as the group’s singer. The publicity surrounding the revelation of this information gave her solo career a boost.
Subsequent group singles failed to attract widespread interest, although the group became very popular in Germany. On the eve of a German tour, Charles left the group after a dispute with their record company, continuing on with her successful solo career. She was replaced by vocalist Linda Kelly. The next single “Doctor Kiss Kiss” reached number 8 in the UK but the band struggled to maintain public interest. As further releases failed to find an audience the group disbanded.
Jay launched a solo career without success , and eventually returned to his earlier role as a session musician working for such bands as Enigma and Tight Fit. |
