Hi-Tension is the sole album by Britfunk band Hi-Tension, released in 1978 by Island Records. Following the domestic success of the band's hit single "Hi-Tension", considered the first Britfunk song, the band recorded the album with producers Alex Sadkin and Kofi Ayivor at Island Studios, London. Disagreements arose between producer Sadkin, who proposed a commercial direction, and band leader David Joseph who wanted the album to retain the band's strong vibrant live sound. Hi-Tension reached number 54 on the UK Albums Chart, while "British Hustle" provided the band with their sole Top 10 hit. Despite its muted reception, and the group subsequently disbanding, Hi-Tension has since been regarded as a key and influential album in Britfunk and British R&B.
Background
Hi-Tension formed in Willesden Green, North West London in 1976, evolving out of the earlier group Hott Wax, who were active in the early 1970s. The group was fronted by David Joseph, their lead vocalist, lead songwriter and keyboardist, but the line-up was completed by nine other members, including two drummers and two saxophonists. They began as a live band, playing gigs only in their weekends as they had day jobs in the week, and only performing in venues with their desired atmosphere, avoiding pubs, venues with small stages and places unwelcoming of the band's funk sound.
On 24 February 1978, the group appeared on the BBC Two programme Blackcurrant, a live showcase of black music, during which they played their eponymous song "Hi-Tension", which was written when the band were performing a jam session and found themselves "short of a number," so improvised a new song. After a tape of Hi-Tension was given to Chris Blackwell of Island Records, he signed them to the label and released the song in March as a limited edition single. All 5,000 copies sold out quickly, so in April they released an edited version of the song for mainstream sales. It entered the UK Singles Chart in May 1978, peaking at number 13, and the group performed it on Top of the Pops. According to writer Paul Lester, "to see Hi-Tension, all scratchy guitars and indelicate brass, exorbitant afros and jittery motion, perform it on Top of the Pops is to witness underground late-70s black London in full effect."
With their eponymous song, Hi-Tension are said to have inaugurated Britfunk, establishing the genre's influence of American bands like Mass Production, Brass Construction and Crown Heights Affair via the danceable uptempo style, "with the groove being the main hook, as the 'songs' were often more chants than verse/bridge/chorus affairs," according to DJ Joey Negro. Hi-Tension found themselves at the vanguard of the Britfunk scene in its early years, with fellow groups like Light of the World. In an interview with the Daily Mirror in June 1978, Joseph announced that the group would "shortly" record their new album and tour in July, while commenting on audiences assuming the band were American due to their style being "very much like that of Earth Wind and Fire."
Recording and composition
Hi-Tension was recorded at Island Studios, London, and was produced between Kofi Ayivor and Alex Sadkin, aside from the re-appearing "Hi-Tension", which had been produced by Ayivor with Chris Blackwell. Sadkin, who had worked with T-Connection and Third World, was recommended by Blackwell after Hi-Tension found that Ayivor was not providing them with enough direction and discipline. While conceding that Sadkin was a somewhat reasonable producer, Joseph found his work rate to be "too slow" and "too relaxed," noting how he would spend two to three days working on drums alone, "and out of that he didn't bring out the kind of sound I felt we needed." The pair's approaches conflicted, as Sadkin favoured a commercial sound whereas Joseph wanted the music to sound "hard and powerful," and led to them falling out. Joseph said of Sadkin's approach: "All the energy part of the music was mixed low."