I was digging around the boxes and found a tune by 5000 Volts called "I'm On Fire", an energetic, catchy ultra disco speed demon of song that was voiced by this woman whose vocal energy equalled the bombastic music track. What attracted me to "I'm On Fire" was that the main riff that seemed to be inspired by the 60's tune "Black Is Black" by Los Bravos, but sounded like something Russian Cossacks chanting would dance to.

The only reason I mention the woman was named Tina Charles and the 5000 volts track was her first hit single. I have mad respect for her, she seemed to be shredding her voice on the track shrieking with the best of them, but it did not destroy her voice, she could carry a tune she should have gone into show biz.. Crazy? Like a fox, she was an astute businesswoman who among other things helped to finance the recording of the album that gave birth to The Buggles "Video Killed The Radio Star".

Tina Charles was born Tina Hoskins on March 10, 1954 in Whitechapel London, UK. After a brief scare with meningitis she recovered as a newborn. Her parents readily accepted Tina's choice to sing and encouraged her. She adopted Tina Charles as her stage name soon after that.

In the late 60's Tina started gigging as a backing vocalist and a session musician recording her first solo single with then unknown Elton John singing background vocals on the track "Good To Be Alive". Soon she was doing backgrounds for Tom Jones and Engelbert Humperdinck which kept her pretty busy.

It wasn't until she met the Indian based producer Biddu who helped put Carl Douglas "Kung Fu Fighting" at #1 in the US and had personal success with his disco compositions. Their first single issued was "You Set My Heart On Fire" but "I Love To Love (But My Baby Just Loves To Dance)" became a #1 hit in the UK for three weeks, knocking The Four Seasons "December '63 (Oh What A Night) off the top of the chart.

Tina continued recording and stayed in London sustaining herself on numerous background gigs and jingles for radio. In 1986 a France based DJ remixed this song and it peaked at #2 there encouraging her to continue her performing career.

2003 was the year she reunited with Biddu in the studio and they released "It's Friday Night".

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