The Afghan Whigs
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The Afghan Whigs | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| Background information | ||
| Origin | Cincinnati, Ohio, USA | |
| Genre(s) | Alternative rock | |
| Years active | 1986–2001, 2006 | |
| Label(s) | Sub Pop, Elektra, Columbia | |
| Members | ||
| Greg Dulli John Curley Rick McCollum Michael Horrigan |
||
| Former members | ||
| Steve Earle Paul Buchignani |
||
The Afghan Whigs were a soul-influenced alternative rock band which hailed from Cincinnati. While they achieved moderate success in the 1990’s -- Rolling Stone described the band as spending "the bulk of their career on the brink of stardom" --they "never quite broken beyond a substantial legion of devotees enamored of their thinly veiled sleaze."
Contents |
[edit] Band history
Greg Dulli (vocals, rhythm guitar), Rick McCollum (lead guitar), John Curley (bass), and Steve Earle (drums -- not to be confused with country musician Steve Earle) formed the band in Cincinnati in 1986.
In 1988, they released their debut album Big Top Halloween on their own Ultrasuede label. The album caught the attention and imagination of the independent music community and the band soon signed to Sub Pop of Seattle in 1989. Sub Pop's signing of The Afghan Whigs created quite a stir at the time as they were the first non-Northwestern U.S. band to record for the label.
In 1990, their first Sub Pop release Up In It was released; the blistering pace and yowling, effects-heavy guitars on tracks like "White Trash Party" gave no hint of the stylistic about-face to come.
With the critically acclaimed 1992 album Congregation and a limited covers EP, Uptown Avondale, the band adopted what would become their signature soul-influenced sound.
Soon The Afghan Whigs signed to a major label, Elektra Records, and in 1993 released another critically acclaimed album, Gentlemen. Although the singles “Debonair” and “Gentlemen” were fairly popular, the album failed to launch the band into the mainstream.
(As well as regular appearances on MTV's playlists, their track, "Fountain and Fairfax", also appeared on the television series My So-Called Life in 1994).
Despite personnel problems interfering with recording and touring, 1996 saw the band release the noir-influenced Black Love (the album featured Paul Buchignani on drums in place of Steve Earle). Although the main subject matter in previous releases were liquor drenched obsession, secrets and misery, Black Love was a step into a more dark, seedier and complex side of Dulli’s persona.
In 1996, Greg Dulli served as executive producer for the soundtrack for the Ted Demme film Beautiful Girls. The Afghan Whigs appeared in the film as a bar band and contributed two songs to the soundtrack (Frederick Knight’s "Be For Real" and Barry White's "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe").
In 1998, The Afghan Whigs released their 6th album, 1965, on Columbia Records (Michael Horrigan, former Love cowboys bassist replaced Buchignani). The album saw the band on inspired form. Sadly, it was the bands' last full-length album of original material.
Despite reports that the band had started work on their 7th album, The Afghan Whigs announced their split in 2001, citing the strain of geographic distance between members.
In 2006, The Afghan Whigs temporarily reunited. [1] The ‘1965’ lineup recorded two new tracks ("I’m A Soldier" and "Magazine") to be featured on their retrospective titled Unbreakable -- due for release on May 1, 2007 through Rhino Records[2].
[edit] Current projects
- Greg Dulli is currently recording and performing as The Twilight Singers
- John Curley is the bassist of the Staggering Statistics
- Rick McCollum is the guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter for Moon Maan
- Michael Horrigan is the bassist for Brendan Benson
[edit] Discography
[edit] Studio albums
- 1988 Big Top Halloween (Ultrasuede)
- 1990 Up in It (Sub Pop)
- 1992 Congregation (Sub Pop)
- 1993 Gentlemen (Elektra Records)
- 1996 Black Love (Elektra Records) US #79
- 1998 1965 (Columbia Records) US #176
[edit] EPs
- 1992 Uptown Avondale (Sub Pop)
- 1994 What Jail Is Like EP (Elektra)
- 1996 Honky's Ladder EP (Elektra Records, Mute Records)
- 1996 Bonnie & Clyde EP (Elektra)
[edit] Singles
- 1989 I Am the Sticks/White Trash Party (Sub Pop)
- 1990 Retarded (Sub Pop)
- 1990 Sister Brother/Hey Cuz (Sub Pop)
- 1991 My World Is Empty Without You (Sub Pop)
- 1992 Turn On The Water (Sub Pop)
- 1992 Conjure Me (Sub Pop)
- 1993 Debonair (Blast First)
- 1993 Gentlemen (Blast First)
- 1994 What Jail Is Like (Sub Pop)
- 1994 The B-Sides b/w The Conversaion (Sub Pop)
- 1996 Going To Town (Mute Records)
- 1997 Live at Howlin' Wolf, New Orleans (Elektra)
- 1998 Somethin' Hot (Columbia Records)
- 1998 Historectomy (Columbia)
- 1999 66 (Columbia Records)
[edit] Bootlegs
- 1993 Debonair Gentlemen June 6, 1993 Passage de Nord Ovest (Alley Kat)
- 1994 Black Soul Gentlemen 1994 Europe (Octopus)
- 1994 Time for a Bavarian Death Waltz 1994 Europe (Sizzling Music, Italy)
