The Afghan Whigs
Encyclopedia
The Afghan Whigs were a soul
-influenced American
rock
band
from Cincinnati, Ohio
. PopMatters
described the band as "beyond simple genre categorization, and though lauded by the music press, never got their just due."
(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 late in 1986. The Afghan Whigs had evolved out of Dulli's previous band, The Black Republicans, a band that Curley later joined. McCollum, who Curley would jam with after the Black Republicans broke up, was known for being quiet and contained and for a wide use of effect pedals. After the Black Republicans dispersed, Dulli moved to Arizona, where he wrote half the songs that would become their first album
Big Top Halloween
(1988) on their own Ultrasuede label
. The band signed to Sub Pop
of Seattle
in 1989. The Afghan Whigs were the first non-Northwestern U.S. band to record for the Sub Pop label. In 1990, their first Sub Pop release Up in It
was released. The album was followed by a limited edition single
released by No.6 Records
under the name 'Ornament' which included vocals by Scrawl
singer Marcy Mays.
With the 1992 album Congregation
and a limited covers EP
, Uptown Avondale
, the band adopted what would become their signature soul-influenced sound. The Afghan Whigs soon signed to a major label, Elektra Records
, and in 1993 released another album, Gentlemen
. The singles “Debonair” (Modern Rock 20 hit) and “Gentlemen” received regular airplay on MTV and college radio. “Fountain and Fairfax” also appeared on the television series My So-Called Life
in 1994.
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 subjects 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 recording persona. The album peaked at #79 on The Billboard Top 200 chart.
In 1996, 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 sixth album, 1965
, on Columbia Records
(Michael Horrigan, former Love Cowboys bassist replaced Buchignani). It was the band's last full-length album of original material.
The Afghan Whigs announced their split in 2001, citing the strain of geographic distance between members as the reason.
In 2006, The Afghan Whigs temporarily reunited. The 1965 lineup recorded two new tracks ("I’m A Soldier" and "Magazine") featured on their retrospective titled Unbreakable: A Retrospective 1990–2006
, released on June 5, 2007, through Rhino Records.
On June 23, 2009 an Afghan Whigs tribute album was released, featuring contributions from Mark Lanegan
, Joseph Arthur
and 11 other artists influenced by the band.
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
-influenced American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
from Cincinnati, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
described the band as "beyond simple genre categorization, and though lauded by the music press, never got their just due."
Band history
Greg DulliGreg Dulli
-Biography:Greg Dulli was born and brought up in the working-class city of Hamilton, Ohio. Although he was raised a Catholic, he is now agnostic. Dulli first came to public attention in the late 1980s with The Afghan Whigs when he joined D.C. transplant bassist John Curley and Louisville, Kentucky,...
(vocals, rhythm guitar), Rick McCollum (lead guitar), John Curley (bass), and Steve Earle (drums - not to be confused with country musician Steve Earle
Steve Earle
Stephen Fain "Steve" Earle is an American singer-songwriter known for his rock and Texas Country as well as his political views. He is also a producer, author, a political activist, and an actor, and has written and directed a play....
) formed the band in Cincinnati late in 1986. The Afghan Whigs had evolved out of Dulli's previous band, The Black Republicans, a band that Curley later joined. McCollum, who Curley would jam with after the Black Republicans broke up, was known for being quiet and contained and for a wide use of effect pedals. After the Black Republicans dispersed, Dulli moved to Arizona, where he wrote half the songs that would become their first album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
Big Top Halloween
Big Top Halloween
Big Top Halloween is the first album by the band The Afghan Whigs.-Track listing:All tracks written by Greg Dulli and John Curley.# "Here Comes Jesus"# "In My Town"# "Priscilla's Wedding"# "Push"# "Scream"# "But Listen"# "Big Top Halloween"...
(1988) on their own Ultrasuede label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
. The band signed to Sub Pop
Sub Pop
Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...
of Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
in 1989. The Afghan Whigs were the first non-Northwestern U.S. band to record for the Sub Pop label. In 1990, their first Sub Pop release Up in It
Up in It
Up in It is the second album by the band The Afghan Whigs and their first released after the band signed to Sub Pop. The cassette version did not have any songs from the Big Top Halloween album like the CD release, but included the song "Now We Can Begin" not found on the CD).-Track listing:All...
was released. The album was followed by a limited edition single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
released by No.6 Records
No.6 Records
No.6 Records was an independent record label, started in 1989 as a subsidiary of Rough Trade Records by A&R representative and booking agent Terry Tolkin...
under the name 'Ornament' which included vocals by Scrawl
Scrawl
Scrawl is a musical trio based in Columbus, Ohio. The founding members are Marcy Mays , Sue Harshe , and Carolyn O'Leary . Their first show, in the summer of 1985, was a 20-minute opening spot for the Meat Puppets...
singer Marcy Mays.
With the 1992 album Congregation
Congregation (album)
Congregation is the third album by The Afghan Whigs, released in 1992 .-Track listing:-Additional personnel:*Jack Skinner - Mastering*Miss Ruby Belle - Vocals*Lance - Piano, Vocals...
and a limited covers EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, Uptown Avondale
Uptown Avondale
Uptown Avondale is an EP by the band The Afghan Whigs. It bears the Sub Pop catalog number SPCD 53/215 and is representative of the Cincinnati band's soul influences...
, the band adopted what would become their signature soul-influenced sound. The Afghan Whigs soon signed to a major label, Elektra Records
Elektra Records
Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
, and in 1993 released another album, Gentlemen
Gentlemen (album)
Gentlemen is the fourth studio album by the alternative rock band The Afghan Whigs. It was released in 1993 on Elektra Records in America and Blast First in England and was produced by Greg Dulli.-Track listing:...
. The singles “Debonair” (Modern Rock 20 hit) and “Gentlemen” received regular airplay on MTV and college radio. “Fountain and Fairfax” also appeared on the television series My So-Called Life
My So-Called Life
My So-Called Life is an American teen drama television series created by Winnie Holzman and produced by Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz. It originally aired on ABC from August 25, 1994, to January 26, 1995 and was distributed by The Bedford Falls Company with ABC Productions. Set at the...
in 1994.
1996 saw the band release the noir-influenced Black Love
Black Love
Black Love is the fifth album by the band The Afghan Whigs, released on 1996. It was released on the Elektra label and was produced by Greg Dulli....
(the album featured Paul Buchignani
Paul Buchignani
Paul Buchignani is an American drummer who came into musical prominence for his work with The Afghan Whigs on the Black Love album and subsequent tour. Buchignani graduated from Rhodes College in Memphis, TN in 1989...
on drums in place of Steve Earle). Although the main subjects 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 recording persona. The album peaked at #79 on The Billboard Top 200 chart.
In 1996, Dulli served as executive producer for the soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
for the Ted Demme
Ted Demme
Edward K. "Ted" Demme was an American film director and producer.- Early life and career :Born in New York City, Demme grew up in Rockville Centre on Long Island, New York and attended South Side Senior High School. He graduated from SUNY-Cortland in 1985. His media career likely began with a...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
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
Barry White
Barry White, born Barry Eugene Carter , was an American composer and singer-songwriter.A five-time Grammy Award-winner known for his distinctive bass voice and romantic image, White's greatest success came in the 1970s as a solo singer and with the Love Unlimited Orchestra, crafting many enduring...
's "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe".
In 1998, The Afghan Whigs released their sixth album, 1965
1965 (album)
-Track listing:All tracks written by Greg Dulli except where noted.#"Somethin' Hot" – 2:58#"Crazy" – 4:04#"Uptown Again" – 3:11#"Sweet Son of a Bitch" – 0:23#"66" – 3:23#"Citi Soleil" – 5:06#"John the Baptist" – 5:34...
, on Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
(Michael Horrigan, former Love Cowboys bassist replaced Buchignani). It was the band's last full-length album of original material.
The Afghan Whigs announced their split in 2001, citing the strain of geographic distance between members as the reason.
In 2006, The Afghan Whigs temporarily reunited. The 1965 lineup recorded two new tracks ("I’m A Soldier" and "Magazine") featured on their retrospective titled Unbreakable: A Retrospective 1990–2006
Unbreakable: A Retrospective 1990–2006
Unbreakable: A Retrospective 1990–2006 is a compilation album from alternative rock band The Afghan Whigs, released on June 5, 2007 on Rhino Records.The album came six years after the group disbanded in 2001...
, released on June 5, 2007, through Rhino Records.
On June 23, 2009 an Afghan Whigs tribute album was released, featuring contributions from Mark Lanegan
Mark Lanegan
Mark Lanegan is an American rock musician and songwriter. Lanegan began his music career in the 1980s, forming the grunge group Screaming Trees with Gary Lee Conner, Van Conner and Mark Pickerel. During his time in the band Lanegan would start a low-key solo career...
, Joseph Arthur
Joseph Arthur
Joseph Arthur is an American singer-songwriter and artist from Akron, Ohio. Combining poetic lyrics with a layered sonic palette, Arthur has built his reputation over the years through critically acclaimed releases and constant touring; his unique solo live performances incorporate the use of a...
and 11 other artists influenced by the band.
Current projects
- Dulli is currently recording and performing with Mark Lanegan as The Gutter TwinsThe Gutter TwinsThe Gutter Twins is a musical collaboration between rock musicians Greg Dulli and Mark Lanegan. Dulli and Lanegan have regularly contributed to each other's projects since 2000, most notably in Dulli's Twilight Singers; of the duo's origins, Dulli said "I think Mark told a journalist we were doing...
- Dulli continues to record and tour with his evolving collective The Twilight SingersThe Twilight SingersThe Twilight Singers is an American indie rock band. The group was initially formed as a side project of The Afghan Whigs leader Greg Dulli in 1997...
and as a solo artist - Curley is the bassist of the Staggering Statistics
- McCollum is the guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter for Moon Maan
- Horrigan is the bassist for Brendan BensonBrendan BensonBrendan Benson is an American musician and songwriter. He sings and plays guitar, bass guitar, keyboard, and drums. He has released four solo albums and is a member of the band The Raconteurs....
- Earle is the songwriter, lead singer, and guitarist of Earle Grey
Discography
- Big Top HalloweenBig Top HalloweenBig Top Halloween is the first album by the band The Afghan Whigs.-Track listing:All tracks written by Greg Dulli and John Curley.# "Here Comes Jesus"# "In My Town"# "Priscilla's Wedding"# "Push"# "Scream"# "But Listen"# "Big Top Halloween"...
(1988) - Up in ItUp in ItUp in It is the second album by the band The Afghan Whigs and their first released after the band signed to Sub Pop. The cassette version did not have any songs from the Big Top Halloween album like the CD release, but included the song "Now We Can Begin" not found on the CD).-Track listing:All...
(1990) - CongregationCongregation (album)Congregation is the third album by The Afghan Whigs, released in 1992 .-Track listing:-Additional personnel:*Jack Skinner - Mastering*Miss Ruby Belle - Vocals*Lance - Piano, Vocals...
(1992) - GentlemenGentlemen (album)Gentlemen is the fourth studio album by the alternative rock band The Afghan Whigs. It was released in 1993 on Elektra Records in America and Blast First in England and was produced by Greg Dulli.-Track listing:...
(1993) - Black Love (1996)
- 19651965 (album)-Track listing:All tracks written by Greg Dulli except where noted.#"Somethin' Hot" – 2:58#"Crazy" – 4:04#"Uptown Again" – 3:11#"Sweet Son of a Bitch" – 0:23#"66" – 3:23#"Citi Soleil" – 5:06#"John the Baptist" – 5:34...
(1998)
External links
- Summer's Kiss - A Tribute to The Afghan Whigs
- The Afghan Whigs Myspace Page
- The Twilight Singers
- Staggering Statistics
- Moon Maan
- [ The Afghan Whigs Allmusic entry]
- An Afghan Whigs Farewell Essay
- Afghan Whigs at Rolling StoneRolling StoneRolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...