The Afghan Whigs were a soul-influenced American rock band from Cincinnati, Ohio. While they achieved moderate success in the 1990s -- Rolling Stone described the band as spending "the bulk of their career on the brink of stardom" -- they "never quite broke beyond a substantial legion of devotees enamored of their thinly veiled sleaze."

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, Ohio, in 1986.

In 1988, they released their debut album Big Top Halloween 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. It featured a blistering pace and yowling, effects-heavy guitars on tracks like "White Trash Party". The album was followed by a limited edition single released by No.6 Records under the name "The Ornament". They added two guitarists who left soon after the release.

With the 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 album, Gentlemen. Although the singles ?Debonair? and ?Gentlemen? were fairly popular, the album failed to launch the band into the mainstream.

Beside 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 subjects in previous releases were liquor-drenched obsession, secrets and misery, Black Love was a step into a more dark, even 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 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.

Despite reports that the band had started work on their seventh album, 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. ^[1] 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. ^[2]

Current projects

• Greg Dulli is currently recording and performing with Mark Lanegan as The Gutter Twins
• 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
• Steve Earle is the songwriter, lead singer, and guitarist of EARLE GREY

Discography

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

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)

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 "Mr. Superlove"(Mono Cat 7)
• 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)
• 1996 "Honky's Ladder" (Elektra)
• 1997 "Live at Howlin' Wolf, New Orleans" (Elektra ? Promo Only)
• 1998 "Historectomy" (Columbia - Promo Only)
• 1998 "Somethin' Hot" (Columbia Records)
• 1999 "66" (Columbia Records)

Compilations

• 2007 Unbreakable: A Retrospective 1990?2006 (Rhino/Wea ? features two new tracks)

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)

References

1. ↑ Afghan Whigs Reunite | Pitchfork
2. ↑ news : Summer?s Kiss | The Afghan Whigs, Twilight Singers, Gutter Twins, Greg Dulli + More

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 Stone

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