Part 4: Outstanding But Hardly Peerless: the Whigs and Other Bands

Affiliated Bands

• The Ass Ponys (Cincinnati, Ohio). The Whigs opened for this band in their early days; they covered the Whigs' "You My Flower" for the Monocat split single; John Curley produced their albums Mr. Superlove (OKra, 1990), Grim (Safe House, 1993), and Electric Rock Music (A&M, 1994).
• The Backbeat Band. Assembled by Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth) and Don Was to cover/reinterpret songs performed by the Beatles in their early years, for the soundtrack of the movie Backbeat (Virgin, 1994). Greg Dulli, "John Lennon" vocals; Dave Pirner (Soul Asylum), "Paul McCartney" vocals; Don Fleming (Gumball), guitar and vocals; Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters), drums; Mike Mills (REM), bass and vocals; Thurston Moore, guitar.
• The Black Republicans. Greg's pre-Whigs band. In an interview (Options, 1996) he claimed this band routinely performed to levels of funk and soul that the Whigs only reach on a good night. If any Black Republicans recordings were ever made they haven't publicly emerged.
• Brad. See Satchel.
• Foo Fighters (Seattle, Washington). Greg Dulli is the only musician other than Dave Grohl to play on Foo Fighters (Roswell/Capitol, 1994) (a guitar solo in "X-static" (sp?)
• Havana Sugar Kings. Under this name (the worst-kept secret in Ohio) the Whigs have been known to play smaller Cincinnati clubs. Also, in September 1998 the Afghan Whigs played a Cincinnati show as "Gato Negro."
• Howlin' Maggie (Columbus, Ohio). Frontman Harold "Happy" Chichester (formerly of the Royal Crescent Mob) also has played keyboards on the Whigs' records Gentlemen and Black Love, and toured with the Whigs (with and without Howlin' Maggie as an opening act) in this capacity. Also, Greg sang backup vocals on Howlin' Maggie's "How the West Was Lost" (Honeysuckle Strange, Sony, 1996).
• Paul K and the Weathermen. Post-punk singer-songwriter. The Whigs covered "Amphetamines and Coffee" on Up In It; John Curley produced their album Achilles Heel (Thirsty Ear Records, 1995).
• Ornament. See Scrawl.
• Pigeonhed (sic) (Seattle, Washington). See Satchel.
• Roundhead (Columbus, Ohio?). Cellist Barb Hunter also played on and toured with the Whigs to support the albums Gentlemen and Black Love.
• Satchel (Seattle, Washington). Frontman Shawn Smith (also of Brad and Pigeonhed) has been friends with the Whigs at least since he remixed "Milez iz Ded" (Congregation) to make "Rebirth of the Cool" (Uptown Avondale), if not earlier. He also sang backing vocals on Black Love, and participated in Greg's side project The Twilight Singers.
• Scrawl (Cleveland, Ohio). Frontwoman Marcy Mays sang backing vocals on "White Trash Party" (Singles Club version); sang "My Curse" (Gentlemen); and played with the Whigs in a pre-Sub Pop incarnation as Ornament. One music encyclopedia states that Mays is Greg's ex-girlfriend but this has not been independently verified.
• Throneberry (Cincinnati, Ohio). Frontman Jason Arbenz (formerly of the Liquid Hips/Hippos) is a former roommate of Greg Dulli. John and Greg produced their album Sangria (Alias, 1994); Greg also sang backing on the single "Touched." Finally, shortly after it was known that Michael Horrigan a former Throneberry drummer, had joined the Whigs in that capacity, the Whigs' ex-drummer Steve Earle reportedly had been hired by Throneberry as a drummer.
• The Twilight Singers. A side project featuring Greg, Harold Chichester (Howlin' Maggie), Shawn Smith (Satchel et al.), and other musicians. The record is tentatively scheduled to come out on Columbia in spring 1999.

Bibliography/Credits

Bibliography

• Felder, Rachel. Manic Pop Thrill. 1993. The Ecco Press: Hopewell, NJ.
• Robbins, Ira A. (ed.) The Trouser Press Record Guide (fourth edition). 1991. Collier Books: New York, NY.
• Robbins, Ira A. (ed.) The Trouser Press Guide to '90s Rock. 1997. Fireside: Simon and Schuster: New York, NY.

Credits

This page last updated December 19, 1998.

Copyright 1998, Julia Lutz (whiggrrl@erols.com)

"In time I'll find I'm stuck/Fugazi rules, but Hootie, you still suck." The Afghan Whigs, "Be Sweet" (as revised June 1995).