The Twilight Singers

The Twilight Singers was formed as a vanity project by The Afghan Whigs leader Greg Dulli in 1997. While in-between Whigs albums and amidst a dispute with their record label, Elektra, Dulli recorded demos for the act with friends and collaborators Shawn Smith (Brad, Satchel, Pigeonhead) and Harold Chichester (Royal Crescent Mob, Howlin' Maggie) in New Orleans. The demos have an exceptionally dark, tense, and New Orleans flavored groove and swagger. As a result of the Whigs' label troubles, it is debated that Elektra leaked the demo tapes as they were widely circulated in the trader circuit.

Related Topics:
The Afghan Whigs - Greg Dulli - 1997 - Elektra - Shawn Smith - Harold Chichester - Howlin' Maggie - New Orleans

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The Afghan Whigs settled their dispute with Elektra and signed with Sony/Columbia in April 1998. Columbia optioned The Twilight Singers recordings; but preferred to release a new Afghan Whigs album instead. The Whigs' swan song 1965 was released in October 1998 to wide critical acclaim. The band toured for one year in support of the album but decided to disband in February 2001.

Related Topics:
1998 - 1965 - 2001

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2000 saw Greg Dulli revive The Twilight Singers, reworking the original leaked demos with dance producers and remix auteurs Fila Brazillia. The final product was a mix of southern trumpet, Midwest idealism, and UK big beat, all masking a solemn dirge of life's transformation to death. Columbia released the album as Twilight as Played by the Twilight Singers in September 2000. The band toured with members of Howlin' Maggie and former Afghan Whigs drummer Michael Horrigan on bass.

Related Topics:
2000 - Fila Brazillia - Big beat - Twilight as Played by the Twilight Singers

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Dulli took time off following the short tour for Twilight, investing in a bar in Los Angeles. In 2001, he began working on the follow up for Twilight.. tentatively called Amber Headlights. The death of Dulli's friend, director Ted Demme in January 2002, forced him to shelve the project, and he took a second leave from writing and recording. After reading the Jack London book Martin Eden, and experiencing an earthquake, Dulli set about writing the concept album that became Blackberry Belle.

Related Topics:
2001 - Twilight.. - Amber Headlights - Ted Demme - 2002 - Jack London - Blackberry Belle

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Working with a large cast of performers, including former Prince protégé Apollonia and former Screaming Trees singer Mark Lanegan, Blackberry Belle became a rolling expose' of the dark side of love and loss, a familiar topic revisited from former Afghan Whigs albums like Black Love. The critics welcomed Dulli's return and were eager to give the record, independently financed and released through One Little Indian in October 2003, high marks.

Related Topics:
Prince - Apollonia - Screaming Trees - Mark Lanegan - Blackberry Belle - Black Love - 2003

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A touring version of The Twilight Singers including Jon Skibic (guitars), Scott Ford (bass) and Bobby Macintyre (drums), made two legs through the United States and Europe in 2003 and 2004.

Related Topics:
Jon Skibic - Scott Ford - Bobby Macintyre - 2003 - 2004

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August 2004, the band released She Loves You a collection of cover songs from artists as varied as Fleetwood Mac, Mary J. Blige, and George Gershwin.

Related Topics:
2004 - She Loves You - Fleetwood Mac - Mary J. Blige - George Gershwin

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September 2005, Dulli finally released the formerly shelved Amber Headlights on his own Infernal Recordings label through his website thetwilightsingers.com while working on a new Twilight Singers album called Powder Burns for a Spring 2006 release. Dulli is also the other member of the duo called The Gutter Twins with Mark Lanegan who will be releasing their upcoming album called Saturnalia.

Related Topics:
2005 - Amber Headlights - Powder Burns - 2006 - The Gutter Twins - Mark Lanegan - Saturnalia

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