It may come as a shock, but The White Stripes were not the first Detroiters to go bass-less. Back in the mid- 80s, (starting January 3rd, 1986, at 10:43 pm to be exact, a moment which lives on in infamy through an old piece of paper that was handy at the time), a band called The Gories were getting it done with just two guitars and some drums. Consisting of of guitarist / singer Mick Collins, drummer Margaret Ann “Peggy” O’Neill and Dan Kroha on vocals and another guitar, the band’s special, extra-trashy brand blues-punk made them a fixture on the Detroit scene for a handful of years before their demise in ’93.

Their first release, Houserockin’, was put out in 1989 on Wanghead with Lips Records, a label which had previously used two Gories songs for its 1987 compilation, It Came From the Garage II. After a brief break, the trio were back in 1990 with I Know You Fine, But How You Doin‘, produced by Alex Chilton (of Big Star fame). It was also in 1990 that the band’s first 7”, Nitroglycerine, was released, and has undoubtedly since become a crown jewel in the record collections of a select few hundred. A slew of additional 7 inches were released in the early 90s, on almost as many different labels including In the Red, before the band’s third (and final) LP Outta Here saw release in 1992.

Though not the first of their kind, the Gories are by far the most widely recognized amongst the bass-free Detroit bands of their heyday in the late 80s-early 90s. The music this band created has had, and continues to have, an immeasurable effect on an abundance of bands (with and without basses), to follow. Jack White, for one, has expressed his undying devotion to the Gories and their frontman, Mick Collins. Current Dirtbombs drummer Ben Blackwell is also a longtime-fan, and now has the rare luxury of being in a band with Collins. Dan Kroha went on to form the Demolition Doll Rods and is better known today as the leader of the blues rocking Detroit based band The Readies, while Peg O’Neill is the current drummer of New Orleans band, the Darkest Hours.

Update: In 2009, The Gories are set to play a seires of four reunion shows in both Detroit and Memphis.

More Info:
The Gories on Wikipedia

Gories Discography:
2000 – Again and Again (7 inch) (In the Red)
1995 – You Little Nothing (7 inch) (Get Hip)
1994 – I Know You Houserockin’ (re-realease of first 2 records) (Crypt)
1993 – Bughouse (7 inch) (Get Hip)
1992 – Baby Say Unh! (7 inch) (Estrus)
1992 – Give Me Some Money (7 inch) (SubPop)
1992 – To Find Out (7 inch) (Giant Claw)
1992 – Outta Here (Crypt)
1991 – You Don’t Love Me (7 inch) (In the Red)
1991 – Here Be the Gories (7 inch) (In the Red)
1990 – Nitroglycerine (7 inch) (New Rose)
1990 – I Know You Fine, But How You Doin’
(Crypt)
1989 – I Know You Be Houserockin’ (Crypt)

“I Think I’ve Had It”

Recent Gories Posts:

• Hysteric Narcotics reunion, with Dan Kroha
• The Gories @ Majestic Theater
• Interview With Danny Kroha (The Gories)
• Gories Play Memphis Reunion Show
• Gories Reunion Dates Announced