Big Chief was an American

funk rock Funk rock is a fusion genre that mixes elements of funk and rock. James Brown and others declared that Little Richard and his mid-1950s road band, The Upsetters, were the first to put the funk in the rock and roll beat, with a biographer sta ...

band from

Ann Arbor, Michigan Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County, Michigan, Washtenaw County. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census recorded its population to be 123,851. It is the principal city of the Ann Arbor ...

History

Big Chief was founded in 1989 by several veterans of the Michigan

hardcore punk Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier punk ...

scene, including Barry Henssler, who had been a member of

Necros Necros was an early American hardcore punk band from Maumee, Ohio, although they are usually identified with the Detroit music scene. They were the first band to record for Touch and Go Records. History Necros was formed in mid-1975 by then-t ...

. They began attracting

major label A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produc ...

attention even before releasing any songs.Big Chief
at

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

After the release of their debut seven-inch record, "Brake Torque",

Sub Pop Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman. Sub Pop achieved fame in the early 1990s for signing Seattle bands such as Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney, central players in the grunge movement. They are often ...

offered to put out another seven-inch single. After several more single releases, the group compiled them on ''Drive It Off'', released on

Get Hip Recordings Get Hip Records is an independent Pittsburgh-based music label and distributor formed by Gregg Kostelich in 1986.Theiner, Manny (1999-06-02), "Still Hip After All These Years". ''Pittsburgh Newsweekly'' Kostelich used the label to release music b ...

in 1991. Later that year, the group released its debut album, ''Face'', in Germany; Sub Pop issued the album for the American market in mid-1992. In 1993, Sub Pop released their sophomore album, ''Mack Avenue Skullgame'', after which the group switched to major label

Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...

, who released the group's third and final LP, ''

Platinum Jive ''Platinum Jive'' is an album by the American alternative rock band Big Chief, released in 1994. Subtitled "(Greatest Hits 1969-1999)", the band presented it as a greatest hits collection, although it is made up entirely of original songs. Released ...

'', in 1994. The group disbanded in 1996, though it kept up a fanzine, called ''Motorbooty'', until the end of the decade; ''Motorbooty'' featured illustrations by guitarist Mark Dancey. Bassist Mark O'Brien became a member of

Numbers A number is a mathematical object used to count, measure, and label. The original examples are the natural numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, and so forth. Numbers can be represented in language with number words. More universally, individual numbers can ...

; vocalist Barry Henssler worked in Chicago clubs as DJ Chamberweed; and Phil Durr played with the groups Five Horse Johnson, Giant Brain, Luder, and Variac. On January 11, 2019, Phill Durr died of a heart attack at age 53 while visiting family in Germany.

Members

*Barry Henssler - vocals *Thornetta Davis - vocals *Mike Danner - drums *Matt O'Brien - bass *Mark Dancey - guitar *Phil Dürr - guitar

Discography

*''Drive It Off'' (

, 1991) *''Face'' (

, 1992) *''Mack Avenue Skullgame'' (Sub Pop, 1993) *''

'' (

, 1994)

References

American funk musical groups Rock music groups from Michigan Sub Pop artists 1989 establishments in Michigan Musical groups from Ann Arbor, Michigan {{US-rock-band-stub