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The White Stripes




This article is about the band. For their debut album, see The White Stripes (album).
The White Stripes
Jack and Meg White giving an impromptu concert to fans on a bus in Winnipeg, MB.
Jack and Meg White giving an impromptu concert to fans on a bus in Winnipeg, MB.
Background information
Origin Detroit, Michigan, USA
Genre(s) Alternative rock, garage rock revival, punk blues, blues rock
Years active 1997–present
Label(s) Warner Bros., V2, Third Man, Sympathy For The Record Industry, XL, Italy
Associated acts The Raconteurs
The Upholsterers
The Go
Website www.WhiteStripes.com
Members
Jack White
Meg White

The White Stripes are an American alternative rock band from Detroit, Michigan formed in 1997 by guitarist, singer, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Jack White and drummer/percussionist Meg White, who have remained the consistent line-up. After releasing several singles and three albums within the Detroit independent music scene, The White Stripes rose to prominence in 2002 as part of the garage rock revival movement. Their successful albums, White Blood Cells and Elephant, drew them attention from a large variety of media outlets in the United States and the United Kingdom. The White Stripes utilize a low fidelity, do-it-yourself approach to writing and recording, stressing a minimalistic simplicity of composition and arrangement mostly inspired by punk rock, blues rock, folk rock and country music. The band's color scheme of red, white, and black colors and clothing sets them aesthetically apart from many other bands. The band's latest three albums have each won a Grammy for Best Alternative Album.

Contents

[edit] Career

[edit] Formation

The White Stripes formed in a Detroit, Michigan suburb, first performing publicly on July 14, 1997.[1] They began receiving more attention after Jack White's unceremonious exit[citation needed] from the Detroit garage punk band The Go in 1999, after serving as their lead guitarist on their first album Whatcha Doin'.

[edit] The White Stripes (1999) and De Stijl (2000)

In 1999, they released their self-titled debut album, produced by Jack White and Jim Diamond, and recorded at Ghetto Recording Studios. Jack has described the album as "really angry ... the most raw, the most powerful, and the most Detroit-sounding record we've made."[2]

Their second release, De Stijl (2000), was named after the De Stijl (The Style) Dutch art movement, which they cited as a source for the approach to their musical image. De Stijl art is on the album cover. The work was recorded on an 8-track analog tape in Jack's living room; he subsequently said that he would never again employ that method because of the many interruptions which were encountered.

[edit] Breakthough: White Blood Cells (2001) and Elephant (2003)

The White Stripes enjoyed their first significant success during 2002 with the major label re-release of their 2001 album White Blood Cells. Initially released on Sympathy for the Record Industry, the album was re-released on V2 Records. The stripped-down garage rock sound drew critical acclaim in the UK, and in the United States soon afterward, making The White Stripes one of the more acclaimed bands of 2002.[3] In 2002, Q magazine named The White Stripes as one of "50 Bands to See Before You Die".[4] The Lego-themed video, directed by Michel Gondry, for the single "Fell in Love with a Girl" off White Blood Cells brought them wider attention.

Their follow-up album, Elephant (2003), was recorded with Liam Watson at Toe Rag Studios, London. The album was released to widespread critical acclaim and even more commercial success, as it became The White Stripes' first UK chart-topper and US Top 10 album. The album's first single, "Seven Nation Army", was the band's most successful yet, and was followed with a cover of "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself", written by Burt Bacharach. The album's third single was the quite successful "The Hardest Button to Button". On February 8, 2004, the album won a Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album, while "Seven Nation Army" won a Grammy for Best Rock Song.

In 2003, Jack and Meg White appeared in Jim Jarmusch's film Coffee and Cigarettes in a segment entitled "Jack Shows Meg His Tesla Coil". This particular segment contains extensions of White Stripes motifs such as childhood innocence and Nikola Tesla. In 2004, the band released its first music film Under Blackpool Lights, which was filmed entirely using 16mm film and was directed by Dick Carruthers.

[edit] Get Behind Me Satan (2005) and other projects

The group's next album, Get Behind Me Satan, was recorded in Jack White's Detroit home and released in North America on June 7, 2005 and has garnered critical acclaim. Three singles were released from the album, the first being "Blue Orchid", a popular song on satellite radio and some FM stations. White's new spouse appears in the video for the song, and the second single was "My Doorbell". The album won Best Alternative Music Album at the 2006 Grammy Awards. They were also nominated for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for the song "My Doorbell".

The band released a cover version of Tegan and Sara's song "Walking with a Ghost" on iTunes on November 14, 2005. The song was later released on December 7, 2005 as the Walking with a Ghost EP featuring four other live tracks.

The White Stripes postponed the Japanese leg of their world tour after Jack strained his vocal cords, with doctors recommending that Jack not sing or talk for two weeks. After a full recovery, he returned to the stage in Auckland, New Zealand to headline the Big Day Out tour.[5]

The Raconteurs, fronted by Jack White and Brendan Benson, released their debut album Broken Boy Soldiers in May 2006. White went on to tour with the band through the rest of the year.

In October 2006, it was announced on the official White Stripes website that there would be an album of avant-garde orchestral recordings consisting of past music written by Jack White called Aluminium. The album was made available for pre-order on November 6, 2006 to great demand from the band's fans; the LP version of the project sold out in a little under a day. The project was conceived by Richard Russell, founder of XL Recordings, who co-produced the album with Joby Talbot. It was recorded between August 2005 and February 2006 at Intimate Studios in Wapping, London using an orchestra. The album is available exclusively through the Aluminium website as a numbered limited edition of 3,333 CDs with 999 LPs also produced but now sold out. The download format will not be limited, and will come with an electronic booklet.[6]

On January 12, 2007, it was announced that in the process of reconstruction, V2 Records would no longer release new White Stripes material, leaving the band without a label.[7] However, the band's contract with V2 had already expired, and on February 12, 2007, it was confirmed that the band had signed a single album deal with Warner Bros. Records.[8]

[edit] Icky Thump (2007)

On February 28, 2007, in an online post spuriously attributed to "Kitayna Ireyna Tatanya Kerenska Alisof of the Moscow Bugle" (a reference to Batman: The Movie[9]), the band announced that they had completed work on their studio album entitled Icky Thump. The album was recorded at Nashville's Blackbird Studio and took almost three weeks to record — the longest of any White Stripes album to date. It would also be the first album with a title track. The album was released on June 16 in Australia, June 18 in New Zealand, the UK and Europe and June 19, 2007 in the United States, Southeast Asia, and Japan. The release came on the heels of a series of concerts in Europe and one in North America.[10][11].

Three tracks were previewed to NME: "Icky Thump", "You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do As You're Told)" and "Conquest". NME described the tracks as "an experimental, heavy sounding 70's riff," "a strong, melodic love song" and "an unexpected mix of big guitars and a bold horn section," respectively.[12] The first single from the album, the title track "Icky Thump", was made available online through the iTunes music stores in the United States and Canada on Thursday, April 26, 2007, while it became available in the United Kingdom on June 4. On the US Billboard Charts dated May 12, 2007, "Icky Thump" became the band's first top 40 single, charting at #26, and later charted at #2 in the UK charts.

On September 11, 2007 the White Stripes announced the cancellation of 18 tour dates due to Meg's suffering from "acute anxiety" problems.[13] Following this, on September 12, 2007, a pornographic video surfaced that was rumored to be a sex tape featuring Meg White,[14] but this was subsequently denied.[15][16] In an allegedly unrelated occurrence, that same day, the duo cancelled the remainder of their 2007 tour dates including their scheduled tour of the UK.[17]

[edit] Music

[edit] Instruments and equipment

The White Stripes are famous for having only two musicians, limiting the instruments played live.[18] Jack, the principal writer, has said this has not been a problem, and that he "always centered the band around the number three. Everything was vocals, guitar and drums or vocals, piano and drums."[19] While Jack is the lead singer, Meg does sing lead vocals on five of the band's songs: "In the Cold, Cold Night" and "Well It's True That We Love One Another" (from Elephant),[20] "Passive Manipulation" (from Get Behind Me Satan), "Who's a Big Baby?" (released on the "Blue Orchid" single), and "St. Andrew (This Battle is in the Air)" (from Icky Thump).

Early on, the band drew attention for their preference for antiquated recording equipment. The album Elephant was recorded on an eight-track machine that dated from the early 1960s. With few exceptions, Jack White has shown a continued partiality towards amps and pedals from the 1960s. [21]

The White Stripes playing at the Big Day Out in Melbourne 2006
The White Stripes playing at the Big Day Out in Melbourne 2006

Jack uses a number of effects to create his sound, notably a Digitech whammy pedal to reach pitches that would otherwise not be possible with a regular guitar.[20] For instance, without the pedal, "Seven Nation Army" would require a bass guitar[22] and "Black Math" would be very difficult to play without a 29th fret (which does not exist on most guitars) on the highest string.[23]

The guitars Jack White uses live are a 1964 JB Hutto Montgomery Airline, a Harmony Rocket, a 1970s Crestwood Astral II, and a 1950s Kay Hollowbody. He has also been seen playing various Gretsches including a White Penguin with The Raconteurs. In concert with the Digitech whammy pedal, MXR Micro-Amp, Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi Distortion/Sustainer (now custom modified), and Electro-Harmonix POG (Polyphonic octave generator), White can produce a very distinctive sound. He also uses a Boss TU-2 tuner pedal. He plugs this setup into a 1970s Fender Twin Reverb and two 100-Watt Sears Silvertone 6x10 combo amplifiers.[24] In addition to the standard tuning for guitar, Jack White uses also several open tunings in many of his songs and also in covers by the band. White also uses a Digitech whammy pedal which creates among other things an octave lower to what is played on the guitar, which he uses most notably on the songs "Seven Nation Army" and "The Hardest Button to Button".[22]

White also plays other instruments such as a black F-Style Gibson mandolin, Rhodes bass keys, and a Steinway piano. He is currently using a Moog Little Phatty synthesizer. Jack plays a custom-made red and white marimba on "The Nurse", "Forever for Her (Is Over for Me)" as well as on the non-album tracks "Who's A Big Baby" and "Top Special". (This marimba was dumped over in Japan, at the last concert for the Get Behind Me Satan tour.)

[edit] Recording sessions and live performances

Jack performing onstage (2005).
Jack performing onstage (2005).

Several White Stripes recordings were made rather rapidly. For example, Elephant was recorded in about two weeks in London's Toerag Studio.[3] Their 2005 follow-up, Get Behind Me Satan, was likewise recorded in just two weeks. For live shows, the duo also never prepares set lists for their shows, believing that planning too closely would ruin the spontaneity of their performances.[25]

On April 25, 2007, the duo announced that they would embark on a tour of Canada performing in all 10 provinces, plus the Yukon, Nunavut and Northwest Territories. In the words of Jack White: “Having never done a tour of Canada, Meg and I thought it was high time to go whole hog. We want to take this tour to the far reaches of the Canadian landscape. From the ocean to the permafrost. The best way for us to do that is ensure that we perform in every province and territory in the country, from the Yukon to Prince Edward Island. Another special moment of this tour is the show which will occur in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia on July 14, The White Stripes’ Tenth Anniversary.” Canadian fiddler Ashley MacIsaac opened for the band at the Glace Bay show; earlier in 2007, MacIsaac and Jack White had discovered that they were distantly related. [26]

On June 24, 2007, just a few hours before their concert at Deer Lake Park, The White Stripes kicked off their cross-Canada tour by playing a 40 minute set for a group of 30 kids at the Creekside Youth Centre in Burnaby. The Canadian tour was also marked by concerts in small markets such as Glace Bay, Whitehorse and Iqaluit, as well as by frequent "secret shows" publicized mainly by posts on The Little Room, a White Stripes fan messageboard. Gigs included performances at a bowling alley in Saskatoon, a youth center in Edmonton, Alberta, a Winnipeg Transit bus and The Forks park in Winnipeg, a park in Whitehorse, the YMCA in downtown Toronto, the Arva Flour Mill in Arva, Ontario, and Locas on Salter (a pool hall) in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Video clips from several of the secret shows have been posted to YouTube. [27]

[edit] Shortest live show

The White Stripes played their 'Shortest live show ever' on 16 July 2007 on George Street, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada. Jack played a single F note accompanied by a bass drum/crash cymbal hit from Meg. At the end of the show, Jack announced, "We have now officially played in every province and territory in Canada." They then left the stage and performed a full show later that night in St John's.[28]

[edit] Lyrics

Interpersonal relationships, especially those between men and women, are the main theme of White Stripes song lyrics. Jack White does not write about politics, as a rule. However, "The Big Three Killed My Baby" could be considered as a political song as well, as the lyrics attack the automotive industry's lack of vision and the fall of the major labor unions of the 1960s to 1980s in Detroit. Also, in the song "Icky Thump", he sings "White Americans, what? / Nothing better to do? / Why don't you kick yourself out / You're an immigrant, too." The song "The Union Forever" features lines from the Orson Welles film Citizen Kane.[21]

Many White Stripes songs refer to school and childhood, namely "Sister, Do You Know My Name?", "We're Going to Be Friends", "I Think I Smell a Rat", "Suzy Lee", "Black Math", "The Hardest Button to Button" and "Passive Manipulation".

Curiously, all six studio albums feature songs with titles starting with the word "little". In order of album release, there is "Little People", "Little Bird", "Little Room", "Little Acorns", "Little Ghost" and "Little Cream Soda". Furthermore, on the intro to "Let's Build a Home", from the De Stijl album, there is a recording of a song called "Little Red Box". Live they have covered Bacharach & David's "Little Red Book" made popular by the 1960s LA group Love. The song that Jack wrote for Loretta Lynn's Van Lear Rose album is called "Little Red Shoes" and is timed at 3 minutes and 33 seconds, the number 3 being Jack's personal signature.

Jack White has a personal fascination with redheads and it shows up in his lyrics. Songs like "Fell in Love With a Girl", "Icky Thump", "Take, Take, Take" and "300 MPH Torrential Outpour Blues" all mention redheads or red hair. White has said in interviews that Rita Hayworth (a redhead) was his focal point during the recording of Get Behind Me Satan and he also happens to be married to Karen Elson, an English supermodel famous for her red hair.

Another frequent theme in White Stripes songs is the idea of "home." The lyrics for "Hotel Yorba," "Let's Build a Home," "The Hardest Button to Button" "A Martyr for my Love for You," "Rag and Bone," and "There's No Home for You Here," suggest the home in some way: building a home, moving from one home to another, or finding home for unwanted junk.

[edit] Band motifs

[edit] Relationship

Jack and Meg White have provided various descriptions of their relationship. In many early interviews Jack claimed that he and Meg were siblings,[29] a claim which was widely believed and repeated [30][31] despite rumors that they were, or had been, husband and wife. In 2001, proof of their 1996 marriage emerged [32][33], yet they continued to insist publicly that they were brother and sister. The couple had been divorced in 2000 just before the band gained widespread attention.[33]

In a 2005 interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Jack White claimed that this deception was intended to keep the focus on the music rather than the couples' relationship:

When you see a band that is two pieces, husband and wife, boyfriend and girlfriend, you think, "Oh, I see . . ." When they're brother and sister, you go, "Oh, that's interesting." You care more about the music, not the relationship -- whether they're trying to save their relationship by being in a band. [34]

[edit] Color scheme

Red, white and black, the band's signature colors, are, according to Jack, "the most powerful color combination of all time, from a Coca-Cola can to a Nazi banner." These colors permeate the duo's distinctive wardrobe and album artwork. In some interviews, the group has said that the colors red and white refer to peppermint candy, a symbol of childhood innocence. Jack has also mentioned that the colors are used in baby toys because they are easily visible to infants, who are slightly colorblind at birth. Besides the red, white and black that the band wears, Jack also said hats are "really important."[35]

Before forming the band, Jack had also created a three-color scheme for an upholstery business he started in his early twenties. All of his tools, his van, and his uniform used the colors white, black, and yellow. [36]

Song lyrics often include the band motif of colors mentioned in the above section. Song titles also sometimes feature these colors ("Black Math", "Red Rain", and "White Moon"). Incidentally, the album Icky Thump was recorded at Blackbird Studio in Nashville, TN. The title track from Icky Thump integrates all the trademark colors of the band into the song's lyrics and storyline: "redhead señorita", "black rum" and "one white eye".

[edit] The number three

Jack has emphasized the significance that the number three holds for the band, citing it as inspiration not only for their tri-colored uniforms, but their pared-down approach to what he considers the three elements of song: storytelling, melody and rhythm.[18] The number three also frequently appears in White Stripes' album artwork, and texts written by Jack, such as liner notes or messages written on the band's website, are often signed with "Jack White III" or simply "III". There are also only three sounds--drums, guitar and vocals--in most of their songs; sometimes keyboard or piano is substituted for guitar. Jack also only uses three electric guitars for the band's live concerts: a vintage 1960's-Airline, a 1950's Kay Hollowbody and a Crestwood Astrall II. Also notable is Jack's admiration for the Carol Reed film The Third Man, which is similarly the name of his production company. Jack chose "Three Quid" as his nickname during the band's 2005 UK tour.

[edit] Discography

Main article: The White Stripes discography

[edit] Awards

  • 2002 MTV Video Music Award for Best Special Effects for "Fell in Love with a Girl"
  • 2002 MTV Video Music Award for Best Editing for "Fell in Love with a Girl"
  • 2002 MTV Video Music Award for Breakthrough Video for "Fell in Love with a Girl"
  • 2003 MTV Video Music Award for Best Editing for "Seven Nation Army"
  • 2004 Brit Award for Best International Group
  • 2004 Brit Award for Best Single for "Seven Nation Army"
  • 2004 Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album for Elephant
  • 2004 Grammy Award for Best Rock Song for "Seven Nation Army"
  • 2006 Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album for Get Behind Me Satan
  • 2008 Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album for Icky Thump
  • 2008 Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals for "Icky Thump"

[edit] Nominations

2004

  • Grammy Album of the Year Elephant
  • Grammy Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal "Seven Nation Army"

2006

  • Grammy Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal "My Doorbell"

2007

2008

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ The White Stripes: Biography All Music Guide (accessed May 23, 2008) Handyside, Chris.
  2. ^ Twitch (2006). The Unofficial White Stripes FAQ Version 6 WhiteStripes.net (accessed September 26, 2006)
  3. ^ a b Handyside, Chris. The White Stripes - biography. All Music Guide
  4. ^ 50 Bands to See Before You Die
  5. ^ BBC contributor (2006). "White Stripes cancel Japan dates" BBC online (accessed October 4, 2006)
  6. ^ (2006). "News" WhiteStripes.com (accessed January 5, 2006)
  7. ^ Ed Christman (2007-01-12). V2 Restructured, White Stripes, Moby Become Free Agents. Billboard. Retrieved on 2007-01-22.
  8. ^ Amy Phillips (2007-02-12). White Stripes Sign to Warner Bros.. Pitchfork. Retrieved on 2007-02-12.
  9. ^ Strange new White Stripes’ Icky Thump/Batman connection - Chicago Methods Reporter
  10. ^ News page, The White Stripes website news (accessed April 10, 2007)
  11. ^ News page, The White Stripes website show list (accessed April 13, 2007)
  12. ^ Exclusive - NME.COM hears new White Stripes songs | News | NME.COM
  13. ^ 9.11.07 WhiteStripes.com (accessed September 12, 2007)
  14. ^ www.tmz.com/2007/09/24/meg-on-alleged-sex-tape-i-think-i-smell-a-rat
  15. ^ http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Entertainment/2007/09/25/rep_meg_white_sex_tape_is_a_fake_/5944/
  16. ^ http://www.antimusic.com/news/07/sep/26-12.shtml
  17. ^ BBC NEWS | Entertainment | The White Stripes cancel UK tour
  18. ^ a b Hickman, Christopher (2005). The White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan FlakMag.com (accessed September 27, 2006)
  19. ^ Fricke, David (2005). "White on White" Rolling Stone (accessed May 6, 2006)
  20. ^ a b Ratliff, Ben (2003). "Rock Review: Contradictory and Proud of It"The New York Times (accessed May 2, 2006)
  21. ^ a b Hoard, Christian (2004). "White Stripes - biography" RollingStone.com (accessed September 27, 2006)
  22. ^ a b "Seven Nation Army" tablature and notes. Broken Bricks (accessed May 2, 2006)
  23. ^ Black Math tablature and notes. Broken Bricks (accessed August 5, 2006)
  24. ^ "White Stripes Equipment/Technique" Broken Bricks (accessed May 2, 2006)
  25. ^ Frampton, Scott (July 2007), "Jack & Meg White". Esquire. 148 (1):p118-119
  26. ^ "Halifax fans chase White Stripes around town", cbc.ca, July 14, 2007.
  27. ^ "Jack and Meg go back to school", The Globe and Mail, July 5, 2007.
  28. ^ And on that note, the White Stripes tour is over. cbc.ca (2007). Retrieved on 2007-08-10.
  29. ^ [http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Studio/2040/0900jack.html "The White Stripes Jack White Talking" by Kurt Hernon, bangsheet.net
  30. ^ "The White Stripes -- Brief Article" Johnathan Moskowitz, Interview Retrieved 2008-4-25
  31. ^ "The White Stripes: Raw Rock Revivalists" BBC News UK, August 10 2001 Retrieved 2008-4-26
  32. ^ "White Stripes Marriage License" Glorious Noise Retrieved 2007-12-11
  33. ^ a b Nugent, Benjamin (June 16, 2001), “Music: White Lies and The White Stripes”, Time, <http://www.time.com/time/sampler/article/0,8599,130930,00.html>. Retrieved on 24 April 2008 
  34. ^ [1] "White on White", Rolling Stone, August 25, 2005
  35. ^ Jack likes hats too
  36. ^ [2]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

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