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The White Stripes

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The White Stripes

The White Stripes are an American minimalist Garage Rock duo from Detroit, composed of Jack White on guitar, piano, lead vocals and songwriting, and Meg White on drums, percussion and vocals. The group rose to prominence as part of the garage rock revival with the albums White Blood Cells and Elephant, the latter featuring their most commercially successful song "Seven Nation Army" which won the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Rock Song. The White Stripes are known for their raw low fidelity sound and the simplicity of their compositions and arrangements mostly inspired by punk rock, American blues and country music.[1]

History

The Beginning (White Stripes and De Stijl albums)

File:White Stripes - Early Career.jpg
The White Stripes in the early years

The White Stripes (Megan Martha White, drums, vocals; and Jack White whose original name was John Anthony Gillis, guitar, piano, lead vocals) were formed in Detroit in 1997, specifically Bastille Day (see 1997 in music).[2] While the two have claimed to be siblings,[3] a marriage license has proven that they are in fact a divorced couple.[4] Jack has described their eponymous debut album (released in 1999), as "...really angry...the most raw, the most powerful, and the most Detroit-sounding record we've made".[5]

Their second release, 'De Stijl' (2000), was named after the De Stijl Dutch art movement which they cited as a source for the approach to their music and to their image. De Stijl-style art was also used on the album cover.

Rising Popularity (White Blood Cells and Elephant albums)

File:The White Stripes - Elephant.jpg
Elephant, the band's 2003 follow-up to White Blood Cells.

The White Stripes enjoyed their first significant success during 2001 with the release of their first major label album White Blood Cells (initially released on Sympathy for the Record Industry, the album was re-released on V2 Records in 2002). The stripped-down, garage rock sound drew critical acclaim in the UK, soon spreading to the United States and becoming one of the more acclaimed bands of 2002.[2] In 2002, Q magazine named The White Stripes as one of the "50 Bands to See Before You Die". 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.

According to Jack, every album since White Blood Cells is the same in that the first songs have been singles and the last songs have been tongue-in-cheek, inside joke songs between Jack and Meg.

Their follow-up, entitled Elephant, was released on April 1, 2003, again to widespread critical acclaim and even more commercial success.Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page).

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." Later in August of that year, Rolling Stone Magazine included Jack White on a special cover of The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time issue at number 17 between Johnny Ramone and John Frusciante.

Released in 2004, Under Blackpool Lights was filmed entirely using 16mm film and was directed by Dick Carruthers. Jack White alerted fans to secrets within the film on his site postings, one of which was sure to be the writing on his arm. Recorded over two nights' shows, this writing says NOXIOUS which changes to OBNOXIOUS at certain points when film from a different night is used. The film features a cover of Dolly Parton's song "Jolene".

Current events (Get Behind Me Satan album and beyond)

On June 1, 2005 Jack and model Karen Elson were married during the band's tour of South America. The ceremony took place aboard a canoe on the Amazon River in a native celebration, where the band's manager Ian Montone was the best man and Meg was the maid of honor. The White Stripes website claimed that "this was the first marriage for both newlyweds", despite documentation showing that Jack and Meg were once married.[6] The couple had their first child, Scarlett Teresa, on Tuesday, May 2, 2006.

A fifth album, Get Behind Me Satan, was released in North America on June 7, 2005 and has garnered critical acclaim. In that year, Rolling Stone magazine said: "If you happen to be a rock band, and you don't happen to be either of the White Stripes, it so sucks to be you right now."[7] Three singles were released from the album, the first being "Blue Orchid", which was a popular song on satellite radio and occasionally FM stations. White's new spouse appears in the video for the song. The second single was "My Doorbell". The third single, "The Denial Twist", featured a video by Michel Gondry which documented, in typically bizarre White Stripes fashion, the band's week-long appearance on Late Night with Conan O’Brien.

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

On December 1, 2005, the group appeared on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, performing both "The Denial Twist" and "My Doorbell". The White Stripes are one of the few bands to perform on the show (on an earlier show, the group Tenacious D had performed a song after their interview).

The White Stripes postponed the Japan leg of their world tour after Jack damaged his vocal cords. Doctors recommended that Jack not sing or talk for two weeks. Since then he has recovered and played in Auckland, New Zealand for the start of the Big Day Out tour.[8]

At the 2006 Grammy Awards, The White Stripes won in Best Alternative Music Album category for Get Behind Me Satan, and they were nominated for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for the song "My Doorbell".

A dispute has arisen in March 2006 with British musician Billy Childish whom Jack previously admired—he appeared on Top of the Pops with Childish's name written on his arm. Childish criticised White in the US GQ magazine, "They don't have a good sound ... Jack's half into the sound and music, but then he wants to be a pop star as well, so you've got a big problem." White responded on the Stripes' website, accusing Childish of plagiarism and of being "the bitter garage rocker." Childish wrote an open letter to the NME saying White was jealous because he had "a bigger collection of hats, a better moustache ... and a fully developed sense of humour."[9] The Aquarium Gallery in London brought out a spoof boxing poster advertising Jack "whingy" White v Billy "bitter" Childish. Lawyers acting for the White Stripes removed the poster from eBay and have written to the gallery, claiming the poster violates their intellectual property rights. [10]

During the 2006 FIFA World Cup, "Seven Nation Army" became the unofficial hymn for Italy, the Azzurri. The song was picked up by fans of AS Roma, one of Serie A's best teams. The song was sung to serenade Roma's players on the national team, most notably Francesco Totti. The Italian fans often chanted the song's signature bass riff.[11] A version of the song featuring comments from Italian sports commentater Fabio Caressa enjoyed airplay on italian radios and TV shows. Appropriately, the Italian team actually had to play against seven other nations to get the title (Ghana, USA, Czech Republic, Australia, Ukraine, Germany, and France).

Music

Instruments and equipment

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

The White Stripes are famous for having only two musicians, which limits the amount of instrumentation on any given song, especially when playing live.[12] 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."[13] While Jack is the lead singer, Meg does sing lead vocals on three of the band's songs: "In the Cold, Cold Night" (from Elephant),[1] "Passive Manipulation" (from Get Behind Me Satan), and "Who's a Big Baby?" released on the "Blue Orchid" single.

Early on, the band drew attention for their preference of using antiquated recording equipment. The album Elephant was recorded on an eight-track machine that dated from the early 1960s. With few exceptions, Jack has also shown a continuted partiality towards amps and pedals from the 1960s.[14]

Jack uses a number of effects to create his sound, notably a Digitech Whammy pedal to create reach pitches that would otherwise not be possible with a regular guitar[1]. For instance, without the pedal, "Seven Nation Army" would require a bass[15] and "Black Math" would be very difficult to play without a 29th fret (which does not exist) on the highest string[16].

The guitars he uses live are two 1964 JB Hutto Montgomery Airlines, a Harmony Rocket, a 1970s Crestwood Astral II, and a 1950s Kay Hollowbody. In concert with the Digitech Whammy pedal, MXR Micro-Amp, Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi Distortion/Sustainer, 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.[17]

He also plays other instruments such as a black F-Style Gibson Mandolin, Rhodes Bass Keys, and a Steinway piano. Jack plays marimba on "The Nurse" and "Forever For Her (Is Over For Me)".

Guitar tuning

With the standard tuning for guitar, Jack White uses also several open tunings in many of his songs and also in covers by the band:

  • Open D tuning: Let's Build a Home, Sister, Do You Know My Name?
  • Open G tuning: Death Letter, Little Bird (both played in Open A during live shows)
  • Open E tuning: A Boy's Best Friend, I Fought Piranhas, St. Ides Of March, Stop Breaking Down, Suzy Lee, Let's Build a Home (live), Goin' Back to Memphis (live)
  • Open A tuning: Red Rain, Seven Nation Army

White also produces a "fake" bass tone by playing his guitars through his Digitech whammy pedal, dropping the tuning down by one octave[1] for a very thick, low, rumbling sound, which he uses most notably on the songs Seven Nation Army and The Hardest Button to Button.[18]

Jack White is known to use GHS strings for his guitars, but the gauge is unknown. Also, in recent concerts, his main Airline guitar has had tuning problems, usually becoming out of tune during concerts. At one concert, Jack is quoted to have said: "I'm sure the back of your tickets say 'Guitars will be tuned!'. He has also shouted out: "E A D G B E !" mid-concert while tuning his Airline.

Recording sessions

Many of the records of the White Stripes have been recorded very quickly. For example, Elephant was recorded in about two weeks in London's Toerag Studio.[2] Their 2005 follow-up, Get Behind Me Satan, was likewise recorded in just two weeks.

Live performances

Jack performing onstage (2005).

For live shows, the duo also no longer prepares set lists for their shows, believing that planning too accurately would ruin the natural feeling of their performances. Jack improvises frequently with solos and often cuts a song short to jump into another. Because of this, no two shows in the same venue are the same and show length time can often run from 70-100 minutes due to spontaneity by Jack.

Covers

Jack White composes all the White Stripes' music, with the exception of covers. In an interview, Jack White said that hearing the a cappella song "Grinning in Your Face" by American bluesman Son House "was a transformative moment". The band has covered Son House's songs, including "John The Revelator" and "Death Letter". Through LP and singles, they cover other American blues artists such as Blind Willie McTell ("Lord, Send Me an Angel", "Your Southern Can Is Mine"), Leadbelly ("Boll Weevil"), and Robert Johnson ("Stop Breaking Down"). The White Stripes also did a version of the song "St. James Infirmary Blues," which has no known writer but has been performed by many earlier musicians, including Louis Armstrong and Janis Joplin.

The band also plays many covers of Bob Dylan songs ("One More Cup Of Coffee", "Isis", "Love Sick", "Outlaw Blues"). "Black Jack Davey" was also recorded and released as a single. (the song is traditional, but has been made popular on Bob Dylan's "Good as I've Been To You"). Jack White said that Dylan covers are mostly proposed by Meg, who is a huge fan of his music. Jack White also performed with Dylan on March 17th at Detroit's State Theatre.

The Stripes have covered Dolly Parton's "Jolene" (which was released as the b side to the single "Hello Operator" in 2000, and as a live version in the 2004 single "Jolene"), as well as Burt Bacharach's "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself," released as a single in 2003.

Party of Special Things to Do, a single released in 2000, features three covers of songs by Captain Beefheart: "Party Of Special Things To Do", "China Pig", and "Ashtray Heart".

Recently they have covered Canadian indie rock duo Tegan and Sara's "Walking with a Ghost."

Record Collecting

The White Stripes are, according to Record Collector Magazine, the most collectable band of modern music.[19](2003). Highly sought after are the band's first two releases on small Detroit label ITALY records. The first pressings of "Let's Shake Hands" and "Lafayette Blues" were issued on red and white wax, respectively, and both were limited to 1000 copies. These singles have fetched in excess of $100 USD on the auction website eBay.

Also highly collectable is the Sub Pop singles club 45rpm of Captain Beefheart covers issued on half red/half white wax and limited to 1300 copies.

File:Lafayetteblues10.jpg
Lafayette Blues — #7 out of 15

The "holy grail" of collectors is the "Lafayette Blues" first pressing with a hand painted sleeve and a marbled red and white vinyl. Only 15 copies exist worldwide, and the sleeves were painted by Jack & ITALY records owner Dave Buick. Jack painted 7 (signified by a 'III' in the corner), Dave painted 7 (signified by a HW over the letter B in the corner), and they collaborated on number 15. These extremely rare records have sold for as high as $2800 and were only available at the record release party at Detroit's Gold Dollar back on October 23, 1998.

In more recent times, the latest collectable is the Triple Inchophone, a specialised record player which plays reformatted Stripes singles on 3inch records, including the previously unreleased track "Top Special", which was limited to 1000 (Source Ben Blackwell) copies. This was available only at the shows on the 2005/06 Who's a Big Baby? World Tour and was limited to 400 machines. There are also 3inch records for "The Denial Twist" that are only available from Jack personally.

Lyrics

Interpersonal relationships, especially between men and women, are the main theme of the lyrics of the White Stripes songs. Jack White does not, as a rule, write about politics. However, "The Big Three Killed My Baby", could be considered as a political song because the lyrics are an attack on the automotive industry's poor workmanship and the fall of the major labor unions of the 1960s to 1980s. Also, in an altered version of the song played on stage, Jack sings: "and Bush's hands are turning red…and I found out your baby is dead."The song "The Union Forever" features lines from the Orson Welles film Citizen Kane.[14]

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

Curiously, all five 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" and most recently, "Little Ghost." Furthermore, on the intro to the song "Let's Build a Home", on the "De Stijl" album, there is a recording of a song called "Little Red Box." This convention may be linked with appreciation of earlier American Blues songs, such as "Little Red Rooster."[citation needed]

Additionally, Jack frequently mentions a "Suzy Lee", both in songs and in the albums' liner notes. (See Band motifs)

Band motifs

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." Those colors are also found in the duo's distinctive wardrobe and album artwork, although it is somewhat unclear why they were chosen. In some interviews, the group has said that the colors red and white refer to peppermint candy, a symbol of childhood innocence. The NHL team from Detroit is the Red Wings, and their official colors are red and white. Jack has also mentioned that the colors are the same ones used in baby toys because they are easily visible to infants, who are slightly colorblind at birth. Interestingly, 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.

The number three

Jack has emphasized the significance 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.[12] 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. Also notable is Jack's admiration for the Carol Reed film "The Third Man," (which is similarly the name of his production company).

"Suzy Lee"

Jack White will sometimes make references to an unknown "Suzy Lee" in his work. The name appears in an eponymous track as well as "We're Going to Be Friends" and the Stripes' cover of Brendan Benson's "Good To Me". Additionally, the liner notes of Elephant dedicate the album to her, and those of Get Behind Me Satan make further reference. Though the significance of "Suzy Lee" to White and his work is evident, the specifics of this connection are not. "Suzy Lee" may figure as a concept, as suggested by the Elephant liner notes, which go on to mention "the death of the sweetheart", and those of Get Behind Me Satan, which address "Suzy Lee, wherever you may be". Alternatively, the name could represent an actual person, such as a lover or a relative. In any case, the band has never clarified the exact meaning of the name, fueling speculation on the part of fans.

Other media appearances

A promotional image for the "Jazzy and the Pussycats" episode of "The Simpsons". This scene with Milhouse never appeared in the actual episode.

The White Stripes appeared in an episode of "The Simpsons" titled "Jazzy and the Pussycats", which first aired on September 17, 2006. In the episode, Homer and Marge buy a drum kit for Bart in an attempt to find a constructive way for him to channel his energy. In one scene — an homage to the Stripes' clip for "The Hardest Button to Button," Bart bashes his kit in his bedroom, down the street, through the halls of Springfield Elementary and into an intersection, where his kit literally collides with Meg's kit, prompting Jack and Meg to chase Bart in a similar drum kit bashing fashion.[20] According to a spokesman for FOX, Jack and Meg recorded their lines in New York City on November 30, 2005, incidentally, shortly before Jack lost his voice and was ordered by doctors not to speak.

On September 25, 2006 The White Stripes were "featured" on the second episode of NBC's "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip", titled "The Cold Open". Within the episode, the band was scheduled to be the musical hosts on the show within the show but had to cancel after Jack White was striken with tonsillitis. Although The White Stripes never actually appeared in the episode, a comedian is seen wearing a jet black wig in preparation to act as singer Jack White for a planned White Stripes parody sketch. Jokes were also made about their mysteriously unknown relationship.

Jack and Meg White appeared in Jim Jarmusch's film, Coffee and Cigarettes in a segment entitled "Jack Shows Meg His Tesla Coil."

Discography

Main article: The White Stripes discography

Albums

Year Album US UK
1999 The White Stripes - -
2000 De Stijl - -
2001 White Blood Cells 61 55
2003 Elephant 6 1
2005 Get Behind Me Satan 3 3

EPs

Year EP US UK
2005 Walking With a Ghost - -

Singles

Year Song Chart positions Album
US Hot 100 US Modern Rock US Main- stream Rock UK singles
1998 "Let's Shake Hands" - - - - -
"Lafayette Blues" - - - - -
1999 "The Big Three Killed My Baby" - - - - The White Stripes
"Hand Springs" - - - - -
2000 "Hello Operator" - - - - De Stijl
"Lord, Send Me an Angel" - - - - -
"Party of Special Things to Do" - - - - -
2001 "Hotel Yorba" - - - 26 White Blood Cells
2002 "Fell in Love with a Girl" 121 12 - 21 White Blood Cells
"Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" - 19 - 25 White Blood Cells
"We're Going to Be Friends" - - - - White Blood Cells
"Red Death at 6:14" - - - - Sympathetic Sounds of Detroit
"Candy Cane Children" - - - - -
2003 "Seven Nation Army" 76 1 12 7 Elephant
"I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself" - 25 - 13 Elephant
"The Hardest Button to Button" - 8 - 23 Elephant
2004 "There's No Home for You Here" - - - - Elephant
"Jolene (Live)" - - - 16 Under Blackpool Lights
2005 "Blue Orchid" 43 7 32 9 Get Behind Me Satan
"My Doorbell" 116 13 - 10 Get Behind Me Satan
"The Denial Twist" - 5 - 10 Get Behind Me Satan

Music Videos

DVDs

Awards

Music samples

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Notes

  1. ^ a b c d "ROCK REVIEW; Contradictory and Proud of It" NewYorkTime.com (accessed September 26, 2006)Ratliff, Ben (2003). Cite error: The named reference "NYT" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b c Handyside, Chris (2005). Biograhy - The White Stripes VH1.com (accessed September 26, 2006)
  3. ^ McCollum, Brian (2003). "A definitive oral history: Revealing The White Stripes". Detroit Free Press (accessed April 12, 2006)
  4. ^ Glorious Noise staff (2003). "White Stripes (sic) Divorce Certificate". Glorious Noise (accessed April 12, 2006)
  5. ^ Twitch (2006). THE UNOFFICIAL WHITE STRIPES FAQ Version 6 WhiteStripes.net (accessed September 26, 2006)
  6. ^ Glorious Noise staff (2003). "White Stripes (sic) Marriage License".Glorious Noise (accessed April 12, 2006)
  7. ^ Sheffield, Rob (2005). "Get Behind Me Satan". Rolling Stone (accessed April 12, 2006)
  8. ^ BBC contributor (2006). "White Stripes cancel Japan dates" BBC online (accessed October 4, 2006)
  9. ^ (2006). "Billy Childish hits back at Jack White" NME (accessed April 13, 2006)
  10. ^ Adams, Guy (2006). "A Childish spat: 'Whingy' White calls in the lawyers". The Independent - Online edition (accessed April 12, 2006)
  11. ^ Sports Illustrated staff writer (2006). "Totti's time" SportsIllustrated.com (accessed July 11, 2006)
  12. ^ a b Hickman, Christopher (2005). The White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan FlakMag.com (accessed September 27, 2006)
  13. ^ Fricke, David (2005). "White on White" Rolling Stone (accessed May 6, 2006)
  14. ^ a b Hoard, Christian (2004). "White Stripes - biography" RollingStone.com (accessed September 27, 2006)
  15. ^ Cite error: The named reference bb2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  16. ^ Black Math tablature and notes. Broken Bricks (accessed 5 August, 2006)
  17. ^ "White Stripes Equipment/Technique" Broken Bricks (accessed 2 May, 2006)
  18. ^ Seven Nation Army tablature and notes. Broken Bricks (accessed 2 May, 2006)
  19. ^ BAck Issues RecordCollectingMag.com (accessed September 26, 2006)
  20. ^ (2006). "Watch the White Stripes' Simpsons appearance" NME.com (accessed September 26, 2006)

References

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to The White Stripes.
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