The White Stripes
From Freepedia
| The White Stripes | |
| Years active | 1997–present |
| Genre(s) | Rock |
| Label(s) | Sympathy for the Record Industry, V2 Records, Third Man Records |
| Members | Jack White Meg White |
The White Stripes are a minimalist rock and roll duo from Detroit, formed on Bastille Day, 1997, composed of Jack White and Meg White, who rose to prominence with their albums White Blood Cells and Elephant.
Contents |
Career
Billing themselves as brother and sister, guitarist and singer Jack White and drummer Meg White released their self-titled debut album in 1999. In reality, they are ex-husband-and-wife. [1] Meg is seven months older than Jack; their divorce papers were revealed online [2]. They were a struggling local band in Detroit for a long time, even after touring with Pavement and Sleater-Kinney.
The second release from the White Stripes, De Stijl (2000), was named after the minimalist Dutch art movement which they cited as a source for the approach to their music and image. Jack White studied fine arts for a brief period at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit before De Stijl was released, although he never graduated. The De Stijl album cover pictures a sample art piece from this movement, made in 3 colors - red, white and black - characteristic of the duo's uniforms. The number 3 also has significance for this band, not only for their tri-colored uniforms but their 3 instruments: vocals, guitar and drums, although Jack occasionally plays organ, piano and marimba. For live shows, the band does not rehearse or have a setlist, Jack improvises frequently and often cuts a song short to jump into another.
Their stripped-down, garage rock sound made them a much-hyped band in 2002, as a result of the critical raves given to the major label release of White Blood Cells in 2001. The White Stripes enjoyed their first significant success in the UK in 2001, with the critical acclaim, especially for the band's energetic stage performances, spreading to the US in the following months. They have no bass player, and unofficial bass-added remixes have appeared, notably Steve McDonald's Redd Blood Cells. 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 attention outside music circles.
Their follow-up, entitled Elephant, was released on April 1, 2003, again to widespread critical acclaim, and even more commercial success. Elephant became The White Stripes' first UK chart-topper and US Top 10 album. On February 8, 2004 the song "Seven Nation Army" won a Grammy for best Rock Song, and the album Elephant won for best Alternative Album. It was recorded with Liam Watson at Toe Rag Studios, London. 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".Released in 2004, the Under Blackpool Lights DVD has a special treat for fans who collect their bootlegs; it contains every major live cover that the band played during the 2003-2004 tours, approximately a dozen songs. 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.
A fifth album, Get Behind Me Satan, was released in North America on June 7, 2005 and has already garnered critical acclaim. Its first single, titled "Blue Orchid", is currently a popular song on satellite radio and occasionally FM stations. Their second single, "My Doorbell", was released on the 22nd of August 2005 in the United Kingdom. The third single "The Denial Twist" is soon to be released and features a video by fan favourite Michel Gondry. The video documents the band's week long appearance on Late Night with Conan O’Brien in a typically bizzare White Stripes fashion.
On June 1, 2005 Jack White and model Karen Elson were married during the band's tour of South America, in the Amazon River in an indian celebration. The band's manager Ian Montone was the best man and Meg White was the Maid of Honor. Jack White's new spouse also appears in the video for "Blue Orchid." The White Stripes website claimed "this was the first marriage for both newlyweds", despite documentation showing that Jack and Meg were once married [3].
Jack has also enjoyed some success as a producer, helping launch the careers of fellow Detroit rock bands The Von Bondies and The Soledad Brothers. Jack also produced and contributed to Loretta Lynn's highly acclaimed 2004 album Van Lear Rose.
Of The White Stripes, in 2005 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."[4]
Discography
Studio Albums
- The White Stripes (1999)
- De Stijl (2000)
- White Blood Cells (2001)
- Elephant (2003)
- Get Behind Me Satan (2005)
DVDs
- Candy Coloured Blues (2003) (Unofficial)
- Under Blackpool Lights (2004)
Singles
| Year
| Title
| Chart positions
| Album
| |||
US Hot 100</small>
| US Modern Rock</small>
| US Mainstream Rock</small>
| UK Singles Chart</small>
| |||
| 1997 | "Lets Shake Hands" | -
| -
| -
| -
| |
| 1998 | "Lafayette Blues" | -
| -
| -
| -
| |
| 1999 | "The Big Three Killed My Baby" | -
| -
| -
| -
| The White Stripes |
| "Hand Springs" | -
| -
| -
| -
| Hot Pinball Rock Vol. 1 | |
| "Hello Operator" | -
| -
| -
| -
| De Stijl | |
| 2000 | "Party of Special Things to Do" | -
| -
| -
| -
| |
| "Lord, Send Me an Angel" | -
| -
| -
| -
| ||
| 2001 | "Hotel Yorba" | -
| -
| -
| #26
| White Blood Cells |
| 2002 | "Fell in Love With a Girl" | -
| #12
| -
| #21
| |
| "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" | -
| #19
| -
| #26
| ||
| "We're Going to Be Friends" | -
| -
| -
| -
| ||
| "Red Death at 6:14" | -
| -
| -
| -
| Sympathetic Sounds of Detroit | |
| "Candy Cane Children" | -
| -
| -
| -
| Merry Christmas From... | |
| 2003 | "Seven Nation Army" | #76
| #1
| #12
| #7
| Elephant |
| "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself" | -
| #25
| -
| #13
| ||
| "The Hardest Button to Button" | -
| #8
| -
| #23
| ||
| "There's No Home For You Here" | -
| -
| -
| -
| ||
| 2004 | "Jolene (Live)" | -
| -
| -
| #16
| Under Blackpool Lights |
| 2005 | "Blue Orchid" | #43
| #7
| -
| #9
| Get Behind Me Satan |
| "My Doorbell" | -
| #13
| -
| #10
| ||
| "The Denial Twist" | -
| -
| -
| -
| ||
Notes
- ^ Earning their stripes, Detroit Free Press, March 30, 2001
- ^ Divorce papers at Glorious Noise
- ^ Marriage license at Glorious Noise
- ^ Rolling Stone review
References
External links
- Official site
- This Is White Stripes Nation Al Barger overthrows the government and installs Jack White as El Presidente for life
- whitestripes.net White Stripes Fansite
- Triple Tremelo
- White Stripes tablature
- CandyCaneChildren White Stripes Fansite
- The White Stripes Lyrics Index Page
- Redcandycane French fansite
- Image:MusicBrainz Artist Icon.png The White Stripes at MusicBrainz
- The White Stripes Lyrics Searchable index on all of their songs - including sound section
- A definitive oral history: Revealing the White Stripes, Detroit Free Press, April 13, 2003
- White Stripes drum scores with request function
- This Is White Stripes Nation
