The White Stripes – The White Stripes (Deluxe Edition)

The White Stripes were formed in 1997 by then husband and wife, Jack and Meg White. They officially disbanded in 2011 after releasing six studio albums, one live album and 23 singles. Since then, there have been a plethora of archive releases of unreleased studio tracks and live recordings. The majority of these have been released via Jack White’s Third Man Records label’s Vault series. This has been a gold mine for White Stripes fans but Vault is a subscription service and therefore not available to the general public. This does mean that the majority of these archive releases have been issued on vinyl and due to the nature of The Vault, they have not been available to all but the hardest of hardcore fans. This has given me an opportunity to address this by looking at what each of the White Stripes albums could have looked like if Jack White had followed convention and released the bands back catalogue in deluxe CD sets instead. We start with their self titled debut album. 

Jack White was already an established musician in the Detroit area, having played drums in Gobber & The Peas as well as guitar in The Go, The Henchmen and Two-Star Tabernacle. He and Meg White had started dating a few years before this and were married in 1996. A year later, she started to learn the drum on Jack’s kit, making their live debut at local club, the Gold Dollar not long afterwards. A recording of that first ever gig was made and is presented as the opening three songs on Disc 3 of this set. Adopting the motifs of only wearing clothes that were red, white and/or black, they were back at the Gold Dollar a month later to play a fuller set. This was also recorded and is also presented on Disc 3. 

In 1998, Dave Buick who one Detroit based independent label Italy Records approached the band to release single. This was ‘Let’s Shake Hands’ which was followed later that year by ‘Lafayette Blues’. Both of these singles are presented with their respective B-Sides on Disc 1. In 1999, the band signed to Sympathy For The Record Industry label and released ‘The Big Three Killed My Baby’ as well as their debut album. They also released a split single with another Detroit band, The Dirtbombs, on the B-Side. Their contribution was called ‘Hand Springs’. The debut album and  ‘Hand Springs’ make up the rest of Disc 1. 

Disc 2 comprises of alternatives takes from the first LP sessions that originally came out on ‘The White Stripes XX’ set. This disc also includes some early cover versions of Love’s ‘Signed DC’ and Otis Reddings ‘I’ve Been Living You Too Long’, both of which first saw the light of day on a 7” single as part of the eighth Vault package. ‘Let’s Shake Hands’, ’Look Me Over Closely’, ‘Dead Leaves’ and ‘Let’s Build A Home’ are alternative versions that were released with the second and eleventh Vault package respectively. ‘Dead Leaves’ would eventually be re-recorded for the bands third album. 

Discs 3 and 4 comprise of live recordings. Live at the Gold Dollar 1 and 2 were originally released as part of Vault page 13. Live at the Gold Dollar III was released as part of Vault package 26. Live at the Magic Bag came out as part of Vault package 34 and Live at the Raleigh came out as part of Vault package 42. 

This is the only one of these White Stripes deluxe editions that will be a four disc set. That is because there were a number of releases made from before their first LP came out and I thought this should be included due to their historical importance. 

Disc 1

The debut album with single A and B sides from 1999

1. Jimmy The Exploder
2. Stop Breaking Down
3. The Big Three Killed My Baby
4. Suzy Lee
5. Sugar Never Tasted So Good
6. Wasting My Time
7. Cannon
8. Astro
9. Broken Bricks
10. When I Hear My Name
11. Do
12. Screwdriver
13. One More Cup Off Coffee
14. Little People
15. Slicker Drips
16. St. James Infirmary Blues
17. I Fought Piranhas
18. Let’s Shake Hands (Single A-Side)
19. Look Me Over Closely (Single B-Side)
20. Lafayette Blues (Single A-Side)
21. Red Bowling Ball Ruth (Single B-Side)
22. Hand Springs (Single A-Side)

Side B

Alternative takes, early versions and outtakes

1. Dead Leave (Acoustic Demo Fragment)
2. Dead Leaves (Outtake)
3. I Fought Piranhas (Alternative Take)
4. Jimmy The Exploder (Take 2)
5. Jimmy The Exploder (Take 3)
6. Let’s Build A House (Outtake)
7. My Little Red Book (Outtake)
8. Screwdriver (Alternative Take)
9. Slicker Drips (Alternative Take)
10. Sugar Never Tasted So Good (Take 1)
11. Sugar Never Tasted So Good (Take 2)
12. Wasting My Time (Alternative Take)
13. When I Hear My Name (Alternative Take)
14. Why Can’t You Be Nicer To Me? (Take 1)
15. Why Can’t You Be Nicer To Me? (Take 2)
16. Signed D.C.
17. I’ve Been Loving You Too Long
18. Let’s Shake Hands (Alternative Take)
19. Look Me Over Closely (Alternative Take)
20. Dead Leaves (Alternative Take)
21. Let’s Build A House (Alternative Take)
22. Red Bowling Ball Ruth (Live)

Disc 3 – Live

Tracks 1-3 – Live At Gold Dollar 1 – Bastille Day (14th July 1997)

Tracks 4-14 – Live At Gold Dollar 2 (14th August 1997)

Tracks 15-30 – Live At Gold Dollar 2 (14th August 1997)

1. St James Infirmary
2. Jimmy The Exploder
3. Love Potion #9
4. St James Infirmary 
5. Jimmy The Exploder
6. Red Bowling Ball Ruth
7. I Can Learn
8. Love Potion #9
9. Why Can’t You Be Nice To Me?
10. Marantette Blues (Lafayette Blues)
11. Jumble, Jumble
12. TV Eye
13. Big Girl (Little People)
14. Screwdriver
15. Broken Bricks
16. Jimmy The Exploder
17. The Big Three Killed My Baby
18. Stop Breaking Down
19. Suzy Lee
20. Let’s Build A Home
21. Sugar Never Tasted So Good
22. Do
23. Little People
24. One More Cup Of Coffee
25. Astro
26. Dead Leaves & The Dirty Ground
27. Wasting My Time
28. Red Bowling Ball Ruth
29. Cannon/John The Revelator/Grinnin’ In Your Face
30. Let’s Shake Hands

Disc 4 – Live

Tracks 1-16 – Live At The Magic Bag (30th July 1999)

Tracks 17-31 – Live At The Ritz – Raleigh N.C. (26th September 1999)

1. Jimmy The Exploder
2. Wasting My Time
3. Astro
4. Cannon/John The Revelator
5. The Big Three Killed My Baby
6. I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself
7. Love Sick
8. Dead Leaves & The Dirty Ground
9. St James Infirmary Blues
10. Suzy Lee
11. Stop Breaking Down
12. Lafayette Blues
13. The Same Boy You’ve Always Known
14. You’ve Got Her In Your Pocket
15. Broken Bricks
16. You’ve Got Her In Your Pocket
17. Astro (Incomplete)
18. Jimmy The Exploder
19. Wasting My Time
20. Do
21. Sugar Never Tasted So Good
22. Little People
23. Broken Bricks
24. Suzy Lee
25. Let’s Build A House
26. Jolene
27. Good To Me
28. I’m Bored
29. The Big Three Killed My Baby
30. Trick Bag
31. Screwdriver