Icky Thump
Studio album by
The White Stripes
ReleasedJune 15, 2007 (2007-06-15)
RecordedJanuary–February 2007[1]
StudioBlackbird Studios, Nashville, Tennessee
Genre
Length47:44
Label
ProducerJack White
The White Stripes chronology
Get Behind Me Satan
(2005)		 Icky Thump
(2007)		 Under Great White Northern Lights
(2010)
Singles from Icky Thump
  1. "Icky Thump"
    Released: April 26, 2007
  2. "Rag and Bone"
    Released: June 7, 2007
  3. "You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do As You're Told)"
    Released: September 18, 2007
  4. "Conquest"
    Released: December 18, 2007

Icky Thump is the sixth and final studio album by American rock duo The White Stripes, released through Warner Bros. and Third Man Records in June 2007, with XL Recordings handling the United Kingdom release. Its first release came on June 15, 2007, in Germany,[2] with the release for the rest of Europe occurring on June 18 and the rest of the world on June 19.[3]

Icky Thump received positive reviews from critics and enjoyed commercial success, entering the UK Albums Chart at number one[4] and debuting at number two on the Billboard 200, becoming the duo's highest-charting album in the US with 223,000 copies sold.[4][5] By late July, Icky Thump was certified gold in the United States. On February 10, 2008, the album won a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album.

Recording and production

After Get Behind Me Satan,[6] Icky Thump marks a return to the punk, garage rock and blues influences for which the band is known.[7] Additionally, the album introduces Scottish folk music, avant-garde, trumpet, and bagpipes into the formula, whilst simultaneously reintroducing older characteristics such as the first studio recording of the early White Stripes song "Little Cream Soda".

Icky Thump was recorded and mixed entirely in analog at Nashville's Blackbird Studio by Joe Chiccarelli.[8] According to Chiccarelli in an interview with HitQuarters, the band had already rehearsed and demoed around half the album, with the rest being conceived in the studio.[9] The album took almost three weeks to record—the longest of any White Stripes album.[3] The recording differed from previous albums in that White had the comparative luxury of recording to 16-track analog rather than his usual 8-track.[9] Also, Chiccarelli said: "We spent a little more time than he is used to experimenting and trying different things on that album, whether it was different ways to record the drums or the vocals, or different arrangements, or cutting takes together."[9] Trumpet player Regulo Aldama, who appears on "Conquest", was discovered by Jack White at a local Mexican restaurant.

Jack White said that the album would appeal to fans of the band's self-titled debut, suggesting a stripped-down garage rock sound. A statement on the band's official website[10] (spuriously attributed to "Kitayna Ireyna Tatanya Kerenska Alisof" of the Moscow Bugle, a reference to the 1966 Batman film) humorously claims that:

The White Stripes have completed the recording and mixing of their sixth album. It is entitled Icky Thump, and is their first album to include a title track, which curiously (and not ironically) has the same words in it's [sic] name. Though some residents of northern England might almost recognize the title, the Stripes stress they are spelling it wrong intentionally just for "kicks" and "metaphors," and to avoid a possible lawsuit from the estate of Billy Eckstine.

Entertainment Weekly's online site had an interview with Michel Gondry in which he said he would be directing a video for "I'm Slowly Turning Into You".[11] He mentions the idea for the video. Gondry also says that the video idea came first, and after mentioning the idea to Jack White, White wrote the song to fit that idea during the recording of Get Behind Me Satan.[12]

On May 30, 2007, Chicago radio station Q101 aired the entire album without the band's permission.[13] Jack called into the station and reacted angrily about them playing it.[14] In the liner notes of Icky Thump, "Electra" is thanked on the second line, just after God. According to Ben Blackwell, Jack White's nephew, this is not directed towards the radio DJ, Electra, but to a pet Jack and Meg White used to have.

The White Stripes announced the completion of Icky Thump on February 28, 2007. The title is derived from "ecky thump", a Lancashire colloquial response of surprise, popularized by an episode of the 1970s UK comedy series The Goodies. On Later with Jools Holland (broadcast June 1, 2007) Jack attributed the album's name to its use as an exclamation by his wife, who is from Oldham, historically in Lancashire. He added that the deliberate misspelling was to make it easier for an American audience to identify with.[15] The liner notes for Icky Thump also suggest the spelling variation was due to concerns over copyright infringement.

The Pearly Kings and Queens costume theme, which the band used for this album, is a traditional Cockney outfit, somewhat contrary to the Northern dialect of the title.

Theme

Jack White told Blender in July 2007 that Icky Thump "is about feeling positive about being alive, taking deep breaths and just being really happy."

Promotion and release

The USB drive album artwork for Icky Thump, stylized illustrations of Jack (left), and Meg (right). The hats are the covers to the drives.[16]

The album artwork features Jack and Meg dressed as Pearlies.

To promote Icky Thump before its release, the band distributed custom-designed boxes and previewed tracks from the record through Ice Cream Man. The ice cream promotion focused on the Coachella,[17] Sasquatch, and Bonnaroo festivals and culminated in the band's release show on June 20, 2007, at the site of the former West Hollywood Tower Records on Sunset Blvd., temporarily rechristened Icky Thump. Records.[18][19]

In addition to being released on CD and 180 gram vinyl, the band released the album on a limited edition 512 MB USB drive [20] which was designed by British artist Stanley Chow[21] There are two versions, one of which depicts Jack, the other depicting Meg. The manufacturing was limited to 3,333 of each,[20] and were shipped the week of the U.S. release. Each drive contained the album in Apple lossless format.

The 180 g vinyl edition contains alternate versions of both "Icky Thump" and "Rag and Bone". "Icky Thump" is a shorter, radio edit mix with. It contains a short section where the main guitar riff is mixed to sound like it's being played through an AM radio. This mix also edits the penultimate chorus to be 14 seconds shorter before the guitar solo. "Rag and Bone" is also a different mix and contains different Jack White vocals for each verse (possibly the original guide vocals and there are no vocals from Meg) and is missing the harmonies from the last chorus.

The vinyl version was mastered by Steve Hoffman.[8]

A special mono mix of Icky Thump was available on 180 gram vinyl for a short time to Third Man Vault Premium Account subscribers.

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic80/100[22]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[23]
The A.V. ClubA−[24]
Entertainment WeeklyA[25]
The Guardian[26]
MSN Music (Consumer Guide)A−[27]
NME9/10[28]
Pitchfork8.0/10[29]
Rolling Stone[30]
Spin[31]
Uncut[32]

The album received critical acclaim, with an overall average rating of 80 out of 100 at Metacritic.[22] Barry Nicolson with British magazine NME wrote, "Icky Thump is brilliant, there's no way around that."[28] Commenting on the album's "fuller sound and relaxed flights of fancy," Heather Phares of AllMusic said "Icky Thump is a mature, but far from stodgy" album, and that "it's just great fun to hear the band play."[23] Jody Rosen, writing for Blender, called the album "the sound of a band not stretching out so much as digging in: burrowing deeper into loamy soil they know well."[33] In one of the more negative reviews, Josh Tyrangiel of Time remarked, "The White Stripes are too weird and talented to be boring, but it sounds like they might be a little bored."[34] Ultimately giving the album 3.5 out of 5 stars and giving an (A-) on his website,[35] Robert Christgau, with Rolling Stone, summed up the return album this way "Although the new constructions don't entice as consistently as they should, their noise stays with you. And what that noise stands for is itself." He added, "Like his sometime heroes Led Zeppelin, Jack White builds monuments. They're suitable for awestruck visits. But they're no place to settle down."[30]

On December 6, 2007, Icky Thump was nominated for four 2007 Grammy Awards: Best Alternative Album, Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package, Best Rock Song, and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for the single "Icky Thump", winning Best Alternative Album and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal. Q Magazine named Icky Thump as the 2nd best album of 2007. Furthermore, the album placed #17 on Rolling Stone's list of the Top 50 Albums of 2007.[36]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Jack White, except where noted

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Icky Thump" 4:17
2."You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do as You're Told)" 3:54
3."300 M.P.H. Torrential Outpour Blues" 5:28
4."Conquest"Corky Robbins2:48
5."Bone Broke" 3:14
6."Prickly Thorn, but Sweetly Worn" 3:05
7."St. Andrew (This Battle Is in the Air)" 1:49
8."Little Cream Soda" 3:45
9."Rag and Bone" 3:48
10."I'm Slowly Turning into You" 4:34
11."A Martyr for My Love for You" 4:19
12."Catch Hell Blues" 4:18
13."Effect and Cause" 3:00
Total length:47:44
iTunes bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
14."Baby Brother" (also on the Japanese edition)Vern Orr2:10
15."Tennessee Border" (Live)Jimmy Work2:09

Personnel

The White Stripes

  • Jack White – vocals, guitar, mandolin, keyboards, synthesizers, 1st spoken narrative on "Rag and Bone", street talk on "I'm Slowly Turning Into You", production, mixing
  • Meg White – drums, percussion, backing vocals, lead vocals on "St. Andrew", 2nd spoken narrative on "Rag and Bone", street talk on "I'm Slowly Turning Into You"

Additional personnel

  • Regulo Aldama – trumpet on "Conquest"
  • Jim Drury – Scottish smallpipes on "Prickly Thorn, but Sweetly Worn" and "St. Andrew"
  • Steve Hoffman – vinyl mastering
  • Vlado Meller – digital mastering
  • Joe Chiccarelli - recording and mixing engineer
  • Lowell Reynolds - recording and mixing second engineer

Charts

Certifications and sales

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[65] Gold 35,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[66] Platinum 100,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[67] Gold 7,500^
United Kingdom (BPI)[68] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[69] Gold 801,000[70]

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Notes

  1. ↑ "Jack White Acoustic Recordings 1998-2016". Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Icky Thump: The White Stripes" (in German). amazon.de. Produktinformation. Retrieved May 3, 2007.
  3. 1 2 "White Stripes News". whitestripes.com. Retrieved April 12, 2007.
  4. 1 2 "The White Stripes – Icky Thump global chart positions and trajectories". aCharts.us. Retrieved June 30, 2007.
  5. ↑ Hasty, Katie (June 27, 2007). "Bon Jovi Scores First No. 1 Album Since 1988". Billboard.com.
  6. ↑ "Customer Reviews: Get Behind Me Satan". Amazon.com. Retrieved August 30, 2008.
  7. ↑ Garrity, Brian (June 23, 2007), "Icky Thump." Billboard. 119 (25):71
  8. 1 2 Tingen, Paul (October 2007). "Secrets of the Mix Engineers: Joe Chiccarelli". Sound on Sound. Cambridge, UK: SOS Publications Group. Retrieved September 25, 2011.
  9. 1 2 3 Bouwman, Kimbel (June 14, 2010). "Interview with Joe Chiccarelli". HitQuarters. Retrieved August 17, 2010.
  10. ↑ "Greetings from the White Stripes". Archived from the original on August 14, 2014. Retrieved March 1, 2007.
  11. ↑ Pastorek, Whitney (May 18, 2007). "Let's Get Visual". Entertainment Weekly. No. #935. ISSN 1049-0434. Retrieved September 25, 2011.
  12. ↑ Kohn, Daniel. "The White Stripes' Archivist Ben Blackwell Reveals the Stories Behind Their Greatest Hits". SPIN. SPIN. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  13. ↑ Billboard staff (June 16, 2007), INSIDE TRACK". Billboard. 119 (24):57
  14. ↑ "The White Stripes react angrily to album leak". NME. IPC Media. June 1, 2007. ISSN 0028-6362. Retrieved September 25, 2011.
  15. ↑ Ecky is described as being a Lancashire slang equivalent of heck (itself a euphemism for hell) according to Partridge's Dictionary of Historical Slang, Penguin 1972, entry for Heck.
  16. ↑ "Icky Thump USB Flash Drive – Jack & Meg Set (Save $10)". WhiteStripes.com. 2007. Archived from the original on June 22, 2007. Retrieved June 19, 2007.
  17. ↑ "Ice Cream Man – Coachella Review 2007" icecreamman.com Archived July 29, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  18. ↑ Elias, Matt (June 21, 2007). "White Stripes Give In-Store Performance — At Record Shop That Doesn't Really Exist". MTV.com. Retrieved September 25, 2011.
  19. ↑ "Ice Cream Man – The White Stripes at Icky Thump Records" icecreamman.com Archived September 28, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  20. 1 2 Maher, Dave (June 12, 2007). "The White Stripes' Icky Thump Due on USB Drive". Pitchforkmedia.com. Archived from the original on June 14, 2007. Retrieved June 13, 2007.
  21. ↑ Benson, Kevin (June 14, 2012). "Mancunian Matters: Interview – Manchester graphic illustrator Stanley Chow to return to old stomping ground". Retrieved March 29, 2015.
  22. 1 2 "Reviews for Icky Thump by The White Stripes". Metacritic. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  23. 1 2 Phares, Heather. "Icky Thump – The White Stripes". AllMusic. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  24. ↑ Murray, Noel (June 19, 2007). "The White Stripes: Icky Thump". The A.V. Club. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  25. ↑ Drumming, Neil (June 15, 2007). "Icky Thump". Entertainment Weekly. No. 940. ISSN 1049-0434. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  26. ↑ Petridis, Alexis (June 15, 2007). "The White Stripes, Icky Thump". The Guardian. London. ISSN 0261-3077. OCLC 60623878. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  27. ↑ Christgau, Robert (November 2007). "Consumer Guide". MSN Music. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  28. 1 2 Nicolson, Barry (June 18, 2007). "The White Stripes: Icky Thump". NME. ISSN 0028-6362. Archived from the original on October 1, 2012. Retrieved June 19, 2007.
  29. ↑ Mitchum, Rob (June 18, 2007). "The White Stripes: Icky Thump". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 25, 2011.
  30. 1 2 Christgau, Robert (June 11, 2007). "Icky Thump". Rolling Stone. ISSN 0035-791X. Retrieved June 19, 2007.
  31. ↑ Raftery, Brian (July 2007). "Bad Mood Rising". Spin. 23 (7): 91. ISSN 0886-3032. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  32. ↑ Gill, Andy (July 2007). "The White Stripes – Icky Thump". Uncut (122): 92. ISSN 1368-0722. Archived from the original on May 13, 2008. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  33. ↑ Rosen, Jody (July 2007). "The White Stripes: Icky Thump". Blender (71): 109. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  34. ↑ Tyrangiel, Josh (June 14, 2007). "The White Stripes' Odd Appeal". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Archived from the original on June 16, 2007. Retrieved June 19, 2007.
  35. ↑ "CG: the white stripes". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved April 2, 2012.
  36. ↑ Christgau, Robert; Fricke, David; Hoard, Christian; Sheffield, Rob (December 17, 2007). "The Top 50 Albums of 2007". Rolling Stone. 17 – The White Stripes: Icky Thump. Archived from the original on December 20, 2007.
  37. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – The White Stripes – Icky Thump". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  38. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – The White Stripes – Icky Thump" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  39. ↑ "Ultratop.be – The White Stripes – Icky Thump" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  40. ↑ "Ultratop.be – The White Stripes – Icky Thump" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  41. ↑ "The White Stripes Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  42. ↑ "Danishcharts.dk – The White Stripes – Icky Thump". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  43. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – The White Stripes – Icky Thump" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  44. ↑ "The White Stripes: Icky Thump" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  45. ↑ "Lescharts.com – The White Stripes – Icky Thump". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  46. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – The White Stripes – Icky Thump" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  47. ↑ "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 25, 2007". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  48. ↑ "Italiancharts.com – The White Stripes – Icky Thump". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  49. ↑ "Mexicancharts.com – The White Stripes – Icky Thump". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  50. ↑ "Charts.nz – The White Stripes – Icky Thump". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  51. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – The White Stripes – Icky Thump". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  52. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  53. ↑ "Spanishcharts.com – The White Stripes – Icky Thump". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  54. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – The White Stripes – Icky Thump". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  55. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – The White Stripes – Icky Thump". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  56. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  57. ↑ "The White Stripes Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  58. ↑ "The White Stripes Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  59. ↑ "ARIA End of Year Albums Chart 2007". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  60. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 2007". Ultratop. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  61. ↑ "Top de l'année Top Albums 2007" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  62. ↑ "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2007". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  63. ↑ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2007". Billboard. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  64. ↑ "Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2007". Billboard. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  65. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2007 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
  66. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – The White Stripes – Icky Thump". Music Canada. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
  67. ↑ "New Zealand album certifications – The White Stripes – Icky Thump". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  68. ↑ "British album certifications – The White Stripes – Icky Thump". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
  69. ↑ "American album certifications – The White Stripes – Icky Thump". Recording Industry Association of America.
  70. ↑ Center, Marc (June 13, 2009). "Weather Report" (PDF). Billboard. p. 22. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 22, 2021. Retrieved May 22, 2022 – via American Radio History.

References

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