2. Brief History
• Consisted of Jack White (vocals, guitar, song-writer and keyboard)
and Meg White (drummer and occasional vocalist)
• The two married in 1996 and formed The White Stripes in 1997
• Began career in Michigan underground garage rock scene
• In 1998 Signed to small/independent Detroit-based garage punk
label-- Italy Records. Due to small size of the record label, their
three singles were only released on vinyl format with 1,000 copies
released
• They maintained the claim that they were siblings (Jack claimed it
was to keep focus on the music, not their relationship) even when
proof of their marriage surfaced though they divorced in 2000
"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.”
3. Record Label no.2
• Debut album (self-titled, released in
1999) was released on another
independent label Sympathy for the
Record Industry
• They released their second album
De Stijl on the same record label
and it eventually reached No.38 on
Billboard’s Magazine’s Independent
Album Chart in 2002 and so gained
them recognition and established
their popularity.
• Their third album, again released on
Sympathy for the Record Industry,
garnered critical acclaim however
The White Stripes would not find
breakthrough success with this label
due to the independent status
The White Stripes only
wear red, white and black
4. Elephant & V2
• Their fourth album – “Elephant” – was released
in 2003 on v2 (a subsidiary of major record label
Universal Music Group) so was their first major
label debut
• The conglomerate status of the record label
meant higher budgets for marketing and
promotion
• Therefore the album topped charts in the UK and
entered the Top 10 album chart in the USA
• The album reached double platinum
certifications in Britain and platinum status in the
US
• Received huge critical acclaim (out of 5 star
rating from Rolling Stone magazine, Grammy for
Best Alternative Music Album)
• First single of the album was Seven Nation Army
the most successful and won a Grammy for Best
Rock Song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6j7hu
h5Egew&safe=active
5. Icky Thump – Warner Bros
• After establishing huge popularity
from the release of Elephant on
V2, their sixth album – Icky
Thump – was released in 2007
with Warners Brothers (on a one-
album contract after V2 closed in
2006).
• Number on in UK Album Charts
• Number two on Billboard 200
• 223,000 copies sold
• Certified gold
• Grammy for Best Alternative
Music Album
The White Stripes did not gain critical
and commercial success until they
were signed to major labels–
demonstrate the influence of record
labels and success
6. Major labels have the money to
market and promote…
• The White Stripes were signed to two independent labels before
their record deals with V2 and Warner Bros
• Independent labels have less money and power to promote so The
White Stripes had little funding, meaning less success
• However they gained great success (e.g, Grammys, tours) only after
being signed to major record labels
• E.g, their previous labels could only release a small amount of
copies of their albums (limiting their audience) whilst they sold
223,000 copies of Icky Thump when signed to Warner Bros
• This could prove that record labels do have a role in the success of a
band as V2 and Warner Bros propelled a band that previously
weren’t well known by giving them more funding (e.g higher
budget/technology music videos– Seven Nation Army) which gained
them more success
