Jack White
“Over and Over and Over”
limited edition one-sided tri-color, 200 something copies pressed, complete with custom picture sleeve that will be slightly different from the standard released version
Do you guys know how pumped I am?
For the record, I first heard this monster riff in 2005 at Jack’s house while he and Meg were recording “Get Behind Me Satan.”
I am pretty sure that the “Blue Orchid” riff pre-dates this one by a few days, but in my mind, they exist hand-in-hand. While “Blue Orchid” smashed that recording process wide open and gave Jack the inspiration to make that album as bad ass as possible, THIS riff, inarguably, is ten times stronger. I feel like Jack was originally calling it “Thermonuclear Counter-Thrust” but maybe I’m just imagining that. I can find no contemporaneous documentation of that name.
There are two takes of demo recordings of this song from 2005 (with the riff played solely on fuzz bass). There are demo recordings from 2007 with the White Stripes trying it in rehearsal leading up to the tracking of the “Icky Thump” album. Imagine the guitar profile more in line with the octave-pedaled presence of the song “Icky Thump” and that’s a good start for understanding the 2007 version. I guess the Raconteurs tried it but I never heard any evidence, same with the Dead Weather. It was apparently the main track that Jack and Jay-Z worked on together in 2009, under the title “Ray Bans” or “Behind My Ray Bans” and although I’ve never heard that working, I’m told to imagine the phrase “Behind my Ray Bans” to coincide with the last five notes of the riff.
As Jack has already said, this had been his white whale. We sincerely considered including the ’07 demo as part of the “Icky Thump X” Vault package last year. I have no recollection of Jack ever previously giving me such an impassioned plea…”I just really think we shouldn’t put this on the Vault” he said. My response was pretty matter-of-factly, “Well, it’s your label, so please don’t feel like you have to convince me.” Maybe he was trying to convince himself?
Regardless, at the end of 2017 when Jack finally had played me this version you hear now, upon the end of the song, I looked at him and said “I’ve been waiting twelve years to hear this song with lyrics.”
The final version of this song is everything I’d ever dreamed it would be. It is my favorite moment on the album, with the coda to “Humoresque” being a close second. I cannot wait to see this monster unleashed unto a sell-out crowd at Little Caesar’s Arena, a stone’s throw away from the Gold Dollar where this whole mess got started.
I’ve got an extra copy of this limited tri-color to give away here. AUTOGRAPHED by Jack White, today, explicitly for this purpose. Don’t use my give-away here as an excuse to miss going to any number of the listening parties we’re throwing at record stores worldwide though. Even though we’re giving away tri-colors at the listening parties, none of those will be autographed. Man we spoil you kids.
As for the giveaway, post a comment, can be about whatever, but maybe talk about a significant wait you’ve endured in life. Can be funny, pithy, in iambic pentameter, whatever. The “best” comment will be solely determined by me. Please chime in by noon central time on Tuesday, March 13th.
***WINNER HAS BEEN CONTACTED***
Waiting for Godot…
MY significant wait, in my life, is finally coming to an end. i’ve been having a ‘midlife crisis’ for the last yr or so. i turned 40 in nov & made a final decision; i’m moving out of my shit-hole state, that i’ve lived in all my life. i’ve always had some excuse in the past, for not leaving: no money, great paying job, owned a business, no money, nephews & a niece, no money, etc. i still have no money, but dammit, i’m doing it! Cashing out, what little retirement I have, and i’m out. who needs a retirement fund, right? i may not make it that far. hell-i’m surprised i lived this long! i’m off to a bluer state with greener pastures, to live my days surrounded by endless concerts, beautiful scenery, & amazing food & beer. cheers!
15 years to finally see Lisa ask Wendy if the waters warm enough live. Go see the Revolution if you get a chance.
I am a waiter. Professionally. I wait over and over and over.
The wait to get a tri-color outside of Nashville of Detroit was a pretty long one and many of us were happy to have the chance to win one at our local B&M. The wait for Dinosaur Jr at TMR Nashville is killing me right now though, lol!
I like that, “Thermonuclear Counter-Thrust" lol. Man, I have done some waiting that is for sure. There’s always waiting to find my wife, and now after 3 years it’s wating for her to be ready to go to the grocery store. BUT these waits are not always bad, as I have found that during waiting in general good things tend to happen. Wait, that is taken.. “good things come to those who wait”. Anyway they do. Patience is a virtue in my experience. I’kk be standing there waiting for something, like now I’m waiting for my cup of tea to brew and.. wait a minute.. it was just 1:50 am pacific time and its 3:00 am.. That is the longest Ive ever waited for a drink. Happy “take one end of a snake and attach it to the other and call it a longer snake” daylight savings.
- TrickyRaven ;)
Not the longest wait but one of my favorites was last SXSW waiting in line with sons at the Yeti Flagship store. We got in line for Roling Record store and when we got up there my oldest asked if they had a copy of RSD Get Behind Me Satan. They had one and he got it. The line to get inside and see Lillie Mae and Craig Brown Band was longer but both put on great shows.
First, let’s set the scene. I’m from a small city in the interior of British Columbia. As you probably understand Ben (and readers), Canada, due to our lower population, is not played as extensively as the USA. To make matters worse for me, not only is my community small, it’s also remote. Major Canadian cities like Vancouver or Edmonton require a 8 to 9 hour drive.
Which is a bit of a barrier when you’re a teenager like I was in the summer of 2002. I have a very clear memory of watching MuchMusic, the Canadian equivalent of MTV, and seeing this strange video, called Fell In Love With A Girl, with music as different (at least to my little teenage brain) as the visuals were. The guitar was very fuzzy, the drums pounding, the tempo fast. A lot of bands at the time would have played it as an angry song but this tune featured a pop melody. Well, I don’t need to describe the song to you, but suffice to say, as a kid just beginning to discover alternative music, it definitely peaked my interest. In the months ahead Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground, Hotel Yorba, We’re Going To Be Friends, all entered my life. It felt like everything culminated in hearing Seven Nation Army playing on the radio for the first time. That was a special moment, which cemented my passion for Jack’s music. But due to my circumstances I never got to see Jack or the Stripes live.
I came close in 2007 when I was in college. Jack and Meg played Vancouver, Burnaby to be exact, very close to my school, but it was 3 days before my 20th birthday and my parents had bought me tickets to come home after the semester. I’m man enough to admit I was feeling a little home sick, but I was sure I’d be staying in the big city and would catch the White Stripes next tour.
I came home after graduating for what was suppose to be a few months. Somehow I accidentally built a life for myself here. I found a rewarding career, met the perfect girl, bought a house, got married. And now I find myself in a peculiar in-between period. I’m an established, (technically an) adult, but no kids. I’ve discovered I don’t have to wait for bands to come to me anymore, I can go to them! And that’s what I’ve done. I saw Beck in Vancouver last summer. Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile in Seattle last fall. And this summer, I’ll see Jack White. Not once, but twice, in Vancouver and the next night in Seattle. Somewhere, deep inside me, that 15 year old version of myself is still crowded over that small CRT TV, wondering what this strange song would sound like live. Wondering what the atmosphere in the room would be like. It’s been 15+ years, half my life, but no more excuses.
Sorry for the long post, and sorry for being so obvious tying it into JW’s new tour, but there’s not a lot of acts I first heard at 15 that I’m still dying to see live.
please, wait a minute mister postman, i’m so tired, tired of waiting for you. time waits for no one. I can’t wait. wait until tomorrow. I can wait. hurry up and wait. wait. wait here. i don’t want to wait in vain, I’ll wait and pray. just as tom waits.
Headed out to Detroit from Chicago to get the connected by love tri color. It was Friday night at 9pm when I turned to my girlfriend and said “I wish I could go to TMR in Detroit for this new tri color tomorrow” to my surprise she turned to me and said “let’s go!” Left out the door at 5am and booked it to TMR. Was very excited not only for the tri color but never been to the Detroit location and couldn’t wait to see the pressing plant. We finally got there and got in line in the freezing cold waited 30mins when one of the TMR employees came out and said they would most likely be sold out by the time they got to us….I could’ve cried but being a grown man that wasn’t an option. We stayed optimistic waited 30 more mins watching everyone walk out with a smile on their face and a new tri color in their hand. We finally got to the counter and there were only 5 left! And we got one! Best. Wait. Ever. Oh and ripping shots in celebration at Bronx Bar was a nice end to the evening.