The White Stripes

Years active: 1997-2011

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.”

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

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=6j7huh5Egew&safe=active

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

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