Greatest Hits

20 some years ago, a brother and a sister climbed into the 3rd floor attic of their southwest Detroit family homestead and bashed out a primitive cover of David Bowie’s “Moonage Daydream”, sparking something in both of them and leading them to take their simple guitar drums voice approach to a local open mic night on Bastille Day. In what feels like a whirlwind, they record and release 2 different 7” singles for a local indie label. A not so local indie offers to put out a full length album. They start touring. Another album. More touring. Another album. Folks really start to pay attention. Crazy touring, more albums, accolades, wildest dream after wildest dream coming true. ’World renowned’ becomes an appropriate descriptor, as does ’long building overnight sensation’. The same hard work and dedication that The White Stripes exhibited from the onset of their existence is what has been poured into ”The White Stripes Greatest Hits”. In an era of streaming where the idea of a ’Greatest Hits’ album may seem irrelevant, that an act’s most streamed songs are considered their de facto hits, we wholeheartedly believe that great bands deserve ’Greatest Hits’ and that a large part of Third Man Records’ and The White Stripes’ successes have been built on zigging when the rest of the music business is zagging. Thus, for a great band with great fans, a greatest hits compilation for The White Stripes is not only appropriate, but absolutely necessary.

In true White Stripes fashion, the band has revealed only 1 of the 26 songs on the track list today, “Ball & Biscuit”, keeping the rest a mystery to be unveiled at a later date. Ensuring that this special celebration is started in full face melting force, the band have dug into the archives to share a never before seen live performance video of “Ball & Biscuit” from their October 22nd, 2003, Shibuya AX show in Tokyo, Japan. Shot on four camcorders, this was the band’s 3rd trip to Japan and the 2nd of a 6 date Japan run on this tour. Furthermore, all of The White Stripes’ groundbreaking official music videos will be upgraded and released in HD as part of the ”Greatest Hits” release in December. Jack and Meg have also brought their red, white and black world to Instagram to commemorate the announcement.

Additionally, for the most dedicated of supporters, Third Man Records is releasing an expanded collection with an added bonus 3rd LP of largely overlooked, previously scattered b-sides for ’Vault Package #46’. For the ’Vault’ version, 1st 2 LP’s containing the original track list will be pressed on glorious red and white discs and will be the only color variant available. The bonus 3rd LP is pressed on an exquisite red white black detonation colored vinyl. Taking it to another level, the ’Vault’ version of ”Greatest Hits” features iconic artwork from longtime collaborator Rob Jones, completely different from the standard version. The package also comes with 3 Rob Jones silk screen prints and a White Stripes themed set of magnetic poetry.

”Tte Stripes Greatest Hits is the 1st record to be released under an historic new agreement between Sony Music Entertainment, Jack White, and Third Man Records. The new agreement covers the worldwide distribution of a majority of White's recordings with The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, The Dead Weather and his solo work, marking the 1st time the extensive Jack White music catalog has been available through one label group.

Third Man Records and Sony Music, December 4th, 2020.