This article is about the album. For its title track, see Icky Thump (song).
Icky Thump
studio
Artistthe White Stripes
CoverThe White Stripes Icky Thumb.jpg
ReleasedJune 15, 2007
RecordedJanuary–February 2007
StudioBlackbird (Tennessee)
Genre
Label
ProducerJack White III[1]
Prev year2005
Next year2010

Icky Thump is the sixth and final studio album by American rock duo the White Stripes. It was released in June 2007 in the United States by Warner Bros. and internationally by XL.[2][3] Produced by vocalist and guitarist Jack White, it was recorded across three weeks at Blackbird from January to February 2007, the longest recording period of any White Stripes album. Icky Thump marks a return to the band's early garage rock and punk blues influences, featuring lyrics about "feeling positive about being alive".

Icky Thump was praised by critics, marking a resurgence after the polarizing reviews of their previous record. The album was a commercial success, topping the UK Albums Chart and peaking at number two on the Billboard 200, receiving gold certifications in both territories.[4][5] It also entered the top ten of several other countries. Icky Thump won Best Alternative Music Album and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards.

Recording and production

Icky Thump was recorded and mixed entirely in analog at Nashville's Blackbird Studio by Joe Chiccarelli throughout January and early February 2007.[6][7] According to Chiccarelli in an interview with HitQuarters, the White Stripes had previously rehearsed and demoed around half the album, while the rest was conceived in the studio.[8] It was recorded on a Studer A827 with a 16-track tape head, rather than the band's usual 8-track,[8] and took three weeks—the longest of any White Stripes album.[3][6] In addition to his signature 1964 JB Hutto Montgomery Airline and 1950s Kay Hollowbody guitar, Jack would use his own 1954 and 1969 Fender Telecasters that were in the studio mainly for solos or for use with an Electro-Harmonix POG (polyphonic octave generator) pedal.[9]

Most songs were recorded on 15 tracks with one track relegated to a SMPTE timecode, except for "I'm Slowly Turning Into You" which required a second tape machine to record background vocals.[6] 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."[8] Mixing was completed in Blackbird Studio A by Chiccarelli and vocalist/guitarist Jack White.[6]

The vinyl version was mastered by Steve Hoffman.[6] It 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 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.

Music and lyrics

Following the experimentation of Get Behind Me Satan,[10] Icky Thump returns to the punk, garage rock and blues influences for which the band is known.[11] Additionally, the album introduces Scottish folk music, avant-garde, trumpet, and bagpipes into the formula. Jack said that the album would appeal to fans of the band's self-titled debut and told Blender in July 2007 that Icky Thump "is about feeling positive about being alive, taking deep breaths and just being really happy."[12] It reintroduces older characteristics such as the first studio recording of the early White Stripes song "Little Cream Soda". 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".[13] He mentions the idea for the video. Gondry also says that the video idea came first, and after mentioning the idea to Jack, he wrote the song to fit that idea during the recording of Get Behind Me Satan.[14] This video never came to fruition.

Regarding the title, a statement on the band's official website referencing the 1966 Batman film humorously claims that "Though some residents of northern England might almost recognize the title, the Stripes stress they are spelling it (Icky Thump) wrong intentionally just for "kicks" and "metaphors," and to avoid a possible lawsuit from the estate of Billy Eckstine."[15] On Later with Jools Holland (broadcast June 1, 2007), Jack clarified that the title is derived from "ecky thump", a Lancashire colloquial response of surprise. He heard its use as an exclamation by his then-wife, Karen Elson, who is from Oldham, historically in Lancashire.

The album artwork features Jack and Meg dressed as Pearlies, which is a traditional Cockney outfit somewhat contrary to the Northern dialect of the title. In the liner notes of Icky Thump, "Electra" is thanked on the second line, just after God. According to Ben Blackwell, Jack's nephew, this is not directed towards the radio DJ, Electra, but to a pet Jack and drummer Meg White used to have.

Promotion and release

The White Stripes announced the completion of Icky Thump on February 28, 2007. On May 30, 2007, Chicago radio station Q101 aired the entire album without the band's permission.[16] Jack called into the station and reacted angrily about them playing it.[17]

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,[18] 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.[19][20]

In addition to being released on CD and 180 gram vinyl, the band released the album on a limited edition 512 MB USB drive[21][22] which was designed by British artist Stanley Chow[23] There are two versions, one of which depicts Jack, the other depicting Meg. The manufacturing was limited to 3,333 of each,[22] and were shipped the week of the U.S. release. Each drive contained the album in Apple lossless format.

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

Critical reception

Icky Thump received critical acclaim, with an overall average rating of 80 out of 100 at Metacritic.[24] Barry Nicolson with British magazine NME wrote, "Icky Thump is brilliant, there's no way around that."[25] 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."[26] 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."[27] Ultimately giving the album 3.5 out of 5 stars and giving an (A−) on his website,[28] 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."[29]

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."[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 named Icky Thump as the 2nd best album of 2007. Furthermore, the album placed No. 17 on Rolling Stone's list of the Top 50 Albums of 2007.[31]

Track listing

Notes

  • The Japanese edition features a bonus track, "Baby Brother" (Vern Orr).
  • The iTunes release features the bonus tracks "Baby Brother" (Orr) and a live rendition of "Tennessee Border" (Jimmy Work).

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.[32][33]

The White Stripes

Additional personnel

Artwork

  • "The Third Man" – layout and design
  • Rob Jones – layout and design
  • Autumn de Wilde – photography

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for Icky Thump
Chart (2007)Peak
position

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for Icky Thump
Chart (2007)Position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[34]84
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[35]41
French Albums (SNEP)[36]141
UK Albums (OCC)[37]90
US Billboard 200[38]76
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[39]14

References

  1. ^ CD liner notes: Grammy Nominees 2008
  2. ^ "Icky Thump: The White Stripes" (in German). amazon.de. Produktinformation. Archived March 21, 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2007-05-03.
  3. ^ "White Stripes News". whitestripes.com. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved 2007-04-12.
  4. ^ "The White Stripes – Icky Thump global chart positions and trajectories" Archived October 12, 2014 at the Wayback Machine. aCharts.us. Retrieved June 30, 2007.
  5. ^ Hasty, Katie (June 27, 2007). "Bon Jovi Scores First No. 1 Album Since 1988". Billboard.com. Archived May 9, 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 24, 2013.
  6. ^ Tingen, Paul (October 2007). "Secrets of the Mix Engineers: Joe Chiccarelli". Sound on Sound. Cambridge, UK: SOS Publications Group. Archived September 7, 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2011-09-25.
  7. ^ Ecky Thump. Third Man Books. 2017.
  8. ^ Bouwman, Kimbel (June 14, 2010). "Interview with Joe Chiccarelli". HitQuarters. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved August 17, 2010.
  9. ^ Di Perna, Alan (August 2007). "Jack the Ripper". Guitar World. Guitar World.
  10. ^ "Customer Reviews: Get Behind Me Satan". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
  11. ^ Garrity, Brian (June 23, 2007), "Icky Thump." Billboard. 119 (25):71
  12. ^ Dolan, Jon (July 2007). "New Jack City". BLENDER. BLENDER
  13. ^ Pastorek, Whitney (May 18, 2007). "Let's Get Visual". Entertainment Weekly. No. #935. ISSN 1049-0434. Retrieved 2011-09-25.
  14. ^ Kohn, Daniel. "The White Stripes' Archivist Ben Blackwell Reveals the Stories Behind Their Greatest Hits". SPIN. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  15. ^ "Greetings from the White Stripes". Archived from the original on August 14, 2014. Retrieved March 1, 2007.
  16. ^ Billboard staff (June 16, 2007), INSIDE TRACK". Billboard. 119 (24):57
  17. ^ "The White Stripes react angrily to album leak". NME. IPC Media. June 1, 2007. ISSN 0028-6362. Archived June 3, 2007 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2011-09-25.
  18. ^ "Ice Cream Man – Coachella Review 2007" icecreamman.com Archived July 29, 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  19. ^ Elias, Matt (June 21, 2007). "White Stripes Give In-Store Performance — At Record Shop That Doesn't Really Exist". MTV.com. Archived from the original on June 25, 2007. Retrieved 2011-09-25.
  20. ^ "Ice Cream Man – The White Stripes at Icky Thump Records" icecreamman.com Archived September 28, 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  21. ^ "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.
  22. ^ Maher, Dave (2007-06-12). "The White Stripes' Icky Thump Due on USB Drive". Pitchforkmedia.com. Archived from the original on June 14, 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-13.
  23. ^ Benson, Kevin (June 14, 2012). "Mancunian Matters: Interview – Manchester graphic illustrator Stanley Chow to return to old stomping ground". Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 29, 2015.
  24. ^ "Reviews for Icky Thump by The White Stripes". Metacritic. Archived January 19, 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  25. ^ Nicolson, Barry (June 18, 2007). "The White Stripes: Icky Thump". NME. ISSN 0028-6362. Archived October 1, 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 19, 2007.
  26. ^ Phares, Heather. "Icky Thump – The White Stripes". AllMusic. Archived December 8, 2015 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  27. ^ Rosen, Jody (July 2007). "The White Stripes: Icky Thump". Blender. ' (71): 109. Archived September 30, 2007 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  28. ^ "CG: the white stripes". RobertChristgau.com. Archived May 30, 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2012-04-02.
  29. ^ Christgau, Robert (June 11, 2007). "Icky Thump". Rolling Stone. ISSN 0035-791X. Archived February 7, 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 19, 2007.
  30. ^ 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.
  31. ^ 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.
  32. ^ Icky Thump (Liner notes, CD booklet). Warner Bros. Records. 2007. 162940-2.
  33. ^ Icky Thump (UK CD single liner notes). XL Recordings. 2007. XLS 277CD.
  34. ^ "ARIA End of Year Albums Chart 2007". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived December 15, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  35. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 2007". Ultratop. Archived August 27, 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  36. ^ "Top de l'année Top Albums 2007" (in French). SNEP. Archived January 7, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  37. ^ "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2007". Official Charts Company. Archived April 3, 2015 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  38. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2007". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 17, 2018. Retrieved October 12, 2025.
  39. ^ "Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2007". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 24, 2018. Retrieved October 12, 2025.

Sources