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Get Behind Me Satan
2005 studio album by the White Stripes From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Get Behind Me Satan is the fifth studio album by the American rock duo the White Stripes. It was released on June 7, 2005, through V2, XL and Third Man Records. It was recorded in Jack White's living room between February and March 2005. Jack was responsible for the album's production in its entirety.
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Described as the "most misunderstood entry in the White Stripes discography",[1] Get Behind Me Satan musically diverts from the band's previous studio release Elephant. It features experimental production and lyrics that often reference truth and actress Rita Hayworth. The album received generally positive reviews from music critics, and won the 2006 Grammy for Best Alternative Album. It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for selling 900,000 copies in the United States, and received platinum certifications from both the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and Music Canada.
In the years following its release, Get Behind Me Satan has been reissued numerous times. It was not released in a vinyl format until 2015, as the band wanted to record a separate live version which never came to fruition.
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Background and recording
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The album was conceived at a time when the band had felt "betrayed" and "burned" by close friends within the Detroit music scene such as Jason Stollsteimer, a member of the Von Bondies, which Jack had got into an altercation with in December 2003[2] and Jim Diamond, who had filed a lawsuit against the band in October 2004, wanting partial owning rights of the masters and royalties of their first two albums, The White Stripes and De Stijl.[3][4][5] Jack had begun writing and recording demos for the album on a microcassette recorder throughout 2004 and early 2005.[6][7] Jack had written around 35 songs during this period with many of the songs that would be recorded for the album either having been completely written or partially written during the sessions.[8][9]
The album was recorded in around two weeks throughout late February and mid-March 2005 at Jack's home in Indian Village,[10][11] which was referred to as Third Man Studios in the press release and liner notes for the album.[12][13] Matthew Kettle, who had been mixing the band's live shows, recorded the album on a Studer 8 track tape machine.[14] Six Coles 4038 microphones were exclusively used for the recording of the album.[15][16] A Steinway grand piano was rented in order to achieve a fuller sound.[14] The band considered the recording sessions to be "cursed" as the tape machine and microphones would malfunction and water would drip from the ceiling.[4][9] The cost of recording the album was under $10,000.[9] Mixing was completed at Ardent Studios by John Hampton and Jack in late-March, with mastering completed by Howie Weinberg at Masterdisk, two weeks prior to the release of the first single.[13][17]
The album's title refers to a well-known line from the story of the Temptation of Jesus which is later repeated against the disciple Simon Peter, in Matthew 16:23 of the New Testament. In the King James Version, the quotation is slightly different: "Get thee behind me, Satan".[18] Jack stated in an interview with Mojo the possible interpretations of the album title, "It can mean, you're either for me or against me. And if you're not going to help me, get out of my way. Or maybe it relates to the Devil's music, and having the Devil back you up while you're playing it. Or, perhaps it relates to aiming for the truth, for doing the right thing, and telling the Devil to take his temptations away."[4]
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Music and lyrics
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Though still basic in production style, the album marked a distinct change from its guitar-heavy 2003 predecessor, Elephant. With its reliance on piano-driven melodies and experimentation with marimba on "The Nurse" and "Forever For Her (Is Over For Me)",[19] Get Behind Me Satan plays down the punk and garage rock[20] influences that dominated earlier White Stripes albums and has been described as a primarily alternative rock, blues rock,[21] and pop[22][23] album. Jack plays with different technique than in the past, replacing electric guitar with piano, mandolin, and acoustic guitar on all but three tracks,[24] as his usual riff-conscious lead guitar style is overtaken by a predominantly rhythmic approach.
Jack stated in an interview on the radio show Fresh Air that "truth is the number one theme throughout the album Get Behind Me Satan."[14] Relating that point to the album's multiple reference to movie actress Rita Hayworth, White said she became an "all-encompassing metaphor" for the album since she changed her last name from something that revealed her Latina heritage, and the way celebrity was cast upon her. White told Rolling Stone, "Rita Hayworth became an all-encompassing metaphor for everything I was thinking about while making the album. There was an autograph of hers—she had kissed a piece of paper, left a lip print on it, and underneath it said, 'My heart is in my mouth.' I loved that statement and wondered why she wrote that. There was also the fact that she was Latino and had changed her name. She had become something different, morphed herself and was trying to put something behind her. And there was the shallowness of celebrity when it's thrown upon you. All of that was going around in these songs; what had been thrown on me, things I'd never asked for. Every song on that album is about truth."[25]
Songs
Recorded near the end of the album sessions, Jack has stated in multiple interviews that "Blue Orchid" saved the album.[4][8][14] When Jack had conceived the song, he said that the song made him want to play festivals. The song was released as the first single for the album six weeks after it was written on April 18, 2005.[26][27] An Electro-Harmonix polyphonic octave generator guitar pedal was used on the track in order to achieve a heavier guitar sound, although they were limited by the amount of tracks on the tape they could use.[28]
"The Nurse" is an experimental song, which features Jack playing marimba. A tape editing mistake led to drum crashes and electric guitar being overdubbed in order to mask the edits. Jack was initially hesitant about the song due to the overdubs. When Jack let Brendan Benson hear an early mix of the song, Benson said it sounded like "some Brian Wilson shit."[14][27][29] Jack has said that the song is about someone he had been in love with for over a decade.[30]
"My Doorbell" was released as the second single for the album on July 11, 2005.[31] The song has been described as being reminiscent of Motown music.[4][32] The song was recorded in two takes.[33]
"Little Ghost" is a bluegrass song which features Jack playing mandolin. Jack had written the song in ten minutes at a friend’s house.[14]
"The Denial Twist" was the third and final single off the album, released on October 31, 2005.[34] The song took the most amount of time to record, with three takes having been recorded throughout the sessions.[29][35] The song features electric bass and Jack’s brother, Eddie Gillis, playing tambourine and shakers.[24][36][37]
"White Moon" is a ballad and is one of two songs that mention Rita Hayworth.[19] On the first take of "White Moon", near the end of the song, a rack of bells can be heard crashing which was unintended. A second take was recorded with a guide vocal with the intent for it to be overdubbed later, but the first take would be ultimately chosen as it fit the tone of the album.[7] The song was originally titled "White Moon and the Red Headed Guest".[38]
"Passive Manipulation is the shortest song recorded by the band and features Meg White on vocals. The song is written from a female perspective.[14]
"As Ugly As I Seem" is an acoustic folk song that features Jack singing and playing an acoustic guitar and Meg plays hand drums.[39][40]
"Take, Take, Take" is about a fan who meets Rita Hayworth at a bar and keeps asking things from her.[9] The song has been interpreted as the band’s feelings towards celebrity life,[41][24] although Jack stated in an interview with Mojo that the song is about "parents not teaching their kids manners."[4] Jack had written as many as 9 or 10 verses, but had to cut some of them as the song would have been too long.[28]
The closing track, "I'm Lonely (But I Ain't That Lonely Yet)", was written shortly before the sessions, after Jack called Loretta Lynn, in which Lynn made a joke about Meg saying that "I’m lonely, but I ain’t that lonely yet." Lynn told Jack that he could use the line for a song.[14] The first take of "I'm Lonely" was recorded with mandolin, piano, Jack on vocals, and Meg on drums. A second take with only Jack singing and playing piano was chosen for the album.[33]
Outtakes
"Ain't No Sweeter Than Rita Blues", an instrumental track, was released on a 7" single alongside Under Amazonian Lights through a Third Man Records Vault subscription in 2015.[42]
"City Lights" is a folk song that was written for the album,[43][44] with two takes having been recorded.[29] The track was forgotten about until the master tapes for the album were revisited for the 2015 vinyl reissue of the album. The track was completed with Dominic Davis playing upright bass for the track and released on Jack's acoustic compilation, Acoustic Recordings 1998–2016 on September 9, 2016.[45][46] In 2025, an alternate studio take and home demo was released on Get Behind Me XX.[47]
"Over and Over and Over" was initially demoed using a fuzz pedal on an electric bass. Two takes of the song were recorded for the album, but it ultimately went unreleased.[35][47] Jack later attempted the song on Icky Thump and with his other side projects. The song was eventually re-recorded in 2017 and released as the third single for Jack's third solo album, Boarding House Reach on March 1, 2018.[48] A home demo and a studio outtake of the song was released on Get Behind Me XX.[47]
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Release
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The tracklist and release date of the album was announced on April 12, 2005.[49][50] On the following day, a listening event was held exclusively for music journalists at Splashlight Studios in New York City.[51][52] Exclusive vinyl copies of Get Behind Me Satan made exclusively for music journalists to review, and 600 records were released collectively by XL Recordings and V2 Records simultaneously; these have become rare and coveted collector's items.[53] The White Stripes then intended to re-record the album in January 2006 at Joe Gubay's Studio in New Zealand for a commercial vinyl release, but the studio no longer had the recording equipment to make it possible.[54] As a result, Get Behind Me Satan was the only album by the White Stripes not to be commercially released on vinyl for ten years.
For Record Store Day 2015, Third Man Records released a limited vinyl edition with a lenticular gatefold sleeve, pressed on red and white vinyl; a commercially released version with standard artwork pressed on standard black vinyl was released later that year.[55] Ahead of the album's 20th anniversary, the White Stripes announced a deluxe reissue of Get Behind Me Satan with alternative takes, demos, and live recordings of its tracks.[56]
Reception
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Get Behind Me Satan entered the U.S. and UK charts at No. 3, ranking higher in the U.S. charts than their previous records, but lower in the UK charts than Elephant. It sold over 900,000 copies in the United States.[67] "Blue Orchid", the first single, became a radio hit in the United States and the band's second UK Top 10 hit. "My Doorbell" was the second single from the album, followed by "The Denial Twist". Both also reached the Top 10 in the UK and charted on the Modern Rock Charts as well.
Rolling Stone ranked it the third best album of the year.[68] In 2006, the album was included in 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, edited by Robert Dimery,[69] but was removed in the 2007 edition. It was voted the sixth best album of the year in the 2006 Village Voice Pazz and Jop critic poll, with the song "My Doorbell" being voted as the year's ninth best single.[70][71]
In popular culture
The album cover was used in the Gilmore Girls episode "I Get a Sidekick Out of You", with Lane and Zach in Meg and Jack's positions, respectively.[72] It was also used for the 2008 Ozy and Millie calendar as both the front cover and for the month of January with the characters Ozy and Mille replacing Jack and Meg.[citation needed] "Instinct Blues" was featured in Michel Gondry's 2006 film The Science of Sleep.[73]
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Track listing
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Get Behind Me Satan features alternate track sequencing on its vinyl release.[74]
CD track listing
All lyrics are written by Jack White; all music is composed by Jack and Meg White.
Vinyl track listing
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Personnel
Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.[12]
The White Stripes
- Jack White – guitar, vocals, piano, bass, mandolin, marimba, tambourine, songwriting, production, mixing
- Meg White – drums, vocals, percussion, bells, triangle, bongos
Additional personnel
- Eddie Gillis – tambourine and shakers (track 5)[36]
- Howie Weinberg – mastering
- Roger Lian – sequencing
- John Hampton – mixing
- Adam Hill – assistant mixing
- Matthew Kettle – engineering
Artwork
- Arthole – layout
- "The Third Man" – design
- Ewen Spencer – photography
- Nick Pavey – photo assistant
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Charts
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Certifications and sales
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References
External links
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