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Vault #13

9 July 2012

Deciding to pull out all the stops for Vault package #13, Third Man Records has dug deep into the archive and is offering its most historically significant collection yet.

The LP for this quarter is the White Stripes first-ever live show. Recorded at the Gold Dollar in Detroit on August 14th, 1997 while opening for Rocket 455 and ‘68 Comeback, this soundboard recording is overly striking in how present and fully-formed the presentation and execution of the White Stripes was so early on. Featuring a blistering cover of the Stooges’ “TV Eye” as well as radically different versions of originals like “Screwdriver” and “Lafayette Blues,” the set is a treat for ALL Stripes fans across the world.

The accompanying 7” is a recording from the White Stripes first-ever live performance, recorded on Bastille Day, (July 14th, 1997) at the Gold Dollar’s open-mic night. Also presented in crystalline soundboard quality, the renditions of “St. James Infirmary”, “Jimmy the Exploder” and “Love Potion #9” are more of the “warts-and-all” variety, but still brim with the childish charm and a heartwarming awareness of how far Jack and Meg would journey from such an unassuming start.

For our bonus item, we’ve revisited the classic White Stripes peppermint logo painted by Jack White around the time of these Gold Dollar shows. The same peppermint would be used as the basis for the first White Stripes t-shirts, as the b-side image of their “Hello Operator” picture disc, on the poster for their s/t record release show and plenty of other places. Noting how wildly popular tote bags have been with our fans, we’ve decided to finally put this iconic image on a tote bag. Perfect for bagging your own groceries, going record shopping or displaying in your White Stripes shrine, this tote is not only printed on both sides of the exterior but also features imagery on the inside.

Introducing... VAULT PACKAGE #26

Oct 5, 2015

As Third Man prepares for the unveiling of its new storefront location in the Cass Corridor in Detroit, we’ve naturally looked back to our history and roots there. Less than a mile from the new TMR location (441 West Canfield) sat an important bar called the Gold Dollar. This bar not only hosted the first two live performances by the White Stripes (both featured in Vault package #13), but quite a few more legendary early sets by the band. Through their woodshedding Detroit years, the Gold Dollar stage would be where the White Stripes would continue to make their most important progress. After the Stripes finished the tracking of their first album (also taking place just a stone’s throw from the Dollar) in January 1999, they immediately focused attention on a live performance at the Gold Dollar on Saturday February 6th, 1999. Lead singer Jack White designed and printed two striking, distinct flyers to promote the show and the local free weekly Metro Times even did a mini-preview on the band to drum up interest for the show. With good friends They Come in Threes supporting the Stripes' second-ever headlining show, the gig was notable for the first-ever live performances of songs “Astro”, “Suzy Lee” and the Robert Johnson classic “Stop Breaking Down”…all of which would be featured on their self-titled debut album released just three months later. The transitional nature of the setlist of this performance captures the band as they grapple with the impending release of their new album and the best way to showcase that material prior to its release.

As the focal point of Vault package #26, a complete recording from that evening, newly mixed from original multi-track sources, will be pressed on blood red vinyl and made available to subscribers worldwide. The White Stripes Live at the Gold Dollar Vol. III is the third release (Vault 13 comprised both volumes I and II) in an on-going series that will eventually see the release of all extant audio from the band at the Gold Dollar. There are still many unheard treasures to be revealed.

This is the first White Stripes show released from the pivotal year 1999…the year which saw the band unleash their first album, do their first extended run of touring with three shows opening for Pavement in the Southeast and found Jack White buying his soon-to-be trademark Airline guitar…all building blocks to what would eventually turn the band into the international juggernaut they became.

The White Stripes Live at the Gold Dollar Vol. III

Track list:

Broken BricksJimmy the Exploder The Big Three Killed My BabyStop Breaking Down (first live performance) (Robert Johnson)Suzy Lee (first live performance)Let’s Build a HomeSugar Never Tasted So GoodDoLittle PeopleOne More Cup of Coffee (Bob Dylan)Astro (first live performance)Dead Leaves and the Dirty GroundWasting My TimeRed Bowling Ball RuthCannon/John the Revelator/Grinnin' in Your Face (Son House)Let’s Shake Hands

In conjunction with the live album, a reproduction of one of the Jack White-designed flyers for that evening… three black-and-white peppermints, each varying in circumference and oriented on top of each other…will be included in the package as an 10.75” x 14" iron-on transfer. All Vault members will be welcome to submit photos of their use of the transfer and the member who’s submission is considered the “best” by the TMR team will win a rare, limited test pressing of the aforementioned LP.

Additionally, the other flyer from that evening (also a peppermint, this time on a field of red sparkly naugahyde) AND the setlist as written in Jack’s hand will be included as high-quality color reproductions. Fully utilizing everything in the TMR archives to round out the package finds us also printing the news clipping of the show preview and the hand-written price list from the merch table for that night. Third Man is nothing if not thorough.

Completing the Gold Dollar presentation will be two full-color, 8 x 10, glossy prints of photographs taken by the estimable Doug Coombe, featuring Jack and Meg live on stage at the tiny Cass Corridor club in 1999. These are visually arresting to say the least.

The 7” for Vault 26 is a continuation of the Dead Weather single series, pairing the moving torch song “Impossible Winner” and “Mile Markers.” When complete, every song from the Dead Weather’s critically-lauded album Dodge and Burn will appear exclusively in 7” form as a single on captivatingly colored vinyl. Are these two songs a hint as to the next possibly music video to come from this merry band of grifters…it seems only time will tell. In the meantime, enjoy Alison belt this one out complete with string section accompaniment and revel in the inherent beauty in this transcendent album-closer.

Harkening back to where this all started, the bonus item for this vault package will be an impressive 1.25” enamel pin of the new Third Man Records Cass Corridor logo. Soon to be seen on the lapels and collars of bon vivants the world over, this dazzling pin will no doubt impress even the most die-hard skeptics.

Introducing... VAULT PACKAGE #27

Jan 4, 2016

As Third Man Records Cass Corridor in Detroit continues to exceed expectations, the neighborhood and its history continues to occupy our creative mind. While Vault Package #26 showcased a wildly beautiful White Stripes performance from the Gold Dollar in 1999, there’s still so much to tell about that time, the bands kicking around and the spirit imbued into all of it.

Our 27th Vault package seeks to address that concern. Showcasing full live show recordings from three important bands of that era, each act inhabits a different world stylistically and contributes to a more-detailed overall picture.

First off is Two Star Tabernacle. While the band only released two songs (both covers) while they were together, the group was a jumping-off point for the critically-regarded band Blanche, which Dan John Miller and Tracee Mae Miller would later go on to found. With the addition of Damian Lang(Detroit Cobras) on drums and Two Star Tabernacle was quite the confluence of varied influences. Two Star is also where Jack White debuted some songs that would later become known the world over through the White Stripes. This particular set by Two Star Tabernacle, recorded at the Gold Dollar on January 16th, 1998, features spirited takes of “So Long Cruel World” and “Garbage Picker” which would find more-refined lives on Blanche’s If We Can’t Trust the Doctors… album. White’s “Hotel Yorba” and “Now Mary” renditions are twangier older siblings to how they exist on “White Blood Cells.” Of supreme interest to audio archeologists is the White-penned song “Itchy” all spirit and rockabilly rhythm that has yet to find a place in any of his subsequent musical endeavors. A splendid cover of Merle Travis’ “Sixteen Tons” help round out the set of a band, while mentioned often, is infrequently heard. The equal parts country and punk are in full effect here. Take heed.

Recorded at the Gold Dollar on November 25th, 1998, the ferocious set by the Go highlights the momentary period before the band had signed to Sub Pop and was still honing material for its Whatcha Doin album. Opening with a blistering take on their anthemic “Meet Me at the Movies” and closing with powerful version of the Sonics’ classic “Psycho”, the smell of sweat and Stroh’s permeates this recording. Aside from a radio session and an underwater audience recording, this is the only live document of how intense this line-up of the Go was. With band mainstays Bobby Harlow, John Krautner and Marc Fellis helming their usual positions, Dave Buick (Italy Records, Third Man Cass Corridor) is on bass and Jack White is on lead guitar. Included here is a live take on White’s “Turn Your Little Light Bulb On” a song penned for the Go that has remained relatively unheard in the intervening eighteen years. The Go are essential in understanding Detroit rock history and this, their first live release, cements their place in the pantheon.

Opening for Royal Trux on September 16th, 1999, Jack White and the Bricks were actually never called that name during their brief existence across a half-dozen (or so) shows. We’ve reproduced the flyer proclaiming “Jack White Band” to prove it. While Vault Package #15 showcased a live recording of the Bricks that left a lot to be desired in regards to fidelity, the multitrack masters from the Gold Dollar were available to create a truly stellar mix here. From Brendan Benson’s harmonic accents (on both vocals and guitar) to Kevin Peyok’s even-keeled bass runs, through Ben Blackwell’s competent drum work…the performance here is sublime. If you’ve ever daydreamed about hearing Jack tackle White Stripes songs with the attack of two guitars behind them…this show will delight. Divergent interpretations of Stripes’ catalog staples “Candy Cane Children” and “You’ve Got Her in Your Pocket” do not disappoint. The otherwise unreleased Jack White song “One and Two” is particularly fascinating. Rounded out with a cover of Little Richard’s “Ooh! My Soul” (which may be an inspiration for “Fell in Love With a Girl”) and what exists here is the definitive document of this outfit.

Each LP comes in it’s own custom stylized jacket and will be housed in a soft touch telescoping box highlighting the Gold Dollar building. Keep ‘em in the box or file ‘em away in your individual band sections in your record collection…whatever you want! Vinyl pressed on our non-metallic approximation of gold vinyl.

The box will be filled up with all sorts of facsimile reproductions of setlists, flyers, band ephemera and material the likes of which fans have come accustomed to expecting in the unrivaled Vault packages.

For our 7” offering in this package…we continue along the path of Dead Weather Dodge and Burn with the electrifying “Let Me Through” backed with the frightening “Be Still.” Housed in a tasty glue-pocket sleeve and pressed on the hazy mix of yellow and black vinyl, this further solidifies the idea that the Dead Weather are as equally as deadly on single as they are on LP. If you’ve got the first four of these, you can’t tap out now. Collect the whole series.

The bonus item in Vault #27 is a custom Third Man Records Challenge Coin. Usually used as totems to signify membership in a military organization, challenge coins are slowly making their way into other realms of culture. The Third Man Records 2016 Challenge Coin will entitle its bearer to 10% off any purchases in our Detroit or Nashville store fronts for the duration of this year. It will also double as a large hole 45 adaptor. If you want to wear it on a chain around your neck, hell, we won’t stop you. And if you want to “challenge” your Vault member friends to see who’s holding theirs with any empty-handed folks buying the next round of drinks…well that’s just the kind of camaraderie we hope to foster amongst our most loyal and die-hard fans. We’re hoping to make this a continuing feature of each year’s first Vault package, so get in now on the ground floor. These coins will not be made available at a later date, so if you want to be able to prove inclusion (and not be on the hook for any drinks) you absolutely need to sign up for Vault Package #27. And if you want to sign up for more than one…we won’t mind.