Jack White returned to Saturday Night Live for the fourth time and performed blistering renditions of “Ball and Biscuit” and “Lazaretto” on the Bill Burr-hosted episode.
The power trio comprised of White (vocals & guitar), Dominic Davis (bass), and Daru Jones (drums), began the night with the infectious riff of “Don’t Hurt Yourself” (White’s collaboration with Beyoncé) before transitioning into “Ball and Biscuit” from The White Stripes’ fourth album, Elephant, which also featured a nod to Blind Willie Johnson’s “Jesus Is Coming Soon.” “Ball and Biscuit’s'” SNL performance heralds the December 4, 2020 arrival of The White Stripes Greatest Hits on Third Man Records/Columbia Records. The GRAMMY-winning “Lazaretto” (the title track of White’s acclaimed sophomore solo album) followed as the second performance of the evening.
The first-ever official anthology of recordings from The White Stripes is an essential career-spanning collection highlighting 26 previously released songs – from late Nineties flashes of brilliance through early 2000s underground anthems, masterful MTV Moon Man moments, Grammy-grabbing greatness, and worldwide stadium chants…the songs here are as wide-ranging as you can imagine. The album is available for pre-order on CD, 2xLP 150-gram black vinyl, and digitally (streaming & download) HERE. A deluxe limited edition and ONLY colored vinyl variant of The White Stripes Greatest Hits is also available as part of Third Man Records’ Vault Package #46. Not leaving out a crucial component to the story of The White Stripes and Third Man Records, information about added value items for release week album purchases at independent record stores will be announced at a later date.
Earlier in the month, The White Stripes dug into their archives and shared a never-before-seen live performance video of “Ball and Biscuit” from their October 22nd, 2003 Shibuya-AX show in Tokyo, Japan – WATCH HERE. In true White Stripes fashion it’s the only song they confirmed will have a place on the greatest hits collection, keeping the rest a mystery to be unveiled at a later date.
For the most dedicated of supporters, Third Man Records is releasing an expanded collection with an added bonus third LP of largely overlooked, previously scattered b-sides for Vault Package #46. For the Vault version, the first two 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 third 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 The White Stripes collaborator Rob Jones (completely different from the standard version). The package also comes with three Rob Jones silk-screen prints and a White Stripes-themed set of magnetic poetry. For more information on Vault Package #46 & to sign up before the October 31st midnight CT deadline, head HERE.
