Icky Thump

Icky Thump (derived from "Ecky-Thump", a Yorkshire colloquialism ) is the announced title of the sixth studio album by The White Stripes. Its completion was announced February 28, 2007, with a release date of June 15 in Germany, June 18 for the rest of Europe, and June 19 for the rest of the world.

The album was leaked to the internet in retail form on June 6, 2007, almost two weeks ahead of scheduled release date.

Track listing

 * 1) "Icky Thump" – 4:14
 * 2) "You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do as You're Told)" – 3:54
 * 3) "300 MPH Torrential Outpour Blues" – 5:28
 * 4) "Conquest" – 2:48
 * 5) "Bone Broke" – 3:14
 * 6) "Prickly Thorn, But Sweetly Worn" – 3:05
 * 7) "St. Andrew (This Battle Is in the Air)" – 1:49
 * 8) "Little Cream Soda" – 3:45
 * 9) "Rag and Bone" – 3:48
 * 10) "I'm Slowly Turning into You" – 4:34
 * 11) "A Martyr for My Love for You" – 4:19
 * 12) "Catch Hell Blues" – 4:18
 * 13) "Effect and Cause" – 3:00

Album information
The White Stripes official web site has announced that Icky Thump will be the sixth studio album by The White Stripes. Its completion was announced on February 28, 2007. The band's website announced that the album was recorded at Nashville's Blackbird Studio and took almost three weeks to record — the longest of any White Stripes album to date.

A statement on the band's official website (spuriously attributed to "Kitayna Ireyna Tatanya Kerenska Alisof" of the "Moscow Bugle", a reference to the 1966 Batman film) claims that:

The White Stripes have completed the recording and mixing of their sixth album. It is entitled Icky Thump, and is their first album to include a title track, which curiously (and not ironically) has the same words in it's [sic] name. Though some residents of northern England might almost recognize the title, the Stripes stress they are spelling it wrong intentionally just for "kicks" and "metaphors", and to avoid a possible lawsuit from the estate of Billy Eckstine.

A video of The Stripes in the studio working on the album can also be found at their site, although the aforementioned statement has this to say about the song: "The actual music has been replaced with mid eighties sampling keyboard technology to prevent what industry analysts are now calling 'song poaching'."

Jack White stated that the album will appeal to fans of the band's self-titled debut, perhaps suggesting a stripped-down hard rock sound. A trumpet/guitar duel will take place in "Conquest".

The first track ("Icky Thump") has been released for online purchase.

Entertainment Weekly's online site had an interview with Michel Gondry (who directed the videos for The Denial Twist, Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground, The Hardest Button to Button, and Fell in Love with a Girl) in which he said he would be directing a video for I'm Slowly Turning Into You. He mentions the idea for the video. Gondry also says that the video idea came first, and after mentioning the idea to Jack White, White wrote the song to fit that idea. The White Stripes have been known for their ability to keep their albums under wrap very near to release, unlike several bands who leak tracks several weeks before release dates. However, several tracks from the album have been leaked, and as of May 30, 2007, a radio rip of the whole album has leaked due to a radio station called Q101 in Chicago playing it on air with neither the band's nor their label's permission. Jack White called into the station and reacted angrily about them playing it.

A second single, Rag and Bone, has also been released for online purchase.

North American tour
NME.com initially published incorrect dates for the North American tour schedule. The band issued a statement suggesting that "their journalists simply found and printed the tour routing the band did in support of their 2005 release, Get Behind Me Satan and indicated that at the time of posting (March 19, 2007), the North American tour dates had not been confirmed.

The inaugural concert of the Icky Thump tour was held on May 18, 2007 at the Cannery Ballroom in Nashville, Tennessee.

Single releases
The White Stripes plan on releasing multiple singles for the first track off of the album, "Icky Thump", as well as a 7" single for another track off of the album, "Rag and Bone". This single was given away for free with the June 6, 2007 issue of NME, and comes in a gatefold sleeve with artwork designed by Rob Jones. The single is printed on red wax and the beside features an etching of Meg White's face.


 * "Icky Thump" – iTunes release (USA only): May 1, 2007
 * "Rag and Bone" – 45 NME release: June 6, 2007
 * "Icky Thump" – limited white vinyl 45 release (to accompany the "Rag and Bone" single): June 11, 2007
 * "Icky Thump" – 45 release (b/w "Baby Brother"): June 11, 2007
 * "Icky Thump" – CD single release (b/w "Catch Hell Blues"): June 11, 2007

Both the title track and "Rag and Bone" are available for purchase on iTunes.