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Get Behind Me Satan

For the saying of Jesus, see Get behind me, Satan. For the 1936 Irving Berlin song, see Get Thee Behind Me Satan.

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 and XL Records. It was conceived after band members Jack and Meg White faced a creative slump, and was recorded in Jack's living room between February and March 2005. Jack was responsible for the album's production in its entirety.

Get Behind Me Satan
Studio album by
the White Stripes
ReleasedJune 7, 2005 (2005-06-07)
RecordedFebruary–March 2005
Genre
Length44:07
Label
ProducerJack White
The White Stripes chronology
Elephant
(2003) 		Get Behind Me Satan
(2005) 		Icky Thump
(2007)
Singles from Get Behind Me Satan
  1. "Blue Orchid"
    Released: April 18, 2005[1]
  2. "My Doorbell"
    Released: July 11, 2005[2]
  3. "The Denial Twist"
    Released: October 31, 2005[3]

Musically, Get Behind Me Satan diverts from the band's previous studio release Elephant, featuring 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.

Background and recording

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The album was recorded in around two weeks at Jack's Indian Village home with Matthew Kettle, who had been mixing the band's live shows, as studio engineer.[4] Jack described the album as "a purging of everything", "A lot of stuff was filling up my spiritual knapsack, you know? A lot of hopelessness, a lot of ideas that weren’t coming together. It felt good to get those songs, which had been hanging around for a while, on tape and out there. To clear the air, so we could just go out and play."[5] Jack hadn't written any songs in over a year due to touring, and ended up writing 35 songs. A majority of those songs were either partially written or written during the recording sessions. Jack considered the recording sessions to be "torture" as the tape machine and microphones would malfunction and water would drip from the ceiling.[6][7]

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".[8]

Outtakes

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"Ain't No Sweeter Than Rita Blues" an instrumental track, was released as part of a Third Man Records Vault subscription in 2015.[9]

"City Lights" was written and recorded for the album, but it was left unfinished. The track was forgotten about until the masters for the album were revisited for the 2015 vinyl release of the album. The track was finished with Dominic Davis playing bass for the track and released on Jack's acoustic compilation, Acoustic Recordings 1998–2016 on September 9, 2016.[10]

Two takes of "Over and Over and Over" were recorded during the sessions, but ultimately went unreleased.[11] Jack later attempted the song with his side projects and recorded it in a collaboration with American rapper Jay-Z. The song was eventually re-recorded and released on Jack's third solo album, Boarding House Reach on March 23, 2018.[12]

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)", Get Behind Me Satan plays down the punk, garage rock and blues influences that dominated earlier White Stripes albums. Jack plays with different technique than in the past, replacing electric guitar with piano, mandolin, and acoustic guitar on all but a handful of tracks, 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." 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.[13] 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."[14]

Release

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Get Behind Me Satan was, for ten years, the only album by the White Stripes not to be commercially released in a vinyl format. The White Stripes had intended to re-record Get Behind Me Satan entirely live onto acetate in January 2006 at Joe Gubay's Studio in New Zealand and wanted that to be the official vinyl version, but the studio no longer had the recording equipment to make it possible.[15] However, copies of the album on vinyl LP were made to be given exclusively to music journalists for review. They were released by both XL Recordings and V2 Records and each label issued only 300, making the total 600. These albums have become rare and coveted collector's items.[16] For Record Store Day 2015, Third Man Records finally 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.[17]

Reception

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Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic81/100[18]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [19]
Entertainment WeeklyC+[20]
The Guardian     [21]
Los Angeles Times    [22]
NME8/10[23]
Pitchfork7.3/10[24]
Q     [25]
Rolling Stone     [26]
SpinB[27]
The Village VoiceA−[28]
Blender     [29]

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.[30] "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.[31] In 2006, the album was included in 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, edited by Robert Dimery,[32] but was removed in the 2007 edition. "Instinct Blues" was featured in Michel Gondry's 2006 film The Science of Sleep. 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.

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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[citation needed]. 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]

Track listing

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Get Behind Me Satan features alternate track sequencing on its vinyl release.[33]

CD track listing

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All tracks are written by Jack White

No.TitleLength
1."Blue Orchid"2:37
2."The Nurse"3:47
3."My Doorbell"4:01
4."Forever for Her (Is Over for Me)"3:15
5."Little Ghost"2:18
6."The Denial Twist"2:35
7."White Moon"4:01
8."Instinct Blues"4:16
9."Passive Manipulation"0:35
10."Take, Take, Take"4:22
11."As Ugly as I Seem"4:10
12."Red Rain"3:52
13."I'm Lonely (But I Ain't That Lonely Yet)"4:19
Total length:44:07
Japanese edition bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
14."Who's a Big Baby?"3:21
15."Though I Hear You Calling, I Will Not Answer"3:25

Vinyl track listing

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Side A
No.TitleLength
1."Blue Orchid"2:40
2."The Nurse"3:54
3."My Doorbell"4:05
Side B
No.TitleLength
1."Forever for Her (Is Over for Me)"3:20
2."As Ugly As I Seem"4:13
3."The Denial Twist"2:37
4."White Moon"4:02
Side C
No.TitleLength
1."Instinct Blues"4:25
2."Passive Manipulation"0:39
3."Take, Take, Take"4:24
Side D
No.TitleLength
1."Little Ghost"2:23
2."Red Rain"3:53
3."I'm Lonely (But I Ain't That Lonely Yet)"4:22

Personnel

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Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.[34]

The White Stripes

Additional personnel

  • Eddie Gillis – tambourine and shakers (track 5)
  • Howie Weinberg – mastering
  • Roger Lian – sequencing
  • John Hampton – mixing
  • Adam Hill – assistant engineer
  • Matthew Kettle – recording

Artwork

  • Arthole – layout
  • "The Third Man" – design
  • Ewen Spencer – photography
  • Nick Pavey – photo assistant

Charts

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Certifications and sales

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[59] Platinum 70,000^
Belgium (BEA)[60] Gold 25,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[61] Platinum 100,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[62] Platinum 15,000^
Poland — 20,000[63]
United Kingdom (BPI)[64] Platinum 300,000^
United States (RIAA)[66] Gold 920,000[65]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ "Going for Adds". Radio & Records. No. 1602. April 15, 2005. p. 27.
  2. ^ "Going for Adds". Radio & Records. No. 1614. July 8, 2005. p. 20.
  3. ^ "The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 31st October 2005" (PDF). ARIA. October 31, 2005. p. 28. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 19, 2005. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
  4. ^ Gross, Terry (June 9, 2005). "A White-Striped Trip: 'Get Behind Me Satan'". NPR. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  5. ^ Chick, Stevie (August 2005). "The White Stripes in Brazil, 2005". MOJO. MOJO.
  6. ^ "Morning Become Eclectic: The White Stripes". KCRW. August 17, 2006. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
  7. ^ Hilburn, Robert (June 5, 2005). "Little White Truths". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  8. ^ "King James Version: Matthew Chapter 16". verse 23. Retrieved September 24, 2011.
  9. ^ "Introducing... VAULT PACKAGE #23". Third Man Records. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  10. ^ Acoustic Recordings 1998–2016 (Liner notes, CD booklet). Jack White. 2016. 88985365442.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. ^ "TheWhiteStripes C tapelabel". Columbia Records. Archived from the original on January 4, 2024. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
  12. ^ Doyle, Patrick (January 26, 2018). "Jack White on Genre-Blending New LP, Lost White Stripes Song, Touring". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 27, 2018.
  13. ^ Fricke, David (August 25, 2005). "White on White". Rolling Stone Magazine. Archived from the original on February 20, 2008. Retrieved June 20, 2008.
  14. ^ Fricke, David (September 8, 2005). "The Mysterious Case of the White Stripes: Jack White Comes Clean". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
  15. ^ DeVito, Lee. "The White Stripes' 'Get Behind Me Satan' finally gets vinyl release". Detroit Metro Times. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
  16. ^ "The White Stripes / Get Behind Me Satan Promo Vinyl". stevehoffman.tv. crimpies 03-10-2009, 11:07 PM. Retrieved September 24, 2011.
  17. ^ "THIRD MAN RECORDS PRESENTS FIRST COMMERCIAL VINYL RELEASE OF PIVOTAL WHITE STRIPES ALBUM FOR RECORD STORE DAY 2015". thirdmanrecords.com. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
  18. ^ "Reviews for Get Behind Me Satan by The White Stripes". Metacritic. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  19. ^ Phares, Heather. "Get Behind Me Satan – The White Stripes". AllMusic. Retrieved September 24, 2011.
  20. ^ Browne, David (June 6, 2005). "Get Behind Me Satan". Entertainment Weekly. No. 824. ISSN 1049-0434. Archived from the original on March 29, 2019. Retrieved September 24, 2011.
  21. ^ Petridis, Alexis (June 3, 2005). "The White Stripes, Get Behind Me Satan". The Guardian. London. ISSN 0261-3077. OCLC 60623878. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  22. ^ Hilburn, Robert (June 5, 2005). "Their fifth album proves they've earned their stripes". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  23. ^ Needham, Alex (May 25, 2005). "The White Stripes : Get Behind Me Satan". NME. ISSN 0028-6362. Archived from the original on October 11, 2012. Retrieved September 24, 2011.
  24. ^ Murphy, Matthew (June 5, 2005). "The White Stripes: Get Behind Me Satan". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 24, 2011.
  25. ^ "The White Stripes: Get Behind Me Satan". Q (228): 108. July 2005. ISSN 0955-4955.
  26. ^ Sheffield, Rob (June 16, 2005). "Get Behind Me Satan". Rolling Stone. ISSN 0035-791X. Retrieved September 24, 2011.
  27. ^ Klosterman, Chuck (June 2005). "The White Stripes: Get Behind Me Satan". Spin. 21 (6): 101. ISSN 0886-3032. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  28. ^ Christgau, Robert (July 12, 2005). "Laptop for Desktoppers". The Village Voice. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  29. ^ "Critic Reviews for Get Behind Me Satan - Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  30. ^ Center, Marc (June 13, 2009). "Weather Report" (PDF). Billboard. p. 22. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 22, 2021. Retrieved May 19, 2020 – via American Radio History.
  31. ^ "Top 50 Records of 2005". Rollingstone.com. Archived from the original on December 14, 2006.
  32. ^ Robert Dimery; Michael Lydon (February 7, 2006). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition. Universe. ISBN 0-7893-1371-5.
  33. ^ "Third Man Records Presents First Commercial Vinyl Release of Pivotal White Stripes Album for Record Store Day 2015". Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  34. ^ Get Behind Me Satan (Liner notes, CD booklet). The White Stripes. 2005. 63881-27256-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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  55. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 2005". Ultratop. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
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  60. ^ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – albums 2007". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
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  62. ^ "New Zealand album certifications – The White Stripes – Get Behind Me Satan". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  63. ^ Wiadomości (January 25, 2006). "SPRZEDAŻ PŁYT W 2005 R.: ROK ŻABY" (in Polish). Interia. Archived from the original on March 24, 2021. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  64. ^ "British album certifications – The White Stripes – Get Behind Me Satan". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  65. ^ Center, Marc (June 13, 2009). "Weather Report" (PDF). Billboard. p. 22. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 22, 2021. Retrieved May 22, 2022 – via American Radio History.
  66. ^ "American album certifications – The White Stripes – Get Behind Me Satan". Recording Industry Association of America.
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