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November 14, 2007

Jack White Fights A Bull, White Stripes Make B-Sides With Beck

Jack acted the gringo and Meg the one-eyed Mexican prostitute in the video for "Icky Thump" and continuing with that general vibe, he goes Hemmingway on us, playing a bullfighter in the new video for "Conquest." No word on what Meg's doing this time, or if Karen Elson shows up to cheer on her mariachi-marching hubbie, but glad to see the Cold Mountain/Coffee and Cigarettes grad is taking this acting thing seriously. Dominate the bull, Jack, dominate. Via the White Stripes Newsletter:

The White Stripes have been busy making a video for "Conquest", their third single. Directed by prolific music videographer Diane Martel, the video was shot over two days in Artesia, California. Filmed with a visual urgency that brings the song's Spanish themes, frantic horns and compulsive pounding rhythm to life, the video follows an explosive - if unconventional - love story that pits man against bull in the ultimate conquest. To make his performance as authentic as possible, Jack White trained extensively with famed bullfighter Dennis Borba. The video will premiere on MTV on November 26th and will be available on iTunes from November 27th.

"Conquest" will also be released as a single; stunningly packaged and featuring three exclusive new tracks across three 7" vinyl formats - one black, one white and one red colored vinyl. Jack and Meg recently recorded the new tracks with Beck, who co-produced all three tracks during a recording session in his living room and also contributed vocals and piano to "It's My Fault For Being Famous" and slide guitar on "Honey, We Can't Afford To Look This Cheap".

Inspired by the "Conquest" video, each single will also include a Mondo Toro trading card featuring the legendary, near-mythical matadors El Sloth, El Bianca Rosa and El Perdador. Despite being from early 1900's Spain and Portugal, these bullfighters look strangely familiar. US copies of these singles will also include a different poster with each release.

In this age of downloads, we don't get to be collector geeks very often, so please indulge the full colored vinyl-specific deets after the jump and this pic of Jack being all cowboy-like for "Icky Thump."

7" One (Black vinyl)
A: Conquest
B: It's My Fault For Being Famous

7" Two (White vinyl)
A: Conquest
B: Honey, We Can't Afford To Look This Cheap

7" Three (Red vinyl)
A: Conquest (Acoustic Mariachi Version)
B: Cash Grab Complications On The Matter

Digital Maxi Single (US only)
1. Conquest
2. It's My Fault For Being Famous
3. Cash Grab Complications On The Matter
4. Honey, We Can't Afford To Look This Cheap
5. Conquest (Acoustic Mariachi Version)

It's all available on 12/18 in the US of A on Warner Brothers. Toro! Toro! Ole!, etc.

Posted at 9:32 AM
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5 Comments

Jack White playing a bullfighter... finally that toreador outfit he likes to wear makes sense. As for the Beck produced B-Sides, I just hope they come out better than Go It Alone.

Posted by: Mitchell at 11/14/07 11:55 AM | Reply
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Jack White is so annoying it makes me want to cry.

Posted by: thelonious at 11/14/07 6:42 PM | Reply
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"Jack White is so annoying it makes me want to cry"

I guess thats why you love to click on any news pertaining to him

Posted by: tom at 11/14/07 8:41 PM | Reply
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Jack White never ceases to amaze me. Just when I think he can't possibly do anything more brilliant than he has done in the past, he finds new and totally unpredictable ways of blowing my mind. Here's yet another thing: who would ever have thought of turning the song Conquest into a bullfight video?? Not obvious at all, there are no bovine ruminants to be found grazing anywhere amongst the lyrics. And yet, and yet - the moment I heard the idea, I realized that it's utterly perfect for the song. It makes absolute sense, in that inimitably quirky, off-kilter way that only Jack White can pull off.

Whatever strange brainwaves emanate from that man's head, they have already raised visions of Pamplona, stampeding through my head with trumpets blaring. Providing that he does not actually kill a bull, there is no way that this video won't be seven ways of wondrous. Whether Jack conquers the bull (muy macho!), or whether he lets the bull turn the tables on the matador for once (muy agradable!), or whether both man and bull decide to bury the hatchet and be compadres instead. Totally genius.

And I'm thrilled to hear that Conquest is the next single; it's my very favorite song on an album packed with great songs. Of course, all of these aesthetic considerations are completely independent of my mad longing desire to see Jack White back in a matador suit again. (Muy guapo!)

I'm also wondering if Meg will turn up in the video; I could see that going either way. It might just be a one-on-one man-to-bull kinda thing; or it might benefit from the contrast of a feminine presence too.

Posted by: Dee at 11/15/07 1:00 PM | Reply
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what the hell is wrong with go it alone?

Posted by: steven at 11/15/07 11:42 PM | Reply
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