Although Jack White technically conceived of Third Man Records back in the early days of the White Stripes, it wasn't until 2009 that he officially launched the label with its own headquarters. Since then, he's rolled out a steady string of releases from a diverse array of musicians.
What sets Third Man apart from other buzzed-about indie labels is White's commitment to innovative vinyl. Many records have been pressed in extremely limited editions, with standard black vinyl releases complemented by special versions including tri-colour, glow-in-the-dark, and "Texas-sized" 8-inch or 13-inch wax.
Let's leave aside, for a moment, the standout musical moments in Third Man's catalogue. We've left out surprising collaborations and excellent songs in favour of the format-pushing records that really got people talking.
We're going to warn you right now — even though we've dubbed these "must-have" releases, it would be extremely expensive and most likely impossible to actually track them down. Almost all of these were pressed in extremely small numbers, meaning that almost any Third Man collection must necessarily be incomplete.
When possible, we've included videos that show exactly how the records work.
10 Must-Have Vinyl Releases from Jack White's Third Man Records:
10. Liquid-Filled "Sixteen Salteens" 12-inch
(2012)
Of all the exclusive releases to be unveiled this past Record Store Day, none fetched such high prices on eBay as White's 12-inch single for "Sixteen Salteens," which was pressed on clear vinyl and filled with blue liquid. Some copies went for as much as $3,500. This single might have featured higher on this list had the Flaming Lips not outdone it a few weeks later with a blood-filled record.
9. Karen Elson's Peach-Scented LP
(2010)
Not only was the Karen Elson's debut album, The Ghost Who Walks, pressed on peach-coloured vinyl, it was also peach-scented. We have no idea how White and his Third Man crew pulled this one off, but it reminds us an awful lot of the days when we were addicted to those scented felt pens back in kindergarten. To date, this is the only piece of vinyl we can think that makes us want to eat it.
8. Double-Grooved Auctioneer 7-Inch
(2011)
Depending on where you drop the needle on the B-side of this spoken word 7-inch from auctioneer Jerry King, you will hear one of two separate auctions. That's right — there are two separate grooves on one side of the record. This isn't the first time in vinyl history this has been done, but we still have a hard time wrapping our heads around how this is physically possible.
7. The Dead Weather's Hidden Tracks
(2010)
Thought that hidden tracks were a relic of the CD era? Think again. After White's band the Dead Weather released their sophomore album, Sea of Cowards, fans discovered secret songs on the vinyl. These tracks were pressed on the inner label, which is a truly ingenious trick that we don't recall ever witnessing before.
6. Tempest Storm's Picture Disc
(2012)
For a special Black Friday release, Third Man recruited octogenarian burlesque dancer Tempest Storm to contribute to their Green Series (which focuses on spoken word and instructional 7-inches). This unique single utilizes an optical illusion known as a zoetrope, and we'll let the label's announcement explain just how it works: "The record is a picture disc that, when coupled with some household items (flashlight, drinking glass) and not-so-household items (magical Bolt-a-Trope disc...provided!) turns into a quick keyhole peek-a-boo glimpse at the wonderful Miss Storm performing her patented tease. The effect truly needs to be seen to be believed and is in the style of one of the original 'motion picture' methods called a zoetrope." Weird! There are no videos of this one in action yet. Be forewarned that the archival video below is a little on the racy side.
5. Karen Elson's Rose Petal-Filled 7-Inch
(2011)
Just a couple of weeks before Jack White and Karen Elson announced their divorce, White pressed a couple of unreleased tracks from his then-wife on a piece of romantic vinyl. "Vicious" and "In Trouble with the Lord" appear on clear vinyl with peach-coloured rose petals inside, which seems like a very sweet way to pay tribute to your wife. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to keep them together for much longer.
4. Balloon-Bourne Flexi Disc
(2012)
To promote his solo debut, Blunderbuss, White gave away flexi disc copies of his song "Freedom at 21" by tying them to helium balloons and releasing them into the air. When they started landing, copies soon ended up on eBay, and White later claimed that one of these was the most expensive flexi disc sale ever. It's unclear whether this claim was true, but regardless, it made for for one of the label's most audacious and memorable stunts.
3. Gold and Platinum Great Gatsby records
(2013)
The Great Gasby is a story about wealth and economic classes, so it's hard to imagine a more perfect format for the film soundtrack than records made with real gold and platinum. These limited-edition precious metal discs come housed in a laser-cut wooden jacket with an aluminum spine and carry a hefty retail price tag of $250. On the bright side, even if vinyl records one day become obsolete, you'll always be able to melt these records down for the raw materials.
2. The 3 RPM Compilation
(2012)
Although not quite as flashy as, say, a liquid-filled or petal-filled record, this one-of-a-kind piece of vinyl comes in near the top of list because of its sheer impracticality. For guests who attended the label's third anniversary party, White gave away a compilation record featuring tracks from Third Man's Blue Series of singles. In order to fit so many songs on a 12-inch, the record plays at just 3 RPM. Considering that almost all modern record players run at either 33 RPM or 45 RPM, the only way to listen to it is to slow down the record manually. In other words, unless you've got exceptionally steady hands, this is pretty much impossible to listen to. Somehow, that only increases its collector's appeal. So what is the record called? The answer is obvious: The First Three Years of Blue Series Singles on One LP at 3 RPM.
1. The Triple Decker Record
(2010)
Although some of the vinyl curios on this list pre-date the Dead Weather's Triple Decker record, this is the release that took the label to the next level of innovative craziness. This bizarre piece of vinyl actually includes two records — there's a 12-inch for the single "Blue Blood Blues," and then nestled inside of that record is a 7-inch containing unreleased material. It's a bit like a sandwich, where the 12-inch is the bread and the 7-inch is the filling. To get at the 7-inch, listeners must crack open the 12-inch with a knife, effectively destroying the bigger record. This release proved that, no matter how illogical or expensive White's ideas might be, he is always willing to think outside the box and give the collectors something they are guaranteed to crave.
What sets Third Man apart from other buzzed-about indie labels is White's commitment to innovative vinyl. Many records have been pressed in extremely limited editions, with standard black vinyl releases complemented by special versions including tri-colour, glow-in-the-dark, and "Texas-sized" 8-inch or 13-inch wax.
Let's leave aside, for a moment, the standout musical moments in Third Man's catalogue. We've left out surprising collaborations and excellent songs in favour of the format-pushing records that really got people talking.
We're going to warn you right now — even though we've dubbed these "must-have" releases, it would be extremely expensive and most likely impossible to actually track them down. Almost all of these were pressed in extremely small numbers, meaning that almost any Third Man collection must necessarily be incomplete.
When possible, we've included videos that show exactly how the records work.
10 Must-Have Vinyl Releases from Jack White's Third Man Records:
10. Liquid-Filled "Sixteen Salteens" 12-inch
(2012)
Of all the exclusive releases to be unveiled this past Record Store Day, none fetched such high prices on eBay as White's 12-inch single for "Sixteen Salteens," which was pressed on clear vinyl and filled with blue liquid. Some copies went for as much as $3,500. This single might have featured higher on this list had the Flaming Lips not outdone it a few weeks later with a blood-filled record.
9. Karen Elson's Peach-Scented LP
(2010)
Not only was the Karen Elson's debut album, The Ghost Who Walks, pressed on peach-coloured vinyl, it was also peach-scented. We have no idea how White and his Third Man crew pulled this one off, but it reminds us an awful lot of the days when we were addicted to those scented felt pens back in kindergarten. To date, this is the only piece of vinyl we can think that makes us want to eat it.
8. Double-Grooved Auctioneer 7-Inch
(2011)
Depending on where you drop the needle on the B-side of this spoken word 7-inch from auctioneer Jerry King, you will hear one of two separate auctions. That's right — there are two separate grooves on one side of the record. This isn't the first time in vinyl history this has been done, but we still have a hard time wrapping our heads around how this is physically possible.
7. The Dead Weather's Hidden Tracks
(2010)
Thought that hidden tracks were a relic of the CD era? Think again. After White's band the Dead Weather released their sophomore album, Sea of Cowards, fans discovered secret songs on the vinyl. These tracks were pressed on the inner label, which is a truly ingenious trick that we don't recall ever witnessing before.
6. Tempest Storm's Picture Disc
(2012)
For a special Black Friday release, Third Man recruited octogenarian burlesque dancer Tempest Storm to contribute to their Green Series (which focuses on spoken word and instructional 7-inches). This unique single utilizes an optical illusion known as a zoetrope, and we'll let the label's announcement explain just how it works: "The record is a picture disc that, when coupled with some household items (flashlight, drinking glass) and not-so-household items (magical Bolt-a-Trope disc...provided!) turns into a quick keyhole peek-a-boo glimpse at the wonderful Miss Storm performing her patented tease. The effect truly needs to be seen to be believed and is in the style of one of the original 'motion picture' methods called a zoetrope." Weird! There are no videos of this one in action yet. Be forewarned that the archival video below is a little on the racy side.
5. Karen Elson's Rose Petal-Filled 7-Inch
(2011)
Just a couple of weeks before Jack White and Karen Elson announced their divorce, White pressed a couple of unreleased tracks from his then-wife on a piece of romantic vinyl. "Vicious" and "In Trouble with the Lord" appear on clear vinyl with peach-coloured rose petals inside, which seems like a very sweet way to pay tribute to your wife. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to keep them together for much longer.
4. Balloon-Bourne Flexi Disc
(2012)
To promote his solo debut, Blunderbuss, White gave away flexi disc copies of his song "Freedom at 21" by tying them to helium balloons and releasing them into the air. When they started landing, copies soon ended up on eBay, and White later claimed that one of these was the most expensive flexi disc sale ever. It's unclear whether this claim was true, but regardless, it made for for one of the label's most audacious and memorable stunts.
3. Gold and Platinum Great Gatsby records
(2013)
The Great Gasby is a story about wealth and economic classes, so it's hard to imagine a more perfect format for the film soundtrack than records made with real gold and platinum. These limited-edition precious metal discs come housed in a laser-cut wooden jacket with an aluminum spine and carry a hefty retail price tag of $250. On the bright side, even if vinyl records one day become obsolete, you'll always be able to melt these records down for the raw materials.
2. The 3 RPM Compilation
(2012)
Although not quite as flashy as, say, a liquid-filled or petal-filled record, this one-of-a-kind piece of vinyl comes in near the top of list because of its sheer impracticality. For guests who attended the label's third anniversary party, White gave away a compilation record featuring tracks from Third Man's Blue Series of singles. In order to fit so many songs on a 12-inch, the record plays at just 3 RPM. Considering that almost all modern record players run at either 33 RPM or 45 RPM, the only way to listen to it is to slow down the record manually. In other words, unless you've got exceptionally steady hands, this is pretty much impossible to listen to. Somehow, that only increases its collector's appeal. So what is the record called? The answer is obvious: The First Three Years of Blue Series Singles on One LP at 3 RPM.
1. The Triple Decker Record
(2010)
Although some of the vinyl curios on this list pre-date the Dead Weather's Triple Decker record, this is the release that took the label to the next level of innovative craziness. This bizarre piece of vinyl actually includes two records — there's a 12-inch for the single "Blue Blood Blues," and then nestled inside of that record is a 7-inch containing unreleased material. It's a bit like a sandwich, where the 12-inch is the bread and the 7-inch is the filling. To get at the 7-inch, listeners must crack open the 12-inch with a knife, effectively destroying the bigger record. This release proved that, no matter how illogical or expensive White's ideas might be, he is always willing to think outside the box and give the collectors something they are guaranteed to crave.
