Blue Orchid
Encyclopedia
"Blue Orchid" is the first track by the American alternative rock
band The White Stripes
from their album Get Behind Me Satan
, and the first single to be released from the album.
The recorded sound is produced by playing a guitar into an Electro-Harmonix creation, the Polyphonic Octave Generator (POG). Live, the sound is produced by a bass-rich guitar tone, used in combination with Whammy Pedal and the POG to create the heavily metallic sounding breaks of the song ("How dare you, how old are you now anyway" and "get behind me, get behind me now anyway".).
The single comes in three editions, each with different additional tracks. All three covers feature two people dressed up as The White Stripes
, but are noticeably different people. The first CD and the 7" feature the couple in the same order as Get Behind Me Satan
, with 'Jack' on the right. The second CD version features 'Jack' on the left.
In an NPR interview, Jack White
referred to "Blue Orchid" as the song that saved the album. He has denied that the song relates to the ending of his relationship with Renée Zellweger
.
The video for "Blue Orchid" was on Yahoo!'s Top Twenty Scariest Music Videos of all Time, charting at number 13. It features Karen Elson
, a model who would marry Jack White soon after the shoot. The video, which was directed by Floria Sigismondi
, ends with a horse, its hooves raised in the air, about to stomp on Elson, but just before the hooves land on her, the video quickly goes black, ending.
"Blue Orchid" has been remixed by High Contrast
on the album Fabric Live 25
. It is the first track on the second disc of the album. It features the main guitar riff accompanied by a largely drum and bass
inspired backing beat. The vocals from the song, "You took a white orchid, you took a white orchid and turned it blue" are repeated at various points throughout the track.
The song is used as the theme song for the Australian Radio Show Wil & Lehmo
on Triple M
; it is also used briefly in the trailer for the 2008 documentary It Might Get Loud
, in which Jack White features with other musical artists The Edge
and Jimmy Page
. The song can also be heard in the movie, The Green Hornet
, which is directed by Michel Gondry
who also directed many other music videos for The White Stripes.
The song is also playable in the music video game Guitar Hero 5
.
It reached #1 in Canada, for more information about charts of this song search in The White Stripes discography
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band The White Stripes
The White Stripes
The White Stripes was an American rock band, formed in 1997 in Detroit, Michigan. The group consisted of the songwriter Jack White and drummer Meg White . Jack and Meg White were previously married to each other, but are now divorced...
from their album Get Behind Me Satan
Get Behind Me Satan
Get Behind Me Satan is the fifth album by American alternative rock band The White Stripes, released on June 7, 2005 on V2 Records. Though still basic in production style, the album marked a distinct change from its guitar-heavy 2003 predecessor, Elephant...
, and the first single to be released from the album.
The recorded sound is produced by playing a guitar into an Electro-Harmonix creation, the Polyphonic Octave Generator (POG). Live, the sound is produced by a bass-rich guitar tone, used in combination with Whammy Pedal and the POG to create the heavily metallic sounding breaks of the song ("How dare you, how old are you now anyway" and "get behind me, get behind me now anyway".).
The single comes in three editions, each with different additional tracks. All three covers feature two people dressed up as The White Stripes
The White Stripes
The White Stripes was an American rock band, formed in 1997 in Detroit, Michigan. The group consisted of the songwriter Jack White and drummer Meg White . Jack and Meg White were previously married to each other, but are now divorced...
, but are noticeably different people. The first CD and the 7" feature the couple in the same order as Get Behind Me Satan
Get Behind Me Satan
Get Behind Me Satan is the fifth album by American alternative rock band The White Stripes, released on June 7, 2005 on V2 Records. Though still basic in production style, the album marked a distinct change from its guitar-heavy 2003 predecessor, Elephant...
, with 'Jack' on the right. The second CD version features 'Jack' on the left.
In an NPR interview, Jack White
Jack White (musician)
Jack White , often credited as Jack White III, is an American musician, songwriter, record producer and occasional actor...
referred to "Blue Orchid" as the song that saved the album. He has denied that the song relates to the ending of his relationship with Renée Zellweger
Renée Zellweger
Renée Kathleen Zellweger is an American actress and producer. Zellweger first gained widespread attention for her role in the film Jerry Maguire , and subsequently received two nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her roles as Bridget Jones in the comedy Bridget Jones's Diary ...
.
The video for "Blue Orchid" was on Yahoo!'s Top Twenty Scariest Music Videos of all Time, charting at number 13. It features Karen Elson
Karen Elson
Karen Elson is a British model, singer-songwriter and guitarist.As a child, Elson attended North Chadderton School in Chadderton with her twin sister, filmmaker Kate Elson. She began working as a model as a teenager....
, a model who would marry Jack White soon after the shoot. The video, which was directed by Floria Sigismondi
Floria Sigismondi
Floria Sigismondi is an Italian, naturalised Canadian, photographer and director.Apart from her art exhibitions, she is best known for writing and directing The Runaways, starring Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning...
, ends with a horse, its hooves raised in the air, about to stomp on Elson, but just before the hooves land on her, the video quickly goes black, ending.
"Blue Orchid" has been remixed by High Contrast
High Contrast
Lincoln Barrett, better known by the stage name High Contrast , is a Welsh drum and bass DJ and producer.-History:...
on the album Fabric Live 25
Fabric Live 25
FabricLive.25 is a DJ mix compilation album by High Contrast, as part of the FabricLive Mix Series.-Track listing:# Adam F - 8Ball - Breakbeat Kaos# London Elektricity - Power Ballads - Hospital Records...
. It is the first track on the second disc of the album. It features the main guitar riff accompanied by a largely drum and bass
Drum and bass
Drum and bass is a type of electronic music which emerged in the late 1980s. The genre is characterized by fast breakbeats , with heavy bass and sub-bass lines...
inspired backing beat. The vocals from the song, "You took a white orchid, you took a white orchid and turned it blue" are repeated at various points throughout the track.
The song is used as the theme song for the Australian Radio Show Wil & Lehmo
Wil & Lehmo
Wil & Lehmo was an afternoon drive time radio program broadcast nationally on Triple M and was hosted by Wil Anderson and Anthony "Lehmo" Lehmann. It began broadcasting on 2 April 2007....
on Triple M
Triple M
The Triple M Network is an active rock radio network in Australia owned by media company Austereo, who also own the Today Network.- History :...
; it is also used briefly in the trailer for the 2008 documentary It Might Get Loud
It Might Get Loud
It Might Get Loud is a documentary by filmmaker Davis Guggenheim. It explores the history of the electric guitar, focusing on the careers and styles of Jimmy Page, The Edge, and Jack White. The film received a wide release on August 14, 2009 in the U.S...
, in which Jack White features with other musical artists The Edge
The Edge
David Howell Evans , more widely known by his stage name The Edge , is a musician best known as the guitarist, backing vocalist, and keyboardist of the Irish rock band U2. A member of the group since its inception, he has recorded 12 studio albums with the band and has released one solo record...
and Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
. The song can also be heard in the movie, The Green Hornet
The Green Hornet (2011 film)
The Green Hornet is a 2011 American superhero action-comedy film based on the character of the same name that had originated in a 1930s radio program and has appeared in movie serials, a television series, comic books, and other media...
, which is directed by Michel Gondry
Michel Gondry
Michel Gondry is an Academy Award winning filmmaker, whose works include being a commercial director, music video director, and a screenwriter. He is noted for his inventive visual style and manipulation of mise en scène. - Life and career :...
who also directed many other music videos for The White Stripes.
The song is also playable in the music video game Guitar Hero 5
Guitar Hero 5
Guitar Hero 5 is a music video game and the fifth main entry in the Guitar Hero series. The game was developed by Neversoft and published by RedOctane and Activision, and released internationally in September 2009 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, 3 and Wii consoles...
.
It reached #1 in Canada, for more information about charts of this song search in The White Stripes discography
The White Stripes discography
The discography of The White Stripes, a Detroit, Michigan-based rock band, consists of six studio albums, one extended play , one video album, 26 singles and fifteen music videos....
CD Version
- "Blue Orchid"
- "Who's a Big Baby?"
- "Though I Hear You Calling, I Will Not Answer"
- "You've Got Her In Your Pocket" (live)