Third Man Records, in conjunction with Sub Pop, is proud to present the 20th Anniversary remix of Whatcha Doin’ an album from The Go a Detroit band fresh on the scene in 1999. Jack White was lead guitarist for The Go back in the day. He has been working directly from the original reel-to-reel tapes in his Third Man Studio in Nashville, TN with skilled engineer Bill Skibbe (The Kills, Franz Ferdinand, Black Keys) and bandmate Dave Buick.
The Go is led by Bobby Harlow (lead vocals), John Krautner (rhythm guitar) and Marc Fellis (drums) and Dave Buick (bass) and Jack White (lead guitar). The album was produced and mixed by Matthew Smith, the sounds captured in the studio were an impressionist distillation of the band’s songwriting prowess. Recorded in the band’s rehearsal space of the third floor attic of White’s Southwest Detroit home, the Ferdinand Attic Demos are a raw, unfiltered view of the band performing in a fresh space before stepping into the confines of a traditional studio. Pressed on “Mottled Carpet Remnant” colored vinyl (in celebration of the flooring in said attic) at Third Man Pressing in Detroit.
The Go was captured by two of the best photographers in all of Detroit during their 1999 heyday. Unearthed for this anniversary, Patrick Pantano’s striking black-and-white live photos of the band in the studio during the recording of Whatcha Doin are featured. Doug Coombe’s arresting, stark shots of the band were featured on the cover of their Live at the Gold Dollar LP. The photos have been pulled from his archive and compiled together for the softcover photo book collection of The Go in Black and White.
Jack White who resides in Nashville is now working with various artists and projects. He enjoys working with label, Third Man Records and the work ethic of recording with a time constraint versus having all the time in the world. As an artist, he values the space where ‘constructing and helping something come alive’ feels very good for him. He feels the Blues, hillbilly music and the feeling of making music in Tennessee really comes alive. White recently received an honorary doctorate from Wayne State University, becoming “an honorary doctor of humane letters degree for his dedication to Detroit and significant contributions to the arts as one of the most prolific and renowned artists of the past two decades.”
According to the Vault #41 website, these new mixes of Whatcha Doin breathe a fresh, powerful life into the already-strong songs. While the original album release utilized takes of the tracks “Meet Me at the Movies” and “You Can Get High” that were early, quasi-demos laid down at White’s Detroit home, this reissues dusts off the previously unheard studio versions of those tunes, of which White describes “…Movies” as “up until that point, my favorite guitar solo I had ever recorded.”
The Go – Whatcha Doin’ remix LP
TMR-643
1. Meet Me at the Movies (previously unreleased studio take)
2. Summer Sun Blues
3. Keep on Trash
4. Whatcha Doin’
5. But You Don’t Know
6. Suzy Don’t Leave
7. It Might Be Bad
8. Tired of the Night
9. You Can Get High (previously unreleased studio take)
10. On the Corner
11. Hesitation
12. Time For Moon
The Go – Ferdinand Attic Demos LP (all tracks previously unreleased)
TMR-644
1. Meet Me at the Movies
2. But You Don’t Know
3. Summer Sun Blues
4. Whatcha Doin’
5. On the Corner
6. Suzy Don’t Leave
7. Hesitation (partial)
8. You Can Get High
9. It Might Be Bad
10. Tired of the Night
11. Keep on Trash
12. Time For Moon
13. Time For Moon (songwriting demo)
The Go – Studio Outtakes 7” single (both versions previously unreleased)
TMR-645
1. Keep On Trash
2. Time For Moon
Photo Credit: Raymond Flotat
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