The White Stripes - I've Been Loving You Too Long

Yesterday was a good day. The latest installment (#8) in Third Man Records' Vault subscription arrived and one of the highlights was The White Stripes' cover of the Otis Redding classic, I've Been Loving You Too Long. For those of you not familiar with the vault, it is a chance to get some extremely limited items from the entire Third Man Records roster. Previous installments have included live albums from The Dead Weather, The Raconteurs and of course, The White Stripes. Occasionally, you may get a shirt or poster. But, the real gems are the 7" records that these guys dig deep for and painstakingly produce for members only. Installment #7 came with a tri-color reproduction of the out of print single, Party of Special Things to Do. It's gorgeous.

I wish I had joined sooner, as I have already missed out on a "Hello Operator" picture disc and a companion piece to "Under Great White Northern Lights". Buyer beware, this is not a cheap membership. Members will pay $60, four times a year, to receive quarterly installments that are announced with enough notice to allow you to join or cancel your membership. Other perks include a dedicated site with videos and occasional live shows. Plus, special offers on merchandise and presales for upcoming concerts. Information is posted for #9, which seems to be heavy on the timeless, Wanda Jackson.

This most recent installment contained 3 separate White Stripes items: A dvd recorded in 2000 just after the release of De Stijl, a double LP of the White Stripes final show and a 7" from 1997, only 2 months after the band was formed! I immediately gravitated to the 7" because I love Otis Redding and hearing Jack & Meg play this was worth every penny. On the a-side is another cover of "Signed DC", originally recorded by the band Love. The live dvd titled "Under Moorhead Lights All Fargo Night" is a very rough and grainy view of the band before true popularity caught them. Playing at Ralph's Corner Bar with a hoarse throat, the band looks so innocent. The part when Jack introduces Meg as his "little sister" to a crowd of 20 people made me laugh. It was still so new and honest. The double LP simply titled "Live in Mississippi" is an absolute treasure. Recorded July 31st, 2007, it is the last show they ever played and they just crush it. All six of their releases are represented, as well as a couple of Robert Johnson covers and a Son House's "Death Letter". Listening to the show, you just shake your head in disbelief that they will never play again after displaying so much talent.