If there’s one certainty about Jack White, it’s that dude loves good gimmick. From the husband/wife — no, “brother and sister” — shenanigans in the early days of the White Stripes to the duo’s red and white color scheme to his 2012 solo tour where audiences didn’t know which band would be backing him each night; the all-female or the all-male one to helping a kid sell candy bars on the street. Now he’s at it again, planning on recording the “World’s Fastest Released Record,” studio-to-store, “in the history of mankind,” for Record Store Day April 19.
First thing in the morning at Third Man Records, the Nashville, Tennessee record store White founded in 2001, he’ll take the stage in the building’s blue room and record direct-to-acetate what will serve as the limited edition version of his next single, a live rendition of the title track from his upcoming LP Lazaretto. The masters will be rushed over to United Record Pressing who will immediately begin pressing 45s.
The sleeves will be printed from pictures taken at the show. The finished records will be whisked back to Third Man to sell to awaiting fans. All in the same day. All in a matter of mere hours. As long as there are fans in line waiting to buy the single, United will continue to press and deliver them to Third Man to sell.
“Even if it takes all day,” according to the press release.
Tickets for this whole day – “Ultra Tickets” – are extremely limited and will be available exclusively through The Third Man Records Vault to platinum members. The membership runs $60. Ultra Ticket holders will get to watch White live recording his world’s fastest record and receive copies of it without having to wait in line
For those who can’t score tickets, which went on sale today at 4pm EST, the record will be made available for sale from the front of Third Man Records as soon as copies are pressed. Anybody who shows up that day during business hours wanting to purchase a copy will get one. Third Man promises to deliver until all customers are satisfied. Furthering the stunt is the fact that the record will only be available at Third Man Records on Record Store Day.