The Raconteurs

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Revision as of 00:41, 21 March 2009

The Raconteurs (also known as The Saboteurs in Australia) is an American rock group, formed in 2005.

Though the band qualifies as a supergroup and a side project for each one of the members, the band implies that they are not a supergroup, and are basically just "a new band made up of old friends".

Members

• Jack White (of The White Stripes) - Guitars, Vocals, Keyboards, Piano, Organ, Synthesizers, Stylophone, and Other Toys.
• Brendan Benson (solo artist) - Guitars, Vocals, Piano, Keyboards, Synthesizers, and Other Toys.
• Jack Lawrence (of Blanche and The Greenhornes) - Bass Guitars, Backing Vocals, and Occasional Banjo.
• Patrick Keeler (of The Greenhornes) - Drums and Percussion.

Touring members

• Dean Fertita - Keyboards, Guitars, and Percussion. (2006)
• Mark Watrous - Violins, Fiddles, Keyboards, Percussion, and Vocals. (2008)

Biography/History

According to the band's official website, "The seed was sown in an attic in the middle of a hot summer when friends Jack White and Brendan Benson got together and wrote a song that truly inspired them. This song was "Steady, As She Goes" and the inspiration led to the creation of a full band with the addition of Lawrence and Keeler."

The four-piece came together in 2005 and recorded in their spare time for the remainder of the year.

On January 30, 2006, the band released "Steady As She Goes/Store Bought Bones" as a limited-edition 7-inch, 45 rpm vinyl record in Europe, and in North America on March 7, 2006. A CD version of "Steady, as She Goes" was released on April 24, 2006, with the B-side "Bane Rendition."

The video for "Steady As She Goes", directed by Jim Jarmusch, premiered on MTV2 on March 10, 2006, and it was also available on their website. An alternate second video for the song premiered exclusively on Yahoo! Music June 19, 2006, which featured Paul Reubens as a pit boss who would do anything to ensure a win for his racer, Jack Lawrence.

The Raconteurs' full length debut album, Broken Boy Soldiers, was released in the UK on May 15, 2006 and the US on May 16, 2006. It entered the UK charts at #2 and the US charts at #7. The album was released on Third Man Recordings/XL Recordings in the UK, and Third Man Recordings/V2 Records in the US. The album was recorded in Brendan Benson's attic located in Detroit, Michigan.

The Raconteurs released their second album, Consolers of the Lonely, on March 25, 2008. The first single, "Salute Your Solution", was released the same day. The album was announced only a week before its release date, purposely leaving no time for critics to review it before it was available for purchase.

The Raconteurs played their first Montreux Jazz Festival on the 7th of July, 2008. The set opened with 'Consoler of the Lonely' and closed with an intense 10+ minute rendition of 'Blue Veins'. They played four encore songs: 'Many Shades of Black', 'Broken Boy Soldier', 'Salute Your Solution' and 'Carolina Drama'. Claude Nobbs (the founder of the Festival) came out at the end and took a bow with them after saying "The Raconteurs: please come back."

Discography

Albums

• Broken Boy Soldiers (2006)
• Consolers of the Lonely (2008)

Singles

• "Steady, As She Goes"
• "Hands"

Equipment

Jack White

• Gretsch Jet Firebird Double-Cut Electic (two pick-up model)
• Gretsch copper "Triple Jet"
• Gretsch Duo Jet
• Gretsch Anniversary Jr. (modified to be a double cutaway) ("Triple Green Machine")
• Gretsch Anniversary Jr. (Jack used one on the BBS tour)
• Airline Electric (same as Supro/National Val Trol)
• Gibson J16OE Acoustic
• Gretsch Rancher acoustic
• Gibson L-1 acoustic (studio only)
• Unknown Telecaster (new, 2008)
• Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi
• BOSS TU-2
• Electro-Harmonix POG (and Micro-POG)
• Digitech Whammy Pedal
• Z.Vex Fuzz Factory
• Fender Twin Reissues

Brendan Benson

• Guild Electric (Possibly Guild Aristocrat)
• Gibson Flying V with Vibrola
• Gibson Hummingbird Acoustic
• Unknown Supro amp (possibly Supro 16T)
• Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi
• BOSS TU-2
• E-bow
• P-90 pickups
• Marshall JTM 45 limited edition reissue amp (4x12 cabinet, all tube head)

Jack Lawrence

• Epiphone Rivoli Electric Bass
• Ampeg V-4BH Head
• Ampeg SVT-610HLF cabinet.
• BOSS TU-2

Patrick Keeler

• Ludwig drums in Gold Sparkle finish (2006)
  • 13" tom
  • 28" bass drum
  • 18x14" bass drum
  • Ludwig Black Beauty snare drum
• Ludwig Stainless Steel Reissue Drum Kit (2008)
  • 26x14" bass drum
  • 9x13" rack tom
  • 16x16" and 16x18" floor toms
  • Ludwig Black Beauty 6.5x14 reissue snare w/tube lugs
  • Ludwig 6.5x14 Supra-Phonic reissue snare
• Paiste Giant Beat Cymbals
  • 15" hi-hats
  • 18" crash
  • 24" ride
  • 20" crash
• DW hardware
  • DW 5000 series stands (at least in 2006)
• Ludwig standard kick drum pedal (not a Speed King)
• Remo heads (either Ambassadors or Emperors on all drums)
• Vater Studio sticks/stick holders

Dean Fertita

• Fender Rhodes electric piano
• Korg electric piano/organ
• Unknown synthesizer
• Airline guitar (same as Supro/National Val Trol; same as Jack White's with slightly different headstock design)
• Gibson Hummingbird acoustic
• Fender Deluxe Reverb
• E-bow
• Clavinet (on Consolers Of The Lonely album)

Mark Watrous

• Wurlitzer electric piano

Facts

• The Raconteurs were forced to rename themselves as "The Saboteurs" for the Australian market when it was discovered that a Queensland band was already using the name "Raconteurs". The Queensland band refused to give up their name for the amount they were offered, and instead tried to extract a higher price from the Raconteurs' record company. A member of the Queensland band has said that they hadn't been informed of who was trying to buy their name and asked for the larger sum of money to see what would happen.

External Links

• TheRaconteurs.com, Official website (Flash required)
• "BrokenBoySoldiers.net", Raconteurs tablatures and lyrics