Maps of Music

Under Great White Northern Lights (2010)

Where the lyrics of Under Great White Northern Lights take you, and where it was really made.

The album takes its name from the film, yet it was built from tracks taken from different shows rather than from a single night.

Place unknown

Do you know where this album was recorded, or where its cover was shot? Tell us and we will add it to the map.

Under Great White Northern Lights is the White Stripes' first live album
It accompanies the 2009 documentary film of the same name, directed by Emmett Malloy
The album covers the band's summer 2007 tour across Canada in support of Icky Thump
Released on March 16, 2010 by Third Man Records in the US and Canada, and by XL Recordings internationally
Available as a CD and as a 180-gram vinyl LP
A limited edition box set containing the film was released the same day
The box set includes the documentary, the 16-track live CD, the same 16 tracks on 180-gram vinyl, and a 208-page hardcover book of tour photographs

The band performed in every province and territory of Canada during the tour
Jack White conceived the idea of touring Canada after learning that his father's Scottish relatives had lived in Nova Scotia before moving to Detroit
The band had not originally planned to film the tour, and decided to do so shortly before leaving on the manager's suggestion
The album features songs recorded by the band during the tour
Third Man Records distributed the album in CD and vinyl formats

1	Let's Shake Hands	3:12
2	Black Math	3:06
3	Little Ghost	2:23
4	Blue Orchid	2:55
5	The Union Forever	4:26
6	Ball and Biscuit	3:08
7	Icky Thump	4:13
8	I'm Slowly Turning Into You	5:33
9	Jolene	3:55
10	300 M.P.H. Torrential Outpour Blues	4:52
11	We Are Going to Be Friends	2:24
12	I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself	3:11
13	Prickly Thorn, but Sweetly Worn	3:23
14	Fell in Love With a Girl	2:26
15	When I Hear My Name	2:40
16	Seven Nation Army	7:30

The White Stripes was an American rock duo formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1997.
The group consisted of Jack White (guitar, keyboards, piano, vocals) and Meg White (drums, percussion, vocals).
The duo began as part of the Michigan underground garage rock scene.
Their debut single "Let's Shake Hands" was released on vinyl in February 1998.
In 1999 they signed with Sympathy for the Record Industry and released their self-titled debut album.

White Blood Cells (2001) brought the band commercial success and placed it at the forefront of the garage rock movement.
Elephant (2003) won the band its first Grammy Awards and produced the signature song "Seven Nation Army".
Get Behind Me Satan (2005) experimented with piano and marimba.
Icky Thump (2007), the sixth and final album, returned to blues and punk influences.
The band went on hiatus in 2007 and officially ceased recording and performing in February 2011.
The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2025.

Metacritic gives the album 78 out of 100 based on 16 critics, indicating generally favorable reviews
Entertainment Weekly gives the live release an A, saying it highlights both sides of the band's carefully controlled public persona
Slant Magazine gives the album 3.5 out of five stars
Pitchfork's Ryan Dombal says the box set reinforces the band's mythology and displays the power of their live show
NME's Martin Robinson says the album is built from tracks from different shows, so it does not show off the improvised nature of their setlist-free shows
AllMusic's Heather Phares says the album is satisfying enough to be a must for most fans
PopMatters' Anthony Lombardi calls the album impressive as a stand-alone release
Drowned in Sound's Andrzej Lukowski says it is not particularly revelatory

The box set won the Grammy for Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards
Distributed by Third Man Records and Warner Bros. Records in the US and Canada, and by XL Recordings internationally
Released as both a CD and a 180-gram vinyl LP

A week before release, the album was made available for an exclusive listen on the National Public Radio website.
The box set includes a live 7-inch single, a 208-page hardcover photo book, and one of six possible silkscreen prints.
The box set's DVD, titled Under Nova Scotian Lights, shows the band's 10th anniversary show in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia.
The 7-inch single pairs a live Icky Thump with a live version of The Wheels on the Bus recorded in Winnipeg on July 2, 2007.
Discogs credits the album as mixed at Blackbird Studio.