Close To The Edge

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In December 1999 Dan Miller (Blanche, Two-Star Tabernacle) called Jack White saying he was working on a video shoot that needed a "rock band" and that if Jack wanted to round up a couple of friends they could make some quick, easy money. He also asked if Jack could be a production assistant on the shoot between takes.

The clip was used as a promotion for Infinity speakers and shown exclusively at the North American International Auto Show in January 2000. Featuring Jack White (guitar), Marc Fellis (drums), Kevin Peyok (bass) and Dave Buick (vocals). The only other known "public" showing was on the TV behind the bar at the Garden Bowl Lounge in Detroit. Hilarity ensued.

Brendan Benson was originally supposed to be one of the band members but ended up deciding against it. Dave Buick is wearing the jacket that Mick Collins wore for most of his time in the Gories. Kevin Peyok is playing a red Hagstrom bass that Jack White used to record his parts on the Hentchmen's "Hentch-Forth" album.

Kevin Carrico was hired on as Director of Photography (He was also DP on Hotel Yorba, Black Belles, etc...). He met Jack White on this shoot for the first and remembers Jack speaking in a British accent for the first half of the first day of shooting. When Kevin asked Dan Miller what the deal was with the British guy, Dan let him in on the joke that Jack was just messing around. Kevin also remembers that after the cameras cut that Jack would help re-arrange lights and move around props as he was also working as a production assistant on the shoot.

At the end of the shoot the band was asked if they could also stick around for some additional filming. Footage would materialize 14 years later in this video clip with the London Symphony Orchestra at Abbey Road's studio one, featuring Peter Frampton on guitar and a song written by Joe Pullin and John Oates of Hall & Oates.

[pinds]

Best song of all time? Or best song...EVER?
I've never heard such beauty before. Nothing will ever compare to this. I can now die a happy woman.

[osuushiza]

Ahhhh... jazz soothes my ears & makes me very happy! :p
The 2nd song reminds me of the 80s- YES! We need the 80s back!! My favorite era ever!

[kevCarrico]

oh, and we had just enough film left in the arriflex after shooting "yorba" for a single take of "we're going to be friends." we started "yorba" at 8:00a, wrapped at midnight... and meg actually fell asleep during the second video.

[kevCarrico]

i also recall listening to early stripes in the production office... then a few weeks later we were shooting "hotel yorba."

[katiekazmierczak]

I'm going to be really sad if this doesn't get released as a single for Record Store Day 2013.

[johnschwarzkopf]

This story is fucking hilarious. Thanks for releasing this on my birthday, Third Man! hahaha

[spotteswooddonovan]

How coincidental, this. I was researching Peter Frampton and found myself about here.

Cheerio!

[theeradical]

did i really just watch i kept thinking it was a car commercial :D

[spotteswooddonovan]

And might I add your audio is only coming from my left speaker. Is this how it aired in The Colonies?

[lukejohnson]

I am not quite sure what I watched... But I think I liked it?

[elJolero]

This reminds me - I gotta wax my cherokee.

[TheRKelleyFiles]

i'm crying this is so bad and hilarious

[pretty_dmed]

How stupid am I? I saw Jack's guitar and I'm like "Oh there's Jack's guitar, where's he at" duhh then I read the info box XD