Walking with a Ghost (EP)

Walking with a Ghost
EP by
the White Stripes
ReleasedDecember 6, 2005 (2005-12-06)
Recorded2005
VenueTeatro Amazones (Manaus)
Studios
Genres
Length19:02
Labels
ProducerJack White

Walking with a Ghost is the only extended play (EP) by American rock duo the White Stripes. It was released worldwide by V2 and Third Man on December 6, 2005. Titled after their cover of the Tegan and Sara song of the same name, the EP reached number 138 on the UK singles chart and number 67 on the UK physical singles chart.

Recording and composition

The White Stripes, composed of guitarist and lead vocalist Jack White and drummer Meg White, released their fifth studio album, Get Behind Me Satan, in June 2005 to critical and commercial success.[1][2] Jack married model Karen Elson that same month.[3]

The title track of Walking with a Ghost, a cover of the Tegan and Sara song of the same name, was recorded sometime after the production of Get Behind Me Satan.[4] According to Tegan Quin, "It was while being interviewed at one of those radio stations that someone read a quote from Jack White... he said he liked the song because it felt like something he could have written for the White Stripes." While Tegan and Sara were touring in Detroit, Meg attended one of their shows and brought a CD player backstage to show the duo their cover.[4] The end of the song features a distorted voice which, when played backwards, says "Get out of my head" repeatedly.[5]

The remaining four live tracks were recorded at different points. "Same Boy You've Always Known" and "Screwdriver" were recorded at the Amazon Theatre, just hours after Jack and Elson's June wedding ceremony,[6] while "As Ugly As I Seem" and "The Denial Twist" were recorded on August 15, 2005 for Morning Becomes Eclectic, a program hosted by NPR's KCRW.[6][7]

Release and reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStarHalf star[8]
Pitchfork6.1/10[7]

The track "Walking with a Ghost" was released as an iTunes exclusive single on November 14, 2005, before the EP was distributed worldwide on December 6, 2005 through V2 Records and Jack's own Third Man Records.[9][10] It was the first and only EP the White Stripes ever released. It achieved modest commercial success in the United Kingdom, reaching number 138 on the UK singles chart and number 67 on the UK physical singles chart.[11][12] Tegan and Sara were happy with the band's cover.[4]

A critic for AllMusic believed the reinvention of its title track as a "guitar-heavy rocker" made it seem like it was "always a White Stripes tune, with Jack White's unmistakable presence steering the song toward the territory of his own "Blue Orchid." They wrote that, with the four live tracks, Walking With a Ghost was a "brief yet solid disc."[8] Conversely, Pitchfork's Matthew Murphy felt the cover was "genial", "singularly unpersuasive" and "unlikely to challenge anyone's previously held opinions about the Stripes, Tegan and Sara, walking, or ghosts."[7]

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Jack White, except where noted; all music is composed by Jack and Meg White, except where noted.

Walking with a Ghost track listing[10]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Walking with a Ghost"Tegan Quin, Sara Quin2:49
2."Same Boy You've Always Known" (Live) 3:14
3."As Ugly As I Seem" (Live) 5:06
4."The Denial Twist" (Live) 2:37
5."Screwdriver" (Live) 5:15
Total length:19:02
Japanese edition bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."Shelter of Your Arms"Craig Fox3:30
Total length:22:32

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the Japanese EP liner notes.[13]

The White Stripes

Additional personnel

  • John Curley – engineering (tracks 1, 6)
  • Howie Weinberg – mastering (track 1)
  • Greg Jackman – engineering (tracks 2, 5)
  • Matthew Kettle – mixing (tracks 2, 5)
  • Matt Lawrence – mixing (tracks 2, 5)
  • Rohan Onraet – mixing assistance (tracks 2, 5)
  • Mario Diaz – editing (tracks 3–4)
  • Kevin Metcalfe – mastering (tracks 3–4, 6)
  • Jared Nugent – mixing and engineering assistance (tracks 3–4)
  • Jason Wormer – mastering (tracks 3–4)
  • Ariana Morgenstern – production (tracks 3–4)

Charts

Chart performance for Walking with a Ghost
Chart (2005) Peak
position
UK Physical Singles (OCC)[11] 138
UK Singles (OCC)[12] 67

References

  1. ↑ "Jack & Meg White's satanic pact". Billboard. June 3, 2005. Archived from the original on July 2, 2025. Retrieved June 15, 2026.
  2. ↑ Phares, Heather. "Get Behind Me Satan – The White Stripes". AllMusic. Archived from the original on April 19, 2014. Retrieved June 15, 2026.
  3. ↑ Mar, Alex (June 2, 2005). "Jack White marries model". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 6, 2025. Retrieved June 15, 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 Hudson, Alex (November 30, 2020). "Tegan and Sara remember being covered by the White Stripes: "The most rock'n'roll moment of our career"". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on January 15, 2025. Retrieved June 15, 2026.
  5. ↑ Wright, Steve (March 4, 2026). "These 15 rock tracks have hidden messages when played backwards". Classical Music. Archived from the original on May 27, 2026. Retrieved June 15, 2026.
  6. 1 2 "For the record: Quick news on Madonna, Ashanti, White Stripes, Paris Hilton, Fall Out Boy, R. Kelly & more". MTV News. MTV. November 3, 2005. Archived from the original on December 15, 2005. Retrieved June 15, 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 Murphy, Matthew (December 12, 2005). "The White Stripes: Walking With a Ghost EP". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on January 22, 2025. Retrieved June 15, 2026.
  8. 1 2 "Walking with a Ghost – The White Stripes". AllMusic. Archived from the original on March 18, 2025. Retrieved June 15, 2026.
  9. ↑ "White Stripes prep 'Ghost' EP, live blitz". Billboard. November 7, 2005. Archived from the original on July 4, 2022. Retrieved June 15, 2026.
  10. 1 2 Walking with a Ghost (CD liner notes). The White Stripes. V2 Records. 2005. 63881-27291-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. 1 2 Zywietz, Tobias. "Chart log UK: Kristine W – Tammy Wynette". zobbel.de. Tobias Zywietz. Archived from the original on June 7, 2013. Retrieved June 15, 2026.
  12. 1 2 "Walking with a Ghost". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on July 17, 2024. Retrieved June 15, 2026.
  13. ↑ Walking with a Ghost (Liner notes, CD booklet). The White Stripes. 2005. V2CP 258.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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