Perhaps the year's most bizarre spat...
Jack White and the Guinness Book of Records have fallen out in what is perhaps the year's most bizarre spat.
One of the White Stripes' final shows was also one of their shortest. Vowing to play every territory in Canada, the Detroit duo flew to a remote destination where a music hungry crowd had assembled.
Stepping onstage, the band played just one note before rushing offstage and back into their helicopter. At time, it was labelled the world's shortest gig but since then the White Stripes' claim has been challenged.
Removed from the Guinness Book of Records, Jack White recently took issue with the debate around the show. Chatting with Buzz Aldrin for Interview Magazine, the guitarist took a swipe at the organisation.
"There's nothing scientific about what they do" he said. "They just have an office full of people who decide what is a record and what isn't. I mean, there is some stuff like Olympic records where they have a committee. But most of the records in there-who has the biggest collection of salt-and-pepper shakers or whatever-are just whatever they want them to be".
"So with something like the shortest concert of all time, they didn't think whatever we did was interesting enough to make it a record. I don't know why they get to decide that, but, you know, they own the book... Maybe this will help us get the word out."
NME then tracked down a spokesperson for the Guinness Book of Records, who argued that "the nature of competing to make something the 'shortest' by its very nature trivialises the activity being carried out".
As a result, all 'shortest' categories - shortest song, gig etc etc - were removed from the Guinness Book of Records. "Many of us at Guinness World Records are enormous admirers of Mr White's oeuvre,"they continued. "We would be extremely pleased if he were to attempt any of the 40,000 records that are currently active on our database.??"
One of the White Stripes' final shows was also one of their shortest. Vowing to play every territory in Canada, the Detroit duo flew to a remote destination where a music hungry crowd had assembled.
Stepping onstage, the band played just one note before rushing offstage and back into their helicopter. At time, it was labelled the world's shortest gig but since then the White Stripes' claim has been challenged.
Removed from the Guinness Book of Records, Jack White recently took issue with the debate around the show. Chatting with Buzz Aldrin for Interview Magazine, the guitarist took a swipe at the organisation.
"There's nothing scientific about what they do" he said. "They just have an office full of people who decide what is a record and what isn't. I mean, there is some stuff like Olympic records where they have a committee. But most of the records in there-who has the biggest collection of salt-and-pepper shakers or whatever-are just whatever they want them to be".
"So with something like the shortest concert of all time, they didn't think whatever we did was interesting enough to make it a record. I don't know why they get to decide that, but, you know, they own the book... Maybe this will help us get the word out."
NME then tracked down a spokesperson for the Guinness Book of Records, who argued that "the nature of competing to make something the 'shortest' by its very nature trivialises the activity being carried out".
As a result, all 'shortest' categories - shortest song, gig etc etc - were removed from the Guinness Book of Records. "Many of us at Guinness World Records are enormous admirers of Mr White's oeuvre,"they continued. "We would be extremely pleased if he were to attempt any of the 40,000 records that are currently active on our database.??"
The White Stripes
