“Seven Nation Army”
The White Stripes were an American duo formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1997. The group consisted of Jack White (guitar, keyboards, piano, vocals) and Meg White (drums, percussion, vocals). They made a name for themselves in the 2000s as one of the groups leading the way to an indie and garage rock revival. They released six studio albums and two live albums before dissolving in 2011. The White Stripes used a low-fidelity approach to their writing and recording, with their music melding garage rock and blues, and using a raw simplicity in composition, arrangement, and performance. They were known, or “not known,” for their mysterious public image, their fashion and design aesthetic, which featured a simple color scheme of red, white, and black, and used on every album and single they released. They were also fascinated with the number three…I will let you all run with that. Part of the mystery also included rumors about whether they were a couple or brother and sister. They made very selective media appearances, and were the subject of a 2009 documentary, Under Great White Northern Lights.
The featured song, “Seven Nation Army,” is from their fourth studio album, Elephant (2003). The song was written and produced by Jack White, and consists of distorted vocals, a simple but infectious drumbeat, and a bass line created by playing a guitar through a pitch shift effect, which alters the pitch of a guitar’s signal by raising or lowering it by a chosen interval. This is normally done with a pitch shift pedal, of which there are several kinds – Electro Harmonix Pitch Fork; DigiTech Whammy DT Drop Tuning; DigiTech Bass Whammy Pedal. The song charted well in many countries, and its success contributed to their popularity in the garage rock revival movement. It received much critical acclaim, especially for its distinctive riff and drumbeat, and it has been hailed by some critics as “one of the best songs of all time.” I have commented before about my skepticism when reading superlatives like this, but I will admit that the first time I heard this song, I fell in love with it. The song has a “raw” energy and pulsing beat that is both gratifying and rememberable, to the point where you can’t get it out of your head, which, in this case is, a good thing!
So, when you hear a cover of a song like this that, in my mind, completely butchers it, it had to become an “Annoying Song,” and much to my chagrin. While I will give Marcus Collins credit for trying to emulate that raw energy I mentioned above, it is definitely AWOL here. His voice, while I am sure shines with other types of songs and music, is just not right for this song.
Marcus Collins (1988) is an English singer who was a finalist on the eighth series of The X Factor in 2011. Prior to his solo audition, he was a member of the four-piece boy band Eton Road who, in keeping the symmetry alive, rose to fame on the third series of The X Factor, although Collins was not a member of the band that year. He joined the band after original member Anthony Hannah left the band due to exhaustion. Collins went on to perform over 150 gigs with the band, before deciding to audition as a solo artist. His self-titled debut album (2012) featured his cover of “Seven Nation Army.” You know where I stand with this cover, but, as always, I will let you decide for yourselves!
The White Stripes. “Seven Nation Army” 2003
Marcus Collins. “Seven Nation Army” cover 2012.
Los Angeles 2025
This song is one tough act to follow that’s for sure. Seven was not his lucky number!
It is definitely a hard act to follow!
While I’m familiar with “Seven Nation Army,” fortunately, I never overdid it with playing that song. As such, I can still listen to and reasonably enjoy it, mainly for the reasons you pointed out, i.e., the rawness and the drums groove. As to Marcus Collins’ rendition, I would say it’s a bit underwhelming, but I don’t have a very strong opinion about it.
I love the original by The White Stripes, but have to disagree with you about the quality of Marcus Collins’ cover. Unfortunately for Collins, Jack Whites’ amazing bass-like guitar work and distinctive vocals made the original such an iconic song, and I doubt any cover could ever measure up by comparison. I like Collins’ soulful and sultry interpretation, and honestly think it would be considered a pretty decent song were it not a cover.
I like the guy’s voice but he doesn’t have the musical backup to give it impact. I love the White Stripes and Jack White, with or without Meg. I’m reading this because of Randy 🙂
Well, that’s a good reason to read!
No…just no. It’s not a song that lends itself to a cover. It would be like covering Highway To Hell… soul style… He is talented no doubt…but to me it doesn’t work
Randy brought me here. I’m not a fan of this song; it’s not horrible, I just don’t care for it though, oddly I disliked the cover less.
Didn’t like either of these, and had to stop watching the White Stripes’ original. The video was making me seasick! I have to agree that Jack White’s bass-playing is fabulous, though.