The White Stripes have had a video directed by their longtime collaborator Michel Gondry for their “new” song ‘City Lights’.

The song was originally recorded during the sessions for their 2005 album ‘Get Behind Me Satan’, but was then forgotten about until White revisited the album to prepare its vinyl release for Record Store Day in 2015.

White finished the song recently for its release on his new compilation ‘Acoustic Recordings’, making it the first new White Stripes song since the duo split in 2008.


Gondry sent the video to White last week. A statement from his record label Third Man Recordings said: “It’s a genius surprise gift. On his own and without anyone’s knowledge, the legendary film-maker shot a video for ‘City Lights’.”

Having also directed videos for Bjork, The Chemical Brothers, Kanye West and Paul McCartney, Gondry had previously directed The White Stripes’ videos for ‘Fell In Love With A Girl’, ‘Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground’, ‘The Hardest Button To Button’ and ‘The Denial Twist’.

The video follows White’s return to playing live on Jimmy Fallon’s The Tonight Show over the weekend, where he played a medley of The White Stripes’ ‘You’ve Got Her In Your Pocket’ from ‘Elephant’ and the duo’s Coca-Cola ad song ‘Love Is The Truth’.

‘Acoustic Recordings’ features unreleased and alternative mixes from The White Stripes, The Raconteurs and White’s solo music. White appears on the first in the new series of Later Live and Later With Jools Holland this week on BBC2 alongside Kings Of Leon, Jimmy Page, Sting, M83 and Banks.

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