The Whitey Album (as Ciccone Youth)

Ciccone Youth began in 1986. Mike Watt was depressed after the death of D. Boon, and a project was devised to get him playing again. A 7-inch on New Alliance, an SST sub-label, carried Watt's Burnin' Up, while Sonic Youth's side had Tuff Titty Rap and Into the Groovey, a cover of Madonna's Into the Groove. Blast First issued it in Europe as a 12-inch, and Into the Groovey sold 8,000 copies in the UK.

The full album was made at Wharton Tiers' studio after the Sister tour, with a sampler and drum machines as its foundation. It includes a minute of silence as a tribute to John Cage, a karaoke-booth cover of Robert Palmer's Addicted to Love sung by Gordon, and J Mascis on guitar on Two Cool Rock Chicks Listening to Neu. Moore told The Guardian the aim was to break down the barrier between the underground and artists who had graduated from it. Madonna's sister passed a copy on, and word came back that Madonna remembered the band from her Danceteria days.