Alabama 3
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| Alabama 3 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Background information
<tr><td>Origin</td><td colspan="2">Image:Flag of England (bordered).svg Brixton, London, England</td></tr><tr><td>Genre(s)</td><td colspan="2">Acid House |
Alabama 3 is an English acid house, blues, country and gospel music band founded in Brixton, London, in 1989. In the United States, they are known as A3 to avoid a legal conflict with the well-established country music band Alabama.<ref name="yahoobio">Yahoo! Music, Biography of Alabama 3 (link).</ref> They achieved international fame when the producers of hit TV show The Sopranos chose their track "Woke Up This Morning" for the show's opening credits.<ref name="yahoobio"/>
The band are particularly notable for their innovative fusion of styles, lyrics full of ironic intent, their deliberately humorous personas and outrageous live performances. In line with the many religious references inherent within gospel music every member of the group has an alias by which they are known, the band's founding members adopting the personas "Larry Love" (Rob Spragg) and "The Very Reverend Dr. D. Wayne Love" (Jake Black).
Contents |
[edit] History
The band was formed when Jake Black met Rob Spragg at an acid house party in Peckham and they decided that a fusion of country music with acid house was a musical possibility.<ref name="d_wayne_interview">Contact Music, Interview with D. Wayne Love (link).</ref> Other members of the band were accumulated over a lengthy period but it is known that Rob Spragg was at university with Piers Marsh, the harmonica player and synth programmer for the band whilst Orland Harrison, the group's current keyboardist, used to live with Jake Black.<ref name="d_wayne_interview"/>
Starting their act under the alias "The First Presleyterian Church Of Elvis The Divine (UK)" they eventually switched names to Alabama 3 and, after much wrangling and failure to capture attention, having being dismissed by the mainstream media as a novelty act admidst the climate of Britpop, the group finally signed to One Little Indian records in 1997 for the release of their debut album Exile on Coldharbour Lane.<ref name="onelittleindianbio">One Little Indian Records, Alabama 3 (link).</ref>
As of November 2006, they are currently touring under the name of "Alabama 3: Acoustic and Unplugged" with Devlin Love to promote their new acoustic album, out next year.
[edit] Current band members/aliases
The members of the band are:
- Jake Black AKA The Very Reverend Dr. D. Wayne Love: vocals
- Rob Spragg AKA Larry Love: vocals
- Piers Marsh AKA The Mountain of Love: harmonica and programmed beats
- Simon Edwards AKA Sir Eddie Real: percussion
- Orlando Harrison AKA The Spirit: keyboards
- Mark Sams AKA Rock Freebase: guitar
- John Jennings AKA Segs: bass guitar (ex The Ruts)
- Jonny Delafons AKA L. B. Dope: drums
[edit] Musical style
Alabama 3's sound is a self-professed blend of country, blues, and acid house. Their songs have sampled, with a hint of irony and righteous energy, Jim Jones in "Mao Tse Tung Said" and Birmingham Six survivor Patrick Hill in "The Thrills Have Gone."
[edit] Alabama 3's music in TV and film
- A shortened alternate version of Alabama 3's song "Woke Up This Morning" from Exile on Coldharbour Lane plays during the opening credits of the HBO television series The Sopranos.
- A snippet of "Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlife" can be heard at the beginning of the first episode of the Third Season of The Sopranos as Tony Soprano walks down the drive way to get his morning newspaper.
- 'Mansion on the Hill' featured on the Kurt Russell/Kevin Costner film 3000 Miles to Graceland.
- "Too Sick to Pray", from La Peste, plays on the radio at one point in the film Gone in 60 Seconds and "Peace in the Valley" in A Life Less Ordinary.
[edit] Trivia
There were copies of The Sopranos soundtrack that featured "Woke Up This Morning" as being performed by Mask and not Alabama 3. Similarly, on the Region 4 DVD release of the Sopranos' first season, the case cites that the Special Features include the "Woke Up This Morning" music video by Alabama 5.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Studio Albums
- Exile on Coldharbour Lane (1997)
- La Peste (2000)
- Power In The Blood (2002)
- The Last Train To Mashville vol. 2 (2003)
- Outlaw (2005)
[edit] Singles and EPs
- Speed of the Sound of Loneliness (1997)
- Wade Into The Water (2001)
- Reachin' (2003)
- Hello... I'm Johnny Cash (2005)
- How Can I Protect You (2005)
[edit] Live Albums, Imports, Compilations and Bootlegs
- Converted pt. 1 (import) (1998)
- Woke Up This Morning (import) (2000)
- Sad Eyed Lady / Alabama3 remixes (2001)
- Mansion on the Hill (import) (2001)
- Zero Tolerance (bootleg) (2001)
- The Last Train To Mashville vol. 1 (tour only) (2004)
[edit] Notes & references
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