Alabama 3

Alabama 3 are a British dance-rock group from Brixton, London, active since 1989 and also known as A3. Their music combines acid house with country, blues, gospel, rock, dance and spoken-word elements. The group forms around a deliberate blend of styles and often uses aliases for its members, including Larry Love and The Very Reverend Dr. D. Wayne Love.

Origins and name

The band forms when Jake Black meets Rob Spragg at an acid house party in Peckham and they decide that country music and acid house can be joined together. They first perform under the name the First Presleyterian Church of Elvis the Divine (UK) before changing to Alabama 3. Their name refers to the Alabama 2 case in the United States, involving two Black men who are hanged in the 1930s after being accused of raping a white woman, and it also alludes to other miscarriages of justice such as the Birmingham 6 and Guildford 4.

Members and aliases

The group is known for using aliases. The founding personas include Larry Love, used by Rob Spragg, and The Very Reverend Dr. D. Wayne Love, used by Jake Black. Other named members and contributors include Orlando Harrison, Mark Sams, Zoe Devlin Love, Nick Reynolds, Jonny Delafons, Simon Edwards, Steve Finnerty, Piers Marsh, Aurora Dawn, John Jennings and others associated with the line-up over time. Orlando Harrison is the keyboardist, Mark Sams plays guitar and bass guitar, Nick Reynolds plays harmonica, percussion and vocals, Jonny Delafons handles drums and percussion, Simon Edwards contributes percussion and vocals, and Steve Finnerty is involved in production, guitar and vocals. Zoe Devlin Love joins the group as a female singer and vocalist.

Recordings and recognition

Alabama 3 sign to One Little Indian Records in 1997 for the release of their debut album, Exile on Coldharbour Lane. They later release M.O.R., their sixth studio album, which includes a cover of Jerry Reed’s “Amos Moses”, a version of Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson’s “The Klan”, and “Sweet Joy”, which features The Proclaimers. The band also has numerous bootlegs that expand their catalogue beyond its studio releases.

“Woke Up This Morning” and screen use

The group becomes widely known through the remix of “Woke Up This Morning”, which is used as the opening theme for The Sopranos. The track also appears in The Simpsons and is used in other television and film placements, including Top Gear and several films such as A Life Less Ordinary, Gone in 60 Seconds, 3000 Miles to Graceland and Definitely, Maybe. Other songs by the band also appear in film and television, including “Too Sick to Pray”, “Mansion on the Hill”, “Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlife”, “Mao Tse Tung Said” and “The Night We Nearly Got Busted”.

Style and live reputation

The band is associated with ironic lyrics, deliberately humorous personas and energetic live performances. They rarely tour outside the United Kingdom. Their work is also linked with spoken-word and gospel influences alongside the country and acid house elements that define their sound.