Named for the Alabama 2, a legal case in the American deep South during the 1930s, in which two black men were hanged for allegedly raping a white woman. The name is also a nod to other victims of injustice like the Birmingham 6 and Guildford 4. In the United States, they are known as A3, after they were sued by the legendary country outfit Alabama.
They are perhaps best known in the United States for the remix of their song Woke Up This Morning, which appears as the theme song for the HBO hit series The Sopranos.
They have released six albums so far, with numerous bootlegs more than doubling their catalog. Alabama 3 rarely tour outside of their home country.
Recently, female singer Devlin Love has joined the group.
Additional material:
Alabama 3 are an English band mixing rock, dance, blues, country, gospel, and spoken word styles, founded in Brixton, London in 1995. In the United States, the band are known as A3, allegedly to avoid any possible legal conflict with the country music band Alabama.[1] The group achieved international fame when the producers of hit TV series The Sopranos chose the track "Woke Up This Morning" for the show's opening credits.[1]
The band are particularly notable for their fusion of styles, lyrics full of ironic intent, their deliberately humorous personas and their outrageous live performances. Every member of the group has an alias by which he is known, the band's founding members adopting the personas Larry Love (Rob Spragg) and The Very Reverend Dr. D. Wayne Love (Jake Black).
The band 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.[2] 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 Orlando Harrison, the group's current keyboardist, used to live with Jake Black.[2] Prior to the formation of the Alabama 3, Jake had gone through his "wilderness years" period of which there is little or no recorded output. This creative gulch lasted years following the demise of The Jangletties.
Starting their act under the alias the First Presleyterian Church of Elvis the Divine (UK), the group eventually switched names to Alabama 3 and, after having been dismissed by the mainstream media as a novelty act, the group finally signed with One Little Indian Records in 1997 for the release of debut album, Exile on Coldharbour Lane.[3]
In August 2007, the group toured under the name of Alabama 3: Acoustic and Unplugged, with Harpo Strangelove and Devlin Love, to promote their new album M.O.R. (released 10 September 2007). Bassist John "Segs" Jennings apparently left the band, saying he was "busy elsewhere and [he doesn't] have the time."[4] The band's sixth studio album album M.O.R included a cover of Jerry Reed's 1970s hit "Amos Moses" and features The Proclaimers on the track "Sweet Joy" plus piano parts on the country stomp version of the Gil Scott Heron song "The Klan", written by Heron and Brian Jackson. In September and October 2007, the band toured the UK in support of M.O.R. with Irish band Republic Of Loose supporting.
On Friday 29 February 2008, Larry Love, Devlin Love and Mark Sams did an encore with Carbon/Silicon at the seventh and final Carbon Casino gig at the Inn on the Green, under the Westway. Mick Jones joined the group on-stage to add guitar and backing vocals to a version of "Woke Up This Morning."
Having recorded and toured with the band in the early days, Aurora Dawn rejoined the band in 2009, and sometime between late 2010 and early 2011, programmer, harmonicist, and founding member Piers "Mountain of Love" Marsh left the band. Although no reason has yet been publicly given, his departure appears to be amicable, as he is still an active contributor to the band's Facebook page. He and other Alabama 3 founder member, Sir Eddie Real, are now performing new material under the name of "Mountain of Love" with vocals from various guest vocalists.
The members of the band are:
Rob Spragg AKA Larry Love: vocals
Jake Black AKA The Very Reverend Dr. D. Wayne Love: vocals
Orlando Harrison AKA The Spirit: keyboards, keyboard bass, vocals
Mark Sams AKA Rock Freebase: guitar, bass guitar
Aurora Dawn: vocals
Steve Finnerty AKA LOVEPIPE: production, guitar and vocals
Nick Reynolds AKA Harpo Strangelove: harmonica, percussion, vocals (son of Bruce Reynolds, architect of the Great Train Robbery of 1963.[5] Bruce appears on the band's 2005 album, Outlaw).
John Jennings AKA Segs: backing vocals, guitar
Past Members:
Zoe Devlin AKA Devlin Love: vocals
Jonny Delafons AKA L. B. Dope: drums, percussion
Simon (The Dude) Edwards AKA Sir Eddie Real: percussion, vocals
Piers Marsh AKA The Mountain of Love: Synths
Film:
"Peace in the Valley" is featured in the film A Life Less Ordinary (1997).
"Too Sick to Pray" plays on the radio in the film Gone in 60 Seconds (2000).
A snippet of "Speed of the Sound of Loneliness" features in the film Some Voices (2000).
"Mansion on the Hill" featured on the Kurt Russell/Kevin Costner film 3000 Miles to Graceland (2001).
A part of "M.I.A" by the band is played in the film The Football Factory (2004) as the Chelsea firm travel up to Liverpool for an away match.
The song "Sister Rosetta" from Exile on Coldharbour Lane can be heard in the film Barnyard (2006).
A snippet of "Bulletproof" appears in A Very British Gangster (2007), Donal MacIntyre's documentary film about Manchester crime boss Dominic Noonan.
The song "Ain't Goin' to Goa" is featured in the motion picture Definitely, Maybe (2008).
The band is featured in the documentary We Dreamed America (2008). The film, which explores the influence of American country music on British artists, features three songs by the band.
"Mansion on the Hill" is used on the opening credits of mockumentory Good Arrows (2009), written by Irvine Welsh and Dean Cavanagh.
Television:
Episode four of the BBC Three series Being Human features "Too Sick to Pray" at its opening and "Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlife" at its end. The songs were omitted from the DVD release of the episode due to copyright issues.[citation needed]
"Mansion on the Hill" features in the sixth episode of the ABC television series Carpoolers.
The closing scene to first season Criminal Minds episode titled "Won't Get Fooled Again" (10/05/05) plays "The Night We Nearly Got Busted".
A shortened alternate version of "Woke Up This Morning" can be heard for nearly 50 seconds in The Simpsons episode "Poppa's Got a Brand New Badge", while Fat Tony and his gang are on the ride to the Simpsons' house. The sequence is a parody of the opening sequence of The Sopranos.
"Woke Up This Morning" is also in the later Simpsons episode "The Mook, the Chef, the Wife and Her Homer", which guest-starred Sopranos regulars Michael Imperioli and Joe Pantoliano.
A remixed version of "Woke Up This Morning" plays during the opening credits of the HBO television series The Sopranos.
On the Region 4 DVD release of season one of The Sopranos, the music video to "Woke Up This Morning" is included as a special feature; it is incorrectly credited as being performed by "Alabama 5".
A snippet of "Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlife" can be heard at the beginning of The Sopranos: "Mr. Ruggerio's Neighborhood" (episode 3.1) as Tony Soprano walks down the driveway to get his morning newspaper.
"Woke Up This Morning" was also used in an episode of BBC series Top Gear, in which the team were driving through Alabama.
"Mao Tse Tung Said" features in the first episode of the second season of Torchwood Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang.
Rob Spragg (as Rob Love) wrote and recorded the theme to Welsh TV series Y Pris. He and John Hardy won the Best Original Music Soundtrack award at BAFTA Cymru 2008
Bad Girl
Alabama 3 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The way I hit it yeah she luv dat
Every time I hit it single g and Prada
And what she needs she Knows I got dat
Me I na steal yeah I got it from my dada
The way I hit it yeah she luv dat
Every time I hit it single g and Prada
And what she needs she knows I got dat
That girl I met her in the summer yo
She was good so I hit it undercover yeah (yeah I hit it)
Her friends was mad because I spoil her nice
Gucci and the Prada for her body
Yeah she feeling me, I′m feeling her
They feeling us
And all a nigga need is a ride to die
To count his papers and keep me cold and love me good (Ay)
My baby bae became my A1
And anything we do she don't tell em (she don′t tell nobody)
She a queen for my codeo
Beauty and the prince yeah she got it
If I tell her this then she does this
The way I hit it yeah she luv dat
Every time I hit it single g and Prada
What she needs she knows I got dat
Me I na steal it yeah I got it from my dada
The way I hit it yeah she luv dat
Every time I hit it single g and Prada
What she needs she knows I got dat
Me I na steal it yeah I got it from my dada
I say la my bad girl la my bad jue
I swear to God me I like you
Me I na know how u do ur own of tin ne
Buh all friends just talking about you
Looking for money boys, yeah I'm one of those
Playing games je lyk dominoes
She kissing my taytay I kissing her mouth
But her lip score je lyk dog nose
I say le jue sweet je lyk red rose
Her butt long just like duffa nose
The love that I get in my heart for you
I think it strong je lyk kojolobo
Because I loving to Munna so Tina na give me her puna
I eat it I beat I swallow her fish thank God self I na looking Jonah
Because I loving to Munna so Tina na give me her puna
I eat it I beat it I swallow her fish
Thank God self I na looking like Jonah
Mirror Mirror on the wall
Mirror Mirror on the wall
In this whole place here I beg u ur
Tell me la who d baddest jue of all
The way I hit it yeah she love that
Every time I hit it single g and Prada
What she needs she knows I got dat
Me I na steal yeah I got it from my dada
The way I hit it yeah she luv dat
Every time I hit it single g and Prada
What she needs she knows I got that
Me I na steal it yeah I got it from my dada
She geh mind for le pekin she want show me dare
I le dada for the loose and d pretty girls
My own of luv in the booth so I stick it there
Add sauce on her booth then I stick it there
From the house to the club
Back to the house
Carry it in the back in the dark then I beat it there
Give her sugu sugu hold it then I push it dere
Buh her self too she get technique she want give me head
She na twist it twist it then I send her rice
I na rub it rub it then she getting wet
Bad pah u bad pass pah banapass
Me I bad by baddo ra
Dirty the bike till it pipe
Tell her I ready to ride
Charlie Gold on the track
Oral sex on the mic
Set me free on the spot
Blowing me hard in the pot
U pah u shame pah le way u can rack
Your butt lyk outside it whack
Burning my fuel lyk le car
Make me sneeze till I cry
Whack me free for le crowd
Never d less I na proud
Give me cheese in le fries
Rubbing my tin on ur tigh
I le least for ur heart (cheyyy)
The way I hit it yeah she luv dat
Every time I hit it single g and Prada
What she needs she knows I got that
Me I na steal it yeah I got it from my dada
She a bad girl
The way I hit it yeah she luv dat
Every time I hit it single g and Prada
What she needs she knows I got that
Me I na steal it yeah I got it from my dada
End.
The lyrics to Alabama 3's song Bad Girl describe the singer's relationship with a woman he characterizes as a "bad girl." He details the lavish gifts he gives her, including designer clothes and accessories, and how she appreciates the way he treats her in the bedroom. He also notes that he never steals anything because he inherited everything from his father. He met this "bad girl" in the summer and started a lingering relationship with her. Despite her friends' anger that he spoils her, the singer sees her as his ride or die companion who will count his money and love him faithfully. He also describes the sexual act in explicit detail, highlighting that the woman is experienced and pleases him well.
The lyrics reveal a complicated and arguably problematic relationship dynamic, with the singer putting a lot of emphasis on the material possessions he offers his partner and how good she is in bed. The glorification of wealth and sexual prowess raises questions about the singer's true feelings towards the woman and whether his feelings for her are genuine, or simply based on surface-level traits. The inclusion of explicit language may also be a reflection on the way that masculinity is often defined by sexual prowess and material possessions.
Line by Line Meaning
She a bad girl, a bad bad girl
The subject of the song is a woman who is considered 'bad' due to her behavior and possibly sexual promiscuity.
The way I hit it yeah she luv dat
The singer is referring to the sexual encounters he has with the woman and how much she enjoys it.
Every time I hit it single g and Prada
The woman seemingly requests and receives luxury items, such as designer clothing and possibly drugs like GHB (referred to as 'single g' in some circles).
And what she needs she Knows I got dat
The artist has something that the woman wants, whether it be material goods or sexual satisfaction.
Me I na steal yeah I got it from my dada
The artist did not obtain his possessions through stealing, but rather inherited them.
That girl I met her in the summer yo
The singer met the woman during the summer season, possibly suggesting that their relationship was short-lived.
She was good so I hit it undercover yeah (yeah I hit it)
The woman was seemingly a good partner in bed, and the singer had to keep their encounters secret for some reason.
Her friends was mad because I spoil her nice
The woman's friends were jealous that the artist was providing her with expensive gifts and experiences.
Gucci and the Prada for her body
The artist has bought the woman Gucci and Prada clothing to wear, possibly emphasizing the connection between her body and the clothing.
Yeah she feeling me, I′m feeling her
Both the artist and the woman have a positive feeling towards each other, likely referring to their physical relationship.
They feeling us
Others around them recognize their connection and possibly disapprove of their behavior.
And all a nigga need is a ride to die
The artist is seeking a partner who will stick with him and help him make money, even if it means being involved in illegal activities (a 'ride to die' partner).
To count his papers and keep me cold and love me good (Ay)
The singer wants a partner who will help him count his money and support him emotionally.
My baby bae became my A1
The woman he is with has become his most important companion, possibly referring to her loyalty and reliability.
And anything we do she don't tell em (she don′t tell nobody)
The woman he is with is trustworthy and keeps their secrets safe, even from others in their circle.
She a queen for my codeo
The artist sees the woman as a valuable partner in his criminal endeavors ('codeo' being a West African term for a criminal organization).
Beauty and the prince yeah she got it
The woman is beautiful and the artist sees himself as a 'prince' figure in their relationship, possibly emphasizing his wealth and status.
If I tell her this then she does this
The woman is attentive and responsive to the singer's needs and wants.
She geh mind for le pekin she want show me dare
The woman has a desire to control their relationship and possibly use it to elevate herself in some way.
From the house to the club
The artist and the woman move their relationship from private to public spaces.
Burning my fuel lyk le car
Sex with the woman is compared to a car burning fuel, suggesting that it is consuming and possibly addictive.
Give her sugu sugu hold it then I push it dere
The artist gives the woman oral sex ('sugu sugu') and then has sex with her ('push it dere').
Bad pah u bad pass pah banapass
The singer is boasting about his own sexual prowess and abilities.
Whack me free for le crowd
The artist enjoys being sexually gratified in public or exhibitionist scenarios.
I le least for ur heart (cheyyy)
The singer is not concerned with the woman's emotional connection to him and sees himself as being of little importance in that area ('I le least').
Writer(s): Spragg Robert, Marsh Piers, Schreiber Arianne Jacqueline, Sutter Jonathan Eric, Wheeler Keith
Contributed by Keira R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.