Alabama Song
Encyclopedia
The "Alabama Song" was originally published in Bertolt Brecht
's Hauspostille (1927). It was set to music by Kurt Weill
for the 1927 "Songspiel" Mahagonny
and used again in Weill's and Brecht's 1930 opera
Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny
. In the latter, it is performed by the character Jenny and her fellow prostitutes in the first act. Musically it contains elements of foxtrot, blues
and is sung by Jenny Corless.
The lyrics for the "Alabama Song" are in English (albeit specifically idiosyncratic English) and are performed in that language even when the opera is performed in its original German
.
(credited in their albums as "Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)"). The lead singer of the Doors, Jim Morrison
, changed the second verse from:
Show us the way to the next pretty boy to Show me the way to the next little girl.
In addition, the verse from the original, Show me the way to the next little dollar is omitted.
’s studio after the European leg of the tour, and in 1980 it was issued as a single to hasten the end of Bowie’s contract with RCA
.
With unconventional key changes, the track "seemed calculated to disrupt any radio programme on which it was lucky enough to get played". Nevertheless, backed with a stripped-down acoustic version of "Space Oddity" recorded in December 1979, the single reached #23 in the UK.
Bowie would appear in a BBC
version of Brecht’s Baal
, and release an EP
of songs from the play. He performed "Alabama Song" again on his 1990 Sound+Vision Tour and 2002 Heathen
tours.
The German 1982 rerelease of the single included "Amsterdam" as an additional B-side.
Bertolt Brecht
Bertolt Brecht was a German poet, playwright, and theatre director.An influential theatre practitioner of the 20th century, Brecht made equally significant contributions to dramaturgy and theatrical production, the latter particularly through the seismic impact of the tours undertaken by the...
's Hauspostille (1927). It was set to music by Kurt Weill
Kurt Weill
Kurt Julian Weill was a German-Jewish composer, active from the 1920s, and in his later years in the United States. He was a leading composer for the stage who was best known for his fruitful collaborations with Bertolt Brecht...
for the 1927 "Songspiel" Mahagonny
Mahagonny-Songspiel
Mahagonny-Songspiel, also known as The Little Mahagonny, is a "small-scale 'scenic cantata'" written by the composer Kurt Weill and the dramatist Bertolt Brecht in 1927...
and used again in Weill's and Brecht's 1930 opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny
Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny
Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny is a political-satirical opera composed by Kurt Weill to a German libretto by Bertolt Brecht. It was first performed in Leipzig on 9 March 1930.-Composition history:...
. In the latter, it is performed by the character Jenny and her fellow prostitutes in the first act. Musically it contains elements of foxtrot, blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
and is sung by Jenny Corless.
The lyrics for the "Alabama Song" are in English (albeit specifically idiosyncratic English) and are performed in that language even when the opera is performed in its original German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
.
The Doors version
The song was covered in 1967 by rock band The DoorsThe Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...
(credited in their albums as "Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)"). The lead singer of the Doors, Jim Morrison
Jim Morrison
James Douglas "Jim" Morrison was an American musician, singer, and poet, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the rock band The Doors...
, changed the second verse from:
Show us the way to the next pretty boy to Show me the way to the next little girl.
In addition, the verse from the original, Show me the way to the next little dollar is omitted.
David Bowie version
Bowie, a Brecht fan, incorporated the song into Isolar II, his 1978 World Tour. He cut a version at Tony ViscontiTony Visconti
Anthony Edward Visconti is an American record producer and sometimes a musician or singer.Since the late 1960s, he has worked with an array of performers; his lengthiest involvement with any artist is with David Bowie: intermittently from Bowie's 1969 album Space Oddity to 2003's Reality, Visconti...
’s studio after the European leg of the tour, and in 1980 it was issued as a single to hasten the end of Bowie’s contract with RCA
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
.
With unconventional key changes, the track "seemed calculated to disrupt any radio programme on which it was lucky enough to get played". Nevertheless, backed with a stripped-down acoustic version of "Space Oddity" recorded in December 1979, the single reached #23 in the UK.
Bowie would appear in a BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
version of Brecht’s Baal
Baal (play)
Baal was the first full-length play written by the German modernist playwright Bertolt Brecht. It concerns a wastrel youth who becomes involved in several sexual affairs and at least one murder...
, and release an EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
of songs from the play. He performed "Alabama Song" again on his 1990 Sound+Vision Tour and 2002 Heathen
Heathen Tour
The David Bowie Heathen Tour was a 2002 concert tour in support of the album, Heathen, and was also notable for the performances of all songs from the 1977 Low album.-History:...
tours.
Track listing
- "Alabama Song" (Bertolt BrechtBertolt BrechtBertolt Brecht was a German poet, playwright, and theatre director.An influential theatre practitioner of the 20th century, Brecht made equally significant contributions to dramaturgy and theatrical production, the latter particularly through the seismic impact of the tours undertaken by the...
, Kurt WeillKurt WeillKurt Julian Weill was a German-Jewish composer, active from the 1920s, and in his later years in the United States. He was a leading composer for the stage who was best known for his fruitful collaborations with Bertolt Brecht...
) – 3:51 - "Space Oddity" (acoustic version) (David Bowie) – 4:57
The German 1982 rerelease of the single included "Amsterdam" as an additional B-side.
Production credits
- ProducerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
s:- Tony ViscontiTony ViscontiAnthony Edward Visconti is an American record producer and sometimes a musician or singer.Since the late 1960s, he has worked with an array of performers; his lengthiest involvement with any artist is with David Bowie: intermittently from Bowie's 1969 album Space Oddity to 2003's Reality, Visconti...
- David Bowie
- Tony Visconti
- Musicians:
- David Bowie: Vocals, GuitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Adrian BelewAdrian BelewAdrian Belew is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer...
: GuitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Carlos AlomarCarlos AlomarCarlos Alomar is an American guitarist, composer and arranger best known for his work with David Bowie, having played on more Bowie albums than any other musician...
: GuitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Simon HouseSimon HouseSimon House is a composer and classically trained violinist and keyboard player, perhaps best known for his work with space rock band Hawkwind. His arrival in 1974 introduced a new element to the band's style...
: ViolinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello.... - Sean MayesSean MayesSean Mayes was a British pianist and writer.Born in Stone Allerton, Somerset, Mayes was schooled in Bristol. He won a place at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he obtained a degree in philosophy....
: PianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal... - Roger Powell: KeyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
- George MurrayGeorge MurrayGeorge Murray may refer to:*George Mosley Murray , Bishop*Lord George Murray , Jacobite general*George Murray , Royal Navy officer and MP for Perth Burghs...
: BassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Dennis DavisDennis DavisDennis Davis is an American drummer and session musician best known for his work with David Bowie.He was born and raised in Manhattan, New York City and studied with the late drummers Max Roach and Elvin Jones. He met guitarist Carlos Alomar when they were both playing with Roy Ayers...
: DrumDrumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s
- David Bowie: Vocals, Guitar
Live versions
- A live version recorded at Philadelphia Spectrum in April 1978 was released as a bonus track on the RykodiscRykodiscRykodisc Records is an American record label. It is owned by Warner Music Group, operates as a unit of WMG's Independent Label Group and is distributed through Alternative Distribution Alliance.-Company history:...
reissue of the live album Stage.
Other releases
- It was released as the B-side of the Japanese single "Crystal JapanCrystal Japan"Crystal Japan" is an instrumental piece written by David Bowie and released as a single in Japan in 1980. It was recorded in 1979 and used in a Japanese commercial for the sake Crystal Jun Rock, which also featured an appearance by Bowie, although the composer said at the time that the track was...
" in February 1980. - The German release of the single "Ashes to AshesAshes to Ashes (David Bowie song)"Ashes to Ashes" is a single by David Bowie, released in 1980. It made #1 in the UK and was the first cut from the Scary Monsters album, also a #1 hit. As well as its musical qualities, it is noted for its innovative video, directed by Bowie and David Mallet...
" in August 1980 had "Alabama Song" as the B-side. - In 1992 it was released as a bonus track on the RykodiscRykodiscRykodisc Records is an American record label. It is owned by Warner Music Group, operates as a unit of WMG's Independent Label Group and is distributed through Alternative Distribution Alliance.-Company history:...
reissue of Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)Scary Monsters is an album by David Bowie, released in September 1980 by RCA Records. It was Bowie's final studio album for the label and his first following the so-called Berlin Trilogy of Low, "Heroes" and Lodger . Though considered significant in artistic terms, the trilogy had proved less...
. - It appeared on the compilation The Singles CollectionThe Singles Collection (David Bowie album)The Singles Collection is a compilation album by David Bowie, released in 1993 in the UK and as The Singles 1969 to 1993 in the United States...
in 1993 and on The Best of David Bowie 1980/1987The Best of David Bowie 1980/1987The Best of David Bowie 1980-1987 is a David Bowie compilation album. The CD was originally released by EMI as part of The Platinum Collection in 2005/06. The 2007 release is part of EMI's two-disc Sight & Sound series, each of which features a CD and DVD of material from the same artist...
in 2005.
Selective list of recorded versions
The song has often been covered:- Joe Frazier, of the Chad Mitchell Trio on The Slightly Irreverent Mitchell Trio in 1964
- Dave Van RonkDave Van RonkDave Van Ronk was an American folk singer, born in Brooklyn, New York, who settled in Greenwich Village, New York, and was eventually nicknamed the "Mayor of MacDougal Street" ....
(of the Greenwich Village folk movement), in 1964 and 1992. - Jacques HigelinJacques HigelinJacques Joseph Victor Higelin is a French pop singer who rose to prominence in the early 1970s. Early in his career, many of Higelin's songs were effectively blacklisted from French radio because of his controversial left wing political beliefs, and his association with socialist groups...
, French singer, covered the song with Catherine Sauvage, on his LP devoted to Boris VianBoris VianBoris Vian was a French polymath: writer, poet, musician, singer, translator, critic, actor, inventor and engineer. He is best remembered today for his novels. Those published under the pseudonym Vernon Sullivan were bizarre parodies of criminal fiction, highly controversial at the time of their...
in 1966 (French lyrics by Boris Vian) - Les Cruches, Dutch beat band, recorded the song and released it as a 7" in 1967 under the title "Whiskey Bar" (with "Good Times Gonna Roll Again" on the B-side).
- Mike WestbrookMike WestbrookMichael John David 'Mike' Westbrook is an English jazz pianist, composer, and writer of orchestrated jazz pieces.-Early work:Mike Westbrook grew up in Torquay...
, British jazz musician, featured the song in performances of his Brass Band in the 1970s, with lyrics by his wife KateKate Westbrook (musician)Kate Westbrook is an artist following the professions of painter and musician. Her musical work centres around her career as a vocalist, predominantly with her husband, British composer and bandleader Mike Westbrook's bands...
(formerly Barnard). - Bette MidlerBette MidlerBette Midler is an American singer, actress, and comedian, also known by her informal stage name, The Divine Miss M. She became famous as a cabaret and concert headliner, and went on to star in successful and acclaimed films such as The Rose, Ruthless People, Beaches, and For The Boys...
. The song was included in a medley in her 1977 live show and double album Live at Last. - AbwärtsAbwärtsAbwärts is a West German post-punk group from Hamburg. Members Mark Chung and FM Einheit would leave the group in the early 1980s to join the Berlin-based band Einstürzende Neubauten....
, the song featured in the 1980 EP Computerstaat by German punk band. - DalidaDalidaDalida , born with Italian name of Iolanda Cristina Gigliotti, was a world-famous singer and actress born in Egypt with Italian origins but naturalised French with the name Yolanda Gigliotti. She spent her early years in Egypt amongst the Italian Egyptian community, but she lived most of her adult...
, the song was covered by French chanteuse, in English during the 1980s. She changed the lyrics in verses to "Show me the way to the next little dollar" and "For if we don't find the next thirty dollars." - Električni OrgazamElektrični OrgazamElektrični Orgazam is a Serbian rock band from Belgrade. Originally starting as a combination of New Wave, punk rock and post-punk, the band later slowly changed their style, becoming a mainstream rock act.- New Wave years :...
, Serbian rock band recorded a version on their 1982 album Lisce Prekriva Lisabon. - Nina SimoneNina SimoneEunice Kathleen Waymon , better known by her stage name Nina Simone , was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music...
, live at Ronnie Scott'sRonnie Scott's Jazz ClubRonnie Scott's Jazz Club is a jazz club which has operated in London since 1959.The club opened on 30 October 1959 in a basement at 39 Gerrard Street in London's Soho district. It was managed by musicians Ronnie Scott and Pete King. In 1965 it moved to a larger venue nearby at 47 Frith Street...
in 1984. - Moni OvadiaMoni OvadiaMoni Ovadia is an Italian actor, musician, singer and theatrical author. "Moni" is short for "Salomone" .-Career:Ovadia was born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, in 1946 to a Jewish family who moved to Milan in Ovadia's early childhood...
, the Italo-Bulgarian actor, in 1997, included the song in his album Ballata di fine millennio - Ute LemperUte LemperUte Lemper is a German chanteuse and actress renowned for her interpretation of the work of Kurt Weill.- Biography :Born in Münster, Germany, Ute Lemper was raised in a Roman Catholic family. She joined the punk music group known as the Panama Drive Band at the age of 16...
in 1991: Ute Lemper Sings Kurt Weill - The Young GodsThe Young GodsThe Young Gods are a Swiss post-industrial band. The band's lineup has generally consisted of a vocalist, a sampler operator and a drummer. Their instrumentation often includes sampled electric guitars, drums, keyboards, and other samples. The lyrics are depicted in English, French and...
covered it on their 1991 release The Young Gods Play Kurt WeillThe Young Gods Play Kurt WeillPlay Kurt Weill is a cover album released by Swiss Industrial band The Young Gods. All songs appearing on the album are covers of German composer Kurt Weill...
, with the lyrics "Show us the way to the next little girl". - David JohansenDavid JohansenDavid Roger Johansen is an American rock, protopunk, blues, and pop singer, as well as a songwriter and actor. He is best known as a member of the seminal protopunk band The New York Dolls and also achieved commercial success under the pseudonym Buster Poindexter.-Early life:Johansen was born in...
covered the song on a compilation of Kurt Weill's music entitled September Songs - The Music of Kurt Weill, released in 1997. - Marianne FaithfullMarianne FaithfullMarianne Evelyn Faithfull is an award-winning English singer, songwriter and actress whose career has spanned five decades....
performed this song in the 20th century blues album in 1997 - eX-GirlEX-Girl-Overview:They claim to hail from the planet Kero Kero. They are described as psychedelic, space rock, jazz fusion, jagged alternating vocal harmonies, sugary synthesiser pop, punk, prog, epic/atmospheric, noise-rock, wavering 3 part a capella, borderline operatic vocals, often in the space of a...
, the Japanese band covered the song on the album Big When Far, Small When CloseBig When Far, Small When CloseBig When Far, Small When Close is the third studio album by Japanese band eX-Girl, released on the PARANOIZ label in Japan , and by KIKI Poo Records in the US ....
in 2000 - Kazik StaszewskiKazik StaszewskiKazik Staszewski is a Polish lead singer, songwriter, and leader of the band Kult.Kazik founded Kult in 1982. Their latest album, Hurra, was released in September 2009....
covered the song by interpreting the lyrics and adding a new verse. Moreover the song was performed in rockRock musicRock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
style. The song was published on the album Melodie Kurta Weill'a i coś ponadto (The melodies of Kurt Weill and something more) released in 2001. - Dee Dee BridgewaterDee Dee BridgewaterDee Dee Bridgewater is an American Jazz singer. She is a three-time Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter, as well as a Tony Award - winning stage actress and host of National Public Radio's syndicated radio show JazzSet with Dee Dee Bridgewater...
recorded the song on an album This Is NewThis is NewThis is New is a 2002 album by Dee Dee Bridgewater, dedicated to the songs of Kurt Weill.-Track listing:#"This Is New" – 3:47#"Lost in the Stars" – 5:36#"The Bilbao Song" – 10:24...
in 2002 - Marilyn MansonMarilyn Manson (band)Marilyn Manson is an American metal band from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Formed in 1989 by Brian Warner and Scott Putesky, the group was originally named Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids with their uniquely theatrical performances gathering a local cult following in the early '90s. This attention...
covered the song live in a show in BerlinBerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
in 2003. - The BobsThe BobsThe Bobs were dubbed the first new wave a cappella group in history when they were founded in San Francisco, California in the early 1980s. Now based in Seattle, Washington, this genre-bending, eccentric vocal group has maintained a healthy cult following in the U.S...
, American a Cappella quartet recorded an arrangement of the song on their 2005 album "Rhapsody in Bob" - Arthur H.Arthur HArthur Higelin , better known under his stage name Arthur H , is a pianist, songwriter and singer. He is best known in France for his live performances - four of his albums were recorded live - and remains relatively little-known in the English-speaking world.-Career:He is the son of the French...
, French singer (Jacques Higelin's son) and Jeanne Cherhal also covered the song live in 2007 at the Muzik'Elles festival in Meaux (France). In English, playing four-hand piano, a video was released. - Max RaabeMax RaabeMax Raabe is a German singer. He is particularly noted as the founder and leader of the Palast Orchester....
and Palast Orchester of Germany performs the song live (as Moon of Alabama) albeit only its first verse and the chorus, recorded on a two CD set of the Carnegie Hall performance in November 2007 titled Heute Nacht Oder Nie ("Tonight or Never") - Peter Nordahl Trio, Swedish Jazz band, covered the song on the album An American In Paris, in 2008
- Cabaret de Pierrot le Fou, Russian cabaret-noir group, recorded their version of the song on the album Soundtrack 1 in 2009
- Amy X NeuburgAmy X NeuburgAmy X Neuburg is an American composer, vocalist, and electronic musician.She holds a B.M. degree in voice from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, a B.A. in linguistics from Oberlin College, and an M.F.A...
Oakland, CA composer, vocalist, and electronic musician recorded a version on "Sports! Chips! Booty!" in 2000 - The Sextet of Orchestra USA recorded two versions in 1964, released on "Theatre Music of Kurt Weill"
- Gianluigi TrovesiGianluigi Trovesithumb|200px|Gianluigi Trovesi in 2006.Gianluigi Trovesi is an Italian jazz saxophonist, clarinetist and composer.A native of Nembro near Bergamo in Lombardy, he studied harmony and counterpoint under Vittorio Fellegara. Since then he has been a major player in the Italian and European jazz scene....
and Gianni CosciaGianni CosciaGianni Coscia is an Italian jazz accordionist. Originally a lawyer, Coscia began focusing full time on jazz music. Expresses an interest in developing "the remote values of cultural and popular tradition through the language of jazz." Has toured widely on the international jazz circuit...
recorded a clarinet and accordion version in 2005 - The Long Tall Texans - UK Psychobilly / Rockabilly band did a version on their album "Texas Beat" (available now on "Best of Texas Beat" 1986)
- Dagmar KrauseDagmar KrauseDagmar Krause is a German singer, best known for her work with avant-rock groups like Slapp Happy, Henry Cow and Art Bears. She is also noted for her coverage of songs by Bertolt Brecht, Kurt Weill and Hanns Eisler...
, former Henry CowHenry CowHenry Cow were an English avant-rock group, founded at Cambridge University in 1968 by multi-instrumentalists Fred Frith and Tim Hodgkinson. Henry Cow's personnel fluctuated over their decade together, but drummer Chris Cutler and bassoonist/oboist Lindsay Cooper were important long-term members...
member recorded a version (as well as several other songs written by Bertolt Brecht) on her 1986 solo album, Supply and DemandSupply and Demand (Dagmar Krause album)Supply and Demand: Songs by Brecht / Weill & Eisler is the first solo album by German singer Dagmar Krause released by Hannibal Records in 1986. It is a collection of 16 songs by German composers Kurt Weill and Hanns Eisler, with lyrics by Bertolt Brecht and sung by Krause in English...
.