Alabama Song
The "Alabama Song" (also known as "Whisky Bar" or "Moon over Alabama" or "Moon of Alabama") 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 and blues. The song was first performed and recorded by the Viennese actress and dancer Lotte Lenya (Weill's wife). She first publicly sang the song as the character Jessie in the 1927 Baden-Baden Festival performance of Mahagonny Songspiel. Lenya first recorded the song in 1930 for the Ultraphon record label. This recording was released to coincide with the Leipzig premiere of Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny despite the fact that Lenya was not a member of the cast.[1] Lenya continued to perform and record the song throughout her life.
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. The English text was made by Brecht’s close collaborator, Elisabeth Hauptmann, on the author’s behalf. The text dates back to 1925.[2]
The Doors version
The song was covered in 1967 by rock band The Doors (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.
David Bowie version
Bowie, a Brecht fan, incorporated the song into Isolar II, his 1978 World Tour. He cut a version at Tony 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.
With unconventional key changes, the track "seemed calculated to disrupt any radio programme on which it was lucky enough to get played".[3] Nevertheless, backed with a stripped-down acoustic version of "Space Oddity" recorded in December 1979, the single reached #23 in the UK. Pointedly, Bowie did not change the "pretty boys" line, unlike Morrison.
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.
Track listing
- "Alabama Song" (Bertolt Brecht, Kurt Weill) – 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
Live versions
- A live version recorded at Philadelphia Spectrum in April 1978 was released as a bonus track on the Rykodisc reissue of the live album Stage.
Other releases
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 Ronk (of the Greenwich Village folk movement), in 1964 and 1992.
- Jacques Higelin, French singer, covered the song with Catherine Sauvage, on his LP devoted to Boris Vian 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 Westbrook, British jazz musician, featured the song in performances of his Brass Band in the 1970s, with lyrics by his wife Kate (formerly Barnard).
- Bette Midler. The song was included in a medley in her 1977 live show and double album Live at Last.
- Abwärts, the song featured in the 1980 EP Computerstaat by German punk band.
- Dalida, 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." [4]
- Električni Orgazam, Serbian rock band recorded a version on their 1982 album Lisce Prekriva Lisabon.
- Nina Simone, live at Ronnie Scott's in 1984.
- Moni Ovadia, the Italo-Bulgarian actor, in 1997, included the song in his album Ballata di fine millennio[5]
- Ute Lemper in 1991: Ute Lemper Sings Kurt Weill
- The Young Gods covered it on their 1991 release The Young Gods Play Kurt Weill, with the lyrics "Show us the way to the next little girl".
- David Johansen covered the song on a compilation of Kurt Weill's music entitled September Songs - The Music of Kurt Weill, released in 1997.
- Marianne Faithfull performed this song in the 20th century blues album in 1997
- eX-Girl, the Japanese band covered the song on the album Big When Far, Small When Close in 2000
- Kazik Staszewski covered the song by interpreting the lyrics and adding a new verse. Moreover the song was performed in rock 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 Bridgewater recorded the song on an album This Is New in 2002
- Marilyn Manson covered the song live in a show in Berlin in 2003.
- The Bobs, American a Cappella quartet recorded an arrangement of the song on their 2005 album "Rhapsody in Bob"
- Arthur H., 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 Raabe 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 Neuburg 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 Trovesi and Gianni Coscia 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 Krause, former Henry Cow member recorded a version (as well as several other songs written by Bertolt Brecht) on her 1986 solo album, Supply and Demand.
References
Nicholas Pegg (2000). The Complete David Bowie. London: Reynolds & Hearn. ISBN 1-903111-14-5.
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