Alabama Song

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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 recorded in 1966 by the rock group 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. Keyboardist Ray Manzarek plays the marxophone on this song along with the organ and keyboard bass.

Personnel

• Jim Morrison - Lead vocals, tambourine, backing vocals
• Robby Krieger - Gibson SG, Backing vocals
• Ray Manzarek - Vox Continental, Marxophone, Keyboard bass, backing vocals
• John Densmore - Drums, backing vocals
• Paul Rothchild - Backing vocals

The Doors' version was used in a short film by Edward Bianchi, "Babies in Makeup", on Saturday Night Live, airing January 23, 1982. In the film, babies and toddlers are dressed up in various costumes and makeup.^[3]

David Bowie version

"Alabama Song"
Single by David Bowie
B-side	Space Oddity
Released	15 February 1980
Format	7" single
Recorded	Good Earth Studios, London, 2 July 1978
Genre	Cabaret, opera
Length	3:51
Label	RCA Records BOW 5
Producer	David Bowie, Tony Visconti
David Bowie singles chronology
"John, I'm Only Dancing (Again)" (1979) "Alabama Song" (1980) "Crystal Japan" (1980)

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".^[4] Nevertheless, backed with a stripped-down acoustic version of "Space Oddity" recorded in December 1979, the single reached #23 in the UK. Pointedly, Bowie also changed the "pretty boys" line, like 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

1. "Alabama Song" (Bertolt Brecht, Kurt Weill) – 3:51
2. "Space Oddity" (acoustic version) (David Bowie) – 4:57

The German 1982 rerelease of the single included "Amsterdam" as an additional B-side.

Production credits

• Producers:
  • Tony Visconti
  • David Bowie

• Musicians:
  • David Bowie: Vocals, Guitar
  • Adrian Belew: Guitar
  • Carlos Alomar: Guitar
  • Simon House: Violin
  • Sean Mayes: Piano
  • Roger Powell: Keyboards
  • George Murray: Bass
  • Dennis Davis: Drums

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

• It was released as the B-side of the Japanese single "Crystal Japan" in February 1980.
• The German release of the single "Ashes to Ashes" in August 1980 had "Alabama Song" as the B-side.
• In 1992 it was released as a bonus track on the Rykodisc reissue of Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps).
• It appeared on the compilation The Singles Collection in 1993 and on The Best of David Bowie 1980/1987 in 2005.

Selective list of recorded versions

The song has often been covered:

• Jazz musicians Eric Dolphy and John Lewis recorded an album of Kurt Weill tunes in 1964. "Alabama Song" was performed by a band consisting of Dolphy on bass clarinet, Lewis on piano, Nick Travis on trumpet, Mike Zwerin on trombone, Richard Davis on double bass, and Connie Kay on drums. The solo order is trombone, piano, and bass clarinet. Zwerin asked Dolphy to "play what [he] felt about Alabama".
• 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." ^[5]
• 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^[6]
• 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.