Exile on Coldharbour Lane explained
Exile on Coldharbour Lane is the debut album by Alabama 3, released on 11 November 1997 on One Little Indian and Geffen. The name and cover are references to Exile on Main St. by The Rolling Stones and Coldharbour Lane a major street in Brixton, South London best known for containing several after-hours clubs and not a few drug dealers.[1] Recording sessions took place from March to June 1997. Exile on Coldharbour Lane did not chart on any album charts in the United States. The song "Sister Rosetta" was featured in the film Barnyard. "Woke Up This Morning" is best known as the opening theme music for the television series, The Sopranos, which used the "Chosen One Mix" of that song. "Woke Up This Morning" was later sampled by Nas on "Got Ur Self A..." from the album Stillmatic.
Reception
Upon its release, Exile on Coldharbour Lane received favorable reviews, including an 8.9 review from Pitchfork Media. A review in Cherwell said there were "many highlights on this bizarre journey of an album", praising 'Ain't Going To Goa' and 'Mao Tse Tung Said' but describing 'Purple Tin' as "awful [...] pure bar room schmaltz".[2]
In a 2008 article in The Guardian, Irvine Welsh said the techno and country and western fusion was "astonishingly bold" and called it an "incendiary debut album".[3]
Personnel
Alabama 3
- Larry Love (Rob Spragg) – vocals
- The Very Reverend Dr. D. Wayne Love (First Minister of the First Presleyterian Church of Elvis the Divine (UK)) (Jake Black) – vocals
- The Mountain of Love (Piers Marsh) – analogue terrorism, harmonica, jaw's harp & vocals
- Sir Real "Congaman" Love L.S.D. O.P.T. (Simon Edwards) – percussion, acoustic guitar
- Mississippi Guitar Love – guitar
- L.B. Dope (Johnny Delafons) – drums
- The Spirit (Orlando Harrison) – keyboards
- The Book of Love (Security), I.V. Lenin (Socialism in the Mainline), Lady Love and Little Eye Tie – D. Wayne's Ladies
Technical
- Produced by The Ministers at Work and Boss Hogg
- Engineered by John Wilkinson at The Steamroom and The Dairy
- Mixed by Andy Wallace at The Town House
- Track 3 contains an element of "Tell Me" performed by Howlin Wolf, a sample from "Standing at the Burying Ground" by Mississippi Fred McDowell and a sample from "Mannish Boy" by Muddy Waters.
- Track 8 contains elements from "Honey Hush" performed by Johnny Burnett & The Rock 'n' Roll Trio.
- Track 11 contains samples from "Oh in That Morning" by The Reverend BC Campbell and "Wrapped Up and Tangled Up" by The Reverend Charlie Jackson.
Notes
- "Woke Up This Morning" is well known as the opening theme music for the HBO drama series The Sopranos, although the mix used for the show is different from the one on this album. This version is called Chosen One Mix.
- "Mao Tse Tung Said" features a lengthy sample from the cult leader Jim Jones.
- The second track is a cover version of John Prine's "Speed of the Sound of Loneliness".
- "The Old Purple Tin (9% of Pure Heaven)" is about Tennent's Super, a 9% a.b.v. Scottish beer that comes in a purple can, which makes its consumers appear purple when aged and weathered, and thus deserves its reputation for being the drink of choice of the vagrant.
- "Ain't Goin' to Goa" features the Reverend D. Wayne Love's description of A3's style: "sweet, pretty, country acid house music."
Notes and References
- News: Brixton: Ghetto fabulous . dealers hassle you as soon as you turn left from the station, mithering until the corner of Coldharbour Lane and beyond. . . London . April 24, 2005 . May 2, 2010.
- News: Guy Marks. Speed of Sound: Alabama 3 - Exit on Coldharbour Lane. . 219 . 7 . 21 November 1997 . 12.
- Web site: Irvine Welsh . Irvine Welsh . 'We're amazed we're still alive' . . 23 November 2023 . 21 April 2008.
