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Alabama 3 Made 'No Real Money' From Writing Iconic Sopranos Theme Tune

Alabama 3 Made 'No Real Money' From Writing Iconic Sopranos Theme Tune

The band sold it to HBO for just $500 - before the show went on to be a worldwide hit.

Simon Binns

Simon Binns

The band behind the iconic Sopranos theme tune made 'no real money' from the song - after agreeing to give it to HBO for just $500.

Alabama Three's 1997 track Woke Up This Morning has become almost as famous as the show itself, as it plays over the opening credits as James Gandolfini's character Tony Soprano drives down the New Jersey freeway.

But songwriter Larry Love (real name Rob Spragg) said the song was only picked by show creator David Chase 'by accident' - and the band agreed to the cut-price deal because HBO, and the show itself, was virtually unknown.

"David was driving down that same bit of freeway that you see on the opening credits and Woke Up This Morning came on the radio. He just thought it fitted the vibe of the show. When he tried to find us, he thought there were three of us, from Alabama. When he find out it was a Scotsman and a Welshmen living in London, pretending to be Elvis, he didn't really know what to think.

Love (centre) with his Alabama 3 bandmates
Love (centre) with his Alabama 3 bandmates

"We agreed to let HBO use it for about $500. HBO was just a tiny thing then. Nobody knew the show was going to be this huge thing for 25 years. Over the years we had lawyers look at it, telling us to go for more copyright, But it's been nice to watch the song take on its own life. It belongs to the show now."

The show went on to air 86 episodes over six seasons and was a critically claimed hit - with some calling it the greatest TV show ever made.

Love said that royalties over the years probably amounted to 'around £300K', which had bought them something really valuable.

"It's not money in the bank," he said. "I don't live in a castle. I still live in the same part of Brixton. But what it bought us was a career, and the chance to carry on being experimental and making the kind of music we want. It allowed us to be creative. And so many fans of the band came to us because of that song."

The song is based on a real life murder trial - the case of Sara Thornton, who killed her abusive alcoholic husband in 1989. She was initially convicted of murder, but at a 1996 retrial, her lawyer argued that she was a victim of domestic violence and was acting in self defence. Her charge was downgraded to manslaughter, and she was freed.

Larry Love says the band still love playing the track live
Larry Love says the band still love playing the track live

"She stabbed him to death," said Love. "After years of abuse, she just had enough. So she woke up one morning and decided to go and get herself a knife. That would have been the lyric, but it didn't quite sound right, so we changed it to gun. The rest is history."

The band played at a Soprano's fan convention in New Jersey in November, and could feature at an April event in Atlantic City - where fans gather with cast members of the show.

"It was mad," said Love. "Five thousand fans a day. We're up there playing the song then getting mobbed afterwards. The guy who plays Paulie Walnuts is there, and he comes up to us and gives me the kiss on both cheeks. Your song belongs to us now, he said. Your song belongs to the family!

"We still love playing that song.It's forever dedicated to James (Gandolfini) now."

Love said they were thinking of recording a Motown version, to feature in the upcoming Sopranos prequel The Many Saints Of Newark - which comes out next year and features Gandolfini's son, Michael, as a young Tony.

"Nothing's been agreed yet," says Love. "There are some options."

The song took on extra poignancy earlier this year, after the band lost singer Jake Black. He died aged 59 after falling ill at a show.

"I miss him every day. I imagine he's up there with James Gandolfini, setting the world to rights" he says. "And Elvis, of course."

Alabama 3 are currently touring 1997 album Exile On Cold Harbour Lane. You can get tickets here.


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