Alabama is arguably the most successful band in country music history. And on this day in 1984, the group saw one of what would become their career-defining songs top the country charts.
“If You’re Gonna Play in Texas (You Gotta Have a Fiddle in the Band)” was Alabama‘s 14th No. 1 song. And it was never supposed to be a single.
Written by Dan Mitchell and Murry Kellum, “If You’re Gonna Play in Texas (You Gotta Have a Fiddle in the Band)” was the B-side to “I’m Not That Way Anymore,” the third single from their 1984 album Roll On. But when radio executives heard the infectious fiddle-driven tune, they preferred it to the heavy mid-tempo, as did fans.
Luckily for the band, their guitarist, Jeff Cook, was a highly accomplished fiddle player and could easily cover the parts. They even name-checked him in the song.
Videos by American Songwriter
Alabama: No Fiddlin’ Around
Lyrics include: So we dusted off our boots and put our cowboy hats on straight/ Them Texans raised the roof when Jeff opened up his case/ You say y’all all want to two-step, you say ya want to doe-si-doe/ Well, here’s a fiddlin’ song before we go
Lyrics also incorporated references to other fiddle songs, including bluegrass-folk standard “Cotton-Eye Joe,” “Faded Love” by Bob Wills, and “Louisiana Man” by Doug Kershaw.
If you’re gonna play in Texas/ You gotta have a fiddle in the band/ That lead guitar is hot/ But not for “Louisiana man”/ So rosin up that bow for “faded love”/ And let’s all dance/ If you’re gonna play in Texas/ You gotta have a fiddle in the band
It was a foot-stompin’ summer song that fit the steamy season, but fan reaction initially upset members, which in addition to Cook, included singer Randy Owen and bassist Teddy Gentry. The band had recently concluded a long residency and launched a major tour that included stops in Texas. The Lone Star audience flooded the dance floor during the song, which members thought meant they weren’t listening to the music.
Alabama Thought Fans Hated It
In fact, it was the opposite. RCA Records had signed Alabama, and their promotion manager, Wayne Edwards, explained that dancing meant fans enjoyed the music, especially in Texas. Edwards explained that fiddle songs were familiar in Texas and that the audience was likely expecting one. When the band delivered, fans were excited. The explanation led Alabama to further incorporate Cook’s fiddle skills into their music and to crank it up even more in Texas.
Alabama charted 43 No. 1 hits throughout their career. The group’s other signature songs include “Mountain Music,” “Dixieland Delight,” “My Home’s In Alabama,” and their first chart-topper, “Tennessee River.”
The group is still on tour, although fans will see Megan Mullins playing fiddle for Alabama these days. Cook, who co-founded the band with Owen and Gentry, died in November of 2022 following an extended battle with Parkinson’s disease. He wanted the group to keep touring in his absence.
Pioneer Country Band
But more than a slew of hits and ageless songs, Alabama introduced the concept of a self-contained band into country music. Their country/Southern rock style was considered edgy, and they played their own instruments. Until then, the format was familiar with vocal groups like The Statler Brothers and the Oak Ridge Boys.
Joe Galante, a longtime record label executive at RCA Nashville and who was there when RCA signed Alabama to the label in 1980, attributes the group’s “timelessness” to Owen’s vocals, the trio’s harmonies, and its “signature guitar sound.”
“Their recordings always brought a range of emotions because they were so honest,” Galante says. “Generations have grown up with the music and had kids (who now stream Alabama songs).”
(Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum)
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