Perfect Country Music Feels in Alabama’s “The Church in the Wildwood”

Country music band, Alabama, recorded “The Church on the Wildwood” as part of their Angels Among Us: Hymns & Gospel Favorites album that ranked #2 on the US Billboard Top Christian Albums.

The band was formed in 1969 in Alabama, hence their group name. Lead singer Randy Owens records and performs Alabama’s songs with his cousin, Terry Gentry, and Jeff Cook. The trio’s musical concept is mainly inspired by country music, evident in their songs’ harmonies, vocals, lyrics, and overall feel.

With over 75 million records sold globally, Alabama became one of the best-selling bands of all time. Ever since their debut in the 1980s, they recorded seven multi-platinum albums and were inducted in 2019 into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum.

About the Song

“The Church in the Wildwood,” recorded by Alabama, is slightly different from the original versions.

Dr. William Pitts wrote the song in 1857 about a church near the town, originally known as the “Little Brown Church.” Pitts had imagined a church in a particular spot near the woodlands where he stopped by. Upon returning to the area, he saw a newly-built church painted brown.

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Alabama’s version of “The Church in the Wildwood,” at first listen, hints at country music with the prominent sounds of the piano and banjo. The track perfectly combines the trio’s vocals as they frequently harmonize throughout the church, even though it’s just in small parts.

“The Church in the Wildwood” popularized the area as tourists flock to the place every year to see or get married in the “Little Brown Church in the vale.”

Listen to Alabama’s rendition of the song right here.