Three Little Birds
Bob Marley & The WailersDecember 2017Newbridge Memo
One of the most requested songs we get, and one of the easiest to get wrong.
Three Little Birds is so familiar that it can slide into wallpaper. The reggae feel is also harder to play convincingly than it looks - the emphasis sits in an unusual place, and a band that plays it squarely ends up with something stiff that sounds like a pub covers version. The Apple Tree Theory sidestep the problem by not attempting the reggae feel at all, and treating it as a straight acoustic song with the rhythm implied rather than stated.
It turns up constantly at weddings, usually during a drinks reception or an outdoor part of the day, and occasionally as an aisle song. Because it is warm rather than sentimental it works for couples who want something recognisable without it being heavy going.
We have a second version of this from an afternoon slot at the Abergavenny Food Festival, played as a duo, if you want to hear how much the arrangement moves depending on the setting.
Filmed at Newbridge Memo, December 2017.
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The Brotherhood are a Newport-based South Wales function band, playing weddings, parties and corporate events across Wales and the West.
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