"3 a.m. Eternal" is a song by the British acid house group The KLF. Numerous versions of the song were released as singles between 1989 and 1992. In January 1991, an acid house pop version of the song became an international top ten hit single, reaching number-one on the UK Singles Chart and number five on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and leading to The KLF becoming the internationally biggest-selling singles band of 1991. When, the following year, The KLF accepted an invitation to perform at the 1992 BRIT Awards ceremony, they caused controversy with a succession of anti-establishment gestures that included a duet performance of "3 a.m. Eternal" with the crust punk bandExtreme Noise Terror, during which The KLF co-founder Bill Drummond fired machine-gunblanks over the audience of music industry luminaries. A studio-produced version of this song was issued as a limited editionmail order7" single, the final release by The KLF and their independent record label, KLF Communications. In 2003, Q Magazine ranked "3 a.m. Eternal" at number 150 in their list of the "1001 Best Songs Ever".
Origins
The original 1989 12" single release constituted the second of The KLF's "Pure Trance" series. There were two issues, numbered 005T and 005R.
Stadium House version
A version heavily reworked for a mainstream audience, "3 a.m. Eternal ", was issued in January 1991 and reached number one on the UK singles chart and number five on the US Billboard Hot 100. This version had a rap by Ricardo da Force. Although a lot of crowd noise appears on the mix, it is in fact a purely studio-based creation. The "S.S.L." in the subtitle refers to a Solid State Logicmixing desk. The seven inch version of this mix appears on the albumThe White Room. The main B-side was a dub-based version of the same song, "3 a.m. Eternal ", featuring the bassline from The Clash's "Guns of Brixton". Concurrent with the chart-topping version, yet another 12" was released, with resolutely underground remixes by The Moody Boys.
Music video
There are two video versions for the SSL video. The American version includes an opening with a travel through the mythical "Land of Mu Mu" where the KLF are performing inside a pyramid scenery with singers in a stadium. The European version shows the KLF vehicle voyage around London with rapper Ricardo da Force singing in the backseat and a rave showing in the background.
The KLF vs Extreme Noise Terror
In January 1992, The KLF released a limited edition mail order only single containing a new version of "3 a.m." featuring the grindcore/crust punk band Extreme Noise Terror. The two bands instead performed a live version of the song at the BRIT Awards ceremony in February 1992. The Brits performance included a limping, kilted, cigar-chomping Drummond firing blanks from an automatic weapon over the heads of the crowd. After viewing the rehearsals, the NME writer Danny Kelly said: "Compared to what's preceded it, this is a turbo-powered metallic wolf breaking into a coop full of particularly sick doves... And the noise? Well, the noise is hardcore punk thrash through a disco Techno hit played by crusties. All bases covered, brilliantly. Clever, clever bastards." At the end of the performance, Scott Piering announced to a stunned crowd that "The KLF have now left the music business". Within a few months, they did just that - their records were deleted and The KLF retired from the industry. Kelly later described the Brits performance as The KLF's "self-destruction in an orgy of punk rock..., mock outrage... and real bad taste".
Critical reception
The "Pure Trance Original" was described by Record Mirror as a "euro-flavoured deep house pulser" with atmospheric chanting and a "cathedral-like resonance". In a January 1991 feature on The KLF, NME writer Roger Morton described the "Pure Trance Original" as a "classic club track" and the "Live at the S.S.L." version as "murderously powerful". As Record Mirror 's "Single of the Week", the "Live at the S.S.L." version was regarded as "a magnificent pulsating beast combining bleeps and body heat". Appraising the track retrospectively in 2000, The Guardian referred to the "Live at the S.S.L." version as an "epic pop masterpiece". Complex commented that "the message is universal: Time is eternal." Tom Ewing of Freaky Trigger described is as a "awe-inpsiring, colossal, unprecedented dancefloor bulldozer". Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report wrote, "Production wizardry from these techno-talents earns three stars for a highly original effort. A #1 track in their native England, it's won over audiences throughout Europe and stands to do the same in North America. Strengthened by a video that is nothing short of exceptional, it's getting major exposure on MTV with five plays a day in "Buzz Bin" rotation." In 2020, The Guardian ranked the song at number 23 in their list of "The 100 greatest UK No 1s".
Formats and track listings
"3 a.m. Eternal " was aired as a UK 12" single in May 1989. "3 a.m. Eternal " was given an international release as a single on 7 January 1991. A single of remixes by The Moody Boys was given a limited release a week later. In January 1992, a one-sided 7" single of The KLF's collaboration with Extreme Noise Terror was released via mail order only, a limited pressing of 1000 copies. Key
