Following her tragic passing on July 23, 2011, some of the producers and musicians who worked closely with 5x Grammy Award winning artist Amy Winehouse, among them Salaam Remi and Mark Ronson, spent time listening over the many recordings that Amy had made, before, during, and after the release of albums Frank and Back To Black. It was said by all who worked with Amy that she never sang or played a song the same way twice. It quickly became apparent to both Salaam and Mark that they had a collection of songs that deserved to be heard, a collection of songs that were a fitting testament to Amy the artist and, as importantly, Amy their friend.
The album, Lioness: Hidden Treasures, the third album from Amy Winehouse, without question one of the most talented, original, and best loved artists to emerge in popular music for decades, will be released in the United States on December 6th through Universal Republic Records. The 12 track collection features previously unreleased tracks, alternate versions of existing classics as well as a couple of brand new Amy compositions, and has been compiled by long-time musical partners Salaam Remi and Mark Ronson in close association with Amy's family, management and UK record label Island Records. Lioness: Hidden Treasures proves a fitting tribute to the artist, the talent and the woman, and serves as a reminder of Amy's extraordinary powers as a songwriter, a singer and an interpreter of classics.
After hearing the album Amy's father Mitch Winehouse had this to say: "I spent so much time chasing after Amy, telling her off that I never realized what a true genius she was. It wasn't until I sat down with the rest of the family and listened to this album that I fully appreciated the breadth of Amy's talent, from jazz standards to hip hop songs, it really took my breath away. "Halftime", I'd never heard before, is just incredibly beautiful. If the family had felt that this album wasn't up to the standard of Frank and Back To Black we would never have agreed to release it. We believe it will stand as a fitting tribute to Amy `s musical legacy."
A portion of the proceeds from the sales of the album will go to the Amy Winehouse Foundation.
"Our Day Will Come (Reggae Version)" and "Like Smoke" featuring Nas are among the first singles featured at radio this week.
Lioness: Hidden Treasures track-listing:
"Our Day Will Come (Reggae Version)" - reggae re-working of classic 60's doo wop song produced by Salaam Remi. Recorded May 2002.
"Between The Cheats" - new Amy composition recorded in London in May 2008 for potential inclusion on album three produced by Salaam Remi.
"Tears Dry" - originally written by Amy as a ballad, this is the original version she recorded in November 2005 in Miami with Salaam. The later uptempo version appears on "Back To Black".
"Wake Up Alone" - the first song recorded for the "Back To Black" sessions. This is the one-take demo recorded in March 2006 by Paul O'Duffy.
"Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" - Amy's beautiful reading of the Carole King written Shirelles classic. Produced by Mark Ronson and featuring the Dap Kings with string arrangements by Chris Elliott who did all the strings for Mark's tracks on "Back To Black". Recorded in September 2004.
"Valerie" - one of Amy's jukebox favorites. This is the original slower tempo version of the Mark Ronson produced post "Back To Black" single. Recorded in December 2006.
"Like Smoke" featuring NAS - Amy and Nas became really good friends after Amy name checked the New York rapper on "Back To Black's" "Me & Mr Jones". "Like Smoke" is finally Amy doing a song with one of her favorite artists. Produced by Salaam Remi. Recorded in May 2008.
"The Girl From Ipanema" - the first song the 18 year old Amy sang when she first went to Miami to record with Salaam. Salaam remarked that "the way she re-interpreted this bossa nova classic made me realise that I was dealing with a very special talent. Her approach to the song was so young and fresh, it really inspired the rest of our sessions." Recorded in May 2002.
"Halftime" - Amy had talked to Ahmir `Questlove' Thompson of the Roots about working together. "Halftime" is a song that Amy and Salaam had worked on since the Frank sessions. The result is beautiful. Recorded in August 2002.
"Best Friends" - "Frank" era live set opener produced by Salaam Remi. Probably the first song that early Amy fans would have heard live. Recorded in February 2003.
"Body & Soul" with Tony Bennett - cover of 30's jazz standard with hero Tony Bennett. Recorded at Abbey Road Studios London in March 2011 and produced by Phil Ramone. Amy's final studio recording.
"A Song For You" - heartbreaking and emotional version of the Leon Russell classic made famous by Donny Hathaway. Hathaway was Amy's all-time favorite artist and the song was recorded in one take, just Amy and her guitar, at her home in London during the spring of 2009 as she battled her demons. Produced by Salaam Remi.
Back to Black Music Artist : Amy Winehouse Music Label : Republic Release Date : 2007-03-13 Artistopia's Price :$11.99
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Hailed by Newsweek Magazine as a cross between Billie Holiday and Lauryn Hill, British soul singer Amy Winehouse's U.S. debut, Back To Black hits the US amid a flurry of accolades, radio and TV buzz unprecedented in recent years for a young siren.
Her brassy mix of emotive vocals tinged with 60's girl-group stylings, sly funk, and anguished jazz, sparked the New York Daily News to crown Back To Black a "marvelous debut that would do Etta James proud" while New Yorker Magazine called her "a fierce English performer whose voice combines the smoky depths of a jazz chanteuse with the heated passion of a soul singer," and Spin Magazine affirming "there's never been A British star quite like her."
Back To Black smolders with a bristling fusion of old school doo-wop/soul inflected uprisings, (the charismatic singer/songwriter wrote or co-wrote all of the songs on the album) brewing instant classics such as the Shirley Ellis influenced "Rehab," the Supremes tinged title song "Back To Black," the aching "Wake Up Alone," and the album's closer, "Addicted."
Frank Music Artist : Amy Winehouse Music Label : Universal Republic Release Date : 2007-11-20 Artistopia's Price :$11.20
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With her debut album Frank, Amy Winehouse proves to be one of the most original, honest, and brave singer/songwriters to emerge in recent years. Over the course of the 13 songs, she manages to do everything required of a classic album. This is a stark piece of work, comprising husky, frequently sexually charged vocals, painfully honest lyrics and soft trumpets, laidback beats, and sparse guitar work. It seems that soulful jazz doesn't always have to be bland--it can also be playful, twisted, and arrogant ("Amy Amy Amy"). "F*** Me Pumps" charts a seemingly guilt-free act of infidelity: "What do you expect when you leave me here alone?" she asks coyly, as if by way of justifiable explanation. "You wouldn't want me to be lonely," she adds. You can't help warming to her, despite what she's saying. A unique sense of humour (how rare in music now) and a no-bull attitude make for an interesting, compelling debut. Frank? Yes, but refreshingly so. You wouldn't want her for a girlfriend, but as a life companion she may yet prove indispensable. --Cortman Virtue
This 2 CD Deluxe set features Amy's first album "Frank" and a second disc that features 17 previously unheard songs. These include original demos for the "Frank" sessions, B-sides and remixes. Between the two discs there are 29 songs here!!
Back to Black Music Artist : Amy Winehouse Music Label : Universal Import Release Date : 2007-12-19 Artistopia's Price :$16.35
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As well as the classic original version of `Back to Black', which includes the hit singles `Rehab', `You Know I'm No Good' and `Tears Dry On Their Own', the album is presented here with a bonus disc of 8 tracks; bringing together live recordings, demos and B-sides. This 2disc set also features the Mark Ronson hit single `Valerie'.
Jukebox Music Artist : Amy Winehouse Music Label : CHROME DREAMS Release Date : 2011-12-06 Artistopia's Price :$11.93
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In her tragically short career, Amy Winehouse gave the world a glimpse of what might have been. For a few years her star burned brightly, before the 27-year old with the soulful voice and emotionally drenched lyrics was fatally undone by her own personal demons. This CD includes 26 Amy's favourite tracks, from Ella Fitzgerald to Phil Spector, via Bebop, Soul, Rhythm & Blues, Motown and many other styles. This compilation is a tribute to Amy's music and represents the sounds which bought her happiness, joy and inspiration during a life lived with the type of gusto most of us can barely imagine.
US version includes one exclusive 'hidden' bonus track, 'You Know I'm No Good' (featuring Ghostface Killah). 'Back To Black' is the second album from London-based chanteuse Amy Winehouse. Although her 2003 debut was a success, her rowdy offstage behavior became the focus of tabloids and critics instead of the music. Because of this, Winehouse stepped out of the spotlight and concentrated on putting the focus back on her music. Three years later, her sophomore release has surprised critics and excited her fanbase. Combining a strong, Jazzy vocal style with often frank lyrical content recounting tales of love and loss, Winehouse is a truly talented songwriter with a good ear for melody, making this album an essential purchase. Includes the single 'Rehab'. Universal. 2007.
Following her tragic passing on July 23, 2011, some of the producers and musicians who worked closely with 5x Grammy Award winning artist Amy Winehouse, among them Salaam Remi and Mark Ronson, spent time listening over the many recordings that Amy had made, before, during, and after the release of albums Frank and Back To Black. It was said by all who worked with Amy that she never sang or played a song the same way twice. It quickly became apparent to both Salaam and Mark that they had a collection of songs that deserved to be heard, a collection of songs that were a fitting testament to Amy the artist and, as importantly, Amy their friend.
The album, Lioness: Hidden Treasures, the third album from Amy Winehouse, without question one of the most talented, original, and best loved artists to emerge in popular music for decades, will be released in the United States on December 6th through Universal Republic Records. The 12 track collection features previously unreleased tracks, alternate versions of existing classics as well as a couple of brand new Amy compositions, and has been compiled by long-time musical partners Salaam Remi and Mark Ronson in close association with Amy's family, management and UK record label Island Records. Lioness: Hidden Treasures proves a fitting tribute to the artist, the talent and the woman, and serves as a reminder of Amy's extraordinary powers as a songwriter, a singer and an interpreter of classics.
After hearing the album Amy's father Mitch Winehouse had this to say: "I spent so much time chasing after Amy, telling her off that I never realized what a true genius she was. It wasn't until I sat down with the rest of the family and listened to this album that I fully appreciated the breadth of Amy's talent, from jazz standards to hip hop songs, it really took my breath away. "Halftime", I'd never heard before, is just incredibly beautiful. If the family had felt that this album wasn't up to the standard of Frank and Back To Black we would never have agreed to release it. We believe it will stand as a fitting tribute to Amy `s musical legacy."
A portion of the proceeds from the sales of the album will go to the Amy Winehouse Foundation.
"Our Day Will Come (Reggae Version)" and "Like Smoke" featuring Nas are among the first singles featured at radio this week.
Lioness: Hidden Treasures track-listing:
"Our Day Will Come (Reggae Version)" - reggae re-working of classic 60's doo wop song produced by Salaam Remi. Recorded May 2002.
"Between The Cheats" - new Amy composition recorded in London in May 2008 for potential inclusion on album three produced by Salaam Remi.
"Tears Dry" - originally written by Amy as a ballad, this is the original version she recorded in November 2005 in Miami with Salaam. The later uptempo version appears on "Back To Black".
"Wake Up Alone" - the first song recorded for the "Back To Black" sessions. This is the one-take demo recorded in March 2006 by Paul O'Duffy.
"Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" - Amy's beautiful reading of the Carole King written Shirelles classic. Produced by Mark Ronson and featuring the Dap Kings with string arrangements by Chris Elliott who did all the strings for Mark's tracks on "Back To Black". Recorded in September 2004.
"Valerie" - one of Amy's jukebox favorites. This is the original slower tempo version of the Mark Ronson produced post "Back To Black" single. Recorded in December 2006.
"Like Smoke" featuring NAS - Amy and Nas became really good friends after Amy name checked the New York rapper on "Back To Black's" "Me & Mr Jones". "Like Smoke" is finally Amy doing a song with one of her favorite artists. Produced by Salaam Remi. Recorded in May 2008.
"The Girl From Ipanema" - the first song the 18 year old Amy sang when she first went to Miami to record with Salaam. Salaam remarked that "the way she re-interpreted this bossa nova classic made me realise that I was dealing with a very special talent. Her approach to the song was so young and fresh, it really inspired the rest of our sessions." Recorded in May 2002.
"Halftime" - Amy had talked to Ahmir `Questlove' Thompson of the Roots about working together. "Halftime" is a song that Amy and Salaam had worked on since the Frank sessions. The result is beautiful. Recorded in August 2002.
"Best Friends" - "Frank" era live set opener produced by Salaam Remi. Probably the first song that early Amy fans would have heard live. Recorded in February 2003.
"Body & Soul" with Tony Bennett - cover of 30's jazz standard with hero Tony Bennett. Recorded at Abbey Road Studios London in March 2011 and produced by Phil Ramone. Amy's final studio recording.
"A Song For You" - heartbreaking and emotional version of the Leon Russell classic made famous by Donny Hathaway. Hathaway was Amy's all-time favorite artist and the song was recorded in one take, just Amy and her guitar, at her home in London during the spring of 2009 as she battled her demons. Produced by Salaam Remi.
X-posed Music Artist : Amy Winehouse Music Label : CHROME DREAMS Release Date : 2011-11-08 Artistopia's Price :$13.31
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Amy Winehouse X-Posed pays tribute to a performer whose music touched the lives of so many people. Featuring over an hour of interviews with the girl herself made at various points throughout her career, during which she discusses everything from the artists that inspired her unique style to the personal stories that lie behind many of her most popular songs and the controversies that so frequently attracted the wrong kind of attention. Packaged in deluxe slipcase and with booklets and poster - all featuring rare photographs - this set honours the memory of a true pop icon.