One of their most well-known tunes, the indie anthem “Valerie” was written while the Zutons were touring in Florida, after frontman Dave McCabe met a makeup artist named Valerie Star, who was undergoing legal troubles, referenced in the lyrics “Did you have to go to jail? Put your house up for sale? Did you get a good lawyer?”

On producing the seminal Winehouse cover, Mark Ronson told The Guardian “Valerie was a song Amy loved whenever they played it at her local. We cut a slowed-down version that got the cool, Stonesy swagger. But just as we were packing up, I said: “Guys, you’ll want to kill me, but could we do just another version with a Motown backbeat?”

Speaking with The Independent, Singer McCabe recalls meeting Amy for the first time at a house party in Camden – upon telling a drunken guest to stop bothering him, Amy jumped to the defence of the hanger-on, who was her friend. Both McCabe and Winehouse told each other to “f**k off”, with McAbe storming out of the party, before realizing he had no way to get back home.

Amy then ran out of the party after McCabe, telling him “Come back! I love that song “Valerie”! I didn’t realise it was you who wrote that!’ They then went back to the party on better terms, and the next thing they know Amy had made a cover of their song.

Similarly to Winehouse, the Zutons singer has been in the throes of substance abuse – now sober, he attributes his bands inactivity partly to his former habits: “I was in a world of drug addiction, basically – for a f***ing long time! I had a lot of fun. But then, you know, it got the better of me. And it wasn’t fun anymore. And I started to realise I couldn’t really function outside of that.”

Winehouse and Ronson’s version of “Valerie” was an international hit, reaching the top 40 in multiple countries. When Winehouse passed in 2011, the song caught a second wind of success – McCabe remembers people tastelessly texting him money emojis upon the news of her untimely demise.

17 years after Amy Winehouse covered their song ‘Valerie’, The Zutons have premiered a cover of the late singer’s huge anthem ‘Back to Black’

Watch the video here https://t.co/ONwYw3Op6w

— Absolute Radio (@absoluteradio) December 6, 2024

In an interview with NME, the band said of the cover: “We’ve always been proud of how Amy made ‘Valerie’ her own, and to have the opportunity to honour her in this way feels really special.”

The Zutons are currently on tour supporting singer-songwriter Paul Heaton and have their own UK headline tour scheduled for spring. Tickets are available here.

A BRIT Billion celebrates artists who have gained over one billion digital streams in the United Kingdom over all major streaming platforms and is awarded by the BRIT certified scheme. Launched in 2023, it is the first major award to recognise the culmination of artist’s successes across multiple projects (including tracks they are the sole artist of and have featured on), and streaming sites amongst those such as Spotify, Deezer, Napster and other platforms. It gives a chance for artists to be celebrated for their comprehensive success. In a world where streaming makes up 87.7% of the UK music consumption (according to BPI data in 2023), it is important the music industry revolutionises itself to view streaming on a (somewhat) level playing field with the purchasing of digital or physical tracks and albums.

The award came after streams of the singer’s most-loved songs had skyrocketed over the past few weeks which can be accredited to the biopic hitting cinemas in April. According to Billboard, her parents Mitch and Janis expressed that ‘It’s wonderful that her music is being discovered by new audiences of young people who love it just as much as her contemporaries. We are so proud of Amy. Thank you.’

Despite the spike in streams for the Rehab soul-singer, the film hasn’t been received graciously, scoring a 38% on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics noting that the film seemed ‘too tame, too tasteful, too frightened of alienating the fans: everything that Winehouse was not.’ Some even went as far as to parallel the impersonation of Winehouse herself to something as seen on Saturday night television or an SNL skit.

The film intended to place Winehouse back at the centre of her own life after her passing from accidental alcohol poisoning in 2007 and give a long overdue, true depiction of the ruthlessness of the press towards the Camden singer. Fans and critics alike believe the film fell short of it’s promise to honour Winehouse. Whether the film was too conventional to dive deep into the multifaceted, complex personality of Winehouse and really capture the genius of one of the most significant artists of her time is down to personal opinion, but what we can say for Back to Black is that it’s putting the singer back on the map, if that’s to say she ever fell off in the first place. You can watch the trailer for the movie below.

If you still haven’t had a chance to catch the film in cinemas yet then there is still time, as viewings are showing frequently at any major UK cinema including Odeon, Vue and Cineworld.

Shot by director Paul Gore, the fresh-faced 20-year-old Winehouse can be seen wandering the halls of a swanky, dimly lit hotel carrying a guitar case, which leads her to eventually join a band of musicians in a grand ballroom. The singer-songwriter is followed in a voyeuristic fashion throughout the hotel, with the lens peering at her through bannisters and capturing her laughing, posing and causing mischief in one of the bedrooms.

However, her famous beehive hairdo is nowhere to be seen as the clips predate her ‘Back to Black’ era. Instead, it captures her in the early days of her 2003 debut album ‘Frank’ for which she received an Ivor Novello award for achievements in songwriting. The album was re-released as a deluxe edition in 2008, and was reissued on vinyl in 2015 following the release of the documentary film about her life the same year, simply titled ‘Amy’.

A new biopic about Winehouse is also set to hit cinemas this April. Directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson, the film ‘Back to Black’ will focus on her rambunctious relationship with ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil, and how it inspired her to write such a groundbreaking album. The first trailer hit the internet earlier this month to a heavy amount of criticism, with many fans left concerned that the portrayal on screen will not honour her in the way that she deserves.

There is a sense that Winehouse is being presented as a larger-than-life caricature, rather than the vulnerable, complex human being that she was. Others believe that her story should be laid to rest, and that any hardship and pain she suffered should no longer be profited from. Despite the controversy surrounding its release, the Winehouse camp are openly supporting it in its promotion, sharing the trailer across multiple social media channels.

More than a decade on since Winehouse’s tragic death, her presence and significance within music and pop culture is still as prevalent as ever. Last year marked the singer’s 40th birthday, with legendary producer and close friend of Amy, Mark Ronson, paying tribute to her in an Instagram post which featured clips of them working alongside each other in the studio. Her North London stomping ground, Camden, was also the centre of a series of one-off shows celebrating her life, including her original band performing a tribute gig at iconic music venue KOKO last month.

“Happy Birthday Amy,” he posted on Instagram, alongside studio footage of himself listening to the recording session for stone-cold classic “You Know I’m No Good”.

“Today my dad turns 75. Nas turns 50 and Amy would’ve been 40,” Ronson added. “Thinking how me and my dad would’ve partied at Nas & Amy’s amazing joint bday. We miss the Lioness so much but let’s celebrate all the legends with some of her genius.”

Check out the post below:

It has been twelve years since Winehouse passed away at age 27, joining ill-fated music icons such as Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison in the infamous 27 Club. The Grammy Award winner had openly struggled with addiction, often turning to self-destructive drugs before succumbing to alcohol poisoning in 2011.  

Many of the singer’s most popular songs, including “Back To Black”, “Love Is A Losing Game” and “You Know I’m No Good” were co-written or produced with the then up-and-coming Ronson, with whom she forged a close friendship. 

Listen to “Back To Black” below:

When they first met in 2005, introduced to each other by Island Records music executive Darcus Beese, Winehouse was reportedly surprised at how young Ronson was, having expected an older, more seasoned producer. The budding hit-maker had put out one album by that point, a record full of the kind of superficial pop music that Winehouse despised. However, the unlikely pair instantly clicked, and soon began working on the singer’s sophomore album.

In 2021, looking back on his relationship with Winehouse, Ronson told The Guardian: “That connection happened like that […] It was an instant familiarity. I just loved being in her company, her presence. She was just so funny.”

Elsewhere, Winehouse’s band have announced a special show to mark the late singer’s 40th birthday. The one-off gig, which is set to take place at the KOKO venue in the musician’s hometown Camden on December 22, will be headlined by the very same musicians who performed alongside Winehouse from the start of her career until her untimely death.

Get tickets here.