Artists & Bands

Amy Winehouse | Tunes + Guitar Lessons

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Amy Winehouse: Should Have Gone to Rehab!

Amy Winehouse only released two albums, but both left a lasting impact on music. Her debut, Frank, was heavily jazz-influenced and featured one notable tune, Stronger Than Me. While it didn’t chart very well, the track launched Amy’s career and earned her an Ivor Novello Award, marking her first major recognition.

Frank made everyone sit up and take notice: who was this new Jewish jazz singer from London? Released in 2003, it set the stage for her follow-up, Back to Black, three years later. Recorded with Mark Ronson in five studios across Miami, New York, and London, Back to Black instantly transformed Amy into a global superstar.

I once met the Island Records A&R man in charge of the album, Darcus Besee, who shared a crucial lesson from the experience: never rush anything, and keep going until it’s perfect. The five studios were a testament to this philosophy, and it’s clear that Darcus got it right—Back to Black is often regarded as the best British album released in this century.

Of course, the album’s brilliance is all down to the tunes. The five singles—Rehab, You Know I’m No Good, Back to Black, Tears Dry on Their Own (heavily inspired by Ain’t No Mountain High Enough), and Love Is a Losing Game—are now all considered classics.

Amy Winehouse Tunes: The Album That Should Have Been

Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black isn’t the only album where her raw talent shines. The album track Me & Mr. Jones is another gem, and let’s not forget Valerie, recorded around the same time and released as “Mark Ronson featuring Amy Winehouse.” It went on to become the biggest U.K. hit of the decade, played at weddings ever since—sometimes even twice!

Amy’s covers also deserve mention—Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow and I Heard It Through The Grapevine showcase her ability to make any song her own. She was one of those rare singers who could probably sing the phone book and we’d still love it. Give her a great tune, and she belongs in the same conversation as legends like Aretha Franklin.

Sadly, Amy never got to make her third album. Reports say she wanted to take it in a reggae direction, but her label didn’t support the idea. I, for one, would have loved to hear it—can you imagine an Amy Winehouse version of Exodus? It would have been glorious…

On July 23, 2011, Amy was pronounced dead from alcohol poisoning. She joined the 27 Club, an informal list of musicians and actors who all died at that age, including Robert Johnson, Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, and Kurt Cobain.

There are many theories about who or what is to blame—her husband, the paparazzi, a new manager who some rumours claim was also her dealer, or even her father. But what is indisputable is that we lost one of the most talented singer-songwriters of our time in 2011. Amy should have gone to rehab.