Amy Winehouse Mix CD

There are four musicians/artists who can consistently kill a productive session at my Mac and send me down hours-long YouTube rabbit holes. If you’ve been reading this site you can probably name three of them: D’Angelo, Prince, and Anderson .Paak. You may be surprised to hear that the fourth is Amy Winehouse. A week ago I was watching something on YouTube and a video of 19-year-old Amy Winehouse singing “Stronger Than Me” on a talk show popped up and that’s all it took. Whatever I was attempting to accomplish would have to wait. That was six days ago and I swear I haven’t listened to anyone other than Amy since.

Few, if any, celebrity deaths hit me as hard as Amy Winehouse. The combination of her infinite talent, untapped potential, young age, and the avoidability (is that a word?) of her death make her passing at the age of 27 the most heartbreaking that I can recall. She’s one of those people I watched from afar and thought, “If someone doesn’t get that girl some help she’s gonna die.” Then when she did all I could do as a fan was sit and think, “Where was her family? Where were her friends?” The obvious answer is that I wasn’t there. For all I know she had family and friends trying to save her for years and she just wasn’t having it. If you could speak to Amy now from beyond the grave she might actually say that she lived exactly the way she wanted to live and wouldn’t change a thing. Maybe people like Amy Winehouse aren’t supposed to turn 40. She burned bright and fast and maybe that’s how it was meant to be. Maybe without whatever substances she was ingesting we wouldn’t have gotten the Amy Winehouse that we all know and love. We’ll never know, but regardless of the answer her untimely death was and still is heartbreaking. I’m absolutely getting soft at my old age, and having two daughters certainly has something to do with this, but Amy Winehouse is the only artist who can produce spontaneous tears from me. The depth of feeling in her lyrics and knowing how her life ended get to me frequently. If I’m alone and “Back to Black” or “Love is a Losing Game” or “Wake Up Alone” comes on and I’m listening too closely I will end up fighting back tears while thinking, “What the hell is wrong with me?”

Right about now you might be asking yourself, “Yeah, Cha, Amy is great and all, but she only had two proper albums. How do you make a mixtape out of that?” I’m glad I asked. She might have only had two albums, but there’s been an endless parade of demos, remixes, and live recordings released since her death. The cynic in me doesn’t want to support it because it reeks of a heartless, never-ending cash grab by her estate. But, the fan in me wants to hear all of it because we got precious little while she was here. Amy rarely sang a song the same way twice. She grew up on jazz and that was obvious anytime she performed. Listening to Amy Winehouse sing live was not much different than listening to Coltrane perform. She always put a different personal spin on it whenever she performed. You can listen to five different available live versions of “Me & Mr. Jones” and not only do they all sound different vocally, but none of the live versions sound like the studio version. Amy’s live performances were magical.

Here’s how this mixtape will work. I went through all of the available Amy Winehouse music that I could find on streaming services and picked my favorite version of each of my favorite songs. Some of them are studio, some live, some demos. You won’t hear the same song twice even though there were a few that were more than deserving. With this mixtape you get the best of all of it…with one notable exception.

I wouldn’t normally point something like this out, but I don’t want to get called out for it. I refuse to put the song “Rehab” on this mixtape for multiple reasons. First, I have a hard time listening to “Rehab” since she passed. I know “Rehab” won a pile of Grammys and was perhaps the most obvious display of her cheeky songwriting, but I struggle to enjoy a song documenting her refusal to get help knowing now how her life ended. Another reason: There’s a contingent of music fans who remember her for that song only and are ignorant enough to lump her in a category with far less talented one hit wonders. She’s so much more than “Rehab”. All of that is minor, though, compared to the chief reason it didn’t make the cut: I simply don’t believe that it’s one of her best songs. In fact, it’s my least favorite song on her Back to Black album. That’s not to say that I don’t like it. It’s a great song. I just think that highly of her music. All of this is my long-winded way of telling you not to message me to tell me I forgot about “Rehab”. I didn’t forget. I don’t think it belongs in her best 120 minutes of music. For what it’s worth, it’s was the last song to get cut from my list.

Anyway, let’s just get into it. Here’s my Amy Winehouse mixtape:

“Stronger Than Me (Live On Later…With Jools Holland / 2003)” from At The BBC (2021)
This is the video I stumbled across five days ago that started this. Just press play on it and understand that she’s only 19 years old in the video. If you’re used to the later Amy concert footage with the giant beehive hairdo and a drink in her hand then this video might be jarring. Just young Amy playing guitar and crushing a song that’s far more mature vocally than one might expect from someone that age. The lyrics might cross a line with some people, repeatedly referring to her love interest as her “lady boy” and at one point asking, “Are you gay?” She’s looking for someone stronger than her, and apparently this guy wasn’t it. A badass song and Amy’s first ever single. The studio version is the first song from her debut 2003 album Frank and you don’t have to listen to her lyrics for too long to realize where she got the album title. She’s honest and doesn’t pull punches.

“You Know I’m No Good (Live Jo Whiley, BBC Live Lounge Session / 2007)” from At The BBC (2021)
The studio version of “You Know I’m No Good” from her 2006 masterpiece Back to Black was my introduction to Amy Winehouse and it was one of those rare music listening moments that was like being struck by lightning. I’m sure my response was something like, “Who the fuck is this and where can I buy her album?” I like this live version because it’s a bit stripped down and better showcases her one-of-a-kind voice…a running theme on this mix.

“In My Bed (Live From T In The Park / 2004)” from At The BBC (2021)
I swear this entire mix is not just live tracks from At The BBC. I front loaded this mixtape with high energy live stuff and slow it down later. It’s tough for me to leave out the studio version of this song that samples Nas’s classic “Made You Look“, but Amy’s vocal performance on this live version is fantastic. Plus, the drummer kills it. Tie goes to the drummer.

“Me & Mr. Jones (Live from Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London, 2007)” from I Told You I was Trouble: Live In London (2007)
The studio version of this track from Back to Black is one of the standouts on that album, but her performance on this live version puts it over the top. The long pause she puts in the opening line, “What kind of…fuckery is this?” is so brilliant an unexpected. Again, like a jazz musician, she ad libbed and kept you guessing on every track.

“You Sent Me Flying / Cherry” from Frank (2003)
Two things about this track. “You Sent Me Flying” is cool. Yet another early Amy Winehouse track that showed she was a prodigy as both a vocalist and songwriter. However, the instrumentation in the studio version gets a C at best. The piano sounds like a keyboard set to the “piano” tone. It’s too thin. I love how they wait until 2:30 in the track before we finally hear drums, but when we do it’s a sample of the drum break in “Hihache” by Lafayette Afro Rock Band that’s been sampled in literally hundreds of songs. This track deserves an actual piano and a live drummer…like this incredible version from the 2004 North Sea Jazz Festival. However, despite the fact that there are several live Amy Winehouse albums available now, her 2004 North Sea set is not one of them. Someone needs to get on that. I’d snatch it up on vinyl immediately. My favorite part of this track comes after “You Sent Me Flying” and we get a fun little 90-second number called “Cherry” dedicated to her guitar. More unique vocal acrobatics from Amy sung over a catchy tune.

“He Can Only Hold Her / Doo Wop (That Thing) (Live from Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London, 2007)” from I Told You I Was Trouble: Live In London (2007)
I dig this track, but this version gets the nod from me because they work in some of Lauryn Hill’s classic “Doo Wop (That Thing)” and Amy’s backup singers Ade Omotayo and Zalon Thompson get a chance to shine.

“Fuck Me Pumps” from Frank (2003)
That cheeky sense of humor I wrote about above…that’s this song.

“Lullaby Of Birdland (Live From The Stables / 2004)” from At The BBC (2021)
Amy said she learned to sing listening to jazz, so it only makes sense that she would put her stamp on a song made famous by the likes of Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald. It might seem audacious to put her in a category with those legends, but she more than belongs there.

“Know You Now (Live at The Leicester Summer Sundae / 2004)” from At The BBC (2021)
Anytime a band lets Amy run wild vocally while remaining sparse in the background is a win. This is one of those tracks.

“The Girl From Ipanema” from Lioness: Hidden Treasures (2011)
According to WhoSampled.com 106 different artists have taken a run at João Gilberto and Stan Getz’s iconic “The Girl From Ipanema“. I’m not going to listen to 105 other versions of this song. Instead I’ll do what everyone on the internet does and boldly claim with no evidence that none of them are better than Amy Winehouse’s cover from her posthumous Lioness: Hidden Treasures. Prove me wrong. Seriously. Try to, because I’m not listening to all of them.

“Valerie (Live Jo Whiley, BBC Live Lounge Session / 2007)” from At the BBC (2021)
This was my most difficult decision. There are so many good versions of this song it was nearly impossible to decide. In the end it came down to the one I chose and the ’68 version. I brought in my 12-year-old daughter Lucy to decide. After giving it a lot of thought she said, “The live one, but they’re both good.” Not gonna disrespect Lu and go against her decision after I asked for her help. I’m still not sure if she’s right, but they’re both flawless, so either choice is a W.

“Just Friends” from Back to Black (2006)
This album is so loaded from start to finish that this song flies under the radar. This seems like the appropriate time to shout out The Dap Kings, the insanely funky band who had the chops to play alongside two now-deceased, generational powerhouse vocalists in Amy Winehouse and Sharon Jones. The Dap-Kings shine throughout Back to Black, and if you love Amy Winehouse but aren’t familiar with Sharon Jones, I strongly urge you to give her a listen right now.

“‘Round Midnight” from Frank (B-Sides) (2004)
This track was the B-side to Amy’s 2004 single “Take The Box” and far superior, in my opinion. This song obviously shares the same title as the Thelonious Monk classic and I’ve seen this called a cover. I’m not sure what constitutes a cover, but this song is not a cover. It might share some elements of the melody, but that’s about it. No matter. This track feels quite different from what I’m used to hearing out of Amy Winehouse in a good way. More of a neo-soul vibe and I like it.

“Tears Dry (Original Version)” from Lioness: Hidden Treasures (2011)
It’s difficult to omit the version you hear on Back to Black, but when you open a track with the line, “All I can ever be to you is the darkness we once knew and this deep regret I had to get accustomed to…” I prefer to hear it over a slow, melancholy track. The album version is a bit upbeat for the lyrical content. When I heard this version on Lioness years later I was floored.

“A Song For You” from Lioness: Hidden Treasures (2011)
Full disclosure: I had no idea what the history of this song was until recently. I just assumed it was another cool Amy Winehouse song. Turns out the original was performed by Leon Russell in 1970. Since then it’s been covered by dozens including Donny Hathaway, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, The Carpenters, The Temptations, Neil Diamond, Cher, and Christina Aguilera (among others). OK, so somehow that one slipped past me. I’m certainly biased, but I like Amy’s version the best by far. While I’ve said above that I like songs that are stripped down so Amy’s voice can shine, her version of “A Song For You” is actually the biggest that I’ve listened to. With a powerhouse orchestra behind her Amy transforms this song into something closer to arena rock than the simpler versions that came before it.

“Back to Black” from Back to Black (2006)
This song is Amy’s magnum opus. Amy Winehouse gave us so much brilliance in her brief time on this plane, but nothing beats this singular performance. “Back to Black” is heartbreak so excruciating that it’s impossible not to feel her pain when you listen to it. She’s dying a hundred times while he’s already fucking someone else. She’s in such a dark place her life is literally fading to black while’s he’s back “with his same old safe bet” and isn’t giving her a second thought. There are several live versions of this song, but most of them actually sound upbeat which I find disappointing. The studio version is a stunning four-minute gut punch and far superior to any live version I’ve come across. If this song is at all autobiographical, how can pain like this not have contributed to the substance abuse that led to hear death? When she sings “I died a hundred times” I take it literally. This sounds hyperbolic, but when I think of the greatest songs I’ve heard in my life this song is at the top of the list.

“Some Unholy War (Down Tempo)” from Amy (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (2015)
Yet again I choose the melancholy down tempo version of a song instead of the slightly more upbeat version that made the album. I dig the background vocals on this version and the Minnie the Moocher-esque muted horns. Regardless of the version, “Some Unholy War” is another example of Amy Winehouse the songwriting prodigy. Lyrics and subject matter fitting of someone far beyond her years.

“Love Is A Losing Game (Live on Later…With Jools Holland / 2009)” from At The BBC (2021)
You can’t go wrong with any version of this song, but this specific live performance stood out. The instrumentation is stripped down leaving Amy’s voice to shine. As much as I appreciate her jazz chops, her understated vocals on this version add a sweetness that you don’t always get from her. She talks a lot of shit and I love her for it, but this track and this version specifically show a softer side.

“Wake Up Alone (Original Recording)” from Lioness: Hidden Treasures (2011)
Let’s get something straight: Back to Black is one of the great albums of my lifetime, yet there are only two tracks on this mix taken directly from the album. I chose the versions that I did because I wanted to give casual Amy Winehouse fans a different listening experience. However, if you’re new to Amy and you’re not familiar with Back to Black, you should ignore my mix and go listen to that entire album immediately. Every track is masterful. Again, I wanted to present something different with the mix CD. It would’ve been boring if I just loaded it with every track directly from the album. “Wake Up Alone” is yet another torturous song that will leave you gutted in the best way.

“(There Is) No Greater Love” from Frank (2003)
I had to end the mix with this song for two reasons. First, the last half of the mix is pretty dark and I wanted to end on an upbeat note. More importantly, my daughter Phoebe turns 17 in a week. When she was born in 2007 I was listening to Amy Winehouse pretty much 24/7 and “(There Is) No Greater Love” was my song for my baby girl and has been ever since even though I’m sure she’s not aware of it. It might be called “(There Is) No Greater Love” but for me it’s Phoebe’s Song. Since I’m a big sap now this song reduces me to a puddle every single time I hear it. That’s the power of music, especially in the hands of a master like Amy Winehouse. A perfect end to an incredible mix.

That’s it for the Amy Winhouse Mix CD. It comes in at about 118 minutes, so if you want to burn it to a CD and put it in your car visor sleeve it’ll fit. Here’s a link to the Apple Music playlist if you prefer that over Spotify.

I don’t like saying things like, “We’ll never see another Amy Winehouse again in my lifetime,” but in her case I believe it. I’ve spent the past 12 years since she passed waiting for another like her, but nobody has come close. The good news for fans like me is that she left us so much. I could make another mixtape with different versions of every one of these songs and it would be just as good. Maybe that will be my next mix…