Welcome to Week Two of the Amy Winehouse Mix CD. If you’re unfamiliar of you’d like to get caught up you should go here.
Speaking of unfamiliar, today’s song is “Just Friends”. It was the fourth track on Amy’s classic second album, Back To Black. I have to confess, not only do I not know a lot about this song, I can’t find much either. A quick dive into the liner notes on my Back To Black vinyl reveals that Salaam Remi was, once again, the producer on this track. I think my confusion lies in the fact that I always assumed “Just Friends” was released as a single. There is a video for it (see above) but I can’t find any record of it ever hitting the charts. My Amy 12×7 singles collection doesn’t have it. I guess it wasn’t a single. My bad.
As for the video above, I find it telling and slightly troubling that it’s a generic concert/tour video. It was released in August of 2008 and at that point I doubt Amy was in any condition to be filming much of anything. It was also nearly two years after the UK release of Back To Black and a full six months after her triumphant Grammy night. I don’t have any insight into why this video even exists so I should probably stop writing about it.
The thing that stands out to me most about “Just Friends” is how little it stands out. “Just Friends” would be the best song in most artists’ discographies. It’s not even in my top five songs on Back To Black. Yet, every time it comes on my response is, “Goddamn, Amy. This song is a monster. How do I always forget about this one?” It says more about the quality of her other music than anything this song might be lacking.
There aren’t a lot of lyrics in this relatively short song about two people who seem to love each other but can’t quite connect. The line, “When will we get the time to be just friends?” repeats at least seven times. Don’t let that fool you into thinking there isn’t much to the song or that it’s not worth your while.
The Dap Kings crush it on “Just Friends” – as they always do – and it infuriates me that I can’t credit the baritone sax player because he/she isn’t listed in the liner notes and I’ll bet my life that’s a bari sax playing on this track. Bari sax is listed on damn near every other track on the album, but not this one. So, shout out to Ian Hendrickson-Smith, Dave Bishop, Vincent Henry, and Cochemea Gastelum, who all played bari at some point on this album. Outside of Amy, the bari sax player is the star of this song and how often can you say that about a 21st century pop song? It bothers me that I can’t properly identify him/her. My son plays bari sax and loves Back to Black. I don’t think that’s a coincidence. You guys are an inspiration.
Back to the song. Despite the relatively short run time and lyric sheet, “Just Friends” is a deep look inside Amy’s psyche. She’s crushing on a man who belongs to someone else and coming to grips with the fact that they may never get on the same page despite the fact that they seem to love each other…or at least that’s my interpretation. The first verse starts with the line, “It’s never safe for us, not even in the evening ’cause I’ve been drinking.” Like so many of her lyrics it’s so blunt it kind of makes you laugh, but there’s also a lot of sadness to it. The most revealing line to me is, “It’s always dangerous when everybody’s sleeping and I’ve been thinking.” Amy showed us repeatedly over the years that she could go to some dark places when left alone, but here comes right out and says it. Such a beautiful, melancholy track that once again showcases her precocious songwriting.
The best live version of this is an easy one. Check out her performance at Porchester Hall in 2007. My favorite little quirk in performances of “Just Friends” that I’ve seen is the way she sings the opening line. The way she stops singing and speaks the words “’cause I’ve been drinking” with her trademark scowl is always comical to me, especially considering she gulped down a couple big hits of something that definitely wasn’t just cola right before she started singing. There’s something magical about that Porchester Hall set. The hall itself looks gorgeous with the dimly lit chandeliers and colorful lighting. Amy’s Back To Black-era performances always looked classy with her and the band dressed to the nines. Of course, most importantly, Amy and the band sound incredible. If I could get in a time machine and see any Amy set this one might be it. No…the MTV 45th at Night set with the Dap Kings and Mos Def is probably my dream Amy Winehouse show, but Porchester Hall is up there.
That’s all I have for “Just Friends”. Once again, a testament to the quality of Amy’s music and the greatness of Back To Black that a song this good tends to fade into the background. I’ll be back tomorrow with the sixth track on the mix. Enjoy your Monday.
mookiefantana 