Was Amy Winehouse ‘Freaked Out’ by Adele’s Success?

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Gossip, Rumors, Blues, Pop, R&B / Soul,

Amy Winehouse felt "competitive" towards Adele.

The "Rehab" singer - who passed away from accidental alcohol poisoning last year - was ''freaked out'' by the worldwide acclaim "Someone Like You" hitmaker Adele received, according to their mutual friend Mark Ronson. "She was in a bad state, God knows why. I think that the Adele thing had Amy freaked out. She liked her, but Adele's success was making Amy feel upset, competitive, restless. Anyway, we lost touch briefly. And before she and I could really start the process of beginning a new album, it was too late," he said.

Gallery: Was Amy Winehouse ‘Freaked Out’ by Adele’s Success?

Amy Winehouse Didn’t Like Bond Track

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Artist News, Collaborations, Jazz, Rock, Soundtracks,

Amy Winehouse didn't like the James Bond theme she was set to record.

The singer - who was found dead at home in London in July - worked with Mark Ronson on a song which was set to be recorded for the last film in the British spy franchise Quantum of Solace, but the sessions were abandoned after they reportedly fell out. At the time, it was claimed Amy - who had a history of substance abuse problems - was unfit to record the track but her long time collaborator Salaam Remi claims the situation was different when she called him to visit her in a London studio.

"'It's this James Bond theme. I don't like the track. They've given me these chords to write to, but that's not how we work,'" he said she told him.

Instead, the Back to Black hitmaker started on another song with Salaam, which became "Between the Cheats," one of the songs included on her posthumous album Lioness: Hidden Treasures. "She showed me the chords and I said, 'What do you want it to sound like?' She said 'Doo-wop. I said, 'give me 20 minutes,' so she went off somewhere, I sat down with her engineer, played bass, drums, guitar, piano, real quick. 'Is that what you want it to sound like?' she said, 'that'll work' and she went into the vocal booth and sang it," Salaam said.

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Mark Ronson Planning Originals for The Business

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Artist News, Collaborations, Upcoming Releases,

Mark Ronson banned all cover songs on his new album The Business.

The music producer - whose 2007 album Version featured successful covers of songs by Kaiser Chiefs and Coldplay, among others - said this time around he had got artists to collaborate with him on original songs, which had been a fun and “interesting” process.

“There’s no covers, and no horns. It’s written with some of the people that actually wrote the songs I covered on the last album and that I didn’t actually even know at the time,” the 34-year-old told NME.com. “It’s quite interesting to write songs from scratch with those people, like Dave McCabe of The Zutons who wrote ‘Valerie’, and Nick Hodgson, of Kaiser Chiefs.”

Mark also revealed he had collaborated with Santigold, Scissor Sisters, Cathy Dennis, rapper Pill and Mike Snow for his forthcoming album, The Business.

Speaking on when it was likely to be released, he said: “Probably May, June depends how quick I can get it done.”

Gallery: Mark Ronson Planning Originals for The Business

Duffy next to record Bond theme song?

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Artist News, Rumors, Upcoming Releases, Soundtracks,

Duffy may be the voice behind the next James Bond theme. Work has already started on the follow-up to Quantum of Solace, starring Daniel Craig as the British spy, and one of the film’s producers wants the Welsh Duffy to record the title song.

Producer Michael G. Wilson told Britain’s The Sun newspaper: “I would love to get Duffy to sing the next tune. I think she is wonderful. Amy Winehouse would be good too.
“We have started work on the new film, which I can’t say anything about. Daniel Craig is very keen to get going.”

Back to Black singer Amy Winehouse was due to submit a track for Quantum of Solace with producer Mark Ronson, but sessions were stopped as she reportedly “wasn’t ready” to record.  Another Way To Die, performed by Jack White of The White Stripes and soul singer Alicia Keys, was later chosen as the theme song.

Duffy, whose song Mercy picked up the PRS Most Performed Work prize at the Ivor Novello Awards - has revealed she is to make her film debut, although admits she isn’t too enthusiastic about it.  She reportedly said: “I’m making a movie. It’ll probably be rubbish.” If Duffy does sing the theme for the next James Bond film she will be the third Welsh artist to contribute to the spy series, after Tom Jones and Dame Shirley Bassey.

Gallery: Duffy next to record Bond theme song?