The highly anticipated Amy Winehouse biopic, Back To Black, is released today, which includes an original new song by Nick Cave.
- READ MORE: Marisa Abela: “If I’ve learned anything from Amy Winehouse, it’s to be fearless”
The film is directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson and follows the life and career of the iconic London singer, with the title role being taken on by Marisa Abela.
The soundtrack, titled ‘Back To Black: Songs from the Original Motion Picture’, is set for release on May 17 via UMR/Island Records, and features three original recordings from Winehouse’s highly influential debut, ‘Frank’ and three songs from her multi-award-winning LP ‘Back To Black.
It also includes a new original track called ‘Song for Amy’, which is sung by Cave.
Cave, along with longtime collaborator Warren Ellis, composed and recorded the film’s score.
A further five songs are included on the album, recorded by artists whom Amy Winehouse saw as an inspiration. These include tracks by The Shangri-Las, Billie Holiday, Minnie Riperton, Dinah Washington and Sarah Vaughan.
What song’s are in the film, Back To Black?
The songs that appear in the film can all be found below. The songs that appear from Winehouse’s own work are:
From ‘Frank’:
‘What Is It About Men’
‘Stronger Than Me’
‘I Heard Love is Blind’
‘Know You Now’
‘F**k Me Pumps’
‘(There Is) No Greater Love’
From ‘Back To Black’:
‘Back To Black’
‘Me & Mr Jones’
‘Love is a Losing Game’
‘Rehab’
‘Tears Dry on Their Own’
‘Valerie’ from ‘BBC Live Lounge’
Songs by other artists who inspired Winehouse or songs that were written specifically for the film are:
Thelonius Monk – ‘Straight, No Chaser’
Lauryn Hill – ‘Doo Wop (That Thing)’
The Specials – ‘Ghost Town’
Little Anthony & the Imperials – ‘I’m on the Outside (Looking In)’
The Shangri-Las – ‘Leader of the Pack’
Billie Holiday – ‘All of Me’
The Shangri-Las – ‘Dressed in Black’
Donny Hathaway – ‘I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know’
The Libertines – ‘Don’t Look Back Into the Sun’
Tony Bennett – ‘Body & Soul’
Minnie Riperton – ‘Les Fleurs’
Willie Nelson – ‘That’s Life’
Dinah Washington – ‘Mad About the Boy’
Sarah Vaughan, Clifford Brown – ‘Embraceable You’
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis – ‘Song for Amy’
“The film, and the music on this soundtrack, focusses on Amy Winehouse’s extraordinary genius, her unrivalled creativity and the raw honesty that infused everything she did,” reads a press release. “A truly phenomenal writer and performer, Amy was and remains a once in a generation talent.”
‘Back To Black: Songs from the Original Motion Picture’ will be available on 140g black vinyl, limited edition peach-coloured vinyl (D2C exclusive), double vinyl, single CD and double CD formats. Vinyl editions come with a printed inner sleeve, which features a personal note from the film’s director.
The 2LP and 2CD formats will feature behind-the-scenes black and white photographs captured by Taylor-Johnson on set during the making of the film. All physical formats will be released globally on May 17. Visit here to pre-order.
Recently, Mark Ronson – a close friend and producer for the late singer – opened up about his thoughts on the film, admitting that he had read its script.
“The only thing I know about the film is I know Sam quite well, and I read the script and I feel what it did really nicely was… I was reminded of [Winehouse’s] humour and it really caught that well,” he said. “I think she just had this whip-smart razor sense of humour which is one of her many gifts and they got that very nice in the film. I’m looking forward to seeing it.”
Yesterday (March 19), it was announced that NME Screens is back and will be showing an exclusive advanced screening of Back to Black at Everyman King’s Cross in London on Tuesday, April 9. Visit here for more information, including details on how to get tickets.
NME has also released a special print edition celebrating the life and legacy of the singer, which is available for free now and has been distributed across the UK. See the full list of outlets here.