Never-before-seen footage of Amy Winehouse recording her iconic album Back to Black has been unearthed, 20 years after its release. The video, shared exclusively by Spotify, shows the north London singer performing an acoustic rendition of “You Know I’m No Good” at Metropolis Studios in Chiswick in August 2006.
In the footage, a 22-year-old Winehouse records audio takes that were believed to have been used to track the studio demos for songs on the original Back to Black album.
A final album that defined a generation
Released on October 27, 2006, Back to Black was Winehouse’s second album and, sadly, her last, following her death at just 27 on July 23, 2011. While her debut album Frank, released in 2003, earned widespread acclaim and received a Mercury Prize, it was her follow-up that propelled her into international stardom.
Hits like “Rehab”, “You Know I’m No Good” and the haunting “Back to Black” became instant classics and paved the way for a new generation of British soul singers, such as Adele and Duffy.
Award-winning masterpiece and tribute
The 11-track masterpiece, which won the singer no fewer than five Grammy awards, was praised for blending modern soul with timeless Sixties sensibilities. “I am so proud of this album,” she said as she picked up a series of back-to-back gongs at the 2008 Grammys ceremony. “I put my heart and soul into it.”
Mark Ronson, who produced Back to Black, recently hosted a tribute concert to Winehouse at the Roundhouse in Camden, featuring guest artists such as Yebba, Jorja Smith, and Corinne Bailey Rae. The previously unreleased footage offers a look at the making of one of the greatest albums of the 21st century.
