Back to Black (song)

Infobox Single
Name = Back to Black


Artist = Amy Winehouse
Album = Back to Black
B-side = "Valerie", "Hey Little Rich Girl"
Released = 30 April 2007 (UK)
7 March 2008 (Germany)
Format = CD single, digital download, 12" single, 7" single
Recorded = Chung King Studios
(New York City, New York)
Daptone Studios
(New York City, New York)
Metropolis Studios
(London)
Genre = Soul, R&B, Jazz, rock'n'roll, Pop
Length = 4:01
Label = Island
Writer = Amy Winehouse, Mark Ronson
Producer = Mark Ronson
Last single = "You Know I'm No Good"
(2007)
This single = "Back to Black"
(2007)
Next single = "Tears Dry on Their Own"
(2007)

"Back to Black" is a song written by English musicians Amy Winehouse and Mark Ronson for Winehouse's second studio album, "Back to Black" (2006). Released as the album's third single on 30 April 2007 in the United Kingdom and 7 March 2008 in the rest of the world, the song was produced Ronson. Though not credited in the album's liner notes, the track's music is inspired by The Supremes' 1964 song "Baby Love" and The Ronettes' 1963 song "Be My Baby".

Music video

"Amy's sultry new video for Back In Black"sic "is both beautifully and artistically shot in black and white and compares in imagery a doomed love affair with that of a funeral." [cite web |url=http://www.amywinehouse.com/ |title=Back in Black – watch a clip |accessdate=2008-02-17 |work=AmyWinehouse.com |date=12 March 2007]

The music video features a funeral procession in which Winehouse mourns over a grave, which reads "R.I.P. the Heart of Amy Winehouse". [ [http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewVideo?id=218583077&s=143444 iTunes Store] ] The graveyard scenes were filmed at Abney Park Cemetery and other scenes were filmed in nearby Gibson Gardens, both in Stoke Newington, London. The video premiered on 24 March 2007.Fact|date=May 2007

Winehouse performed the song live at the MTV Europe Music Awards 2007 in Munich, Germany on 1 November 2007.

Track listings and formats

;CD single [ [http://www.discogs.com/release/962639 Discogs.com - CD single] ]
#"Back to Black"
#"Valerie" (Jo Whiley Live Lounge)
#"Hey Little Rich Girl"
#"Back to Black" (Video)

;12" single [ [http://www.discogs.com/release/1099061 Discogs.com - 12" single] ]
#"Back to Black" (Steve Mac Vocal)
#"Back to Black" (Steve Mac Smack Dub)
#"Back to Black"
#"Back to Black" (Mushtaq Vocal Remix)

;7" single (Limited Edition White Vinyl) [ [http://www.discogs.com/release/977155 Discogs.com - 7" White Vinyl] ]
#"Back to Black"
#"Back to Black" (The Rumble Strips Remix)

;Digital single [ [http://www.7digital.com/stores/productDetail.aspx?shop=34&product=80985&sid=1275052 7 Digital] ]
#"Back to Black" (Original Demo)

Response

Pre-release, the song charted in the UK Singles Chart on downloads alone for 5 consecutive weeks, peaking at No.40. [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/chart/singles.shtml BBC Radio 1, 2/5/07] ] The single charted at No. 25 once it had been released in physical format, and has sold around 96,000 copies to date in the UK [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/chart/singles.shtml BBC Radio 1, 5/5/07] ] ; it has spent 34 non-consecutive weeks on the UK Singles Chart to date. It has re-entered with "Rehab" together in the charts. The song featured on the BBC Radio 1 "The B List" Playlist, week commencing 2 May. [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/chart/playlist.shtml BBC Radio 1 Playlist] ] Channel 4 Music awarded the song 10 stars out of 10 in its review, [ [http://www.channel4.com/music/singles/300407/amywinehouse.html Channel 4 Music] ] while Manchester Evening News rated the song as 5 out of 5 stars, commending it as "One of the best singles of the year." [ [http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/entertainment/music/single_reviews/s/1004/1004059_amy_winehouse__back_to_black_island.html Manchester Evening News] ]

With sales of 96,000, "Back to Black" finished as 2007's 85th biggest-selling single in the UK.

"Back to Black" was covered by The Rumble Strips and was a b-side to their "Motorcycle" EP on 11 June 2007. On UK TV talent show "The X Factor", girl group Hope covered the song during one of their live performances.

Lightspeed Champion included a cover of this song as a B-side to their single "Tell Me What It's Worth".

During 2007, the song was also used various times for TV trail campaigns, such as for the BBC's Philip Pullman adaptation "The Shadow in the North" in December 2007.

The song was covered on 5th June 2008 by Elbow in the Radio 1 Live Lounge with Jo Whiley .

Charts

References