THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

806-Mark Ronson featuring Amy Winehouse-Valerie.

2007-Number 2 single.

Best Bit-At 0.08. The voice that proves she is a worthy member of the ’27 Club.’

Amy Jade Winehouse was born on September 14th, 1983, in Southgate, London, England, she died on July 23rd, 2011. Amy Winehouse was plagued by drug and alcohol addiction, and died of alcohol poisoning, at the age of 27. She released two critically acclaimed Albums during her lifetime, ‘Frank’ in 2003, and ‘Back to Black’ in 2006, a posthumous collection of demos, and covers called ‘Lioness, Hidden Treasures,’ was released in December 2011. The discography of Amy Winehouse also includes those two studio Albums, one official compilation Album, and two live Albums, along with 14 singles, that have been issued between 2003-2012. In the UK, she has charted within the top 40 on nine occasions, with ‘Valerie,’ peaking the highest at Number 2, while in America on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, ‘Rehab,’ from 2006, is her only hit single on the top 40, when reaching Number 9.

Amy Winehouse is now a member of the ’27 Club,’ which commemorates artists who have died at that age. At one time it was thought that more Pop stars were dying at that age than any other, but research has repeatedly disproved this. Between 1969-1971, Brian Jones, (1942-1969) Jimi Hendrix, (1942-1970) Janis Joplin, (1943-1970) and Jim Morrison, (1943-1971) all died at that age, but it wasn’t until about two and a half decades later, with the death of Kurt Cobain, (1967-1994) that the idea of a ’27 Club’ began to catch on in public perception. In 2011, 17 years after Cobain’s death, Amy Winehouse died, she had three years earlier expressed her fear of dying at 27.

The original version of ‘Valerie’ was a Number 9 hit single for the English ‘Indie Rock’ band the ‘Zutons’ in 2006. It was primarily written by the bands lead singer Dave McCabe, but writing credits are given to all five band members at that time.The songs title, and subject refer to the celebrity makeup artist Valerie Star, who had visited McCabe when he was having a hard time, but she ended up being arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, and had her license suspended. McCabe has described how the song came about,’I could tell you I was inspired by gazing out across the Mersey, or walking past Macca’s old house, but the truth is I got the idea in a cab on the way to my mum’s. The whole song was written before I got there, so 20 minutes, max.’

Amy Winehouse had always been a fan of the song, and when Mark Ronson (see also best songs 40) asked her to sing something on his 2007 Album ‘Version,’ she chose ‘Valerie,’ which Ronson radically reworked, admitting it was influenced by the Jam’s 1982 Number 1 single ‘Town Called Malice (see also best songs 59.) The Album ‘Version,’ was the second studio Album released by Mark Ronson in April 2007, and is an Album of cover versions with a retro-inspired sound, that Mark Ronson considers to be reminiscent of the ‘Motown,’ and ‘Stax’ record labels releases. Four of the Albums 14 tracks were issued as singles, with ‘Valerie,’ being the third of them. Other artists who were asked, and consented to provide their vocals on the Album, include, Robbie Williams, on ‘The Only One I Know,’ and Lily Allen on ‘Oh My God.’ Around the same time Amy Winehouse recorded here uptempo version of ‘Valerie’ with Mark Ronson, she also performed a slower tempo version for ‘Jo Whiley’s Live Lounge’ show, on BBC Radio 1. This recording did chart in the UK at Number 37 in 2007, and can be found on the deluxe edition of ‘Back to Black,’ as a bonus track.

Mark Daniel Ronson was born on September 4th, 1975, in Notting Hill, London, England, he is a music producer and songwriter. Ronson was born in England, but raised in New York City, his step father is Mick Jones, (see also best songs 810) the co-founder of the American Rock band ‘Foreigner.’ Mark Ronson has at the time of writing released five studio Albums, between 2003-2019, and 22 singles, between 2003-2022, he has also released four singles with the American music producer ‘Diplo,’ (see also best songs 915 and 210) as part of the duo ‘Silk City.’ In the UK, Mark Ronson has achieved 11 top 40 hits, with ‘Uptown Funk,’ (see also best songs 40) reaching the Number 1 spot in 2014, while in America on the Billboard Hot 100 top 40 singles chart, he is a ‘one hit wonder,’ because ‘Uptown Funk’ is to date his only chart entry, spending 14 weeks at Number 1.

”Cause since I’ve come on home, well, my body’s been a mess, and I’ve missed your ginger hair, and the way you like to dress. Won’t you come on over? Stop making a fool out of me, why don’t you come on over, Valerie.’