Back to Black is the second and final studio album by English singer and songwriter Amy Winehouse, released on 27 October 2006 by Island Records. Winehouse predominantly based the album on her tumultuous relationship with then-ex-boyfriend and future husband Blake Fielder-Civil, who temporarily left her to pursue his previous ex-girlfriend. Their short-lived separation spurred her to create an album that explores themes of guilt, grief, infidelity and heartbreak in a relationship.
Influenced by the pop and soul music of 1960s girl groups, Winehouse collaborated with producers Salaam Remi and Mark Ronson, along with Sharon Jones' band The Dap-Kings, to assist her on capturing the sounds from that time period while blending them with contemporary R&B and neo-soul music. Between 2005 and 2006, she recorded the album's songs with Remi at Instrumental Zoo Studios in Miami and then with Ronson and the Dap-Kings at Chung King Studios and Daptone Records in New York. Tom Elmhirst mixed the album at Metropolis Studios in London.
Back to Black was acclaimed by music critics, who praised Winehouse's songwriting and emotive singing style as well as Remi and Ronson's production. The album spawned five singles: "Rehab", "You Know I'm No Good", "Back to Black", "Tears Dry on Their Own" and "Love Is a Losing Game". It has also been cited as being a key influence to the widespread popularity of British soul throughout the late 2000s, paving the musical landscape for artists such as Adele, Duffy, and Estelle.
Track listing
A1 | Rehab | 3:30 |
A2 | You Know I'm No Good | 4:15 |
A3 | Me & Mr Jones | 2:30 |
A4 | Just Friends | 3:10 |
A5 | Back To Black | 4:00 |
A6 | Love Is A Losing Game | 2:32 |
B1 | Tears Dry On Their Own | 3:03 |
B2 | Wake Up Alone | 3:40 |
B3 | Some Unholy War | 2:20 |
B4 | He Can Only Hold Her | 2:45 |
B5 | You Know I'm No Good | 3:20 |
Cat number - 1734128