Mark Ronson is still in awe of Amy Winehouse’s musical genius, and on Wednesday night he made sure a packed London crowd felt it too. The 51-year-old producer, who co-produced Winehouse’s Grammy-winning 2006 album Back to Black alongside Salaam Remi, honored the late singer at a special 20th anniversary concert at London’s Roundhouse, reuniting with the Amy Winehouse Band and an all-star lineup of female vocalists.
The one-night-only tribute celebrated one of the most important records of the century. Backed by Ronson and Remi, the album’s producers, and the Amy Winehouse Band, a tribute act led by the singer’s bassist and musical director Dale Davis, eleven guest vocalists took turns performing the songs from the iconic album in full.
“She Was Like a Monster”
Speaking to the crowd at the Roundhouse, in Winehouse’s beloved Camden, Ronson reflected on working with the singer and the complexity of her songwriting. “Amy’s musicality, she was like a monster, and I definitely want everybody to know that,” he said before performing “Love Is a Losing Game” with Yebba, who delivered a stripped-down rendition of the emotional ballad with Ronson on guitar.
He continued, “The chords were so complicated and jazzy, I was like, ‘Man, you just play this song. I don’t even know what I’m doing right now.’ So she did. We’re going to play it the way Amy first played it to me, and I’m going to try to finally play these complicated, jazzy chords for the first time in my life.”
A Night of Voices
Ronson opened the night alongside Corinne Bailey Rae, who performed the album’s title track. Other highlights included Sasha Keable’s take on “Just Friends,” Nia Smith’s “Tears Dry on Their Own” and Skye Newman’s soulful rendition of “Addicted.” Terri Walker performed “Me & Mr. Jones,” while Lianne La Havas took on “You Know I’m No Good.” Baby Rose brought her deep, distinctive vocals to “Wake Up Alone,” and Jorja Smith delivered “Some Unholy War.” R&B trio FLO put their own spin on “He Can Only Hold Her,” channeling the ’60s girl-group sound that influenced Winehouse’s retro-soul masterpiece.
The guest singers divided the album’s eleven tracks among them, with the band, including musicians who once played with Winehouse herself, supporting them all night under musical director Dale Davis. Producers Paul O’Duffy and p*nut and Darcus Beese OBE also led the celebration.
Jessie Reyez Closes the Night
Ronson introduced Jessie Reyez for the night’s closing performance of “Rehab,” explaining why he felt the 35-year-old singer was the right person to take on the defiant anthem. “She has this rasp in her voice and she reminds me of Amy the way she writes, it’s so raw and no bulls—,” he said.
But the celebration wasn’t over. After the crowd erupted in applause, Ronson welcomed the singers back to the stage for “Valerie,” another song forever associated with Winehouse despite not appearing on Back to Black. She covered the Zutons’ track for Ronson’s Version album, and the all-star finale brought the house down.
Twenty Years of Back to Black
Ronson has spoken in the past about first meeting Winehouse in New York in March 2006, when the pair quickly bonded over their shared love of 1960s music, which shaped the album’s sound. He famously came up with the piano riff for the title track overnight after their first meeting, and the two went on to work together on “Rehab” and “You Know I’m No Good.”
Winehouse died on July 23, 2011, at age 27, and her death was later ruled accidental alcohol poisoning. More than 15 years later, her music continues to resonate. “I can’t believe I got to be involved with that record. I understand how important it is for people,” Ronson said. The Grammy-winning album, released on October 27, 2006, gets a deluxe 20th anniversary edition on Friday, and the concert will be broadcast in full on the BBC later this month. The setlist may be twenty years old, but the monster Ronson described still sounds brand new.
The Band Behind the Night
The Amy Winehouse Band gave the evening its authenticity. Led by Dale Davis, Winehouse’s bassist and musical director, the group included musicians who had actually performed with the singer, and their presence turned the tribute into something closer to a reunion. Alongside Ronson and Remi, producers Paul O’Duffy and p*nut helped steer the night, with Darcus Beese OBE among the guiding hands.
The format was simple and devastatingly effective: eleven singers, eleven tracks, one band. Each vocalist brought her own history with the material, from Corinne Bailey Rae’s opening title track to Jorja Smith’s “Some Unholy War.” The stripped arrangements let the songwriting shine, which was precisely Ronson’s point. Winehouse wrote songs with chords so complex that the man who produced them admitted he was still learning them twenty years later.
A Broadcast and a Deluxe Edition
Fans who missed the Roundhouse will not miss out entirely. The Back to Black 20th anniversary concert will be broadcast in full on the BBC later this month as part of a larger celebration of the singer. Performances are set to stream on BBC’s YouTube channel from Saturday, October 24, and air on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds on Monday, October 26.
The anniversary also brings a deluxe 20th anniversary edition of the album, due Friday, October 23, packed with expanded material for collectors. Twenty years after its October 27, 2006 release, the record that made Winehouse immortal is getting the full canon treatment, and Wednesday night proved the songs have lost none of their power.
Also read:Mark Ronson Calls Amy Winehouse a Musical ‘Monster’ at Back to Black 20th Anniversary Concert