Apr 2008

In February this year Amy Winehouse became the first ever female British singer to win 5 Grammy Awards. 5 years earlier, in October 2003 she released her stunning debut album, 'Frank.'

'Frank' achieved fantastic critical and commercial acclaim. It won an Ivor Novello award for Stronger Than Me, was nominated for 2 Brit awards and the Mercury Music Prize and received universal accolades. Rarely out of the Top 40 since January 2004, it has been certified double platinum and was one of the UK's fastest selling albums of 2007 despite the fact that it was released 5 years ago.

This lavishly packaged, Limited Deluxe Edition 2 disc set contains the original album plus a bonus disc including previously unreleased BBC performances, b-sides, rare mixes and demos and is a wonderful companion to the 'Back to Black' Deluxe Edition.

Before the controversy and infamy, Amy Winehouse released her debut album 'Frank' to critical acclaim. Inspired by legends such as Frank Sinatra and Count Basie she heard as a youngster, this was a refreshing and modern 'nu-jazz' record. This deluxe edition features demos, live versions and remixes. Includes 'Stronger Than Me' recorded live on Later With Jools Holland and MJ Cole remix amongst other rare tracks.

London singer Amy Winehouse was initially marked as a neo-jazz diva. Although the tag may have been beneficial in terms of press coverage, it was misleading; unlike the inoffensive Katie Melua and Joss Stone, Winehouse had no fear of displaying the seamier side of her life. Her debut album, the aptly titled FRANK, was a solid collection of jazz-inflected pop, but it was the 2006 follow-up, BACK TO BLACK, that really set her apart. Displaying the marked influence of 1960s soul music, girl groups, and Motown, the album also boasted clever, sexually explicit lyrics and punchy pop arrangements, all pulled together by Winehouse's powerful vocals. Her hit "Rehab" became something of a personal theme song, as the singer became a permanent fixture in the tabloids, due to her wild behavior and infamous live shows.