Number 18

MARK RONSON feat. AMY WINEHOUSE - VALERIE

(McCabe)

(2007)

(UK #2, Ire. #3, Neth. #1, Ger. #3)

Covering The Zutons in Jo Whiley's live lounge lead to Winehouse teaming up with the man who helped her create her standards (Rehab, Back to Black etc) for his album 'Versions'. Whilst the theme of the orginal was a no brainer - ex girlfriend gone awol - the Winehouse version twisted it a bit: was Valerie a friend, her lover, a nick name for someone else, or simply just a girl singing a song about a girl? With over 130 plays on my I-Pod it's a song that grew on my over a really long time, now i can listen to it over and over. I've seen her do her stripped down version live in Cardiff and also him do a version with another singer (at Glastonbury), both times it remained true to it's appeal. This version, being the 9th best selling single of 2007, became Winehouse's highest charting single and is thought to be the definitive of the song.