I understand that “Back to Black” was one of Amy Winehouse’s most famous and most loved songs, but my favorite was always “You Know I’m No Good”. I will shed a tear when some teenage pop star decides that he or she can do “You Know I’m No Good” better than the original. But for fans of “Back to Black,” this is perhaps a dark day. So, when director Baz Luhrmann decided to direct a new version of The Great Gatsby, he chose Jay-Z as the producer of the soundtrack. Jay in turn grabbed his wife to do a cover of Amy’s “Back to Black”. Beyonce and Andre 3000, to be more specific. We already heard a small snippet of the song in one of the Gatsby trailers, but here’s an extended version. It’s super-annoying because the radio station that got first dibs on it decided to throw their radio promo all over it AND they’re talking over it. But this is the only version we have:
Quite honestly, if I had never heard Amy Winehouse’s original, I would probably be into this. It has a cool sound, and I like the anticipatory tingles, like it’s going to be used for some really great, anxious moment in the film. Maybe the youngsters who see this film will be into this version because they really don’t have any grasp of the flash of brilliance in Winehouse’s “Back to Black”. Shall we listen to the original too? I think we should.
Mark Ronson produced Amy’s Back to Black song and album, and when asked about Beyonce’s cover, Ronson said “It’s a wonderful… take on our song. I’m flattered and honoured, I know Amy would be too.” But! Amy’s father Mitch tweeted: “I just heard the Andre part of Back to Black. Terrible. He should have let Beyonce do it all.” Reportedly, Beyonce and Jay-Z had to pay six-figures for the rights to Amy’s song. I don’t know… maybe they should have just bought the song and used the original version, you know?
Photos courtesy of WENN.
More like BLAND- and I like both artists, but Amy Winehouse did it better.
“Back to Bland”.
This is SO bad.
I just don’t get it. Why make such a soulful unique song into that generic monstrosity? Could Bey’s porn-singing be more out of place? And I’m not gonna even comment on Andre 3000. Just ugh!
Singing (ACTING LIKE YOUR A WRITER<WHEN YOUR NOT) other people's song cause you cant right doesnt make you a great entertainer.clueless people do.
I can’t tell whether you’re (that’s ‘you’re’) being sarcastic and this is a joke :S If you’re not..oh dear Lord.
I think this is offensive. Amy’s version was dark and soulful, you could almost feel the pain in her voice.. Beyoncè has too much of a sweet voice for this song in my opinion.
Yes, Beyonce has a nice voice, but it doesn’t do the song justice. I don’t love the production either; it sounds too much like James Bond theme to me.
Ugh! Yes to both your comments! I bought back to black when it came out and it never left my cars cd player. Such a great album.
Bey did better singing on the track, but it’s still just awful.
But this isn’t supposed to be Amy’s version.
This song was made to go under movie visuals. It is very moody, and I think it will probably serve as the back drop to some visuals that contrast with the song.
Really offensive, hate it! I thought I couldn’t dislike this woman more
AMY <3
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Beyonce in a nutshell.
+1000
This cover is awful.
What’s the point of the “radio” thing??
And Beyonce with the sexy voice is simply out of contest.
They should have bought the original song, that would be a great movie-song.
I’ve always thought Back to Black would be a great Bond theme song
So they don’t get caught by the record company who has a computer program that scans for songs. The talking was just annoying though and didn’t need to be there. The only other option is changing the entire tune of the song and take it up or down a bit.
Hmm. No patch on Amy’s original version but was that to be expected? I think Beyonce’s song will go well with the film (from what I’ve seen from trailers). All in all, I’m going to reserve judgement til I’ve seen the Great Gatsby. But thanks Celebitchy, I’m now going to spend my day listening to Amy’s albums!
The original was a thousand times better. I’ve grown tired of Beyonce’s ubiquitousness.
Yeah, just as I thought. Shit.
I don’t think it’s offensive to cover the song but there is an arrogance present in taking a song like this and covering it so soon after the woman’s death. If it was 10 years from now, I might feel differently.
It’s a sad day when I, Veronika Knowles, second cousin twice removed , actively hate a Bey track. Andre’s part could give you ear herpes… Bey rocks her part of course…
Well you certainly do have the prerequisite arrogance of a Knowles. I do hope you include that “Second Cousin Twice Removed” part in your C.V. Must come in handy..
BAH!!!!!!hah ahahahahahhahhhaha!
Whew! That was funny!
‘I, Veronika Knowles’???
I think you’ve just found the perfect title for your autobiography, honey!
I, Brenna Gallagher, orphaned and raised by Irish Wolfhounds, find this post amusing.
How about “Are You There God, It’s Me, Veronika Knowles”
Can I have your autograph?
Why yes, honey. I’ll gladly sign an autograph. Just let me finish locking Solange in the basement, and I’ll be right over…
Well, they COULD HAVE just bought the rights and used the original song, but how would Beyonce slap her name and fake hair on that?
I just legitimately LOL’ed.
That is the most perfect comment in this thread… It’s all about Beyonce slapping her name on it, she literally steals ideas from everyone, for her shows, songs, costumes, choreography , videos..
Beyonce has never had a original thought or idea in her life… Her big come back this year was copying what Madonna did the year before Beyonce did the Super Bowl, (while wearing a get- up she copied from one Tina Tuner wore 30 years before) album release and tour… because her album looks like it will suck ass , they keep delaying the release until the tour practally finished they don’t want to get bad press, dampen ticket sells.
Offensive.
+1
Overdramatic.
Your comment, not the song.
I agree! This cover is sh*t! Obviously no cover will ever compare to the original, but the whole point and purpose of the song is missed. The pain and emotion is gone! They made it an auto-tuned, Bey’s “sexy breathing” piece of crap! I want to cry. Poor Amy is probably rolling in her grave. Why couldn’t they just leave this song alone and use the original?? WHY?
I don’t find it offensive but I do find it lacking. The song is just off as if the point of it has been missed. I for one am not a fan of this interpretation.
I think that it’s offensive not because it “didn’t live up to the brilliance of the original” but because of Andre 3000/Benjamin’s part. I hate that they have him performing the part of the cad…it just seems so misogynist somehow…I can’t exactly pinpoint what it is about it that bothers me. I think that it has something to do with the fact that he couldn’t perform the song as the protagonist and allow himself to come across as vulnerable…which would have made more sense considering the plot of The Great Gatsby.
Beyonce comes across as lacking emotion and as insincere since she seems to be more concerned with delivering a “perfect” performance than in connecting emotionally with the work. Either a young Lauryn Hill or Mary J. Blige would have delivered a stronger performance. Or P.J. Harvey.
It’s truly horrible – Andre 3000’s part more so than hers, but still!
Does anyone know if Beyonce’s tried to claim a writer’s credit yet?
Really offensive. Bad form on their part. Amy Winehouse sang with a kind of soul to her music that Beyonce will never have.
Oooh, I can’t wait for Beyonce’s video! I hope she has a dance-off with her past self in the mirror, wears Daisy Dukes, twerks, has a smug look on her face, and cracks open a Pepsi at the end! In the meantime, Andre sits in the corner, brooding over his DIET Pepsi. Honestly, does Beyonce have to spackle herself on EVERYTHING?
That would be SO original of her!
And by “original” you mean “typical”.
Beyonce sounds out of breath, trying to sound soulful and Andre doesn’t sound right for the song. Amy died 3-4 years ago it still feels too soon to start remaking her music. Just use the original.
Beyonce can’t connect with the song and you can tell. Amy had an amazing voice with such soul with Beyonce just doesn’t have she needs to still to the fluffy no real emotional sounds about her big booty and single ladies. Nothing too deep for Bey. Andre he just sucks but he usually does. Jay Z failed he produced it and he didn’t get a good performance from either. At least he get’s to sleep with Beyonce. No one should try and cover Amy’s stuff yet it’s too her and you need an edge which is something Beyonce will never have.
I enjoy Andre with Outkast…but seriously, I don’t get where either he or Beyonce got the idea that they’d do a good cover of this song. Amy Winehouse wrote this song out of pain that only she could feel at the time. Anyone who tries to cover it at this point is a pretentious ass.
DAMN, I miss Outkast!! So glad they both went on to “better” solo projects (/heavy sarcasm)
Eh, not as good as the original, but that’s to be expected. And Jay-Z and Beyonce would never just use someone else’s track — everything always has to be about them and their unique “style.”
I like Baz Luhrman’s work, but sometimes I think he goes a step too far in being “edgy” and crosses over into “ridiculous.” I don’t even see this song as fitting with “The Great Gatsby” as a story.
Seriously?
I.. The song with Beyonce/Andre… It’s beyond horrible… Everything is disjointed (where in Amy’s there’s only certain places with small pauses for anticipation), The ‘echo’ voice effect was abused. Beyonce, even though capable of it to *some* extent, didn’t sound AT ALL soulful. It’s like a wanna-be sexy voice that’s just not appropriate for this song.
Didn’t expect a miracle or for it to be better than Amy’s, but damn, I didn’t think it’d be this awful. Not to mention my ‘perfect pitch’ cringe-worthy misery it caused. There were very unfortunate missed notes.
what in the GD weak bs is that mess?
trying to recreate the haunting quality of the original by making it sloooooower and adding 1984/halloween/808 synth-y nonsense? FAIL.
if your performers can’t capture the original essence, paring it down to 3 elements shows a serious lack of judgment.
NO
of course the original was 10,000 times better
i dont know how it is used in the movie though. in the book, daisy is rather empty, not good or bad just pretty and empty. maybe’s bey’s song suits that better than the original.
please.
Did anyone else think that Beyonce was wearing a robotic leg in the first shot? I didn’t even question it because it seemed so outrageous-for-the-sake-of-it and thus part of the ensemble.
The back beat is HORRIBLE. Andre’s part is just blech, and why did they cut out all the chorus’ until the end? And that echo voice affect is horrible.
Just no. Awful awful stuff.
NO. Just, NO.
Beyonce’s voice is just not attractive or pretty, beautiful.
She has just a powerful voice and lung (?) and that’s all.
In this song, she tries to soften her voice but it makes me just cringe so hard .
This is so bad. I love Amy’s entire album, and behind every song, she puts a certain emotion that transforms the song. Beyonce doesn’t have that. Especially for this particular song. I don’t like Beyonce at all, but this just sounded really bad.
That whole album was wonderful and it’s perfect mood music. My personal fav is “Wake Up Alone” and “Love is a Losing Game.”
Word.
My fave is Tears Dry On Their Own.
Oh damn..now I’m gonna spend all day listening to it!
Damn I miss Amy Winehouse. :(. Im so sick of Beyonce ! And they just fucked up this song. Why couldn’t they use the original they had to mess it up. Andre 2000 is terrible the whole thing sounds like a bunch of howling cats. Yuck and blah to them! 🙁 RIP Amy!
I agree with being sick of Beyonce however much I like the song. She’s all over the place, she tries WAAAAY to hard, and borderline GOOP irritating… I mean millimetres away from being over the edge.
Too early to be hating ladies, the girl is gonna shine anyways ha!
Wow. I liked it. Including the Andre 3000 part. I didn’t think it was offensive it’s just a cover. Everyone does covers. Ah well, each to their own.
I don’t think it is offensive because it is a cover song of someone who passed away, I mostly think Andre 3000’s part was offensive to my ears.
Ok- I like it. I like the music- kind of reminds me of Portishead from Pulp Fiction.
I don’t like Beyonce’s music but I really am into her in this track-so I’m in the minority.
I love both Andre 3000 and Beyonce… and I think the song sounds cool. My problem is that this song did NOT need to be remade. The original was best.
God even Beyonce’s voice annoy me these days.
Why would they NOT use Amy’s version?
If, your setting is the 1920’s… you want Amy’s voice… not Andre 3000. and never Beyonce. It’s a no brainer except that Jay Z’s involved.
Beyonce sounds like when my kids cover Adele. it just doesn’t cut it!
Are you sure this isn’t a modern day great gatsby? Kind of like how cruel intentions was supposed to be a modern day version of Les liaisons dangereuses?
That didn’t occur to me. Maybe? Haven’t I seen Leo and maybe Mulligan in period costumes??
.
although the no matter the time period I would always choose Amy’s soulful voice over Beyonce’s autotune.
point taken.
Alas, the trailer has everyone in period costumes and design. (even down to the WWI stuff for younger gatsby)
Considering the way Luhrman works the song needs a bit more artificiality to work in his film so a new version was the way to go.
This movie is a stylized version of the 1920s…it is not supposed to appear historically accurate. And Amy’s style vocally was more 40s and 60s.
This is terrible. Why didn’t they just use the original? Why does Bey think she needs to be on everything?!
“Beyonce and Jay-Z had to pay six-figures for the rights to Amy’s song. I don’t know… maybe they should have just bought the song and used the original version, you know?”
Nah, Bey’s ego is too big.
I expected the worst and it did not disappoint. It is far more horrible than I could have ever imagined. What a sacrilege.
They really should have used Amy’s version, which was haunting, melancholic, and just beautiful. This?..awful..just ugh.
Unbelievably awful, and what’s with the big ole diaper Beyonce’s sporting in the first shot?
kaiser: you left out my favorite parts of Mitch’s quote:
Paraphrasing he said, Bey paid $100,000 to the Amy Winehouse Foundation to cover ‘Back to Black’ which is helping many children and she was welcome to cover any other songs because he needs the money.
“”It’s like a wanna-be sexy voice that’s just not appropriate for this song””
That’s what i thought too. She’s going for sexy…..
Amy lived every second of sadness on that album. Major feels on every song. Meanwhile Beyonce has the appearance and demeanor of a pop star robot who’s never had an honest feeling her entire life. Everything is so contrived with her.
This.
There is no rawness and pain like Winehouse had. She was a great singer and an even better songwriter.
Beyonce is a machine who relies on other people to write generic non-offensive ‘sexy’ songs. She’s too protected, controlled and manufactured to sing a song about real-life problems.
Exactly, there’s no soul to bouncy because she’s a soulless product; What I can’t understand is the media fawning over this at best mediocrity; Everyone on this site, and others,knows there’s a wealth of info on all her actual backstory, yet the media treats her like a Goddess – What gives with that? And please can the backlash to seeing her vacant face everywhere soon begin, Anything to knock her off her silly tiara pageant pedestal.
The only reason why people say/think she’s a Goddess is because Beyonce said that :).
You all are being a bit too dramatic about this. While I don’t think it’s the greatest cover ever, you have to consider the style of the movie. Baz Luhrmann is the director, producer and writer of this film…Moulin Rouge anyone?!The cover fits this film.
exactly! The song was probably made to fit the style of the movie. I like the music in the background a lot.
This is a bit off topic, but it seems like Beyonce is getting whiter and whiter. Is is just the lighting or skin lightneer or — WTF? Soon she’s going to look like her BFF Goopy.
OFFENSIVE. Beyonces voice is nowhere near where it should be for this song.
Andre 3000 SHOULD have been the only one singing,Beyonce’s soulless voice and mannerisms is an insult to the raw emotion of the original version.
And Jay Z, U should have used more of Jack White’s pure genius , having an amazing artist at hand and let it go (mostly) to waste is a crime! fo’ shame
Just coming over here to say watching Amy’s video makes me miss her talent. It’s such a shame that she’s gone and that she never could beat her demons.
I’m a terrible person, but I get mad at Lindsay Lohan for doing the stuff she’s done for years and still living on when people like Amy and Heath Ledger are gone far too soon.
RIP Amy. I’ve got no opinion on Beyonce’s version, but I will be watching The Great Gatsby.
I don’t think it’s offensive, but it’s so bad, I don’t know how Bey and Andre 3000 aren’t embarrassed. A truly innovative idea would be to get Mark Ronson to do a remix of the original tune, and or get a real musician (Hans Zimmer/ Ennio Morcone) to do the song instrumentally and break it down throughout the movie for the soundtrack. Now that would be really haunting, but alas, you have to have a real imagination for that. 🙂
Let us put you in charge
Ok changed my mind on the new version. Awful. Awful!! I’d only heard the clip that was on the Gatsby trailer and there was nothing wrong with it. WHAT IS THIS??
I’m not offended per se, but it’s atrocious!
The backing is cringeworthy, Andre 3000 needs to not be there, and Beyonce just does her empty trilling over the top.
I don’t object to covers though – try this one for size http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLaff23Gb5E
I’m no fan of this. I don’t like Beyonce’s music, I don’t like her attitude, and I definitely don’t like this cover. They should have just used the Amy version as it’s infinitely superior.
Ugh. I can’t. I just can’t. Andre absolutely murdered the song & not in a good way. This is is a dark song that comes from a place of hurt, why is she singing it mid-orgasm? Some things are better left untouched. Beyonce needs to hide in a dark hole for a few years. GO AWAY!
The Illuminati had Amy Winehouse dealt with and now the “Queen” Beyonce has her song.
WORD.
Oh man.
Personally I think if they HAD to do a cover it should have been Andre 3000 all the way through, a male voice cover would have been a different take on the song, so far removed from Amy it wouldn’t be as offensive.
Anyway I just cant with Beys faux mariah warbling. Beats good – though nicked?
Andre 3000 kind of sounds like the wheelchair from Malcolm in the Middle. Beyonce sound ok.
I think I can see who Amy inherited her addict gene from, because Mitch Winehouse is high as hell if he thinks Andre3000 was the worst part of that horrible rendition of that song – Beyonce is freakin’ UNBEARABLE.
Gah, I can’t get to listen to it at work. Based on the comments, maybe I should be grateful?
I like it! It is a whole different take on the original as any cover should be.
Nobody can sing the song like Amy and that’s not the aim of the cover.They tried to do something far from the original and suitable for a movie and in my opinion they succeeded in it! And this comes from a huge Amy fan 🙂
I can’t stand BeYonCe. She is as bad as her buddy FishStick.
They wouldn’t have bought it anyway, because Beyonce is the star and she has to do it all. I’m not a huge fan of Amy but she was a great singer and this new version really bring it all down.
This is horrifying and they both sound ridiculous. I also don’t think Amy’s even been dead long enough to have people doing remakes of her songs, nevermind sub-par remakes like this. They should have just used the original. “You know I’m no Good” was always my favorite Amy Winehouse song too!
NO! Just, NO!
This chick has exploited every possible ‘pop’ persona. She’s done songs about ‘her roots’ and ‘falling in love’ and being all ‘independant woman’ and now ‘having a baby.’ What could she possibly give us now besides the YAWNS
As much as I love Andre 3000 I don’t like this AT ALL. They shouldn’t have touched the original. They could have just used Amy’s version in the movie and introduced her music to people who may not have know how talented she was. Amy Winehouse music catalog>>>>>>anything Beyonce has ever made
God, this girl is unbelievable! Amy Winehouse was a POWERHOUSE talent, singer-songwriter…made some amazing music, truly a talent like no other.
Now this overrated prima donna with a sh*tty voice and horrible rhythm is going to remake it?
Just. Wow.
And let’s not forget what her and that horrible girl group she was in did to the Bee Gees’ ‘Emotion’.
She sucks, plain and simple. No talent.
THIS!^
Is it just me or does the Beyonce song use the riff from Blondie’s Atomic in the beginning? How unoriginal can she get?