Amy Winehouse's critically acclaimed album, Frank, is now set to be released as a double vinyl half-speed master on 4 September through UMC/Island Records.
Frank was initially released on October 20, 2003, by Island Records. Much of the album’s production is handled by Salaam Remi, a New York-born producer at the time best known for his collaborations with hip-hop and dancehall artists. By the early 2000s, he’d begun re-establishing himself through his production for Nas, where soon after he met Amy and began a musical partnership that would last the rest of her career.
The album title alludes to the nature and tone of Winehouse’s lyrics on the album, as well as one of her main influences, Frank Sinatra. Apart from two songs on the album, all the lyrics are characterised by a brutal honesty written by Amy. Frank won her comparisons to jazz greats Nina Simone and Sarah Vaughn, with her voice being described by The Times as ''earthy, warm, lived-in and astonishingly versatile''.Mark Ronson, described Amy as bringing ''a rebellious rock and roll spirit back to popular music".
Frank also earned Amy Winehouse several accolades, including two BRIT Award nods, shortlist for the Mercury Music Prize Album of the Year, and delivered a prestigious Ivor Novello songwriting award in 2004 for the track Stronger Than Me.
Frank is a fascinating look into the musical life of an artist with a wealth of talent who was just discovering how great she could be. Now, 17 years old, Frank is set to be re-released on vinyl, half-speed remastered by Miles Showell at Abbey Road.
