i've been on a small hiatus for a while for several reasons but i've had a couple of entries that i've thought about and this stood out ever since the news hit that amy winehouse passed away. i mean it wasn't really a suprise since it's been expected ever since you'd see articles and reportings with winehouse being shitfaced and/or being a complete mess.
but i liked her music and i think her first album was simply brilliant to be honest. the tracks produced by salaam remi was sharp and winehouse pouring out her emotions about her failed relationships was a good combination. winehouse mentioned in this interview that she could only write when things in her life went wrong. she didn't think anyone would be interested hearing her singing about either love in a more positive respect as she wasn't big fan of that vibe or touring/about promoting an album.
from a production standpoint it's been pointed out before that remi reused the beat he made for nas' "made you look". but unlike in the original where that was fitted to be a cracking raw new york style hiphop track, remi added more to the track to suit amy's kind of thing.
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the beat to "made you look" was quite unique in that it used the classic michael viner's bongo band track apache in a new spin. and for a track that's been cut up and sampled for over 20 years in all shapes and forms. i mean yeah, there are actually only three positions where people usually sample "apache" and they are: the 4 bar drum intro, the shadows' hook & the lengthy 16bar(?) middle section of all drums and bongos.
the point where salaam remi is infact in those three positions but it's the unlikely part that is used. right after the hook is dropped there is two bars of drums in between every guitar riff and he utilized those bars and slowed it down. i'm guessing the reason why it was unique was that those bars have a echoed guitar trail.
i've nerded out enough about that so back to "in my bed" and i think this is the first track i heard from winehouse and this was in back in 2005 and back then i had no clue who she was but uk music mags (q, mojo, nme and the other usual suspects) loved to write about her so i thought she was just going to be a flavour of the month. but ye she sure became a force to reckon with.
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oh and i have to point out that the bugz in the attic remix is awesome and serves as a good 120-something bpm brokenbeat thumper with resonant synthbass and nice use of the some of the horns. but much like in the case of simbad's version of "after the dance" the dub is just bollocks and i can't stand the excessive repition of the phrase "in my bed" and it's a shame because i think the instrumental holds up with a vocal.
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