Studio album by Amy Winehouse
Released: 20 October 2003 (2003-10-20)
Recorded: 2002-2003
Genre: R&B, neo soul, jazz, soul
Label: Island, Republic
Producer: Amy Winehouse, Salaam Remi, Commissioner Gordon, Jimmy Hogarth, Matt Rowe





Frank is the debut album of British singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse, released 20 October 2003 on Island Records. Production for the album took place during 2002 to 2003 and was handled by Winehouse, Salaam Remi, Commissioner Gordon, Jimmy Hogarth, and Matt Rowe. Its title alludes to the nature and tone of Winehouse's lyrics on the album.

Upon its release, Frank received generally positive reviews from most music critics and earned Winehouse several accolades, including an Ivor Novello Award. Since its original release in the United Kingdom, the album has been reissued in Canada, the United States, and Australia. It has been certified triple platinum by the British Phonographic Industry, with shipments in excess of 900,000 copies in the UK.


Much can be said about Amy Winehouse, one of the U.K.'s flagship vocalists during the 2000s. The British press and tabloids seemed to focus on her rowdy behavior and heavy consumption of alcohol, but fans and critics alike embraced her rugged charm, brash sense of humor, and distinctively soulful and jazzy vocals. Her platinum-selling breakthrough album, Frank (2003), elicited comparisons ranging from Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan to Macy Gray and Lauryn Hill. Interestingly enough, despite her strong cockney accent and vernacular, one can often hear aspects of each of those singers' vocal repertoire in Winehouse's own voice. Nonetheless, her allure has been her songwriting -- almost always deeply personal, but best-known for its profanity and brutal candor. - https://www.allmusic.com/album/frank-r671986

Review

by John Bush

If a series of unfortunate comparisons (like the ones to follow) cause listeners to equate British vocalist Amy Winehouse with Macy Gray, it's only natural. Both come on like a hybrid of Billie Holiday and Lauryn Hill who's had a tipple and then attempted one more late-night set at a supper club than they should have. Despite her boozy persona and loose-limbed delivery, though, Winehouse is an excellent vocalist possessing both power and subtlety, the latter an increasingly rare commodity among contemporary female vocalists (whether jazz or R&B). What lifts her above Macy Gray is the fact that her music and her career haven't been marketed within an inch of their life. Instead of Gray's stale studio accompaniments, Winehouse has talented musicians playing loose charts behind her with room for a few solos. Instead of a series of vocal mellifluities programmed to digital perfection, Winehouse's record has the feeling of being allowed to grow on its own -- without being meddled with and fussed over (and losing its soul in the process). Simply hearing Winehouse vamp for a few minutes over some Brazilian guitar lines on "You Sent Me Flying" is a rare and immense pleasure. Also, like Nellie McKay (but unlike nearly all of her contemporaries), Winehouse songs like "Fuck Me Pumps," "Take the Box," and "I Heard Love Is Blind" cast a cool, critical gaze over the music scene, over the dating scene, and even over the singer herself. With "In My Bed," she even proves she can do a commercial R&B production, and a club version of "Moody's Mood for Love" not only solidifies her jazz credentials but proves she can survive in the age of Massive Attack. - https://www.allmusic.com/album/frank-r671986/review




Tracklist
1-1.1 Intro 3:55
Producer, Recorded By, Mixed By - Commissioner Gordon


1-1.2 Stronger Than Me
Organ - Salaam Remi


1-2.1 You Sent Me Flying 6:51
Percussion - Salaam Remi
Piano, Bass, Keyboards - Luke Smith
Written-By - Felix Howard


1-2.2 Cherry
Drum Programming, Mixed By - Salaam Remi


1-3 Know You Now 3:03
Drums - Errol Campbell (2)
Producer, Recorded By, Programmed By, Mixed By - Commissioner Gordon
Shaker - Rudy Bird
Written-By - Astor Campbell , Gordon Williams
Written-By, Bass - Delroy "Chris" Cooper*
Written-By, Guitar - Earl Chinna Smith*
Written-By, Keyboards - Donovan Jackson


1-4 F**k Me Pumps 3:21


1-5 I Heard Love Is Blind 2:10


1-6.1 Moody's Mood For Love 3:29


1-6.2 Teo Licks
Bass - Gregory Jackson (3)
Drums - Errol Campbell (2)
Engineer [Mastering] - Tom Coyne
Guitar - Earl Chinna Smith*
Keyboards - Donovan Jackson
Producer, Percussion, Recorded By, Mixed By - Commissioner Gordon


1-7 (There Is) No Greater Love 2:09
Guitar - Ian Barter
Mixed By [Assistant] - Brent Williams (2)
Piano - Lenny Underwood
Producer, Drums, Percussion, Effects, Recorded By, Mixed By - Commissioner Gordon
Saxophone, Flute - Robert Aaron
Written-By - Isham Jones , Marty Symes


1-8 In My Bed 5:17
Backing Vocals - Jeni Fujita
Flute - Vincent Henry


1-9 Take The Box 3:20
Drums [Additional] - Richard Wilkinson
Guitar - Jeremy Shaw
Horns - Timothy Hutton*
Mixed By - Tom Elmhirst
Producer [Additional] - Jony Rockstar
Written-By - Luke Smith


1-10 October Song 3:25
Bass - Delroy "Chris" Cooper*
Drums, Percussion - Errol Campbell (2)
Engineer [Assistant] - John Piretti
Guitar - Earl Chinna Smith*
Keyboards - Lenny Underwood
Percussion - Gordon Williams
Producer, Recorded By, Mixed By, Programmed By - Commissioner Gordon
Saxophone - Teodross Avery
Written-By - Matt Rowe , Stefan Skarbek


1-11 What Is It About Men? 3:30
Percussion - Rudy Bird
Producer, Recorded By, Programmed By, Turntables, Mixed By - Commissioner Gordon
Saxophone - Teodross Avery
Trombone - Stafford Hunter
Trumpet - Tanya Darby
Written-By - Felix Howard , Luke Smith , Paul Watson
Written-By, Bass - Delroy "Chris" Cooper*
Written-By, Drums - Wilburn Squiddley Cole*
Written-By, Guitar - Earl Chinna Smith*
Written-By, Percussion - Gordon Williams
Written-by, Organ, Electric Piano [Rhodes] - Donovan Jackson


1-12 Help Yourself 5:01
Mixed By - Cameron Craig
Organ [Hammond], Organ [Wurlitzer] - Martin Slattery
Producer, Written-By, Programmed By, Drums, Bass, Guitar, Percussion, Mixed By - Jimmy Hogarth


1-13.1 Amy Amy Amy 13:17
Backing Vocals - Felix Howard
Producer, Written-By, Trumpet, Backing Vocals - Matt Rowe
Written-By, Trumpet, Backing Vocals - Stefan Skarbek


1-13.2 Outro
Backing Vocals - Jeni Fujita
Organ - Salaam Remi


1-13.3 Brother


1-13.4 Mr Magic (Through The Smoke)



Bonus Disc
2-1 Take The Box (Original Demo)
Written-By - Luke Smith


2-2 I Heard Love Is Blind (Original Demo)
Written-By - Felix Howard


2-3 Someone To Watch Over Me (Original Demo)
Bass - Arnie Somogyi
Drums - Jeremy Stacey
Engineer - Jonathan Shakhovskoy
Piano - Jason Rebello
Written-By - George & Ira Gershwin


2-4 What It Is (Original Demo)


2-5 Teach Me Tonight (Hootenanny)
Baritone Saxophone - Nick Lunt
Bass - Dave Swift*
Drums - Gilson Lavis
Guitar - Mark Flanagan
Organ - Christopher Holland*
Piano - Jools Holland
Producer - Alison Howe
Saxophone - Derek Nash , Lisa Grahame* , Michael 'Bammi' Rose* , Phil Veacock
Trombone - Alistair White , Rico Rodriguez , Roger Goslyn , Winston Rollins
Trumpet - Chris Storr , Jason McDermid , Jon Scott (2)
Written-By - Gene DePaul , Sammy Cahn


2-6 'Round Midnight


2-7 Fool's Gold


2-8 Stronger Than Me (Later With Jools Holland)


2-9 I Heard Love Is Blind (Live At The Concorde Brighton)


2-10 Take The Box (Live At The Concorde Brighton)
Engineer - Mike Walter
Producer - Andy Rogers , Sam Cunningham
Written-By - Luke Smith


2-11 In My Bed (Live At The Concorde Brighton)
Engineer - Mike Walter
Producer - Andy Rogers , Sam Cunningham


2-12 Mr Magic (Through The Smoke) (Janice Long Session)
Bass - Pete Cochrane
Drums - Nathan Allen
Engineer - Carwyn Griffith , Mark Ward (2)
Guitar - Femi Temowo
Producer - Chris Mears
Written-By - Ralph MacDonald , William Salter


2-13 (There Is) No Greater Love (Janice Long Session)
Bass - Pete Cochrane
Drums - Nathan Allen
Engineer - Carwyn Griffith , Mark Ward (2)
Guitar - Femi Temowo
Producer - Chris Mears
Written-By - Isham Jones , Marty Symes


2-14 F**K Me Pumps (MJ Cole Mix)
Remix, Keyboards [Additional] - MJ Cole


2-15 Take The Box (Seiji's Buggin' Mix)
Drums [Additional] - Richard Wilkinson
Engineer - Matt Lord
Guitar - Jeremy Shaw
Horns - Timothy Hutton*
Mixed By - Tom Elmhirst
Producer [Additional Production] - Jony Rockstar
Remix - Seiji
Written-By - Luke Smith


2-16 Stronger Than Me (Harmonic 33 Mix)
Organ - Salaam Remi
Remix, Producer [Additional Production] - Dave Brinkworth , Mark Pritchard


2-17 In My Bed (CJ Mix)
Backing Vocals - Jeni Fujita
Flute - Vincent Henry
Mixed By - Tom Elmhirst



Credits
Accompanied By - 21st Century Jazz (tracks: 1-1.2, 1-4 to 1-6.1, 1-8, 1-13.2, 2-5 to 2-7, 2-14, 2-16, 2-17)
Baritone Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Alto Saxophone - Vincent Henry (tracks: 1-1.2, 1-5, 1-6.1, 1-8, 1-13.2, 2-6, 2-7, 2-14, 2-16, 2-17)
Bass - Dale Davis (2) (tracks: 2-8 to 2-11)
Drums - Salaam Remi (tracks: 1-1.2, 1-2.1, 1-8, 1-13.2, 2-6, 2-7, 2-14, 2-16, 2-17) , Stuart Anning (tracks: 2-8 to 2-11)
Electric Bass - Salaam Remi (tracks: 1-5, 1-6.1, 1-8, 2-6, 2-7, 2-14, 2-17)
Electric Piano [Rhodes] - John Adams (3) (tracks: 1-1.2, 1-6.1, 1-8, 1-13.2, 2-6, 2-7, 2-14, 2-16, 2-17)
Engineer [Assistant] - Ben Bryant (tracks: 1-3, 1-7, 1-10, 1-11) , Houston "House" Bowen* (tracks: 1-3, 1-7, 1-10, 1-11) , John Piretti (tracks: 1-3, 1-11)
Engineer [Mastering] - Tom Coyne (tracks: 1-1.2 to 1-2.2, 1-4 to 1-6.1, 1-8, 1-13.2, 2-6, 2-7, 2-17)
Flugelhorn, Trumpet, Trumpet [Bass Trumpet] - Bruce Purse (tracks: 1-1.2, 1-5, 1-6.1, 1-8, 1-13.2, 2-6, 2-8, 2-16, 2-17)
Guitar - Amy Winehouse (tracks: 1-1.1 to 1-2.2, 1-5, 1-6.1, 1-8, 1-10, 1-13.2, 2-1, 2-6, 2-7, 2-16, 2-17) , Ian Barter (tracks: 2-8 to 2-11)
Photography - Valerie Phillips
Photography [Cover] - Charles Moriarty
Producer - Amy Winehouse (tracks: 1-9, 2-1, 2-2, 2-4, 2-15)
Producer, Arranged By - Salaam "The Chameleon" Remi* (tracks: 1-1.2 to 1-2.2, 1-4 to 1-6, 1-8, 1-13.2, 2-6, 2-7, 2-14, 2-16, 2-17)
Recorded By [Assistant] - Steve "ESP" Nowa (tracks: 1-1.2, 1-2.1, 1-5, 1-6.1, 1-8, 1-13b, 2-6, 2-7, 2-14, 2-16, 2-17)
Recorded By, Mixed By - Gary "Mon" Noble* (tracks: 1-1.2 to 1-2.2, 1-4 to 1-6.1, 1-8, 1-13.2, 2-7, 2-14, 2-16, 2-17)
Saxophone - Dave Temple* (tracks: 2-8 to 2-13)
Trombone - Mike Kearsey (tracks: 2-9 to 2-13)
Trumpet - Ben Edwards (2) (tracks: 2-8 to 2-13)
Vocals - Amy Winehouse
Written-By - Amy Winehouse (tracks: 1-1.1 to 1-5, 1-6.2, 1-8 to 1-13.2, 2-1, 2-2, 2-4, 2-7 to 2-12, 2-14 to 2-17) , Salaam Remi (tracks: 1-1.2, 1-2.2, 1-4, 1-8, 1-13.2, 2-8, 2-11, 2-14, 2-15, 2-16, 2-17)