Rolling Stones Reflect on Amy Winehouse’s Legacy Ahead of New Album Release

The Rolling Stones have reflected on the tragic loss of Amy Winehouse as they prepare to release a cover of her Back to Black track “You Know I’m No Good.”

The rock legends are preparing to release their 25th studio album, Foreign Tongues, on July 10 through Polydor/Universal Music. The record will feature guest appearances by Paul McCartney, Robert Smith, Steve Winwood, and the late drummer Charlie Watts.

The album consists of 14 tracks, including “In the Stars,” “Rough and Twisted,” and a cover of Winehouse’s “You Know I’m No Good.” The singer, who died 15 years ago this month from alcohol poisoning at age 27, was especially close to Ronnie Wood. In a recent interview with The Sunday Times, Wood reflected on their friendship and her struggle with addiction.

“She would go, ‘Oh, Ronnie, what am I going to do?’ I said, ‘Look, everyone knows you’ve got vodka in the water bottle. Get it together and get on stage.’”

He went on to say that her personal issues never affected her performances, saying: “If you could get her up there [on stage] and she stayed there, it’d be great.”

Wood added, “I’m sad because she didn’t live out her full potential. It felt like saying goodbye to Billie Holiday all over again.” Meanwhile, Keith Richards said he regretted never getting to know her better following their Isle of Wight performance in 2007.

“I was always sort of, ‘Well, I’m bound to meet her down the road,’” he said. “You expect things to happen, and unfortunately no. But that’s what records are for. I’m just very glad and honoured to have played with her at least once.”

At the time, Mick Jagger said he hoped to collaborate with her before they shared the bill. Eventually they performed together, singing a duet of The Temptations’ “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg,” which can be viewed above.

Regarding the forthcoming Stones album, Jagger recently spoke with NME about the “very easy” experience of working with Paul McCartney.

The Beatles legend handled bass on “Covered In You.” He also told NME he was “chuffed” to be invited to participate.

“You could be a bit blasé and go, ‘Yeah, OK, so what?’ But for me, it wasn’t – it went the other way,” he said, going on to recall how he felt in the studio.

In a recent NME interview, Stones frontman Mick Jagger discussed what it was like to have the music legend in the studio, noting that he recorded his part during the same session as “Bite My Head Off” from their 2023 album Hackney Diamonds.

“The new tune is more of a funk bass part,” Jagger explained, before going on to share what it was like to work alongside McCartney.

“It was very easy,” he told NME. “Obviously, I’ve known Paul for ages. He’s not a stranger, but he’s never played bass with us before. It’s a different thing, you know?”

“I said to Andy [Watt, producer] ‘Is he gonna be into this because it’s a punk tune and I want overdriven bass. It’s gonna be simple, no mucking about.’ And Paul did exactly what was needed in, like, 10 minutes.”

As Jagger noted, this isn’t the first time the two have collaborated since revolutionizing music in the 1960s. Besides working together on “Bite My Head Off” and “Covered In You,” McCartney and his Beatles bandmate John Lennon co‑wrote the Stones’ second single, “I Wanna Be Your Man,” in 1963. Brian Jones of the Stones also made a brief contribution to “Yellow Submarine,” and Jagger assisted with “Baby, You’re a Rich Man.”

The two groups also shared a one‑off performance in 1968, playing “Yer Blues” together, and twenty years later Jagger inducted the Beatles into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (according to Ultimate Classic Rock).

McCartney is just one of many notable contributors to the upcoming Stones album; others include The Cure’s Robert Smith on “Divine Intervention,” Bruno Mars on cowbell for “Never Wanna Lose You,” and Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers on a cover of Chuck Berry’s “Beautiful Delilah.”

In the same NME interview, Jagger said the band has no intention of retiring soon and that he has already begun writing new songs, though he is considering offering them to other artists.

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