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Valerie (Zutons song)

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"Valerie"
Song
B-side
  • "April Fool"
  • "I Will Be Your Pockets"
  • "In the City"
  • "Get Up and Dance"

"Valerie" is a song written by English indie rock band The Zutons from their second studio album Tired of Hanging Around (2006). Released as the album's second single on 19 June 2006 in the United Kingdom, along with their previous single "Why Won't You Give Me Your Love?", it gave The Zutons their joint-biggest single to date as well as their second UK top 10 single, climbing from number 41 (through download sales alone the day before physical release) to its peak at number 9 in the UK Singles Chart.

There is a cover version of 'Valerie' recorded in the style of 1970s reggae. The song was used by ITV during the 2006 FIFA World Cup, alongside Primal Scream's "Country Girl" and Kasabian's cover of David Bowie's 1977 song "Heroes".

Both the original and Mark Ronson version featured in British soap opera Emmerdale during the wedding of Eric and Val Pollard in 2008.

Background

In an interview with The Scotsman in May 2008, lead singer Dave McCabe described the writing process of the song: "I could tell you I was inspired by gazing out across the Mersey or walking past Macca's old house, but the truth is I got the idea in a cab on the way to my mum's. The whole song was written before I got there, so 20 minutes, max."[1]

Music video

The music video was directed by Scott Lyon. It is set in a prison and features The Zutons trying to escape.

Track listings and formats

CD 1
  1. "Valerie"
  2. "April Fool"
CD 2
  1. "Valerie"
  2. "I Will Be Your Pockets"
  3. "In the City"
  4. "Valerie" (Video)
7" single
  1. "Valerie"
  2. "Get Up and Dance"

Charts and certifications

Charts

Chart (2006) Peak
position
European Hot 100 Singles[2] 33
Ireland (IRMA)[3] 32
UK Singles (OCC)[4] 9

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[5] Silver 200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Mark Ronson and Amy Winehouse version

"Valerie"
Song
B-side

English musicians Mark Ronson and Amy Winehouse covered "Valerie" for Ronson's second studio album Version (2007). Released as the album's third single on 15 October 2007, the track was first performed by Winehouse on Jo Whiley's Live Lounge show on BBC Radio 1. Singer and director Jordan Galland plays the electric piano on this single. Rolling Stone called the cover Winehouse's only "notable recording" after Back to Black.[6] Winehouse had previously recorded a slower-tempo version of the song, which appeared as a bonus track on the deluxe edition of Back to Black. This version was also featured at the end of Amy (2015), a documentary film biography of Winehouse, as well as on the original soundtrack. The song was also featured in the 2008 comedy film 27 Dresses, starring Katherine Heigl and James Marsden.

Chart performance

The single peaked at number 2 on the UK Singles Chart, where it spent 19 consecutive weeks inside the top 20. With sales of 329,490, it became the UK's ninth biggest-selling single of 2007.[7] The single spent 36 consecutive weeks on the UK Singles Chart between September 2007 and May 2008. It re-entered the chart in late June 2008 to take its total to 39 weeks.

The song was released in early 2008 in the Netherlands, quickly gaining airplay and sales. It is Winehouse's most successful song in the country, peaking at number 1 for four consecutive weeks.[citation needed]

As of January 2015, Ronson and Winehouse's version of "Valerie" has sold 658,353 copies in the United Kingdom, according to the Official Charts Company.[8]

Music video

The single's music video, directed by Robert Hales, was filmed in London on 28 August 2007.[9] It shows Ronson and a group of jazz musicians inviting a woman from the audience onto their stage to "sing" the song (after they notice that Winehouse is not present), followed by (presumably) the woman's friends, in the style of group karaoke—although the women essentially mime to Winehouse's voice.

Track listings and formats

CD single
  1. "Valerie"
  2. "Valerie" (Baby J Remix)
  3. "Valerie" (The Count & Sinden Remix)
  4. "California" (Live from Wireless Festival)

Charts

Weekly charts

Other versions

This song has been covered by Ashley Lilinoe;

The song has also been covered by dance vocalist Suzi Z, with the reference to "ginger hair" removed. James Morrison and Panic! at the Disco also covered the song on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge in 2008.

It was performed by The X Factor series 4 contestant Alisha Bennett, on the third round of the live shows (Big Band week).

It was sung by Niamh Perry on the fourth round of BBC's I'd Do Anything in 2008.

Canadian Idol season 6 contestant Mookie Morris sang it the final week of the semi-finals, earning him a spot in the top ten.

It was covered in a parody on Today FM's Gift Grub, prior to Munster's appearance in the 2008 Heineken Cup final, as Flannery after Munster hooker, Jerry Flannery.

Australian pop rock band Brittle covered the song for their 2008 EP Chinese Whispers.

The Zutons' version of the song is referenced in the 2010 song "She Said" by Plan B.

Glee covered the Amy Winehouse version of the song in the episode "Special Education", as one of the two songs for the season 2 Sectionals, with Santana Lopez (Naya Rivera) singing the lead and also in the 100th episode of the series they redo the song as a duet with Lopez and Brittany Pierce (Heather Morris).

Singer Bruno Mars paid tribute to Winehouse performing her version of the song at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards.

Louis Tomlinson of boy band One Direction covered the song during a concert of their 2011 Up All Night Tour.[19]

Frankie Cocozza auditioned for The X Factor in 2011 singing the original Zutons version.

There was a performance (tribute to Amy Winehouse) by Dionne Bromfield (goddaughter of Amy Winehouse), Aura Dione, Ivy Quainoo, Caro Emerald & Ina Müller at the 2012 Echo Awards Presentation in Germany.

Amanda Brown (singer) sang the song at her blind audition for season three of The Voice (U.S. TV series) on September 25, 2012.

Singer Selah Sue performed the song.

The brothers Mark, Rasaan and Marquis Scott of the group AKNU (A Kind Never Understood) performed the Bruno Mars version when they auditioned for The X Factor USA in 2013. They received three "Yes" votes from the judges, with Simon Cowell remarking "I actually could watch this whole audition all over again... I loved it that much".

EastEnders actress Rita Simons sang the song on Children in Need 2013.

5 After Midnight performed the song on series 13 of The X Factor on the third round of the live shows (Divas and Legends week).

References

  1. ^ "Jukebox heroes - The Zutons interview". The Scotsman. Johnston Press. 9 May 2008. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
  2. ^ "European Hot 100 Singles". Billboard. Retrieved 30 January 2008. [dead link]
  3. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Valerie". Irish Singles Chart.
  4. ^ "Zutons: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  5. ^ a b "British single certifications – Mark Ronson feat. Amy Winehouse – Valerie". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 16 March 2016. Select singles in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Type Valerie in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  6. ^ "Amy Winehouse Album Guide". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 5 July 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2010.
  7. ^ "Top 40 Singles of the Year 2007". BBC Radio 1. Retrieved 27 December 2007.
  8. ^ Jones, Alan (26 January 2015). "Official Charts Analysis: Ronson first artist to top singles and albums charts since 2013". Music Week. Intent Media. Retrieved 7 November 2015. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |subscription= ignored (|url-access= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ "Mark Ronson f/ Amy Winehouse - "Valerie"". Elbo.ws. 15 September 2007. Retrieved 28 January 2008.
  10. ^ "Dance Top 40 lista – 2008. 15. hét". Mahasz (in Hungarian). Retrieved 10 October 2008.
  11. ^ "RADIO TOP100 Oficiálna". IFPI (in Slovak). Retrieved 2 March 2008.
  12. ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company.
  13. ^ a b "Mark Ronson: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  14. ^ "Mark Ronson feat. Amy Winehouse – Valerie". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  15. ^ http://www.ukchartsplus.co.uk/ChartsPlusYE2007.pdf
  16. ^ http://www.mtv.de/musikvideos_artist/1246-the-zutons
  17. ^ http://www.ukchartsplus.co.uk/ChartsPlusYE2008.pdf
  18. ^ BBC Radio 1 Chart of the Decade, as presented by DJ Nihal on 29 December 2009
  19. ^ "One Direction Cover Amy Winehouse And Kings Of Leon On 'Up All Night' Tour". Capital FM. 22 December 2011. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
Preceded by Dutch Top 40 number-one single
(Mark Ronson and Amy Winehouse version)
26 January 2008 – 16 February 2008 		Succeeded by

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