Autumnal covers

How's about a series in which I give you two related cover versions every Saturday throughout the Autumn? Sound like a decent idea? Well I do, and it should provide me with plenty of articles without having to scrape too many barrels!

To kick things off, I've picked two songs written by the late Amy Winehouse which featured on her sadly final album 'Back To Black'. I first saw Amy on Jools Holland's show. I wasn't quite sure what to make of her. There was definitely something unique about her, and that is what made an impression on me. I wasn't sure if I liked either her or her music, but the fact she was different was enough.

To this day, I still haven't decided on either point. What I do know though is that she was a real, genuine talent and a sad casualty of success and excess. She died tragically and far too young, but there's no doubt she'll be remembered for a very long time in spite of her short career.

These two songs, both written entirely by Amy, are performed by two quintessentially English bands - Saint Etienne and Arctic Monkeys. I personally cannot say a bad word about the former, and the Arctics have more than earned their place in my esteemed collection with some terrific tunes of their own.


Soundtrack:

• Just Friends - Saint Etienne (from 'Words And Music: US bonus disc edition')
• You Know I'm No Good - Arctic Monkeys (recorded for 'Jo Wiley's Live Lounge' on BBC Radio 1)