Back To Black, a tribute to the iconic voice of Amy Winehouse, directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson (Nowhere Boy), was always going to be a challenge for music producer Giles Martin (Rocket Man, The Beatles: Get Back) and music supervisor Iain Cooke (The Gentlemen, Wham!), tasked with nailing the film’s musical direction. In an interview ahead of the film’s release, the pair explained what drew them to this project and how their honest approach was key to creating an authentic portrayal not only of Winehouse’s music, but also of her unique personality.
Martin knew his responsibility was to work with Marisa Abela and work on the songs and the music. “Back To Black, in a way, was a bigger challenge because everything is very real,” he said. “Rocket Man was a fantasy, and so you’re really just replicating performances.” However, he trusted the process and met Abela, liking her and thought, “she was great”. Meanwhile, Cooke was excited to help bring the filmmakers’ vision to the screen and by the prospect of a film about such a complex character with her amazing music at the focus.
For Martin and Cooke, authenticity was key in representing an artist as beloved as Winehouse in the musical production. They decided to use Winehouse’s original band, which is important because “they knew her,” he said. Coupled with an actress like Abela, they wanted to ensure “that we get the emotion across”. Cooke said that they did a lot of research into Winehouse’s live performances, particularly the performances that were written in the script, in a bid to honour her authentically and aim for integrity with her performances at every point.
It was one of the most collaborative experiences of his career, Cooke said. Taylor-Johnson was very open to ideas and input throughout the process, during prep for the shoot and the edit, and she really empowered them and had a lot of trust in their sensibilities. They wanted the film to be a love letter to Winehouse’s incredible music and shine a light on her influences within the soundtrack of the film.
With honesty, collaboration, and authenticity as the guiding principles, Back To Black promises to be a fitting tribute to one of the most iconic voices of the 21st century. The film is now in cinemas
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