00s music star behind huge Amy Winehouse song gutted he ‘can’t remember’ meeting her-Danni Scott-Entertainment – Metro

Amy Winehouse’s hit song Valerie was originally a success for The Zutons (Picture: Carl DE SOUZA / AFP)

Most people will hear the iconic song Valerie and immediately think of the late Amy Winehouse, however, the hit was originally by The Zutons.

The Liverpool-based rock group who formed in 2005, consisting of Dave McCabe, Russell Pritchard, Sean Payne, and Abi Harding.

The band saw initial success with their first two albums, which included Valerie, which landed them chart success in the early 00s.

However, it was 2006 when Winehouse and producer Mark Ronson took the reigns that it became the cultural icon it is today.

‘I think I’m okay with [her version being bigger],’ lead singer Dave told Metro.co.uk. ‘To be honest, I think it’s the best compliment.’

Winehouse’s version of Valerie was released on Back To Black’s deluxe version, her final album before her death in 2011.

The Zutons’ lead singer Dave McCabe got emotional remembering Winehouse(Picture: Gus Stewart/Redferns)

They had a string of hits in the mid 00s but quietly disbanded in 2009(Picture: Jonathan Fredergick Turton)

Dave shared: ‘I met her three times, once at the Mercury Music Awards briefly and once in the Hawley Arms, briefly.’

The famed Hawley Arms in Camden, London, is known to be where Winehouse would drink regularly, as well as being a haunt for everyone from the Arctic Monkeys to Kate Moss.

‘The second time,’ he paused before continuing with a shaky voice. ‘I was really drunk, and she… I don’t remember much about it to be honest with you.

‘I just remember seeing her and saying “Thank you” and she was like, “You know that’s a good song”.’

Valerie shot to number two in the UK charts, where it stayed within the top 20 for 19 weeks and was the ninth biggest-selling single of 2007.

‘I think it’s the best compliment any singer, especially one is as good as Amy Winehouse, can give you,’ the 43-year-old singer continued.

‘I think it’s a gift from the great universe, and you’re lucky to have gained something like that. We had a massive hit with it but I never thought lightning would strike twice, then it did.’

Alluding to Winehouse’s death aged 27, Dave notes this only added to the dizzying heights of Valerie ‘for all the wrong reasons’.

‘But maybe also, for the right reasons because it’s remembering what’s good about a bad situation to be in,’ the Scouse singer explained.

‘It’s funny, when I was a kid, you’re listening to like Nirvana, or Guns ‘n’ Roses or the Beatles but don’t think you’re gonna write one of those songs that people’s Auntie’s sing at karaoke.

Dave said it’s an honour to have someone so talented sing his song (Picture: SHAUN CURRY / AFP)

Valerie has slowly become synonymous with Winehouse but The Zutons also had success with it (Picture: Hayley Madden/Redferns)

‘When you pass the pub and get to hear it. If I get a buzz out of it, I think it’s great.

‘That’s real at the end of the day, that means it’s got a total life of it’s own because it’s really good. So anyone can cover it and enjoy it and get a buzz out of it, that’s the best compliment you can ever get.’

The Why Won’t You Give Me Your Love? hitmaker has had his own struggles with drug and alcohol abuse, which are partially the reason the group quietly disbanded in 2009.

He recalled times where he would sneak down in the middle of the night to drink and take ‘whatever he could’ to help him sleep, to no avail.

While the band remained close, they parted ways professionally to allow for other more stable projects after getting a sense ‘something was up’ while recording their third album.

Dave describes looking for that ‘high’ of being on stage as a driving force in his addictions, a sentiment that has been mirrored by other rockstars who are now sober.

It was parenthood that broke him out of the pattern of abuse as he ‘wanted to be a good father’ and present in his kid’s life.

Now, 16 years later, The Zutons have reformed — albeit without Russell who jumped ship to Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds.

Their fourth studio album The Big Decider immediately landed at number three in the album charts, which Dave was rather relieved to hear after the ‘ironic’ name.

The Zutons have reunited and are touring the UK this year (Picture: Jonathan Fredergick Turton)

Dave is just thankful that fans have stuck by their side (Picture: Jonathan Fredergick Turton)

Laughing, he shared: ‘In a way, if this album flopped, maybe it would be the ‘Big Decider’. I’d like to think it wouldn’t be but we’ll never know because it’s not a flop.

The Zutons are also touring once more, with dates across the UK in the next few months which the rockstar had been ‘nervous’ to perform while sober for the first time.

However, the reaction from fans has been overwhelmingly positive as Dave concluded: ‘I just want to say thank you to anyone who’s supported the band because it means everything to us.

‘We didn’t expect this kind of reaction. We’re loving it and it’s the best. Thank you very much.’

The Big Decider is out now and tickets to The Zutons’ gigs can be found here.

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