“Don’t Go To Strangers” (live at Jools Holland) by Paul Weller and Amy Winehouse
Originally from the Album, The Golden Age Of Song by Jools Holland

It’s Wednesday again. Weller Wednesday. The day of the week where we celebrate, listen to and learn about All Things Paul Weller. This week we turn our eyes and ears to a Live Performance from Jools Holland featuring Paul Weller with the late, great Amy Winehouse, and their rendition of “Don’t Go To Strangers”.

“Don’t Go To Strangers” was originally recorded in 1954, by The Orioles. The Song was written by Arthur Kent and David Mann (Music) and Redd Evans (Lyrics). It has been Recorded and Performed by many Artists, such as Etta Jones, Joni Mitchell, Rufus and Chaka Khan, Paul Weller and Amy Winehouse, and others, putting the Track into a “Standards” category.

“Don’t Go To Strangers” by The Orioles

The Golden Age of Song by Jools Holland is a collaborative effort on Album which is largely pairings up with Artists and Bands, with Jools. Other Artists features are Paloma Faith, Rumer, Cee Lo Green, Paolo Nutini, and Weller and Winehouse.

Jools Holland told the NME this about Amy Winehouse, and specifically her performance on his show with Paul Weller:

“The likes of her and Adele’s performances will have a very long shelf life because of YouTube – their views go into the millions. Essentially because it’s artists doing something that’s real. Amy did a duet with Paul Weller with my big band, they did (jazz standard) ‘Don’t Go To Strangers’ – he did the first verse, she did the second and we were both like ‘What??!!’ It was like Dinah Washington, or Bessie Smith or Edith Piaf, the biggies. The awful thing is she would have gone on to be one of those people.”

Jools has also said this about Paul and Amy:

“Amy Winehouse and Paul Weller are examples of poets, I think.”

Paul has this to say on working Amy Winehouse, and on Amy herself:

“One of my favourite all-time singers is Amy Winehouse, I’ve been lucky enough to work with her. She is an amazing, great talent and despite what all the papers say she is a great role model for people. I don’t think the drugs and the drink and all that make a scrap of difference, really. I think you should judge people on their talent and on that level she’s up there, a major talent.”

“Don’t Go To Strangers” (live at BBC Electric Proms) by Paul Weller and Amy Winehouse

What do you think of  Paul and Amy’s version of “Don’t Go To Strangers”?

Hope you enjoy this Week’s Weller Wednesday feature and that you come back next week to see what’s up next from Paul Weller. Feel free to share your thoughts, and Weller requests in the comments below.