Mark Ronson Aligns Label With Interscope; Amy Winehouse Album Delayed

Fresh off the success of Amy Winehouse's Back to Black and his own solo album, producer Mark Ronson has signed a contract that will see his own label Allido Records be distributed exclusively through Interscope Records. The first product of this new deal: Washington D.C. rapper Wale, who will finally release his proper debut album after a string of mixtapes and street singles later this year. Speaking about the deal with Allido, Interscope CEO Jimmy Iovine said "Mark has that rare ear for great songs and artists who will have extraordinary careers." As for Ronson protege Winehouse, the singer was supposed to begin work on the follow-up to Back to Black in the Bahamas with producer Salaam Remi but reportedly cancelled the recording sessions, pushing the new album's release date tentatively to early 2009.

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Song Stories

“Is It True”

Brenda Lee | 1964

As the British Invasion reached its peak in 1964, Brenda Lee went from Nashville to London to record one of her hardest-rocking hits, her perky vocal backed by a stuttering, squalling guitar. That guitar was played by session musician Jimmy Page, yet to skyrocket to fame with first the Yardbirds and then Led Zeppelin. "She said to me, 'I've come here to make a record with the British sound,'" remembered producer Mickie Most. "She felt she wouldn't get the same sound in Nashville because they're only just catching up on the British beat group sound of about six months ago."

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