Ronson on Amy

Ronson says he and Amy working together on song for Quincy Jones

25 November 2008 - Mark Ronson has quashed rumours that he is still angry with Amy Winehouse over the Bond Theme.

Rumours surfaced on sites such as Angry Ape, Contact Music and Digital Spy that relations between them were bad.

But Ronson, who has not seen her for six weeks because he is not in the UK, said: "She is a really good friend."

The producer said they are in fact working together and trying to finish a cover of Lesley Gore's, You Don't Own Me, for a Quincy Jones record.

Speaking to BBC 6 Music, the super producer set the record straight from Australia, where he is currently gearing up for the Sydney and Brisbane leg of the Global Gathering festival with Kraftwerk.

Ronson and Winehouse shelved plans to make a Bond theme to rival Jack White and Alicia Keys' Another Way To Die, but Winehouse's spokesperson said that the troubled singer was not ready to make music.

"Basically it's a Quincy Jones record and he's got all sorts of different people doing songs that he either produced or wrote, kind of a tribute record. Hopefully we'll get that done."
Mark Ronson

However, now Ronson says he is working with Amy on a musical project for a Grammy Legend Award winner.

He said: "We're trying to get this song done for the Quincy Jones record. It's a cover of You Don't Own Me by Lesley Gore.

"Basically it's a Quincy Jones record and he's got all sorts of different people doing songs that he either produced or wrote, kind of a tribute record. Hopefully we'll get that done."

Speaking about his relationship with Winehouse, he went on: "I haven't been in England in a while. I always go and see her when I'm there and I saw her about six weeks ago but I haven't spoken to her in a little while. She's a really good friend and I'm there for her."

'More grown up'

The multi-collaborator has also worked Lily Allen, another of his female cohorts, most memorably on their cover of Kaiser Chiefs' Oh My God.

Speaking about her second album, It's Not Me, It's You, Ronson said: "We didn't work together on this record but Lily's a great friend and I think she's one of the best melodic writers of her generation.

"I've heard a lot of the new record and I think it's great. She's somebody that fills a void in pop music. The way she sings and says things, and puts words together, that no one else does. I'm a huge fan of her, whether as a friend or not."

Allen's debut, Alright, Still, received rave four and five star reviews across the board and Ronson said he thinks she has developed as an artist since its release in 2006.
 
 "I think it's more of a mature record," he said. "The first record was a lot of fun and it had a lot of influences of the things that she loved growing up, whether it was The Specials, Dizzee Rascal, a lot of reggae infused samples and things like that.

"It was closer to a hip hop record in its spirit and I think this record is more grown up and melodically based. I think it's really good."

At present, Ronson is finishing his production duties on the Rumble Strips' album which is due out in March or April 2009.

He said he then plans to produce an LA band called The Light, before working with Slash on his solo record in February and after that Ronson hopes to start his next solo record.

Georgie Rogers