| "Love Is a Losing Game" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Amy Winehouse | ||||
| from the album Back to Black | ||||
| Released | December 7, 2007 (Ireland) December 10, 2007 (UK) |
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| Format | CD single, digital download | |||
| Recorded | 2006 | |||
| Genre | R&B, soul, doo-wop, jazz | |||
| Length | 2:35 | |||
| Label | Island | |||
| Writer(s) | Amy Winehouse | |||
| Producer | Mark Ronson | |||
| Amy Winehouse singles chronology | ||||
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"Love Is a Losing Game" is a song written and recorded by English singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse for her second album Back to Black (2006). The track was chosen as the fifth single from the album. It was her last single before her death in July of 2011. The single was released on December 10, 2007 in the United Kingdom. The song was added to BBC Radio 1's playlist on November 7, 2007.
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George Michael named the song as one of his eight choices on the BBC Radio Four programme Desert Island Discs. When asked which of his eight choices he would pick if he had to choose one, he opted for "Love Is a Losing Game". Prince has taken to covering the song live. On September 21, 2007, he was joined onstage by Winehouse at the final aftershow of his 21-gig marathon at The O2, and they performed the song together.[1]
The song is the lowest-charting of Winehouse's Back to Black singles, peaking at number 46 on the UK Singles Chart and spending four weeks on the UK Top 100 (46-61-76-98).
Winehouse performed "Love Is a Losing Game" live when she appeared at the 2007 Mercury Prize.[2] She later performed it at the 2008 BRIT Awards. The song won the award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically at the 2008 Ivor Novello Awards on May 22, 2008, Winehouse's third award at the event.
In 2008, final year English Literature students at Cambridge University were asked to analyse lyrics to this song, as well as lyrics by Sir Walter Raleigh, Bob Dylan and Billie Holiday, as part of their end of year examinations in 'Practical Criticism'.[3]
A video shoot was set up for "Love Is a Losing Game", reportedly costing £70,000 at Pinewood Studios, but an unnamed source was quoted in The Sun as saying that it was cancelled after Winehouse failed to turn up for filming.[4] Two alternate music videos were released: the first is a montage video, which includes photographs of Winehouse alongside live performance clips of the song, and the second is an entirely live video, taken from her I Told You I Was Trouble live performance DVD.
| Year | Award | Category | Title | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Ivor Novello Awards | Best Song Musically and Lyrically | "Love Is a Losing Game" | Won |
The song first entered the UK Singles Chart at 46 in 2007. However, following her death the song re-entered the chart at a new peak of 33.
| Chart (2007-11) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Dutch Singles Chart[5] | 88 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 12 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 33 |
| UK Singles Chart | 33 |
| UK R&B Singles Chart | 6 |
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