Maps of Music

Uptown Special (2015)

Where the lyrics of Uptown Special take you, and where it was really made.

Ronson's two previous albums both reached number two on the UK Albums Chart, but Uptown Special became his first UK number one.

Key places

Stevie Wonder's part recorded in Chicago (2015)

Recording site Chicago Recording Company — Ronson recalled that Stevie Wonder recorded a piece of music he wrote at a studio in Chicago one night. The studio is listed as a recording site for this album. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Feel Right backing track in Memphis (2015)

Recording site Ardent Studios — The backing track for Feel Right was recorded in Memphis before the session with Mystikal. The marker uses the city centre because the studio's exact location is not confirmed in the source. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Uptown Funk finished in Toronto (2015)

Recording site Cherry Beach Sound — Uptown Funk was finished in Toronto six months after its first jam in Los Angeles. Cherry Beach Sound is listed as the recording site. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Los Angeles recording site (2015)

Recording site Motown Recording Studios — Enormous Studios in Los Angeles is listed as a recording site for this album. The marker sits at the city centre rather than at the building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Vancouver recording site (2015)

Recording site Armoury Studios — Armory Studios in Vancouver is listed as a recording site for this album. The source does not tie it to a specific track. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Brooklyn recording site (2015)

Recording site Daptone's House of Soul — Daptone's House of Soul in Brooklyn is listed as a recording site for this album. The source does not tie it to a specific track. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

London recording site (2015)

Recording site The Premises Studios — The Premises Studios in London is listed as a recording site for this album. The source does not tie it to a specific track. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Uptown Special: fourth studio album by British musician, DJ and producer Mark Ronson
• Released 13 January 2015 in the US and 19 January 2015 in the UK
• First album in nearly five years, following Record Collection (2010)
• First solo album since Version (2007)
• Dedicated to the late Amy Winehouse

Background

• Ronson's previous two albums both charted at number two in the UK
• Uptown Special became his first UK number one
• Reached number two on the Australian ARIA Albums Chart
• Reached number five on the US Billboard 200
• Michael Chabon's first set of lyrics sent to Ronson inspired the melody of Uptown's First Finale
• Lyrics for several songs were written by Chabon, with Kevin Parker and Philip Lawrence on other tracks

Recording

• Uptown Funk began in a jam at Bruno's studio in LA, with Mars drumming, Bhasker on synths and Ronson on bass
• The group finished Uptown Funk in Toronto six months later
• Summer Breaking: Ronson wrote the chords and melody in one night at Jeff Bhasker's house in Venice, LA
• Feel Right: backing track recorded on a whim before Ronson's session with Mystikal in Memphis
• Stevie Wonder recorded a part for Uptown's First Finale in a studio in Chicago
• Daffodils: riff and vocal idea first arrived as a demo from Kevin Parker of Tame Impala
• Final mixing took place in New York, where Tom Elmhirst removed some of the synths

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Career

• British and American musician, record producer, songwriter and DJ, born 4 September 1975 in Notting Hill, London.
• Moved to New York City at age eight; became a DJ on the local club scene in the early 1990s while studying at New York University.
• Debut album Here Comes the Fuzz (2003) on Elektra Records sold poorly; Ronson then co-founded Allido Records in 2004.
• Gained wider recognition through production for Lily Allen, Christina Aguilera and Amy Winehouse.
• Cover album Version (2007) reached number two on the UK Albums Chart and earned the Brit Award for British Male Solo Artist.
• "Uptown Funk" (2014, featuring Bruno Mars) topped the US Billboard Hot 100 for 14 weeks and became one of the best-selling singles of all time.
• Co-wrote "Shallow" for A Star Is Born (2018), winning an Academy Award, a Golden Globe and a Grammy.
• Executive producer of the Barbie soundtrack (2023), which won three Grammy Awards.
• Has won ten Grammy Awards in total, including Producer of the Year for Back to Black.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Upon release, the album received positive reviews from music critics
• The A.V. Club gave it an A−, calling it a pop-friendly and undeniably sexy collection of funk and R&B
• Entertainment Weekly gave it a B+
• The Guardian gave it four out of five stars
• The Daily Telegraph gave it four out of five stars
• Los Angeles Times gave it 3/4
• AllMusic, Rolling Stone and Slant Magazine each gave it three and a half out of five stars
• Spin gave it 6/10, calling it fun and unexpectedly thrilling at times but jarring
• Daily News gave it 3/5, claiming Ronson just got lucky

Records

• Debuted at number five on the US Billboard 200 with 76,727 copies in its first week
• 46,680 of those copies came from individual song sales and streaming data, under a tracking change from December 2014
• Fell to number 10 in its second week with 42,582 copies
• Remained at number 16 in its seventh week with 29,278 copies
• Reached number one on the UK Albums Chart, Ronson's first UK number one
• Reached number two on the Australian ARIA Albums Chart

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Uptown Funk embodies portions of All Gold Everything and Oops Up Side Your Head, and the latter was initially uncredited
• I Can't Lose contains elements of Ain't No Fun (If the Homies Can't Have None) and an interpolation of Hot Music
• The title of Uptown's First Finale is an homage to Stevie Wonder's 1974 album Fulfillingness' First Finale
• Uptown Funk, featuring Bruno Mars, was the first single, released 10 November 2014
• Uptown Funk reached number one on the UK Singles Chart and the Billboard Hot 100, Mars' sixth number one
• Ronson worked with Amy Winehouse on Back to Black (2006), and the album is dedicated to her memory

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · es.wikipedia.org

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