Whether you were surprised or not by the death of talented yet troubled singer Amy Winehouse this past summer, it’s hard to deny that her tragic passing at age 27 of alcohol poisoning cut short one of the most promising young careers of the 2000s. In December, Island Records is set to commemorate that promise with an album of unreleased demos and outtakes from Winehouse’s final years.

Lioness: Hidden Treasures captures Winehouse’s powerful, retro-soul voice through demos and rarities recorded before, during and after the release of her breakthrough sophomore album, the Grammy-winning Back to Black (2006). Winehouse had worked with longtime collaborator Salaam Remi on new material in 2008 and 2009, parts of which feature on this new album. Also included are two demos from the Back to Black era and covers of vintage pop and soul, including Leon Russell’s “A Song for You,” Stan Getz’s “The Girl from Ipanema” and Ruby and The Romantics’ “Our Day Will Come.”

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OFMkCeP6ok]

Not every track is new to CD. The disc features the oft-discussed version of “Body and Soul” recorded with Tony Bennett for the legend’s Duets II earlier this year – Winehouse’s last studio recording – and a cover of The Shirelles’ “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow.” That track, recorded for the soundtrack of 2004’s Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, is one of only a few tracks to feature the production of Mark Ronson, widely credited with the soul-fusion stylings of Back to Black. (The other is a demo of “Valerie,” a cover of The Zutons’ song that Winehouse sang for Ronson’s Version in 2007. Ronson and Remi both compiled the set.)

Lioness is due December 5, and proceeds from the sale of the album will benefit the Amy Winehouse Foundation. Amazon has not created a pre-order page, but the track list, courtesy of Winehouse’s official website, is after the jump.

Amy Winehouse, Lioness: Hidden Treasures (Island, 2011)

1. Our Day Will Come (Reggae Version) (recorded 2002)
2. Between the Cheats (recorded 2008)
3. Tears Dry (recorded 2005 – alternate version appears on Back to Black – Island, 2006)
4. Wake Up Alone (Demo) (recorded 2006 – final version appears on Back to Black)
5. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? (released on Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason – The Original Soundtrack – Island (U.K.)/Geffen (U.S.), 2004)
6. Valerie (Slow Version) (recorded 2006 – alternate version appears on Version – Columbia, 2007)
7. Like Smoke (featuring Nas) (recorded 2008)
8. The Girl from Ipanema (recorded 2002)
9. Halftime (recorded 2002)
10. Best Friends (recorded 2003)
11. Body and Soul (with Tony Bennett) (released on Duets II – Columbia, 2011)
12. A Song for You (recorded 2009)