Winehouse's last songs could be christmas no 1

Amy Winehouse died in July, aged 27 (Rex Features)

A posthumous Amy Winehouse album featuring unheard material could become the Christmas No 1, retailers predicted, after her record company confirmed that a new release will be rushed to stores.

Amy Winehouse Lioness: Hidden Treasures, compiled months after the singer's death in July, will help raise money for the addiction charity that her family set up in her name.

The 12-track album, to be released on 5 December, includes demo versions of songs intended for the follow-up to her hit 2006 Back To Black album, cover versions and alternative versions of songs previously released. Producers Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi pieced the album together from hours of vocals left by the star, who died aged 27.

Mitch Winehouse, her father, promised that the album would "stand as a fitting tribute to her musical legacy".

The record includes "Between The Cheats", a 2008 Winehouse composition about her tangled love-life and "Wake Up Alone", a one-take demo recorded for the Back To Black sessions in 2006.

Winehouse's record company, Island, said that £1 from each copy of Lioness sold will go to the Amy Winehouse Foundation.

Cover versions include "A Song For You", the Leon Russell track, recorded by Amy accompanying herself on guitar.