Winter (song)
Encyclopedia
"Winter" is a song by English rock and roll
band the Rolling Stones
featured on their 1973 album Goats Head Soup
.
"Winter" bears many similarities to "Moonlight Mile
" from the band's 1971 album Sticky Fingers
. Credited to singer Mick Jagger
and guitarist Keith Richards
, "Winter" is likely the work of Jagger and the Stones' lead guitarist at the time, Mick Taylor
. It was the first song recorded for the album and does not feature Richards at all. On the song, Bill Janovitz
says in his review, "Here they were in sunny Jamaica
, and the Rolling Stones were writing and recording an entirely convincing and evocative picture of a Northern Hemisphere winter. Perhaps they were so happy to be escaping the season they felt that starting the sessions with "Winter" could transition them out of the old and into the new climate. Though it bemoans many of the negatives of the season [in the] lyrics... "Winter" seems to simultaneously celebrate the season as something inherently beautiful, with other evocations of holiday scenes and wanting to wrap a coat and keep a lover warm."
Recording began at Kingston
's Dynamic Sound Studios in November and continued into December 1972. Jagger opens the song with the acoustic rhythm guitar piece and is accompanied by Taylor's "country-like licks" on lead. Taylor also plays slide guitar. Nicky Hopkins
performs the song's accompanying piano while Bill Wyman
and Charlie Watts
perform bass and drums, respectively. The songs strings were arranged by Nicky Harrision.
Despite his considerable contribution to the song, Taylor never received official credit from Jagger or Richards.
This song was featured in the series finale of the CBS drama Cold Case.
Also of interest: Carla Olson and Mick Taylor recorded 2 versions of Winter. One is on Carla's "The Ring Of Truth" album and the other appears on "Too Hot For Snakes plus" which is a 2CD release. (One disc is a re-release of the live Olson / Taylor "Too Hot For Snakes" live album and the 2nd disc is 13 studio tracks featuring Carla and Mick from her various solo albums plus 1 song from the Barry Goldberg album "Stoned Again" which she produced.)
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
band the Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
featured on their 1973 album Goats Head Soup
Goats Head Soup
Goats Head Soup is the 11th British and 13th American studio album by The Rolling Stones, released in 1973. It featured the song "Angie", which went to #1 as a single in the US and UK.-Recording:...
.
"Winter" bears many similarities to "Moonlight Mile
Moonlight Mile (Rolling Stones song)
"Moonlight Mile" is a song from The Rolling Stones' 1971 album Sticky Fingers.Credited to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, "Moonlight Mile" is widely considered to be one of the Rolling Stones' most underappreciated ballads. Recording began in March 1970 at Stargroves. The song was the product of an...
" from the band's 1971 album Sticky Fingers
Sticky Fingers
-Personnel:The Rolling Stones*Mick Jagger – lead vocals, acoustic guitar on "Dead Flowers", electric guitar on "Sway", percussion*Keith Richards – electric guitar, six & twelve string acoustic guitar, backing vocals...
. Credited to singer Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
and guitarist Keith Richards
Keith Richards
Keith Richards is an English musician, songwriter, and founding member of the Rolling Stones. Rolling Stone magazine said Richards had created "rock's greatest single body of riffs", and placed him as the "10th greatest guitarist of all time." Fourteen songs written by Richards and songwriting...
, "Winter" is likely the work of Jagger and the Stones' lead guitarist at the time, Mick Taylor
Mick Taylor
Michael Kevin "Mick" Taylor is an English musician, best known as a former member of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and The Rolling Stones...
. It was the first song recorded for the album and does not feature Richards at all. On the song, Bill Janovitz
Bill Janovitz
Bill Janovitz is best known as the singer and guitarist of the alternative rock band Buffalo Tom.-History:After enrolling at the University of Massachusetts, Janovitz formed Buffalo Tom with fellow students Chris Colbourn and Tom Maginnis. A friendship with J. Mascis of Dinosaur Jr...
says in his review, "Here they were in sunny Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, and the Rolling Stones were writing and recording an entirely convincing and evocative picture of a Northern Hemisphere winter. Perhaps they were so happy to be escaping the season they felt that starting the sessions with "Winter" could transition them out of the old and into the new climate. Though it bemoans many of the negatives of the season [in the] lyrics... "Winter" seems to simultaneously celebrate the season as something inherently beautiful, with other evocations of holiday scenes and wanting to wrap a coat and keep a lover warm."
Recording began at Kingston
Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
's Dynamic Sound Studios in November and continued into December 1972. Jagger opens the song with the acoustic rhythm guitar piece and is accompanied by Taylor's "country-like licks" on lead. Taylor also plays slide guitar. Nicky Hopkins
Nicky Hopkins
Nicholas Christian "Nicky" Hopkins was an English pianist and organist.He recorded and performed on noted British and American popular music recordings of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s as a session musician....
performs the song's accompanying piano while Bill Wyman
Bill Wyman
Bill Wyman is an English musician best known as the bass guitarist for the English rock and roll band the Rolling Stones from 1962 until 1992. Since 1997, he has recorded and toured with his own band, Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings...
and Charlie Watts
Charlie Watts
Charles Robert "Charlie" Watts is an English drummer, best known as a member of The Rolling Stones. He is also the leader of a jazz band, a record producer, commercial artist, and horse breeder.-Early life:...
perform bass and drums, respectively. The songs strings were arranged by Nicky Harrision.
Despite his considerable contribution to the song, Taylor never received official credit from Jagger or Richards.
This song was featured in the series finale of the CBS drama Cold Case.
Personnel
- Mick Jagger - Lead Vocals, Electric Rhythm Guitar
- Mick Taylor - Electric Lead/Slide Guitar
- Bill Wyman - Bass
- Charlie Watts - Drums
- Nicky Hopkins - Piano
- Nicky Harrison - String Arrangement
Also of interest: Carla Olson and Mick Taylor recorded 2 versions of Winter. One is on Carla's "The Ring Of Truth" album and the other appears on "Too Hot For Snakes plus" which is a 2CD release. (One disc is a re-release of the live Olson / Taylor "Too Hot For Snakes" live album and the 2nd disc is 13 studio tracks featuring Carla and Mick from her various solo albums plus 1 song from the Barry Goldberg album "Stoned Again" which she produced.)