| "The Bottle" | ||||
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| Single by Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson | ||||
| from the album Winter in America | ||||
| B-side | "The Bottle (Drunken mix)" | |||
| Released | 1974 | |||
| Format | 7" single, 12" single | |||
| Recorded | October 15, 1973 D&B Sound (Silver Spring, Maryland) |
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| Genre | Soul, jazz-funk | |||
| Length | 5:14 | |||
| Label | Strata-East | |||
| Writer(s) | Gil Scott-Heron | |||
| Producer | Perpis-Fall Music | |||
| Gil Scott-Heron chronology | ||||
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"The Bottle" is a song by American soul artist Gil Scott-Heron and musician Brian Jackson, released in 1974 on Strata-East Records in the United States. It was later reissued during the mid-1980s on Champagne Records in the United Kingdom. "The Bottle" was written by Scott-Heron and produced by audio engineer Jose Williams, Jackson, and Scott-Heron. The song serves is a social commentary on alcohol abuse, and it features a Caribbean beat and notable flute solo by Jackson, with Scott-Heron playing keyboards.
The song was issued as the first and only single for Scott-Heron's and Jackson's album Winter in America (1974). It became an underground and cult hit upon its release, and the single peaked at number 15 on the R&B Singles Chart. Cited by music critics as the album's best recording, the commercial success of "The Bottle" helped lead to Jackson's and Scott-Heron's next recording contract with Arista Records. Similar to other compositions by Scott-Heron, the song has been sampled extensively by hip hop artists.
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"The Bottle" is a social commentary on alcohol abuse with a Caribbean beat.[1] Scott-Heron wrote it after seeing men line up every day in front of a liquor store called the Log Cabin, bringing back their empty bottles to get a discount on their next purchase.[2] Scott-Heron said of his inspiration for the song in an interview for Newsnight, "I discovered one of them was an ex-physician, who'd been busted for abortions on young girls. There was an air traffic controller in the military - one day he sent two jets crashing into a mountain. He left work that day and never went back."[2]
The song also became a popular song played at parties at the time. French music critic Pierre Jean-Critin later described it as "an epic song ... whose infectious groove can still set dance floors alight over thirty years later."[1] The song's pop/dance sensibilities and social message engendered its appeal to listeners following its release as a single. Scott-Heron later said of the single's success and style, "Pop music doesn't necessarily have to be shit."[1]
Cited by critics and music writers as Winter in America's best recording, "The Bottle" also addresses problems of drug addiction, abortion, and incarceration, while featuring Jackson on flute and Scott-Heron on keyboards.[1][3] Scott-Heron's high tempo vocal style and rhythmic lyricism shows similarity to later hip hop music, while the song's theme uses alcohol, or "the bottle", as a metaphor for ghetto life and alcoholism's long-term effects on its users.[4]
See that black boy over there, runnin' scared
his ol' man's in a bottle.
He done quit his 9 to 5, he drink full time
so now he's livin' in the bottle.
See that black boy over there, runnin' scared
his ol' man got a problem, and it's a bad one
He done pawned off damn near everything,
his ol'woman's weddin' ring for a bottle.
And don't you think it's a crime
when time after time after time, people in the bottle.—Gil Scott-Heron, "The Bottle"
While its theme examines the plight of alcoholics and those who have to live with and cope with them, "The Bottle" became a concert favorite and one of Scott-Heron's most popular songs.[5]
"The Bottle" was released in 1974 as the only single for Winter in America. The song became an underground and cult hit upon its release.[6] Soon after, it also became one of Scott-Heron's most successful singles, as it reached the number 15 spot on the R&B Singles Chart.[3] The single's success helped lead to Jackson's and Scott-Heron's next recording contract with Arista Records, where they would enjoy more commercial success.[7]
"The Bottle" has been cited by critics as Winter in America's best recording.[8] Paul J. MacArthur of the Houston Press called it a "strong anti-alcohol rant with a funky bass hook and chilly flute fills."[8] Much like many of Scott-Heron's recordings, "The Bottle" has been sampled by several hip hop artists, including De La Soul and the Jungle Brothers.[9] "The Bottle" was later ranked number 92 on NME's list of The Top 150 Singles of All-Time and was included in Q magazine's 1010 Songs You Must Own! publication.[10]
These are the formats and track listings of the U.K. single releases of "The Bottle":[11][12]
7" Single
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12" Single
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Billboard Music Charts (North America) – "The Bottle"[3]
The information regarding sampling of "The Bottle" is adapted from TheBreaks.com[9]
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