| "Winter" | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Song by The Rolling Stones from the album Goats Head Soup | |||||||
| Released | August 31, 1973 | ||||||
| Recorded | November & December, 1972 | ||||||
| Genre | Country rock, Soul | ||||||
| Length | 5:31 | ||||||
| Label | Rolling Stones/Virgin | ||||||
| Writer | Jagger/Richards | ||||||
| Producer | Jimmy Miller | ||||||
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"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."[1]
| “ | It sure been a hard, hard winter, My feet been draggin' 'cross the ground; And I hope it's gonna be a long, hot summer; And a lotta love will be burnin' bright | ” |
| “ | And I wish I been out in California, When the lights on all the Christmas trees went out; But I been burnin' my bell, book and candle, And the restoration plays have all gone 'round | ” |
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"[1] 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.[1]
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.)