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For the camping equipment company, see Early Winters. For the 2015 film, see Early Winter (film).

"Early Winter"
Single by Gwen Stefani
from the album The Sweet Escape
ReleasedJanuary 18, 2008 (2008-01-18)
Recorded2006
StudioHome Recordings
(London, England)
Genre
Length4:44
LabelInterscope
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Nellee Hooper
Gwen Stefani singles chronology
"Now That You Got It"
(2007) 		"Early Winter"
(2008) 		"Glycerine"
(2012)

"Early Winter" is a song by American singer Gwen Stefani from her second solo studio album, The Sweet Escape (2006). Written by Stefani and English pianist Tim Rice-Oxley, the song was released in Europe as the album's fifth and final single on January 18, 2008, by Interscope Records. Musically, "Early Winter" is a soft rock and synth-pop ballad with new wave influences. Critics found it similar to songs by English alternative rock band Keane, of which Rice-Oxley is a member. The lyrics of the song describe the nearing of the end of a relationship, and were speculated to be references to Stefani's own relationship with husband Gavin Rossdale.

Upon its release, "Early Winter" received generally positive reviews from music critics, many of whom commended Stefani's vocal delivery and the song's emotional appeal. The song attained moderate commercial success across Europe, reaching number six in Germany and Slovakia, number 12 in Switzerland, and number 14 in Finland. An accompanying music video for "Early Winter" was directed by Sophie Muller and was filmed in destinations like Budapest, Milan, and Prague. It contains scenes of Stefani in a palace-like hall in various gowns and at railway stations. "Early Winter" was included in the setlist of The Sweet Escape Tour, and the performances featured a special coda section delivered by American musician and bassist Gail Ann Dorsey.

Background

"She likes to write from the heart. She's obviously quite an emotional person. Within 10 minutes of us sitting down, she was crying. I played her a little bit of a thing that I'd been working on just before she came in and she welled up about it."

—Tim Rice-Oxley, on recording "Early Winter" with Stefani.[1]

"Early Winter" was written by Tim Rice-Oxley, pianist of English alternative rock band Keane, and Gwen Stefani for the latter's second solo studio album The Sweet Escape (2006).[2] The production of the song was handled by Nellee Hooper.[2] Before working with Rice-Oxley in the studio, Stefani called him to discuss some of her ideas behind a potential song, saying "I wanted a ballad. I wanted to write 'Eyes Without a Face' or 'Killing Me Softly' or 'Time After Time,' and he was like, 'OK, Cyndi Lauper, got it,' like he was taking my order."[3] In the studio, Rice-Oxley played "Early Winter" on a piano, and after hearing the song, Stefani approved of it and commented, "It was so beautiful and addictive. I didn't really attack it because it was kind of done, lyrics and everything."[3] After letting the song "sit with her for a bit", she rewrote some of the lyrics.[3]

Stefani was the first artist Rice-Oxley wrote a song for outside of Keane, and the singer remarked that "he's like Clark Kent-subtle, but Superman-talented. I'm lucky I was his first, because I'm sure he's going to go write with lots of girls after me."[3] Rice-Oxley would later collaborate with artists like Australian singer Kylie Minogue, and in a 2012 interview, he talked about working with her and Stefani, saying, "I've been very lucky to work with people at the top of the industry. Both were very talented and more creative than I think they're given credit for. They're both very good writers and singers and they both work so hard, just grafting the whole time. Honing those pop sensibilities through writing with them was good fun".[4]

Composition

"Early Winter" (2008)
Stefani's vocals in "Early Winter" are "full of longing, heartache and regret".[5]
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Musically, "Early Winter" is a "sleek, surging" soft rock and synth-pop ballad.[5][6] Similar to Stefani's work with her band No Doubt, it is highly influenced by new wave music.[7] Clark Collis from Entertainment Weekly dubbed it a "tortured and not un-Keane-like lament".[1] The lyrics of "Early Winter" are based on issues related to the end of a relationship, and Jennifer Vineyard from MTV described them to be "poignant lyrics about a couple recognizing the beginning of the end".[3] In the song, Stefani metaphorically compares the end of her relationship with her partner to falling leaves.[8] It was speculated that the song was a reference to Stefani's own relationship with English musician and husband Gavin Rossdale.[1][3]

Release and promotion

"Early Winter" was chosen as the fifth and final single from The Sweet Escape, and was released in Europe as a CD single on January 25, 2008, by Interscope Records.[9][10] It was made available for digital download on the iTunes Store on January 18.[11] "Early Winter" was included on the setlist of The Sweet Escape Tour. The performance of the song included a coda section, which was delivered by American musician and bassist Gail Ann Dorsey. Joan Anderman of The Boston Globe viewed "Early Winter" as a "winsome anthem" and Dorsey's coda performance "thrilling".[12]

Critical reception

Stefani performing "Early Winter" during The Sweet Escape Tour, for which she wore "impossible folds of pink and gold fabric"[12]

The song received generally positive reviews from music critics. Andy Battaglia of The A.V. Club praised Stefani's vocal delivery, saying her "nasal voice suits the whiny sentiment of the subject matter" and opining that she "sounds most commanding in songs that flirt with blush-making drippiness".[8] Nick Levine of Digital Spy rated "Early Winter" four out of five stars, and complimented its emotional nature, naming it a "forgotten classic from an eighties movie soundtrack" and deeming it "the most affecting moment of Stefani's solo career to date".[5] John Murphy of musicOMH called the song "rather nice" and appreciated its lyrical content, although he commented that "it does sound like Stefani covering a Keane song".[13] Alex Miller of NME complimented Rice-Oxley's involvement in "Early Winter" and singled it out as "one of the few potential hits" from The Sweet Escape.[14] Mark Pytlik of Pitchfork picked "Early Winter" as one of the highlights from the album and favoured Stefani's vocal delivery, noting that the song "proves that Stefani still has the ability to elevate an otherwise ordinary rock song to another level".[15] Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine complimented "Early Winter" for being "less forced and much less self-conscious" in comparison to the rest of the songs on The Sweet Escape, and felt that "it's refreshing to hear Stefani in her more natural habitat".[7]

Commercial performance

"Early Winter" made its first chart appearance on the Slovak Airplay Chart in October 2007, debuting at number 95 and later peaking at number six in its 13th week on the chart.[16] In the Czech Republic, the song peaked at number 19 on the airplay chart, six weeks after debuting at number 58 in November 2007.[17] The single entered the Finnish Singles Chart at number 15 in January 2008, peaking at number 14 the following week and spending three weeks altogether on the chart.[18] On the German Singles Chart, "Early Winter" debuted and peaked at number six on February 8, 2008, becoming Stefani's second highest-peaking single in the country, alongside "The Sweet Escape" (2006).[19] During the same week, the song debuted at number 49 on the Austrian Singles Chart, reaching its peak position of number 22 in its ninth week on the chart.[10] After debuting at number 52 on the Swiss Singles Chart on February 17, 2008, the single climbed to number 12 in its ninth week and spent a total of 20 weeks on the chart.[20] In Hungary, it peaked at number 17 on the airplay chart for the week ending May 4, 2008.[21]

Music video

The music video for "Early Winter" was directed by Stefani's frequent collaborator Sophie Muller, who had previously directed the music videos for "Cool" and "Wind It Up".[22] Filming of the music video took place at destinations like Budapest, Milan, and Prague, where Stefani had been touring during The Sweet Escape Tour in October 2007.[23] It opens with a black-and-white scene of Stefani lying on the ground in a long white gown. In the next scene, Stefani is shown walking on the street under red street lights and then holds her love interest, played by her tour backup dancer Steelo Vazquez,[24] against the wall and talks to him. The scene then changes to Stefani walking on a street and later walking into the railway station. In the next scene, Stefani is seen singing under falling red-colored feathers in a huge palace-type hall. Scenes of Stefani staring at herself in the mirror with her hair up and snow falling slowly down, with the lights turning on and off intermittently, are interspersed throughout the video. Stefani is also seen sitting on the ground and singing while crying. She is then shown at a railway station walking besides a moving train. The video ends with Stefani running out of the hall.[25] Tamar Anitai from MTV Buzzworthy praised the video for being "acutely artful, immeasurably stylish" and commented that "Gwen's managed to raise the bar on her own superlatively supreme style in her new video."[26]

Track listing

  • European limited 2-track CD single and digital download[10][11]
  1. "Early Winter" (Album Version) – 4:44
  2. "Early Winter" (Live) – 6:53

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of The Sweet Escape.[2]

  • Gwen Stefani – lead vocals, songwriting
  • Greg Collins – bass guitar, recording
  • Pete Davis – additional keyboards, additional programming
  • Alex Dromgoole – engineering assistance
  • David Emery – engineering assistance
  • Nellee Hooper – production
  • Aidan Love – programming
  • Mark Ralph – guitar
  • Tim Rice-Oxley – keyboards, piano, songwriting
  • Ian Rossiter – engineering assistance
  • Mark "Spike" Stent – additional production, mixing

Charts

References

  1. ^ a b c Collis, Clark (January 8, 2007). "Holla Back". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on May 28, 2008. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  2. ^ a b c The Sweet Escape (liner notes). Gwen Stefani. Interscope Records. 2006. B0008099-02 IN02.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  3. ^ a b c d e f Vineyard, Jennifer (January 9, 2018). "Baby On Board! Gwen Stefani's Son Joins Her On LP, Spring Tour". MTV News. Archived from the original on October 18, 2016. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  4. ^ Sturrock, Tom (May 25, 2012). "Chatroom: Tim Rice-Oxley from Keane". TNT. Archived from the original on October 24, 2013. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  5. ^ a b c Levine, Nick (December 28, 2007). "Gwen Stefani: 'Early Winter'". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on January 7, 2018. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
  6. ^ Cohen, Jonathan (December 3, 2006). "'Sweet' Relief". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 13, 2014. Retrieved December 2, 2013.
  7. ^ a b Cinquemani, Sal (December 1, 2006). "Gwen Stefani: The Sweet Escape". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on October 19, 2013. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  8. ^ a b Battaglia, Andy (January 30, 2007). "Gwen Stefani: The Sweet Escape". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on January 7, 2018. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
  9. ^ "Gwen Stefani – Early Winter (2-Track)" (in German). Universal Music Germany. Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved December 2, 2013.
  10. ^ a b c d "Gwen Stefani – Early Winter" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
  11. ^ a b "Early Winter – Single by Gwen Stefani". iTunes Store (Australia). January 2007. Archived from the original on August 6, 2012. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  12. ^ a b Anderman, Joan (May 24, 2007). "A sweet escape with Stefani". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on January 6, 2018. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
  13. ^ Murphy, John (December 4, 2006). "Gwen Stefani – The Sweet Escape". musicOMH. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved October 16, 2013.
  14. ^ Miller, Alex (December 1, 2006). "Gwen Stefani: The Sweet Escape". NME. Archived from the original on October 23, 2017. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
  15. ^ Pytlik, Mark (December 7, 2006). "Gwen Stefani: The Sweet Escape". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on October 24, 2013. Retrieved October 16, 2013.
  16. ^ "Rádio – Top 100: Gwen Stefani – Early Winter" (in Slovak). IFPI Slovakia. Archived from the original on October 19, 2013. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
  17. ^ "CZ – Radio – Top 100: Gwen Stefani – Early Winter" (in Czech). IFPI Czech Republic. Archived from the original on February 5, 2009. Retrieved November 17, 2007.
  18. ^ a b "Gwen Stefani: Early Winter" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
  19. ^ a b "Gwen Stefani – Early Winter" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved September 26, 2017.
  20. ^ a b "Gwen Stefani – Early Winter". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
  21. ^ a b "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved September 26, 2017.
  22. ^ "Sophie Muller". IMVDb. Archived from the original on August 6, 2013. Retrieved January 6, 2008.
  23. ^ "Videos De Musica | Gwen Stefani : Early Winter" (in Spanish). VH1 (Latin America). Archived from the original on October 19, 2013. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
  24. ^ "Fundraiser for Steelo Vazquez". GwenStefani.com. November 18, 2011. Archived from the original on December 4, 2013. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
  25. ^ Muller, Sophie (Director), Stefani, Gwen (Lead) (2007). Early Winter (Music video). Interscope Records. Archived from the original on October 19, 2013. Retrieved December 29, 2013.
  26. ^ Anitai, Tamar (December 18, 2007). "New Video: Gwen Stefani, 'Early Winter'". MTV Buzzworthy. Archived from the original on June 30, 2015. Retrieved December 29, 2013.
  27. ^ "Gwen Stefani – Early Winter" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
  28. ^ Gwen Stefani — Early Winter. TopHit. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  29. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 01. týden 2008 in the date selector. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
  30. ^ "European Hot 100 Singles". Billboard. February 16, 2008. Archived from the original on February 14, 2008. Retrieved December 2, 2013.
  31. ^ "Romanian Top 100: Issue nr: 7/2008 (25 Februarie - 02 Martie 2008)" (in Romanian). Romanian Top 100. Archived from the original on February 28, 2008. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  32. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 200804 into search. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
  33. ^ "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts – 2008" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Archived from the original on September 6, 2017. Retrieved September 26, 2017.
  34. ^ "MAHASZ Rádiós TOP 100 – radios" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. 2008. Archived from the original on October 10, 2012. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
  35. ^ "Swiss Year-End Charts 2008". swisscharts.com. Archived from the original on August 25, 2017. Retrieved September 26, 2017.
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