Early Winter

Infobox Single
Name = Early Winter
Artist = Gwen Stefani


Album = The Sweet Escape
Released = October 1, 2007
Format = CD single, digital download
Recorded = 2006
Genre = Pop rock, piano rock
Length = 4:44 (album version)
3:45 (radio edit)
Label = Interscope
Writer = Tim Rice-Oxley, Gwen Stefani
Producer = Nellee Hooper
Certification =
Last single = "Now That You Got It"
(2007)
This single = "Early Winter"
(2007)
Next single =

"Early Winter" is a pop rock ballad written by Tim Rice-Oxley (pianist for British band Keane) for Gwen Stefani's second album "The Sweet Escape" (2006). The song received positive reviews from music critics, and its opening riffs were used in a Hewlett-Packard commercial featuring Stefani. It was released as the fifth single off the album. This is the single off the solo career of Gwen Stefani.

Background and writing

Stefani called Rice-Oxley the night before she was to work with him in the studio and told him that she wanted a ballad in the vein of Billy Idol's "Eyes Without a Face", Roberta Flack's "Killing Me Softly with His Song", and Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time". Stefani, pleased with the song, avoided making changes to it after Rice-Oxley played it for her. She later rewrote part of it before recording the song. The song's lyrics describe lovers approaching the end of a relationship. [Vineyard, Jennifer. It's not available yet. [http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1547038/20061204/stefani_gwen.jhtml "Baby On Board! Gwen Stefani's Son Joins Her On LP, Spring Tour"] . MTV News. December 4, 2006. Retrieved August 24, 2007.]

Critical reception

"Early Winter" received positive reviews from music critics. "Digital Spy" praised the song, calling it "...the most affecting moment of Stefani's solo career to date." [ [http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/a82297/gwen-stefani-early-winter.html Digital Spy] ] "Pitchfork Media" stated that the song "...proves that Stefani still has the ability to elevate an otherwise ordinary rock song to another level..." [Pytlik, Mark. [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/40049-the-sweet-escape "Gwen Stefani: The Sweet Escape"] . Pitchfork Media. December 7, 2006. Retrieved August 24, 2007.] "The Guardian" referred to it as 'stylish,' [Sullivan, Caroline. [http://arts.guardian.co.uk/filmandmusic/story/0,,1960973,00.html "Gwen Stefani, The Sweet Escape"] . "The Guardian". December 1, 2006. Retrieved August 24, 2007.] and "The New York Times" called it one of the album's most 'tuneful' tracks. [Pareles, Jon. [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/04/arts/music/04choi.html?ex=1188100800&en=7bbf4afc3a27ce03&ei=5070 "Gwen Stefani: The Sweet Escape"] . "The New York Times". December 4, 2006. Retrieved August 24, 2007.] "PopMatters" noted it as a highlight of the album and compared the song's vulnerability to No Doubt's "Don't Speak." [Huff, Quentin B. [http://www.popmatters.com/pm/music/reviews/8926/gwen-stefani-the-sweet-escape "Gwen Stefani: The Sweet Escape"] . "PopMatters". December 14, 2006. Retrieved August 24, 2007.] The "NME" characterized it as "...one of the few potential hits..." from "The Sweet Escape." [Miller, Alex. [http://www.nme.com/reviews/gwen-stefani/8100 "Gwen Stefani: The Sweet Escape"] . "NME". Retrieved August 24, 2007.] "Entertainment Weekly" described it as a "majestic power ballad" on which Stefani's "Orange County-girl voice doesn't seem genuinely sad." [Michel, Sia. [http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1564580,00.html "Sweet Escape | Music Review"] . "Entertainment Weekly". December 1, 2006. Retrieved August 24, 2007.] "Slant Magazine" compared "Early Winter" to the songs that Stefani wrote with No Doubt bassist Tony Kanal for the album. It was also stated that the track sounded "...less forced and much less self-conscious" than other songs. [Cinquemani, Sal. [http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/music_review.asp?ID=1025 "Music Review: Gwen Stefani: "The Sweet Escape"] . "Slant Magazine". 2006. Retrieved August 24, 2007.] John Murphy of MusicOHM called the song's lyrics some of the best written by Gwen. He also called the ballad 'palatable.' [ [http://www.musicomh.com/albums/gwen-stefani-2_1206.htm MusicOHM.com] Retrieved September 4, 2007 ]

Music video

The music video premiered on November 15, 2007 on LAUNCHcast. The video opens with a black-and-white scene of Stefani lying on the floor 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 against the wall and talks to him. The scene then changes to Stefani walking on a street and then walks into the railway station. In the next scene, Stefani is seen singing under falling red-colored feathers in a huge palace-type hall. There are intercuts of Stefani staring at herself in the mirror in unkempt hair and smudged make-up. Stefani is also seen sitting on the floor and singing while crying. Stefani is then seen on the railway station walking besides a moving train. The video ends with Stefani running out of the hall.

In the video, Stefani wore a green Dolce & Gabbana gown, [ [http://nodoubtweb.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/dg.jpgImage of Gown] [http://nodoubtweb.com/wordpress/?p=2539 Source stating the gown] ] as seen on the single cover.

Sophie Muller shot the video in three cities of the European Union, Milan, Italy; Prague, Czech Republic; and Budapest, Hungary, during the European leg of Stefani's The Sweet Escape Tour. In Milan she shot some parts at a church and a hotel. In Hungary she chose one of the railway stations of Budapest, the Nyugati railway station.

The video premiered on MTV's "Total Request Live" on December 18, 2007.

Track listings and formats

;German CD single [ [http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0010XSN6E Amazon.com: Early Winter (2-Track): Music: Gwen Stefani ] ]
#"Early Winter" (Album Version) – 4:45
#"Early Winter" (Live) – 6:52

;Japanese iTunes EP
#"Early Winter" (Album Version) – 4:45
#"Early Winter" (Live) – 6:52
#"Early Winter" (Instrumental) – 4:47

;Promo CD single
#"Early Winter" (Radio Edit) – 3:45

Chart performance

"Early Winter" had its early charting period restricted only to European countries. The song first appeared on the Bulgarian National Top 40 in 2007. It entered the chart at number thirty-nine and peaked at number twenty-eight for two weeks before falling out of the chart. [http://acharts.us/song/28720 "Early Winter" Chart performance] "α charts.com" Retrieved January 5, 2008] In Slovakia, it began its run at number ninety-five and then peaked at number six. [ [http://www.ifpicr.cz/hitparadask/index.php?a=titul&hitparada=18&titul=144717&sec=c3217f899aeca9b002c0d840e31261ab "Early Winter" Chart performance (Slovakia)] Retrieved January 5, 2008] In the Czech Republic, the song peaked at number nineteen. The song entered the Euro 200 chart at number one hundred and ninety-nine and peaked at number seven. The song entered the Finnish Singles Chart at number fifteen. In the Republic of Macedonia the song began its chart run at number four and peaked at number three. [ [http://www.radiocapris.com/index.php?S=1&Folder=146&cat=11&cid=125 FYROM Chart] ] The song was the album's least succesful single on the Romanian Top 100, peaking at only number forty. In Poland, the song debuted at number sixty-six and reached number four. The song debuted on the German Singles Chart at number six, the song's highest debut on a chart.

Charts

{| class="wikitable"!align="center"|Chart (2007/2008)!align="center"|Peak
position
-
align="left"|Lithuanian Airplay Chart [ [http://www.blogas.lt/hitfm/205871/lithuanian-airplay-chart.html Lithuanian Airplay Chart] . Retrieved January 27, 2008.]
align="center"|11
-
align="left"|Macedonian Airplay Chart [ [http://www.radiocapris.com/index.php?S=1&Folder=146&cat=11&cid=125 Macedonian Top 30] . Retrieved January 25, 2008.]
align="center"|3
-
align="left"|Maltese Airplay Chart [ [http://euro200.net/EU-nation.htm Current European nion Charts Nationwide] . Retrieved April 6, 2008.]
align="center"|14
-
align="left"|México Top 100 [ [http://www.americatop100.com/mexico/archives/2008/mx2008_05.html México Top 100 (Official Chart)] Retrieved February 20, 2008.]
align="center"|65
-
align="left"|Polish National Top 50 [http://euro200.net/Polish%20Hitfiles.htm Polish National Top 50] . "APC-stats". Retrieved February 15, 2008.]
align="center"|4
-
align="left"|Romanian Top 100 [http://www.rt100.ro/top-100-edition.html?edition=618&go=Go Romanian Top 100] . Retrieved February 13, 2008.]
align="center"|40
-
align="left"|Russian Airplay Chart [http://www.tophit.ru/stat2.shtml February 27, 2008.]
align="center"|82
-
align="left"|Slovak IFPI Airplay Chart [ [http://www.ifpicr.cz/hitparadask/index.php?a=titul&hitparada=18&titul=144717&sec=c3217f899aeca9b002c0d840e31261ab Slovakia Top 100] . Ifpicr.cz . Retrieved November 17, 2007]
align="center"|6
-
align="left"|Slovenian Airplay Chart [ [http://www.radiocity.si/index.php?menu_item=PollTop20 Slovenian Airplay Chart] "Note": The official Slovenian chart as displayed by [http://euro200.net/EU-nation.htm APC-stats] . Retrieved on 2008-02-14.]
align="center"|9
-
align="left"|Swiss Singles Chart
align="center"|12
-
align="left"|Turkey Top 20 Chart [ [http://www.billboard.com.tr/pages/Turkiye_top20.aspx/ Turkish Top 20 Chart] ]
align="center"|12
-
align="left"|Ukrainian Airplay Chart [ [http://fdr.com.ua/chart/top_40/ Ukrainian Airplay Chart] . Retrieved February 10, 2008.]
align="center"|3

References

External links

* [http://www.gwenstefani.com/ Gwen Stefani's official site]
** [http://www.gwenstefani.com/lyrics.aspx?pid=75&tid=959 "Early Winter" lyrics]
** [http://www.gwenstefani.com/music/default.aspx?pid=75 "The Sweet Escape" audio]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6bHPk4Vx84 Early Winter Official Music Video] on Youtube