''Winter in America'' is a

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...

by American vocalist

Gil Scott-Heron Gilbert Scott-Heron (April 1, 1949 – May 27, 2011) was an American Jazz poetry, jazz poet, singer, musician, and author known for his work as a spoken-word performer in the 1970s and 1980s. His collaborative efforts with musician Brian Jackso ...

and keyboardist Brian Jackson. It was recorded in September to October 1973 at D&B Sound Studio in

Silver Spring, Maryland Silver Spring is a census-designated place (CDP) in southeastern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, near Washington, D.C. Although officially Unincorporated area, unincorporated, it is an edge city with a population of 81,015 at the 2020 ...

, and released in May 1974 by

Strata-East Records Strata-East Records is an American record company and label specialising in jazz founded in 1971 by Charles Tolliver and Stanley Cowell with the release of their first recording '' Music Inc.'' The label released over 50 albums in the 1970s. Ma ...

. Scott-Heron and Jackson produced the album in a stripped-down fashion, relying on traditional African and R&B sounds, while Jackson's piano-based arrangements were rooted in

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

and

the blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narra ...

. The subject matter on ''Winter in America'' deals with the African-American community and inner city in the 1970s. The album serves as Scott-Heron and Jackson's debut release for Strata-East, following a dispute with their former label and departure. It proved to be their sole release for the independent jazz label. Upon its release, ''Winter in America'' featured limited distribution in the United States and quickly became rare in print. However, with promotional help from its only single " The Bottle", it obtained considerably larger commercial success than Scott-Heron's and Jackson's previous work. The album debuted at number six on ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

''s

Top Jazz Albums The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, p ...

chart and eventually sold over 300,000 copies in the United States. While it was critically overlooked upon its release, ''Winter in America'' earned retrospective acclaim from several writers and music critics as Scott-Heron's and Jackson's greatest work together. Along with its critical recognition, it has been noted by several critics for its influence on derivative music forms such as

neo soul Neo soul (sometimes called progressive soul) is a genre of popular music. As a term, it was coined by music industry entrepreneur Kedar Massenburg during the late 1990s to market and describe a style of music that emerged from Soul music, soul ...

and

hip hop music Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music Music genre, genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African Americans, African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide r ...

, as many artists of the genres have been influenced by Scott-Heron's and Jackson's lyrical and musical approach on the album. On March 10, 1998, ''Winter in America'' was reissued on compact disc for the first time in the United States through Scott-Heron's Rumal-Gia Records.

Background

After leaving his former label

Flying Dutchman Records Flying Dutchman Records was an American jazz record label, which was owned by music industry executive, producer and songwriter Bob Thiele. History Initially distributed by Atlantic Records, Thiele made a five-album deal in 1972 with Mega Rec ...

, Gil Scott-Heron signed with the

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

jazz-based

Strata-East Strata-East Records is an American record company and label specialising in jazz founded in 1971 by Charles Tolliver and Stanley Cowell with the release of their first recording '' Music Inc.'' The label released over 50 albums in the 1970s. Man ...

label in early 1973, accompanied by jazz keyboardist and songwriter Brian Jackson, with whom he had worked on his previous studio albums, ''

Pieces of a Man ''Pieces of a Man'' is the debut studio album by American poet Gil Scott-Heron. It was recorded in April 1971 at RCA Studios in New York City and released later that year by Flying Dutchman Records. The album followed Scott-Heron's debut live a ...

'' (1971) and ''

Free Will Free will is generally understood as the capacity or ability of people to (a) choice, choose between different possible courses of Action (philosophy), action, (b) exercise control over their actions in a way that is necessary for moral respon ...

'' (1972).Bush, John. Biography: Gil Scott-Heron Allmusic. Retrieved on July 9, 2008. While some sources allege this may have been over financial or creative differences,Jean-Critin (2001), p. 2. Scott-Heron maintained the switch was due to producer

Bob Thiele Robert "Bob" Thiele (July 27, 1922 – January 30, 1996) was an American record producer who worked on numerous classic jazz albums and record labels. Early life and career Bob Thiele was born in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York, United Sta ...

's unwillingness to give Jackson co-billing. By the time of their move to Strata-East, Scott-Heron and Jackson had achieved underground notice among R&B and

soul music Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in African-American culture, African-American African-American neighborhood, communities throughout the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Catchy rhythms, stressed by handclaps ...

listeners, particularly for the political and social nature of their music's themes, as well as Scott-Heron's emphasis on

African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...

culture and social plight in his compositions. Their musical fusion of jazz, blues, soul and

spoken word Spoken word is an oral poetic performance art that is based mainly on the poem as well as the performer's aesthetic qualities. It is a 20th-century continuation of an oral tradition, ancient oral artistic tradition that focuses on the aesthetic ...

styles helped them earn some notice among less-mainstream black music listeners at the time.Scott-Heron (1998), pp. 1–3. Social circumstances and musical events preceded Scott-Heron's and Jackson's signing with Strata-East. After the decline of popularity in traditional jazz forms during the Civil Rights Movement and Black Power movement,

black pride Black pride is a movement which encourages black people to celebrate their respective cultures and embrace their African heritage. In the United States, it initially developed for African-American culture and was a direct response to white ...

and Afrocentric sentiment by many black Americans emerged.Staff.
Black Nationalism
. ''The New Encyclopædia Britannica'': 256. 1987. During 1970 to 1974, the

Black Panther Party The Black Panther Party (originally the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense) was a Marxism–Leninism, Marxist–Leninist and Black Power movement, black power political organization founded by college students Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newto ...

organization had been neutralized and

pan-Africanism Pan-Africanism is a nationalist movement that aims to encourage and strengthen bonds of solidarity between all Indigenous peoples of Africa, indigenous peoples and diasporas of African ancestry. Based on a common goal dating back to the Atla ...

came into vogue.Geesling, Don
An American Griot: Gil Scott-Heron Interview
''

The Brooklyn Rail ''The Brooklyn Rail'' is an American publication and platform for the arts, culture, humanities, and politics, based in Brooklyn, New York. It features in-depth critical essays, fiction, poetry, as well as interviews with artists, critics, and ...

''. Retrieved on December 21, 2008. Following the

free jazz Free jazz, or free form in the early to mid-1970s, is a style of avant-garde jazz or an experimental approach to jazz improvisation that developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s, when musicians attempted to change or break down jazz conventi ...

and

avant-garde In the arts and literature, the term ''avant-garde'' ( meaning or ) identifies an experimental genre or work of art, and the artist who created it, which usually is aesthetically innovative, whilst initially being ideologically unacceptable ...

breakthroughs of

Ornette Coleman Randolph Denard Ornette Coleman (March 9, 1930 – June 11, 2015) was an American jazz saxophonist, trumpeter, violinist, and composer. He is best known as a principal founder of the free jazz genre, a term derived from his 1960 album '' Free Ja ...

and

John Coltrane John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the Jazz#Post-war jazz, history of jazz and 20th-century musi ...

, a creative stasis among most jazz musicians set in during the decade that led to an

eclecticism Eclecticism is a conceptual approach that does not hold rigidly to a single paradigm or set of assumptions, but instead draws upon multiple theories, styles, or ideas to gain complementary insights into a subject, or applies different theories i ...

where no style or conception of jazz maintained a

zeitgeist In 18th- and 19th-century German philosophy, a ''Zeitgeist'' (; ; capitalized in German) is an invisible agent, force, or daemon dominating the characteristics of a given epoch in world history. The term is usually associated with Georg W. F ...

among players.Staff.
John Coltrane
. ''The New Encyclopædia Britannica'': 1987.Staff.
Free Jazz: The Explorations of Ornette Coleman
. ''The New Encyclopædia Britannica'': 1987. However,

jazz fusion Jazz fusion (also known as jazz rock, jazz-rock fusion, or simply fusion) is a popular music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric gui ...

had gained mainstream notice for its stylistic adoption of rock and funk music, despite being the subject of controversy in jazz

purist Purism is an art movement that took place between 1918 and 1925. Purism may also refer to: * Purism (Spanish architecture) (1530–1560), a phase of Renaissance architecture in Spain * Purism (company), company manufacturing Librem personal compu ...

circles. Highlighted by the works of

Roy Ayers Roy Edward Ayers Jr. (September 10, 1940 – March 4, 2025) was an American vibraphonist, record producer, and composer. Ayers began his career as a post-bop jazz artist, releasing several studio albums with Atlantic Records, before his tenure ...

Herbie Hancock Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz musician, bandleader, and composer. He started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. Hancock soon joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he helped to redefine the role of ...

, and

Donald Byrd Donaldson Toussaint L'Ouverture Byrd II (December 9, 1932 – February 4, 2013) was an American jazz and rhythm & blues trumpeter, composer and vocalist. A sideman for many other jazz musicians of his generation, Byrd was one of the few h ...

jazz-funk Jazz-funk is a subgenre of jazz music characterized by a strong back beat, electrified sounds, and analog synthesizers. The integration of funk, soul, and R&B music and styles into jazz resulted in the creation of a genre that ranges from ...

also emerged in response to the growing popularity of funk, leading to a trend of funk rhythms among jazz musicians formerly of the hard bop tradition as an attempt to reconnect with their African-American audience. This factored into the popularity of Scott-Heron's and Jackson's work in the black underground scene, with the former obtaining a reputation as a "street poet", while his work with Jackson served as an early recording of

jazz poetry Jazz poetry has been defined as poetry that "demonstrates jazz-like rhythm or the feel of improvisation" and also as poetry that takes jazz music, musicians, or the jazz milieu as its subject, and is Performance poetry, designed to be performed. So ...

.Dedina, Nick
About: Gil Scott-Heron

Rhapsody Rhapsody may refer to: Ancient Greece * A work of epic poetry, or part of one, that is suitable for recitation at one time ** Rhapsode, a classical Greek professional performer of epic poetry Computer software * Rhapsody (online music service) ...

. Retrieved on March 20, 2009. Scott-Heron had looked to expand on his socially conscious, pro black-oriented themes and independently produce a more

conceptual album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...

than his previous work had envisioned. Scott-Heron's and Jackson's search for more creative control over their recordings prompted them to sign with Strata-East Records. Established in 1971 by jazz musicians

Charles Tolliver Charles Tolliver (born March 6, 1942) is an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and co-founder of Strata East Records. Biography Tolliver was born in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1942 and moved with his family to New York City when he was 10. Durin ...

and

Stanley Cowell Stanley Cowell (May 5, 1941 – December 17, 2020) was an American jazz pianist and co-founder of the Strata-East Records label. Early life Cowell was born in Toledo, Ohio. He began playing the piano around the age of four, and became intereste ...

, in response to major record companies' lack of interest in their recordings, the Strata-East label had become known for signing artists who recorded with diverse styles of jazz music with themes of social consciousness and

black nationalism Black nationalism is a nationalist movement which seeks representation for Black people as a distinct national identity, especially in racialized, colonial and postcolonial societies. Its earliest proponents saw it as a way to advocate for ...

, as well as "minimal but eye-grabbing graphic design" for its releases.Moist, Kevin
Strata-East Records: Black Spirit, Black Power, Black Music
''Dream Magazine''. Retrieved on October 11, 2008. The label had also been known for carrying out the management concept of "condominium". Originally conceived and penned by Cowell, it gave artists authority and responsibility over their recorded material independently, as well as the ability to assign the

master tape Master recordings, or simply masters, are the original recordings—including Mastering (audio), post-recording mixes and Record production, production edits—of audio performances, from which all analog and digital copies of the audio are derived ...

s over to the label for distribution. Strata-East artists had more control over their recordings than major labels at the time had offered. Music journalist Kevin Moist later wrote of the label's "condominium" concept, "The idea was to try and develop an independent cultural space outside of the mainstream that could function self-sufficiently and be genuinely participatory for its members. The goal was to live in an engaged way where art, society, spirituality, and politics could all come together holistically in an integrated existence. That (sub)cultural renewal is embodied in the kind of music midwifed by Strata-East." The label's philosophy for artist management and recording ethic worked to the advantage of artists such as Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson. Scott-Heron and Jackson were able to release more aesthetically personalized recordings for Strata-East than most mainstream labels would allow.

Recording and production

To record the album, Jackson suggested a small studio located outside of Washington, D.C., in

. The sessions took place in September and October 1973 at Silver Spring's D&B Sound Studios.Product Page: ''Winter In America'' (CD)
. Tower.com. Retrieved on July 8, 2008. According to Scott-Heron, the studio's main room was so small that when the two musicians recorded, Jackson was forced out next to the cooler, playing flute in the studio's hallway while Scott-Heron sang in the main room. However, Scott-Heron felt comfortable in the small studio. Jose Williams was enlisted as the

recording engineer An audio engineer (also known as a sound engineer or recording engineer) helps to produce a recording or a live performance, balancing and adjusting sound sources using equalization, dynamics processing and audio effects, mixing, reproducti ...

for the album. Williams assisted Scott-Heron and Jackson, who were credited for production under the title Perpis-Fall Music, Inc., with production, and he engineered the album's recordings entirely himself. The recording sessions served as the first production credit for Scott-Heron, Jackson, and Jose Williams.Daniel, Matthew
Interview: Brian Jackson
Soulisms. Retrieved on July 23, 2008. As the third unofficial collaboration between Scott-Heron and Jackson, the album's recording featured more of Jackson's input than before. Jackson recounted the experience in an interview for ''

All About Jazz ''All About Jazz'' is a website established by Michael Ricci in 1995. A volunteer staff publishes news, album reviews, articles, videos, and listings of concerts and other events having to do with jazz. Ricci maintains a related site, ''Jazz Near ...

'', stating: "He had this way with words and I thought to myself, 'People have to hear this stuff'. What I had to offer was the music and I figured if we can take his words and make this tribal knowledge rhythmic and musical, we can draw people to hear it."Columnist
Biography: Brian Jackson
. ''

''. Retrieved on July 17, 2008. In contrast to their Flying Dutchman recordings and subsequent Arista recordings, ''Winter in America'' utilized a sparse production quality and small number of sessions musicians. A small supporting line-up, featuring drummer Bob Adams and bassist Danny Bowens, contributed on a few cuts. Adams and Bowens, who studied with Scott-Heron at Lincoln University, arrived from the Pennsylvania-based college on the last day of recording on October 15, 1973. Scott-Heron and Jackson handled most of the vocals, songwriting, and instrumentation, and they were assisted by Williams with the production. The September 4 and 5 sessions featured only Jackson and Scott-Heron playing and recording. The limited personnel during these sessions allowed them to rely mostly on traditional African and R&B sounds and influences, along with more creative and artistic control of the project. More than half of the album's songs were co-written and produced by Jackson.Billboard Music Charts: ''Winter in America''
''

''. Retrieved on July 10, 2008. His input also helped solidify his partnership with Scott-Heron, leading to further records together before their split in 1978.Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson
Discogs. Retrieved on July 8, 2008.

Music and lyrics

Similar to his studio debut album ''Pieces of a Man'', ''Winter in America'' has Scott-Heron exercising his

baritone A baritone is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the bass (voice type), bass and the tenor voice type, voice-types. It is the most common male voice. The term originates from the ...

and deep

tenor A tenor is a type of male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second B below m ...

-singing abilities with some spoken-word elements. The album served as a move into more conventional song structures, in contrast to the Scott-Heron's debut live album, '' A New Black Poet - Small Talk at 125th and Lenox'' (1970), which was composed entirely of spoken-word poetry, and the

rapping Rapping (also rhyming, flowing, spitting, emceeing, or MCing) is an artistic form of vocal delivery and emotive expression that incorporates " rhyme, rhythmic speech, and ommonlystreet vernacular". It is usually performed over a backin ...

style of his previous album ''Free Will''. According to music writer Karl Keely, ''Pieces of a Man'' and ''Winter in America'' exhibit further departure by Scott-Heron from his prominent "angry and militant poet" persona.

BBC Online BBC Online, formerly known as BBCi, is the BBC's online service. It is a large network of websites including such high-profile sites as BBC News and BBC Sport, Sport, the on-demand video and radio services branded BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds, t ...

writer Daryl Easlea wrote that it "captures Scott Heron at a turning point, largely leaving his heavier raps behind in favour of a floating ambience, with his poetry and song being illuminated by Jackson's superb instrumentation".Easlea, Daryl
Review: ''Winter in America''

BBC Music BBC Music is the arm of the BBC responsible for the music played across its services. The current director of music is Lorna Clarke. Officially it is a part of the BBC's Radio operational division; however, its remit also includes music used i ...

. Retrieved on November 17, 2009. In addition, the album features more themes of social commentary,

Afrocentrism Afrocentrism is a worldview that is centered on the history of people of African descent or a view that favors it over non-African civilizations. It is in some respects a response to Eurocentric attitudes about African people and their hist ...

and balladry than ''Pieces of a Man''.Salaam, Mtume ya. Salaam, Kalamu ya
Gil Scott-Heron & His Music
Breath of Life. Retrieved on July 21, 2008. ''Winter in America'' features a more stripped-down production and melancholy mood along with songs that exceeded four minutes, as opposed to ''Free Will'', which was criticized for its brevity and time constraints.Sanders, J.Victoria
Review: ''Free Will''

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, ...

. Retrieved on July 11, 2008.Larkin, Colin. "Review: ''Free Will''". ''Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music'': March 1, 2002. Scott-Heron's characteristic sound on the album is rooted in

, and

. He referred to his mellow fusion of style as "bluesology, the science of how things feel." Scott-Heron's and Jackson's compositions for ''Winter in America'' incorporate elements of

African music The continent of Africa is vast and its music is diverse, with different regions and nations having many distinct musical traditions. African music includes the genres like makwaya, highlife, mbube, township music, jùjú, fuji, jaiva ...

, heavy

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a percussion mallet, beater including attached or enclosed beaters or Rattle (percussion beater), rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or ...

, and

chant A chant (from French ', from Latin ', "to sing") is the iterative speaking or singing of words or sounds, often primarily on one or two main pitches called reciting tones. Chants may range from a simple melody involving a limited set of no ...

s. They also feature scene-setting, spoken word intros and mystical interludes, which were influenced by the

stylings of contemporary artists such as

Pharoah Sanders Pharoah Sanders (born Ferrell Lee Sanders; October 13, 1940 – September 24, 2022) was an American jazz saxophonist. Known for his overblowing, harmonic, and multiphonic techniques on the saxophone, as well as his use of "sheets of sound", San ...

and

Abdullah Ibrahim Abdullah Ibrahim (born Adolph Johannes Brand on 9 October 1934), previously known as Dollar Brand, is a South African pianist and composer. His music reflects many of the musical influences of his childhood in the multicultural port areas of Cap ...

. Jackson wrote arrangements that tended to be more straight-ahead material, incorporating classic jazz

bridge A bridge is a structure built to Span (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or railway) without blocking the path underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, whi ...

s in his compositions. Scott-Heron, as the main lyricist and vocalist, exhibited more

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...

sensibilities with his compositions and created indelible

hook A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved/bent back or has a deeply grooved indentation, which serves to grab, latch or in any way attach itself onto another object. The hook's d ...

s that were influenced by the black popular music of the time. By combining their distinct approaches to composing, Scott-Heron and Jackson produced a multicultural, diffused sound that evoked the

afrobeat Afrobeat (also known as Afrofunk) is a West African music genre, fusing influences from Nigerian (such as Yoruba) and Ghanaian (such as highlife) music, with American funk, jazz, and soul influences. With a focus on chanted vocals, complex i ...

and

world music "World music" is an English phrase for styles of music from non-English speaking countries, including quasi-traditional, Cross-cultural communication, intercultural, and traditional music. World music's broad nature and elasticity as a musical ...

style of artists such as

Fela Kuti Fela Aníkúlápó Kútì (born Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti; 15 October 1938 – 2 August 1997) was a Nigerians, Nigerian musician and political activist. He is regarded as the principal innovator of Afrobeat, a Nigerian music genre t ...

during the African music scene's popularity. ''Winter in America'' juxtaposes themes of

nostalgic Nostalgia is a sentimentality for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations. The word ''nostalgia'' is a neoclassical compound derived from Greek, consisting of (''nóstos''), a Homeric word meaning "homecomi ...

hope to the social problems of the early 1970s, particularly in the African-American community and

inner cities Interior may refer to: Arts and media * ''Interior'' (Degas) (also known as ''The Rape''), painting by Edgar Degas * ''Interior'' (play), 1895 play by Belgian playwright Maurice Maeterlinck * ''The Interior'' (novel), by Lisa See * Interior de ...

.Larkin, Colin. "Review: ''Winter in America''". ''

Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music ''The Encyclopedia of Popular Music'' is an encyclopedia created in 1989 by Colin Larkin. It is the "modern man's" equivalent of the '' Grove Dictionary of Music'', which Larkin describes in less than flattering terms.''The Times'', ''The Kno ...

'': March 1, 2002.Ruby, Michael
Review: ''Winter in America''

Amazon.com Amazon.com, Inc., doing business as Amazon, is an American multinational technology company engaged in e-commerce, cloud computing, online advertising, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. Founded in 1994 by Jeff Bezos in Bellevu ...

. Retrieved on July 31, 2009. Also a prominent theme in Scott-Heron's lyrics is people's faith in their culture in a bleak, impoverished environment. The album features Scott-Heron's examination of maintaining one's cultural roots in a discouraging environment.Graff (1998), pp. 512-513 Other themes include love, fatherhood, freedom, alcoholism, and political scandal. The themes of social disillusionment and the human condition featured on the album are also depicted on the ''Winter'' collage, representing the grim, sullen images of

poverty Poverty is a state or condition in which an individual lacks the financial resources and essentials for a basic standard of living. Poverty can have diverse Biophysical environmen ...

decay Decay may refer to: Science and technology * Bit decay, in computing * Decay time (fall time), in electronics * Distance decay, in geography * Software decay, in computing Biology * Decomposition of organic matter * Mitochondrial decay, in g ...

, and death in generally

urban areas An urban area is a human settlement with a high population density and an infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas originate through urbanization, and researchers categorize them as cities, towns, conurbations or suburbs. In urbani ...

and

ghetto A ghetto is a part of a city in which members of a minority group are concentrated, especially as a result of political, social, legal, religious, environmental or economic pressure. Ghettos are often known for being more impoverished than other ...

s. Created by artist Peggy Harris, the collage was featured on the original LP's inner sleeve and in the liner booklet of ''Winter in America''s CD reissue.

Songs

The album's style and themes are exemplified by the bookending track "Peace Go with You, Brother", with Scott-Heron's bluesy, jazzy vocals and Afrocentric lyrics accompanied by Jackson's soulful piano arrangements. It features a dreamy, moody soundscape, produced by Jackson's

Rhodes electric piano The Rhodes piano (also known as the Fender Rhodes piano) is an electric piano invented by Harold Rhodes, which became popular in the 1970s. Like a conventional piano, the Rhodes generates sound with keys and hammers, but instead of strings, th ...

, which evokes the ''

In a Silent Way ''In a Silent Way'' is a studio album by the American jazz trumpeter, composer, and bandleader Miles Davis, released on July 30, 1969, on Columbia Records. Produced by Teo Macero, the album was recorded in one session date on February 18, 1969, ...

''-era jazz of

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th century music, 20th-century music. Davis ado ...

. "Peace Go with You, Brother" has Scott-Heron criticizing the selfishness of certain members of his generation, as well as people for forgetting their common humanity. The song continues to examine the significance of a person's cultural roots, regardless of where they prove to blossom. " Rivers of My Fathers" is the album's longest track and features drummer Bob Adams' swing-style drum

rim shot A rimshot is a percussion technique used to produce an accented snare drum backbeat. The sound is produced by simultaneously hitting the rim and head of the drum with a drum stick. The sound and various techniques The sound of rimshots can be ...

s and pianist Jackson's wide, blocky chords, play in a blue-influenced style.Salaam, Mtume ya. Salaam, Kalamu ya
Gil Scott-Heron: Rivers of My Fathers
Breath of Life. Retrieved on July 21, 2008. Scott-Heron uses the water motif, a common metaphor in African-American culture, to evoke feelings of home and freedom and represent faith, amid the frustrations of a modern black man. As the opening verse and chorus suggest, "Looking for a way out of this confusion/I'm looking for a sign, carry me home/Let me lay down by a stream and let me be miles from everything/Rivers of my fathers, could you carry me home." The narrator beseeches the "river" to deliver him home; its identity being revealed in the last seconds of the song as Scott-Heron intones "

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

". The melancholy, nostalgic love song "A Very Precious Time" contains an uplifting

timbre In music, timbre (), also known as tone color or tone quality (from psychoacoustics), is the perceived sound of a musical note, sound or tone. Timbre distinguishes sounds according to their source, such as choir voices and musical instrument ...

of Jackson's flute with joyful singing by Scott-Heron. While his lyrics depict a requiem to innocence and first love, the song's general message explores the concept of nostalgia as a means to remain in the present, despite the loss of hope or faith that can be brought on by the struggle of the present as opposed to the past. The tempo of the album is picked up by the opening vamp of "Back Home", which contains the concept of family and its positive values. " The Bottle" is a commentary on

alcohol abuse Alcohol abuse encompasses a spectrum of alcohol-related substance abuse. This spectrum can range from being mild, moderate, or severe. This can look like consumption of more than 2 drinks per day on average for men, or more than 1 drink per ...

with a

Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...

beat and flute harmonies by Jackson. It became a popular song played at

parties A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often feature ...

at the time. French music critic Pierre Jean-Critin calls it "an epic song ..whose infectious groove can still set dance floors alight over thirty years later." The song's dance and popular music 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." "The Bottle" also addresses problems of

drug addiction Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to use a drug or engage in a behavior that produces natural reward, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Repetitive drug use can ...

abortion Abortion is the early termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. Abortions that occur without intervention are known as miscarriages or "spontaneous abortions", and occur in roughly 30–40% of all pregnan ...

, and

incarceration Imprisonment or incarceration is the restraint of a person's liberty for any cause whatsoever, whether by authority of the government, or by a person acting without such authority. In the latter case it is considered " false imprisonment". Impri ...

, and features Scott-Heron on keyboards. Despite its grim observations, "The Bottle" became a concert favorite and one of Scott-Heron's most popular songs. It is followed by soulful, low-tempo tracks "Song for Bobby Smith" and "Your Daddy Loves You"; the latter is an introspective ballad and ode to Scott-Heron's daughter Gia Louise. During the October 15, 1973 session, drummer Bob Adams and bassist Danny Bowens contributed to the tracks "Peace Go with You", "Rivers of My Fathers", "Back Home", and "The Bottle". Adams, however, was disappointed that "H₂Ogate Blues" was to be left off the album. The song originally served as an opening monologue concerning the Watergate incident used by Scott-Heron at his concerts, and it contains proto-rap and

talking blues Talking blues is a music genre derived from folk and country music. It is characterized by rhythmic speech or near-speech where the melody is free, but the rhythm is strict. Chris Bouchillon, billed as "The Talking Comedian of the South", is cre ...

elements, in which rhythmic

speech Speech is the use of the human voice as a medium for language. Spoken language combines vowel and consonant sounds to form units of meaning like words, which belong to a language's lexicon. There are many different intentional speech acts, suc ...

or near-speech is accompanied by a free

melody A melody (), also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most literal sense, a melody is a combination of Pitch (music), pitch and rhythm, while more figurativel ...

and strict

rhythm Rhythm (from Greek , ''rhythmos'', "any regular recurring motion, symmetry") generally means a " movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions". This general meaning of regular r ...

. The studio version, which was recorded during the album's sessions, was not intended to be for the album prior to Adams' objection, as Scott-Heron said that "nobody outside of Washington seemed to know what the hell I was talking about." Scott-Heron later revisited the experience in the liner notes of the album's 1998 reissue. On Adams' opinion of "H₂Ogate Blues", he wrote that "His reply was that even if people didn’t understand the politics it’s still funny as hell." On the recording, Scott-Heron stated: The resulting track features sharp criticism by Scott-Heron of then-US president

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until Resignation of Richard Nixon, his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...

and his vice-president

Spiro Agnew Spiro Theodore Agnew (; November 9, 1918 – September 17, 1996) was the 39th vice president of the United States, serving from 1969 until his resignation in 1973. He is the second of two vice presidents to resign, the first being John C. ...

, among other politicians involved in the scandal; the Watergate incident had yet to reach its conclusion when the song was recorded. Scott-Heron introduces the song with a short speech discussing the blues and referencing current events: "But lately we had

Frank Rizzo Francis Lazarro Rizzo (October 23, 1920 – July 16, 1991) was an American police officer and politician. He served as commissioner of the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) from 1967 to 1971 and mayor of Philadelphia from 1972 to 1980. He wa ...

with the ' Lie Detector Blues'/We done had the United States government talkin bout the 'Energy Crisis Blues'".Scott-Heron, Gil. "H²Ogate Blues", ''Winter in America'', Strata-East, 1974. The final chorus line directly references Nixon and the scandal: "And there are those who swear that've seen King Richard/Beneath that cesspool–Watergate". His lyrics range from humor to critical diatribes of political corruption and social issues. It shares lyrical similarities to

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris (; Judkins; born May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American and Ghanaian singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th c ...

's anti-Nixon song "

You Haven't Done Nothin' "You Haven't Done Nothin" is a 1974 funk single by Stevie Wonder, taken from his album ''Fulfillingness' First Finale'' and featuring background vocals by the Jackson 5. The politically aware song became Wonder's fourth Number-1 pop hit and his t ...

" (1974). The album concludes with a reprisal of the opening track. Music writer Karl Keely said of its significance, "The return of the refrain from 'Peace Go with You Brother' adds a sense of wholeness to end the record, an idea that the album has travelled through Gil Scott-Heron's worries, fears, pleasures, hopes, and finally, his pronounced disliking of Richard Nixon, before returning to the opening statement, in the hopes that the record may have made that selfish brother think more about his world and those in it, instead of moving along in a self-imposed bubble." The title track, which was not featured on the original LP, was recorded after the album's release at the suggestion of Peggy Harris, the artist who designed the ''Winter'' collage for the inner sleeve of the LP. Initially, Scott-Heron and Jackson meant for ''Winter in America'' to lack a title track, which contrasted their previous label's trend of having their work include title tracks. The album title's purpose meant only to describe the general theme of ''Winter in America''s songs. According to Scott-Heron, a title track "separates from the rest of the lyrics, better, or worse or different." The studio version of "Winter in America" was released on his following album, '' The First Minute of a New Day'' (1975), while a live version, recorded in 1982 at Washington, D.C.'s Black Wax Club, was included on the 1998 CD reissue of ''Winter in America''. The song features Scott-Heron's poetic references and lyrics that portray America in a dystopian state where "democracy is

rag-time Ragtime, also spelled rag-time or rag time, is a musical style that had its peak from the 1890s to 1910s. Its cardinal trait is its syncopated or "ragged" rhythm. Ragtime was popularized during the early 20th century by composers such as Scot ...

on the corner", "the forest is buried beneath the highway", "robins are perched in barren treetops", and, in conclusion, "no one is fighting because no one knows what to save."

Title and packaging

The original name of the album was intended to be ''Supernatural Corner'', named after the

cover art Cover art is a type of artwork presented as an illustration or photograph on the outside of a published product, such as a book (often on a dust jacket), magazine, newspaper ( tabloid), comic book, video game ( box art), music album ( album ar ...

, but was later changed to ''Winter in America'' by Scott-Heron. Both the title and the song "Supernatural Corner" were left off the album, as the name would not be understandable to people who had not seen the house to which the title was alluding. According to Gil Scott-Heron, the original title referred to what appeared to him to be a

haunted house A haunted house, spook house or ghost house in ghostlore is a house or other building often perceived as being inhabited by disembodied spirits of the deceased who may have been former residents or were otherwise connected with the property ...

in the Logan Circle neighborhood of

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, in which Scott-Heron and Jackson moved into prior to recording in 1973. The cover artwork features a collage-type painting with

oriental The Orient is a term referring to the East in relation to Europe, traditionally comprising anything belonging to the Eastern world. It is the antonym of the term ''Occident'', which refers to the Western world. In English, it is largely a meto ...

graphic designs and a small figure version of whom appears to be Brian Jackson. It was created by Eugene Coles, a friend and colleague of Jackson's and Scott-Heron's from the historically black college

Morgan State University Morgan State University (Morgan State or MSU) is a Public university, public historically black colleges and universities, historically black research university in Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland. It is the largest of Maryland's historically bla ...

. ''Supernatural Corner'' by Coles was used as the album's cover art, as Scott-Heron had originally commissioned Coles to design the collage. The revised title of ''Winter in America'' was intended to represent Scott-Heron's use of the season of winter as a metaphor and concept of his view of the issues facing

society A society () is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. ...

during his time. The title was also meant to represent the urban sociological themes featured on the album, which had surfaced on most of Scott-Heron's previous work. Scott-Heron referred to the title as the "overall atmosphere of the album", as well as the metaphor for the overall theme of the album. ''Winter'' was conceived amid social, economic and political issues in the United States during the early 1970s, including

stagflation Stagflation is the combination of high inflation, stagnant economic growth, and elevated unemployment. The term ''stagflation'', a portmanteau of "stagnation" and "inflation," was popularized, and probably coined, by British politician Iain Mac ...

, the

1973 oil crisis In October 1973, the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) announced that it was implementing a total oil embargo against countries that had supported Israel at any point during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, which began after Eg ...

that had great effect during the winter, the 1973 stock market crash, the Watergate scandal, and urban decay. He further elaborated on the social concept of winter and Afrocentricism, as it relates to living during times such as these and how the title reflects on the time itself, in the original LP liner notes: In a February 2009 interview with Jalylah Burrell of ''

Vibe Vibe, alternatively '' vibes,'' is short for ''vibration''. A "vibe" is an emotional reaction to the aura or energy felt to belong to a person, place or thing. Vibe may also refer to: People * DJ Vibe (born 1968), Portuguese DJ * Lasse Vibe (b ...

'' magazine, Gil Scott-Heron discussed the album's concept and title, as well as the social and political atmosphere at the time of ''Winter in America''s recording. In retrospect, he stated "We felt as though we had come across something that people did not understand or did not recognize but that's the season that we were going into, not for three months but for an extended period of time. A lot of the folks who represented summer and spring and fall had been killed and assassinated. The only season left is winter. ...

Bobby Kennedy Robert Francis Kennedy (November 20, 1925 – June 6, 1968), also known as RFK, was an American politician and lawyer. He served as the 64th United States attorney general from January 1961 to September 1964, and as a U.S. senator from New Yor ...

and Dr. King and

John Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), also known as JFK, was the 35th president of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. He was the first Roman Catholic and youngest person elected p ...

, those were folks who represented spring and summer, and they killed them. So we wanted to do an album about where we were. And we weren't trying to depress people, hell, they were living it, they already knew but we were trying to describe it and were certainly not alone... we felt as though a part of it was the folks in charge of the political structure. They were snowmen..."Burrell, Jalylah
Fell Together: A Conversation With Gil Scott-Heron Part 2
''Vibe''. Retrieved on April 20, 2009.

Release and reception

Upon its original

stereo Stereophonic sound, commonly shortened to stereo, is a method of sound reproduction that recreates a multi-directional, 3-dimensional audible perspective. This is usually achieved by using two independent audio channels through a configurat ...

LP release in May 1974, the album had a short supply and distribution due to the Strata-East label's independent distribution policy of their artists' releases. Consequently, ''Winter in America'' became considered by many fans to be the great "lost" Gil Scott-Heron album, before a proper reissue on compact disc thirty years following its original issue. The album served as the first of their collaborations to have Jackson receive co-billing for a release.MacArthur, Paul J
Catching Up with Gil
''

Houston Press The ''Houston Press'' is an online newspaper published in Houston, Texas, United States. It is headquartered in the Midtown Houston, Midtown area. It was also a weekly print newspaper until November 2017. The publication is supported entirely ...

''. Retrieved on July 10, 2008. Unlike Scott-Heron's previous albums, ''Winter in America'' experienced some commercial success with the help of promotional resources in the form of underground music

deejay A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at nightclubs or music festivals), mobile DJ ...

s and club promoters, in spite of the album's limited distribution.Scott-Heron (1998), p. 4 While it did not chart on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Pop Albums chart, the album charted on the

chart and peaked at number six. Charts & Awards - Billboard Albums: ''Winter in America'' Allmusic. Retrieved on July 8, 2008. ''Winter in America'' entered the Top Jazz Albums on June 29, 1974, and remained there for 40 weeks, until March 29, 1975. According to a 1990 ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'' article on Scott-Heron, the album ended up selling more than 300,000 copies.Sutro, Dirk
Scott-Heron Leaps 11 Years
''

''. Retrieved on July 31, 2009. ''Winter in America''s only single release, "The Bottle", soon became an

underground Underground most commonly refers to: * Subterranea (geography), the regions beneath the surface of the Earth Underground may also refer to: Places * Buenos Aires Underground, a rapid transit system * London Underground, a rapid transit system * ...

and

cult Cults are social groups which have unusual, and often extreme, religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals. Extreme devotion to a particular person, object, or goal is another characteristic often ascribed to cults. The term ...

hit following its issue. The song peaked at number 98 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Soul Singles on the week ending February 18, 1977."Gil Scott-Heron – Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)"
''

''. Retrieved October 25, 2021. According to an article on Scott-Heron for a November 1974 issue of ''

'', the success of the single "has made his most recent album, 'Winter in America', a national best-seller and heralds his wide-ranging appeal." The success of "The Bottle" also helped lead to Jackson's and Scott-Heron's following recording contract with

Arista Records Arista Records ( ) is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was previously a division of Bertelsmann Music G ...

, which had been established in late 1974, the label at which they would enjoy further success and a larger amount of commercial notice. Upon signing them, Arista

executive Executive ( exe., exec., execu.) may refer to: Role or title * Executive, a senior management role in an organization ** Chief executive officer (CEO), one of the highest-ranking corporate officers (executives) or administrators ** Executive dir ...

Clive Davis Clive Jay Davis (born April 4, 1932) is an American record producer, A&R executive, record executive, and lawyer. He has won five Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as a non-performer, in 2000. From 1967 to 1 ...

said of Scott-Heron in an interview with ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'', "Not only is he an excellent poet, musician and performer—three qualities I look for that are rarely combined—but he's a leader of social thought." Along with approval from Arista executives, ''Winter in America'' was well received by the underground music scene, in which Scott-Heron earned the majority of his fan base, and added to Scott-Heron's reputation as a socially aware and conscious artist. In retrospective reviews, ''Winter in America'' was well received by critics, who cite it as one of Scott-Heron's best albums.Fernando Jr., S.H.
Review: ''Winter in America''
. ''

'': 150. March 1998. '' Uncut'' magazine's

Barney Hoskyns Barney Hoskyns (born 5 May 1959) is a British music critic and editorial director of the online music journalism archive Rock's Backpages. Biography Hoskyns graduated from the University of Oxford with a first class degree in English. He began ...

praised the album, calling it an "introspective seasonal offering from black poet-singer and collaborating pianist".Hoskyns, Barney.
Review: ''Winter in America''
. ''Uncut'': 120. March 2003. He also lauded its critical content and called it "a masterwork of ghetto melancholia and stark political gravitas". Ron Wynn of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

wrote of Scott-Heron's performance, in that he was "at his most righteous and provocative on this album", while acknowledging Jackson's contributions as well.

's Daryl Easlea called the album "an affecting work" and wrote that its title track "should be played as standard on all modern history courses as a snapshot of the stilted hopes and aspirations in the post Watergate and Vietnam War mid 70s America". ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

''s Richard Harrington cited "The Bottle" and "H₂Ogate Blues" as "classic Scott-Heron works" in a review of its reissue.Harrington, Richard.
Review: ''Winter in America''
. ''

'': D.05. June 3, 1998. (Transcription of original review at

talk page MediaWiki is free and open-source wiki software originally developed by Magnus Manske for use on Wikipedia on January 25, 2002, and further improved by Lee Daniel Crocker, Magnus Manske's announcement of "PHP Wikipedia", wikipedia-l, August 24 ...

) ''

'' writer Mike Boehm viewed that its title track "sounded a sad death-knell for '60s hopes of transforming change", while calling it a "wonderful mood piece, capturing what it's like to feel oppressed in your soul by outer-world events that seem out of control".Boehm, Mike
Still Talkin' 'Bout a Revolution
''Los Angeles Times''. Retrieved on July 31, 2009. Danny Eccleston of ''

Mojo Mojo may refer to: * Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in Hoodoo Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * ''Mojo'' (2017 film), a 2017 Indian Kannada drama film written and directed by Sreesha Belakvaadi * '' ...

'' called it an "alloy of

Rhodes Rhodes (; ) is the largest of the Dodecanese islands of Greece and is their historical capital; it is the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, ninth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Administratively, the island forms a separ ...

-laden souljazz with cott-Herons razor-sharp beat-poetry" and quipped, "Anger, radicalism, humour and funk from the proto-rapper, thankfully restored to health and liberty."Eccleston, Danny (December 10, 2010)
Review: ''Winter in America''
''

''. Retrieved on December 12, 2010. ''Dream'' magazine columnist Kevin Moist stated that the album "further jazzified his mixture of street poetry, soulful spirit, political commitment, and Black cultural expression." He also noted the history of the Strata-East label, and summed up ''Winter in America''s significance, stating "Radically charged but musically mostly stark and low-key, melodic and soulful as hell, sometimes full band flow while at others just voice and piano, all hanging tight under a melancholy cloud of belatedness ..Thematically, the album reaches back even further than its predecessors in drawing on Black cultural energy as a source of power for facing down the coming political/cultural Ice Age in America. But Scott-Heron was never a one-dimensional ranter, and his pen is as double-edged here as it ever was, slicing into the growing self-destructiveness and sell-out/buy-in tendencies that were fragmenting the Black community, as incisively as it stabs at the jowls of evil in the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...

. As badass as it is understated, and really hasn’t dated just a little bit." ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper. In 1993 it was acquired by Guardian Media Group Limited, and operated as a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' ...

'' called the album a "jazz fusion pillar stone, with a social conscience to boot".Columnist
Review: ''Winter in America''
''

''. Retrieved on July 23, 2008. Music writer Karl Keely praised Scott-Heron's vocal maturity from his previous work, and noted Jackson's influence for improving and expanding the music's melodic content. Keely commented that it demonstrates "the evolution of Scott-Heron from politicised poet to soulful singer".Keely, Karl. "Review: Winter in America". ''Soul Music'': January 12, 2009. ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...

'' writer Michael A. Gonzales applauded its humanistic qualities, saying it "boldly proclaims how much we really matter through big pictures and intimate snapshots translated into the mediums of jazz, blues, soul, and literature." However, ''

'' writer Paul J. MacArthur expressed a mixed response towards its production quality and called ''Winter in America'' the "most dated" of the Scott-Heron reissues. ''

The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...

'' critic

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became a ...

said with the exception of the danceable "The Bottle", Scott-Heron "had a better beat and just slightly less melody" when he was reciting in spoken word. In a separate piece, he applauded the 1975 recording of the album's title track as "an evocation of our despondency that is as flawless as it is ambitious".

Legacy and influence

''Winter in America'' has been recognized by music writers as one of the prominent examples of early rap, along with the early work of

The Watts Prophets The Watts Prophets were an American political poetry group from Watts, California, United States. Like their contemporaries The Last Poets, the group combined elements of jazz music and spoken-word performance, making the trio one that is ofte ...

and

The Last Poets The Last Poets is a poetry collective and musical group that arose in the late 1960s as part of the African-American civil rights movement and black nationalism. The name was inspired by revolutionary South African poet Keorapetse Kgositsile who ...

. "The Bottle" was covered by

latin soul Latin soul (occasionally used synonymously with boogaloo) was a short-lived musical genre that had developed in the 1960s in New York City. It consisted of a blend of Cuban music such as mambo, along with elements of Latin jazz and soul music. Al ...

musician

Joe Bataan Bataan Nitollano, also known as Joe Bataan (born 5 November 1942) is a Filipino and American Latin soul singer, songwriter and musician best known world-wide and in the Hispanic and Latino music scene as the "King of Latin Soul". Early life Bat ...

for his album ''Afrofilipino'' (1975). Recordings featured on the album, along with other Scott-Heron/Jackson compositions, were

sampled Sample or samples may refer to: * Sample (graphics), an intersection of a color channel and a pixel * Sample (material), a specimen or small quantity of something * Sample (signal), a digital discrete sample of a continuous analog signal * Sample ...

by hip hop artists. This further expanded Scott-Heron's legacy as one of the progenitors of hip hop. The diverse sound and mellow instrumentation featured on the album, referred to by Scott-Heron as ''bluesology'', later inspired

artists in the 1990s and helped solidify Scott-Heron's and Jackson's legacy in the genre. On Jackson's legacy, ''

'' described him as "one of the early architects of the neo-soul", while citing his early work with Scott-Heron as "an inspirational and musical

Rosetta stone The Rosetta Stone is a stele of granodiorite inscribed with three versions of a Rosetta Stone decree, decree issued in 196 BC during the Ptolemaic dynasty of ancient Egypt, Egypt, on behalf of King Ptolemy V Epiphanes. The top and middle texts ...

for the neo-soul movement". Pierre Jean-Critin of the French music magazine ''Vibrations'' wrote of Scott-Heron and the album, stating "As an artist who conceives his albums as newspapers and similar testimonies, Gil Scott-Heron is one of America's finest observers and commentators of social reality as well as being one of the most creative and influential figures in African-American music, and this landmark album announced his arrival." The album also marked the transition of Scott-Heron from

beat poet The Beat Generation was a literary subculture movement started by a group of authors whose work explored and influenced American culture and politics in the post-World War II era. The bulk of their work was published and popularized by members o ...

to singer-songwriter with a full-scale band.Columnist.
Scott-Heron Reissues Readied
. ''Billboard'': February 23, 1998. He further developed this melodic approach with his following work with Brian Jackson, '' The First Minute of a New Day'' (1975) and '' From South Africa to South Carolina'' (1976). While the album did not have a direct impact on the black music scene at the time, it proved to become one of the Strata-East label's most successful LP releases, in terms of sales and appeal to their

target audience The target audience is the intended audience or readership of a publication, advertisement, or other message catered specifically to the previously intended audience. In marketing and advertising, the target audience is a particular group of cons ...

. While serving as Scott-Heron's and Jackson's only album for the independent label, ''Winter in America'' helped Strata-East Records achieve considerable notability among other New York City distributors of soul and jazz music during the 1970s, while the latter genre had been viewed by many jazz purists to be in a period of creative confusion and decline. In describing the label and its issued musical works, ''Dream'' magazine's Kevin Moist stated "The diversity and experimentation of the music, plus the great quality of many of those experiments, make it seem like more like a creative golden age in which the dominant idea was new ideas mixing and blending cultural styles and artistic genres or pushing existing styles into new extremes." According to Nick Dedina of

, ''Winter in America'' had impact elsewhere, stating "this deeply felt (and sometimes deeply funky) album helped break the pioneer of protest jazz-soul and rap to the general public with hit single 'The Bottle'".Dedina, Nick
Review: ''Winter in America''
Rhapsody. Retrieved on March 20, 2009. The album was re-released with previously unreleased bonus material by Scott-Heron's Rumal-Gia label in 1998, following a reissue project headed by Scott-Heron after he had received ownership of his 1970s recordings.Johnstone, Nick. "Review: ''Winter in America''". ''

Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. In January 2001, it was merged into "long-standing rival" (and IPC Media sister publicatio ...

'': 169: November 1999. The record's significance and influence in music has led to much retrospective favor of it among music writers and critics, as shown in ''Winter''s rankings in several "best of" publication polls. ''Winter in America'' was ranked number 67 on ''

New Nation ''New Nation'' was a weekly newspaper published in the United Kingdom, UK for the Black British community. The newspaper was launched in November 1996 by Richard Adeshiyan, the founding Editor who gave the title its name. the newspaper was Bri ...

''s June 2004 list of The Top 100 Black Albums. The album was also listed in the music reference book ''

1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die ''1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die'' is a musical reference book first published in 2005 by Universe Publishing. Part of the ''1001 Before You Die'' series, it compiles writings and information on albums chosen by a panel of music criti ...

'' (2006).Dimery, Robert. "Review: ''Winter in America''". ''

'': February 7, 2006. "The Bottle" was later ranked number 92 on ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...

'' magazine's list of the "Top 150 Singles of All-Time" and was included in '' Q'' magazine's ''1010 Songs You Must Own!'' publication. The title track was included on music writer Bruce Pollock's 2005 list of the "7,500 Most Important Songs of 1944–2000", and it was ranked number 82 on ''Blow Up''s list of "100 Songs to Remember".

Track listing

* Sides one and two were combined as tracks 1–9 on CD reissues.Track listing and credits as per liner notes for ''Winter in America'' CD reissue

Personnel

Credits for ''Winter in America'' adapted from liner notes.

Musicians

– vocals, electric piano * Brian Jackson – electric piano, acoustic piano, flute, vocals *Danny Bowens – fender bass *Bob Adams – drums (traps)

Production

* Perpis-Fall Music, Inc. – producer * Jose Williams – engineer *

Malcolm Cecil Malcolm Cecil (9 January 1937 – 28 March 2021) was a British jazz bassist, record producer, engineer, electronic musician and teacher. He was a founding member of a leading UK jazz quintet of the late 1950s, the Jazz Couriers,''Billboard'' Music Charts (North America) – ''Winter in America'' *1974:

– #6 U.S. ''Billboard'' Music Charts (North America) – "The Bottle" *1977:

Hot Soul Singles The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 po ...

– #98

Release history

''Winter in America'' was originally released as a 12" vinyl record, in stereo format only. Released in May 1974 with a limited supply, the record remained

out of print An out-of-print (OOP) or out-of-commerce item or work is something that is no longer being published. The term applies to all types of printed matter, visual media, sound recordings, and video recordings. An out-of-print book is a book that is ...

for nearly 25 years in the United States until 1998, when Scott-Heron acquired ownership of his recordings, with the exception of his material for the Flying Dutchman label. Afterwards, he initiated a reissue project through his own Rumal-Gia label, which had obtained a distribution deal with

TVT Records TVT Records, originally Tee-Vee Toons, was an American record label founded by Steve Gottlieb in 1984. Initially created to release the '' Television's Greatest Hits'' series of classic TV theme tune compilations, the label would expand into ra ...

. The compact disc reissue contains bonus tracks, including the live version of the title track, and the original and new liner notes written by Gil Scott-Heron. Prior to this, a German release of ''Winter in America'' was issued in 1992 as was a remastered LP in 1996. However, they did not include these features. Other remasters were also released in Europe, as listed below.''Winter in America'' (Digipack, SNAP103CD)

Charly Charly may refer to: People * Charly (name) Places * Charly-sur-Marne, in the Aisne department * Charly, Cher, in the Cher department * Charly, Rhône, in the Rhône department * Charly-Oradour, in the Moselle department Other * Operation ...

/Eonic Ltd. Retrieved on July 13, 2008.

References

Bibliography

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External links

''Winter in America''
(

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) at

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(streamed copy where licensed) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Winter In America 1974 collaborative albums Albums produced by Perpis-Fall Music, Inc. Gil Scott-Heron albums Progressive soul albums Strata-East Records albums