A Winter's Tale (Queen song)
{{Short description|1995 single by Queen}}
{{More citations needed|date=October 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox song
| name = A Winter's Tale
| cover = Winterho.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Artwork for UK release
| type = single
| artist = Queen
| album = Made in Heaven
| B-side =
- "Thank God It's Christmas"
- "Rock in Rio Blues" (live){{cite web |title=Live Solos and Improvisations |url=http://www.ultimatequeen.co.uk/miscellaneous/songs/live-solos-and-improvisations.htm#Improvisations |website=www.ultimatequeen.co.uk}}
| released = {{start date|1995|12|11|df=y}}{{cite magazine|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=35|date=9 December 1995}}
| recorded =
| studio =
| length = 3:49
| label =
- Parlophone (Europe)
| writer = Queen (Freddie Mercury)
| producer =
- Queen
- David Richards
- Justin Shirley-Smith
- Josh Macrae
| prev_title = Heaven for Everyone
| prev_year = 1995
| next_title = I Was Born to Love You
| next_year = 1996
| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|CjWQZBmJf6M|"A Winter's Tale"}}}}
}}
"A Winter's Tale" is a song by Queen, from the album Made in Heaven, released in 1995 after Freddie Mercury's death in 1991. It was written after the Innuendo sessions, inspired as Mercury was staring out the windows of various places in Montreux. The song has a psychedelic, dreamy feel, and describes what Mercury saw outside the windows.
Composition and lyrics
Mercury wrote and composed the song, and also performed the vocals and keyboards (although the track is credited to Queen). According to May, Mercury wrote the song in a small house called "The Duck House" (seen on the album cover for Made in Heaven) in Montreux.{{cite web|url=https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/queen-a-winters-tale-song/amp/|title='A Winter's Tale': Freddie Mercury Lives On In Queen's Christmas Solstice|date=23 December 2019|access-date=12 October 2020}}
In the 1995 documentary Queen: Champions of the World, it was stated that this was, if not the first, then an extremely rare style of recording for Mercury, as it was all performed in one take live in the studio. It was stated in the film that Mercury had always insisted upon music being completed prior to the vocal arrangement beginning, but acknowledged that he had little time left and there was not enough time to work on it differently. The guitar solo was recorded at Brian May’s home studio years after Mercury’s passing.
Critical reception
British magazine Music Week gave "A Winter's Tale" three out of five, adding, "This is more ballsy and uplifting than the slightly corny Heaven For Everyone, but now the album is out, it may struggle to match its predecessor's number two success."{{cite magazine|first= |last= |title= Reviews: Singles |magazine= Music Week |date= 2 December 1995 |page= 18 |access-date= 15 May 2021 |url= https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1995/Music-Week-1995-12-02.pdf}}
Music video
The music video, produced after his death, resembled the form of an epitaph, as Mercury's actual written song notes were displayed alongside imagery and clips of Mercury's past performances.
Track listings
CD single
- "A Winter's Tale" – 3:49
- "Thank God It's Christmas" – 4:18{{Cite web|title=Queen "The Works" album and song lyrics|url=http://www.ultimatequeen.co.uk/queen/songs/the-works.htm#Thank%20God%20It%27s%20Christmas|access-date=2020-12-11|website=www.ultimatequeen.co.uk}}
- "Rock in Rio Blues" (Live in Rio, January 1985) – 4:34{{Cite web|title=Live Solos and Improvisations|url=http://www.ultimatequeen.co.uk/miscellaneous/songs/live-solos-and-improvisations.htm#Improvisations|access-date=2020-12-11|website=www.ultimatequeen.co.uk}}
Alternative CD single
- "A Winter's Tale" – 3:49
- "Now I'm Here" – 4:13{{Cite web|title=Queen "Sheer Heart Attack" album and song lyrics|url=http://www.ultimatequeen.co.uk/queen/songs/sheer-heart-attack.htm#Now%20I%27m%20Here|access-date=2020-12-11|website=www.ultimatequeen.co.uk}}
- "You're My Best Friend" – 2:50{{Cite web|title=Queen "A Night At The Opera" album and song lyrics|url=http://www.ultimatequeen.co.uk/queen/songs/a-night-at-the-opera.htm#You%27re%20My%20Best%20Friend|access-date=2020-12-11|website=www.ultimatequeen.co.uk}}
- "Somebody to Love" – 4:55{{Cite web|title=Queen "A Day At The Races" album and song lyrics|url=http://www.ultimatequeen.co.uk/queen/songs/a-day-at-the-races.htm#Somebody%20To%20Love|access-date=2020-12-11|website=www.ultimatequeen.co.uk}}
Personnel
- Freddie Mercury – lead and backing vocals, keyboards
- Brian May – guitars, backing vocals
- Roger Taylor – drums, backing vocals
- John Deacon – bass guitar
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
!Chart (1995–1996) !Peak |
| Australia (ARIA){{cite web|url=http://i.imgur.com/zdFGqbB.jpg|title=The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart – Week Ending 04 Feb 1996|work=ARIA|via=Imgur|access-date=21 July 2017}} N.B. The HP column displays the highest peak reached.
|align="center"|71 |
| {{single chart|Austria|23|song=A Winter's Tale|artist=Queen|access-date=3 August 2020}} |
| {{single chart|Flanders|33|song=A Winter's Tale|artist=Queen|access-date=3 August 2020}} |
| {{single chart|Wallonia|34|song=A Winter's Tale|artist=Queen|access-date=3 August 2020}} |
| Finland (Suomen virallinen lista){{cite book|first=Jake|last=Nyman|year=2005|title=Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja|edition=1st|publisher=Tammi|location=Helsinki|isbn=951-31-2503-3|language=fi}}
|align="center"|10 |
| {{single chart|Germany|62|song=A Winter's Tale|artist=Queen|songid=3146|access-date=3 August 2020}} |
| {{single chart|Ireland2|23|song=A Winter's Tale|access-date=24 November 2018}} |
| Italy (Musica e dischi){{cite web|url=http://www.musicaedischi.it/classifiche_archivio.php|title=Classifiche|work=Musica e dischi|language=it|access-date=28 May 2022}} Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Queen".
|align="center"|19 |
| {{single chart|Dutch40|25|song=A Winter's Tale|artist=Queen|access-date=3 August 2020}} |
| {{single chart|Dutch100|16|song=A Winter's Tale|artist=Queen|access-date=3 August 2020}} |
| {{single chart|Switzerland|28|song=A Winter's Tale|artist=Queen|access-date=3 August 2020}} |
| {{single chart|UKsinglesbyname|6|song=Winter's Tale|artist=Queen|artistid=21275|access-date=3 August 2020}} |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{YouTube|id=h6U-Wu6zzKE|title=Official video (based on short film "Outside-In")}}
- [http://www.queenonline.com/en/the-band/discography/made-heaven/#lyrics Lyrics at Queen official website]
{{Queen singles}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Winters Tale, A}}
Category:Hollywood Records singles