“Winter” is a song by The Rolling Stones featured on their 1973 album Goats Head Soup, which came after the classic Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers, and Exile On Main Street. The music on Goats Head Soup was a little slicker and smoother in style and if the album lives in the shadow of its predecessors, then maybe it is the legitimate conclusion to the classic Beggars to Exile period.

“Winter” bears many similarities to “Moonlight Mile” from the band’s 1971 album Sticky Fingers. Credited to singer Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards, “Winter” is likely the work of Jagger and the Stones’ second guitarist at the time, Mick Taylor.It was the first song recorded for the album and does not feature Richards at all.

Recording began at Kingston’s Dynamic Sound Studios in November and continued into December 1972. Jagger opens the song with the acoustic rhythm guitar piece and is accompanied by Taylor’s “country-like licks” on lead. Taylor also plays slide guitar. Nicky Hopkins performs the song’s accompanying piano while Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts perform bass and drums, respectively. The songs strings were arranged by Nicky Harrision.