4 in the Morning
Encyclopedia
"4 in the Morning" is a song by American recording artist Gwen Stefani
Gwen Stefani
Gwen Renée Stefani is an American singer-songwriter and fashion designer. Stefani is the lead vocalist for the rock and ska band No Doubt. Stefani recorded her first solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. in 2004. The album was inspired by music of the 1980s, and was a success with sales of over...

 from her second solo album, The Sweet Escape
The Sweet Escape
The Sweet Escape is the second and final solo studio album by American recording artist Gwen Stefani, released in the United States on December 5, 2006 by Interscope Records. Having originally intended to return to No Doubt after her 2004 solo album Love. Angel. Music...

(2006). Written by Stefani and Tony Kanal
Tony Kanal
Tony Kanal is an English musician, record producer and songwriter. Kanal is the bassist for the American rock band No Doubt...

, the song is a 1980s-inspired ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...

 that Stefani began writing while pregnant and finished with No Doubt
No Doubt
No Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California that formed in 1986. The ska-pop sound of their first album No Doubt , failed to make an impact...

 bandmate Tony Kanal. It received generally positive reviews from music critics.

The song was released as the album's third single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...

 in 2007. It was commercially unsuccessful in the United States but fared somewhat better elsewhere. Stefani has stated that "4 in the Morning" is one of her favorite songs from The Sweet Escape.

Background and writing

Stefani began working with No Doubt
No Doubt
No Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California that formed in 1986. The ska-pop sound of their first album No Doubt , failed to make an impact...

 bassist Tony Kanal
Tony Kanal
Tony Kanal is an English musician, record producer and songwriter. Kanal is the bassist for the American rock band No Doubt...

 just after finishing the Harajuku Lovers Tour 2005
Harajuku Lovers Tour 2005
The Harajuku Lovers Tour 2005 was the debut concert tour by American recording artist Gwen Stefani . The tour began in October 2005 in support of her debut solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. The tour coincided with the launch of her Harajuku Lovers line of accessories.-Background:Stefani...

, referring to him as her "comfort zone". They two wrote "4 in the Morning" based on a tape of melodies
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...

 left from working on Stefani's previous album Love. Angel. Music. Baby.
Love. Angel. Music. Baby.
Love. Angel. Music. Baby. is the debut solo studio album by American recording artist Gwen Stefani, released in the United States on November 23, 2004 by Interscope Records...

(2004). It is based on ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...

s such as Roberta Flack
Roberta Flack
Roberta Flack is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who is notable for jazz, soul, R&B, and folk music...

's "Killing Me Softly with His Song
Killing Me Softly with His Song
"Killing Me Softly with His Song" is a 1971 song composed by Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel. It has been covered by numerous artists, most notably by Roberta Flack whose version topped the U.S...

" and Billy Idol
Billy Idol
William Michael Albert Broad , better known by his stage name Billy Idol, is an English rock musician. A member of the Bromley Contingent of Sex Pistols fans, Idol first achieved fame in the punk rock era as a member of the band Generation X...

's "Eyes Without a Face
Eyes Without a Face (song)
"Eyes Without a Face" is a song by Billy Idol, co-written with guitarist Steve Stevens from Idol's 1983 album Rebel Yell. The song is softer and more ballad-like than most of the album's other singles.-Song information:...

".

Critical reception

"4 in the Morning" was generally well-received by contemporary pop music critics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...

 of Allmusic called it "coolly sensual", and Quentin B. Huff of PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...

 referred to it as one of the "few real compositions" from the album. Alex Miller from the NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...

described the song as "an expertly conceived tear-jerker", stating that "[i]t feels like the kind of song a teenage Stefani, miming along to Talk Talk
Talk Talk
Talk Talk were an English musical group, active from 1981 to 1991. The group had a string of international hit singles including "Today", "Talk Talk", "It's My Life", "Such a Shame", "Dum Dum Girl", "Life's What You Make It" and "Living in Another World"....

, would have dreamt of singing one day." Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...

's Mark Pytlik, however, disapproved of the song, commenting that it destroyed "the mallpop cred that Stefani accrued with L.A.M.B.
Love. Angel. Music. Baby.
Love. Angel. Music. Baby. is the debut solo studio album by American recording artist Gwen Stefani, released in the United States on November 23, 2004 by Interscope Records...

s impeccable 'Cool'." Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...

editor Chuck Taylor compared the song to the soundtrack to the 1983 film Flashdance
Flashdance
Another song used in the film, "Maniac", was also nominated for an Academy Award. It was written by Michael Sembello and Dennis Matkosky, and was inspired by the 1980 horror film Maniac. The lyrics about a killer on the loose were rewritten so that it could be used in Flashdance...

and wrote that "we truly respect Stefani in the 'Morning.'" Bill Lamb from About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....

 cited "4 in the Morning" as the best song from The Sweet Escape, calling it "beautifully performed and produced" and noting that Stefani "allows her signature vocals to sensually float and glide through the lyrical content."

Chart performance

"4 in the Morning" was commercially unsuccessful in the United States. It peaked at number fifty-four on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

, becoming Stefani's lowest-charting US single until "Now That You Got It
Now That You Got It
"Now That You Got It" is a song by American recording artist Gwen Stefani from her second solo album, The Sweet Escape. Written by Stefani, Sean Garrett, and Swizz Beatz, the song received mixed reviews from music critics...

". It was somewhat more successful in the mainstream market, reaching number thirty on the Pop 100
Pop 100
The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009...

 and the top twenty of the Top 40 Mainstream
Mainstream Top 40 (Pop Songs)
The Mainstream Top 40 is an airplay chart from Billboard magazine, and is also known as Pop Songs on billboard.com. It was often mistaken for and confused with the now discontinued Pop 100 Airplay chart...

 and Pop 100 Airplay
Pop 100 Airplay
The Pop 100 Airplay was a chart created in 2005 and released weekly by Billboard in the United States. It measured mainstream radio airplay, and was one of the three component charts, along with the Hot 100 Singles Sales and Hot Digital Songs charts, that determined the chart positions of singles...

 charts. The song was successful at the clubs and reached number two on the Hot Dance Club Play. The single was more successful on the Canadian Hot 100
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...

, where it peaked at number seventeen.

The song was more successful outside of North America. It peaked at number twenty-two on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...

 and remained on the chart for eight weeks. It fared somewhat better across Europe, reaching the top five in Romania, the top fifteen in Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, and Slovakia, and the top twenty in Austria, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland. The song debuted at number nine on the ARIA Singles Chart
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...

 but was unable to reach a higher position, while peaking at number five on the New Zealand Singles Chart
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand...

.

Music video

The music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...

 was directed by Sophie Muller
Sophie Muller
Sophie Muller is a British music video director, noted for her long-time collaborations with artists like Sophie Ellis-Bextor, No Doubt, Sade, Shakira, Shakespears Sister, Garbage, Blur, Annie Lennox and Eurythmics.-Background:...

 and features a tearful and distraught Stefani, lying in bed as she begins to sing to the camera. In a white inside out L.A.M.B.
L.A.M.B.
L.A.M.B. is a fashion line by American singer Gwen Stefani, the lead vocalist of the rock band No Doubt. The line manufactures apparel and fashion accessories. The line was founded in 2003 but made its runway debut the following year in 2004. The fashion line manufactures accessories like shoes,...

 T-shirt, she wanders around her apartment lost and questioning her lover, who is in fact absent from the video. The lyrics describe an argument, which she has with an off-screen lover throughout the video. After lying around her apartment and crying during a bath
Bathing
Bathing is the washing or cleansing of the body in a fluid, usually water or an aqueous solution. It may be practised for personal hygiene, religious ritual or therapeutic purposes or as a recreational activity....

, she leaves her house and travels in a car, as she sits tearfully in the back. The video ends with Stefani rolling on the bed.

"4 in the Morning" was given a "First Look" on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....

's Total Request Live
Total Request Live
Total Request Live is a television series on MTV that featured popular music videos. TRL was MTV's prime outlet for music videos as the network continues to concentrate on reality-based programming. In addition to music videos, TRL featured daily guests...

on April 27, 2007 and peaked at number seven on May 9. On MuchMusic
MuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...

's Countdown
Countdown (MuchMusic TV series)
The MuchMusic Top 30 Countdown is a ninety-minute music video program block, that airs on Canadian music television station MuchMusic. Countdown is one of the oldest programs that continues to be aired on Much Music since its debut...

, it became Stefani's second least successful charting video (next to "Early Winter
Early Winter
"Early Winter" is a song by American recording artist Gwen Stefani from her second studio album, The Sweet Escape . Written by Stefani and Tim Rice-Oxley , the track is a 1980s-inspired pop rock ballad...

", which peaked at number twenty-three) since 2005's "Luxurious", peaking at number seven for two consecutive weeks after a slow ascent.

Track listings

  • European CD single
  1. "4 in the Morning" (Album Version) – 4:51
  2. "4 in the Morning" (Thin White Duke
    Stuart Price
    Stuart Price is a three time Grammy-winning British electronic musician, songwriter, and record producer whose remixing and production skills are in demand by artists including New Order, Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Take That, Missy Elliott, Scissor Sisters, The Killers, Pet Shop Boys, Brandon...

     Edit) – 4:55

  • European CD maxi single and Australian CD single
  1. "4 in the Morning" (Album Version) – 4:51
  2. "4 in the Morning" (Thin White Duke Edit) – 4:55
  3. "4 in the Morning" (Oscar the Punk Remix) – 5:41
  4. "4 in the Morning" (Video) – 4:24

  • European promo CD single
  1. "4 in the Morning" (Album Version) – 4:51
  2. "4 in the Morning" (Thin White Duke Mix) – 7:01
  3. "4 in the Morning" (Thin White Duke Dub) – 7:29
  4. "4 in the Morning" (Thin White Duke Edit) – 4:55

  • US 12" promo single
A1. "4 in the Morning" (Thin White Duke Mix) – 7:01
A2. "4 in the Morning" (Album Version) – 4:51
B1. "4 in the Morning" (Thin White Duke Dub) – 7:29
B2. "4 in the Morning" (Thin White Duke Edit) – 4:55

Personnel

  • Gwen Stefani – lead vocals
    Singing
    Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...

  • Andrew Alekel – engineer
    Audio engineering
    An audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...

  • Matt Beck – guitar
    Electric guitar
    An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...

  • Greg Collins – engineer, additional vocal producer, guitar
  • Pete Davis – additional programming
    Programming (music)
    Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices, often sequencers or computer programs, to generate music. Programming is used in nearly all forms of electronic music and in most hip hop music since the 1990s. It is also frequently used in modern pop and rock...

    , additional keyboards
    Keyboard instrument
    A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...

  • Alex Dromgoole – assistant engineer
  • David Emery – assistant engineer

  • Neil Kanal – engineer, programming
  • Tony Kanal
    Tony Kanal
    Tony Kanal is an English musician, record producer and songwriter. Kanal is the bassist for the American rock band No Doubt...

     – producer
    Record producer
    A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...

    , programming, keyboards
  • Gabrial McNair
    Gabrial McNair
    Gabrial "Gabe" McNair is a multi-instrumentalist and composer, most famous for his work in No Doubt since 1993 as a trombonist, keyboardist, and backing vocalist. He recorded and toured with Green Day during the Nimrod and Warning tours, playing trombone and tenor saxophone...

     – keyboards
  • Colin Mitchell – engineer
  • Dror Mohar – assistant engineer
  • Mark "Spike" Stent
    Mark Stent
    Mark 'Spike' Stent is a British record producer, and audio engineer who has worked with The KLF, Björk, Keane, Depeche Mode, Muse, Erasure, Hard-Fi, Massive Attack, Janet Jackson, Madonna, Christina Aguilera, Marilyn Manson, Pet Shop Boys, Dave Matthews, No Doubt/Gwen Stefani, CSS, Beth Orton,...

     – mixing
    Audio mixing (recorded music)
    In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...

    , additional producer


Weekly charts

Chart (2007) Peak
position
Australian Singles Chart
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...

9
Austrian Singles Chart
Ö3 Austria Top 40
Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann...

18
Belgian Singles Chart
Ultratop 50
Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995...

 (Flanders)
50
Belgian Tip Chart (Wallonia) 3
Canadian Hot 100
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...

17
Czech Airplay Chart
Rádio Top 100 Oficiální
Rádio Top 100 Oficiální is the name of the Czech national airplay chart published by the IFPI Czech Republic on a weekly basis.Besides the main Top 100 record chart, also two component charts are effective. While the Rádio CZ 50 Oficiální features songs released exclusively by Czech and/or Slovak...

43
Danish Singles Chart
Tracklisten
Tracklisten is a Danish top 40 record chart that is presented every Thursday midnight at .The weekly Danish Singles Chart also known as Track Top-40 combines the 40 best selling tracks from legal music downloads and the sales of music singles on either CD or vinyl...

35
Dutch Top 40
Dutch Top 40
The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting...

14
European Hot 100 Singles 27
Finnish Singles Chart 10
French Singles Chart
Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique
The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry...

21
German Singles Chart
Media Control Charts
The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie...

18
Irish Singles Chart
Irish Singles Chart
The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured...

12
Italian Singles Chart
Federation of the Italian Music Industry
The Federation of the Italian Music Industry is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy....

17
New Zealand Singles Chart
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand...

5
Norwegian Singles Chart
VG-lista
VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by...

14
Romanian Top 100
Romanian Top 100
The Romanian Top 100 is the national airplay-based singles chart of Romania. It is weekly and it started running in 1996. It is recognized as an official chart by the European division of Billboard, Music & Media....

4
Slovak Airplay Chart
Rádio Top 100 Oficiálna
Rádio Top 100 Oficiálna is the name of the Slovakian national airplay chart published by the IFPI Czech Republic on a weekly basis since the cancellation of the Slovakian national section on December 31, 2009....

12
Swedish Singles Chart
Sverigetopplistan
Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association ....

30
Swiss Singles Chart
Swiss Music Charts
The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75...

18
UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...

22
US Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

54
US Pop 100
Pop 100
The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009...

30
US Hot Dance Club Play 2
US Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks 25


Year-end charts

Chart (2007) Position
Australian Singles Chart 79
Dutch Top 40 89
New Zealand Singles Chart
New Zealand Top 50 Singles of 2007
This is a list of the Top 50 singles in 2007 in New Zealand, as listed by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand .-Chart:Songs in grey shading indicates a song of New Zealand origin.-External links:*...

26
Romanian Top 100
End-Year Chart 2007 (Romania)
This is a list of Romanian Top 100's 2007 year-end chart....

17
Swiss Singles Chart 92
US Hot Dance Club Play 16


External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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