Charlie Winston Gleave, better known as Charlie Winston, is a British singer-songwriter based in the South of France. Winston has so far had his most significant commercial success in France.

Charlie Winston
Winston at Cruïlla BCN 2010 in Barcelona
Winston at Cruïlla BCN 2010 in Barcelona
Background information
Birth nameCharlie Winston Gleave
BornCornwall, United Kingdom
OriginBungay, England, United Kingdom
GenresFolk, indie folk, indie pop
LabelsAFishant Records
Websitewww.charliewinston.com

Music career

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Early career

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Winston played bass guitar for his brother Tom Baxter, appearing on Baxter's Feather and Stone album. As well as touring with Tom, much of Winston's early career saw him composing music for, and performing in, London-based contemporary theatre productions.

Mischifus

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Winston's first ever unreleased and rarest record was Mischifus, a mix between beatbox, guitar, and piano, which appeared as a theatre/dance production that he had performed on stage in 2007, recorded under the Real World label.

Make Way

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Winston's unreleased debut album, Make Way, was recorded at Real World Studios in 2006. Described as "inspired and seductive".[1] Winston supported Peter Gabriel[2] on his 2007 European tour. Tracks from Make Way would eventually find their way on to his first officially released album.

Hobo

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Winston's second and the first officially released album, Hobo, entered the French charts at No. 3 on 31 January 2009, and peaked at No. 1 in its 25th charting week where it stayed for 4 weeks and, as of 5 July 2011, spent 30 weeks in the Top 10.[3] His debut album has also been certified as being platinum.[4]

The first single, "Like a Hobo", also topped the French SNEP charts for one week on 11 April 2009.[5][6]

In 2010, Winston won a European Border Breakers Award for 'Best UK artist in Europe'.[7]

Running Still

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Winston's third album Running Still was released in France on 21 November 2011.

In 2012, Winston contributed the track "This Wheel's on Fire" to the compilation CD set for Amnesty International titled "Chimes of Freedom – The Songs of Bob Dylan".

Curio City

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"Lately", the first single from Winston's fourth album Curio City debuted on French radio station Virgin Radio on 13 October 2014. The album was released on 26 January 2015. In 2016, Winston released an EP with studio versions of songs he covered live during his concerts, called Under Cover.

Square 1

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The first single from Winston's fifth album was released on 8 June 2018. It's called "The Weekend". The album, entitled Square 1, was released on 28 September 2018.

US television

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On 17 September 2010, Winston headlined a global telecast for the international day of peace Peace One Day with Jude Law and Sharon Stone.[8]

On 10 November 2011, the track "She Went Quietly" was used over the ending of the mid-season finale of Grey's Anatomy (Season 8, Episode 9 "Dark Was The Night").

VW Polo ad

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In 2008, his cover of The Spencer Davis Group song "I'm a Man" appeared on a television advertisement for Volkswagen Polo. The ad featured a dog miming the words to the track,[9] and received over 750 complaints from the RSPCA and TV viewers. The ad was not banned, despite the complaints.[10][11]

Prank

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Winston was pranked by Rémi Gaillard at "Les Déferlantes" music Festival in south of France.[12]

Personal life

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Winston was born to parents Jeff and Julie Gleave.[13] At an early age he moved to Bungay, Suffolk where his parents owned the King's Head Hotel.[14] His older brother, Tom Baxter,[15] and younger sister, Vashti Anna, are also musicians and all use their middle name as a stage surname. Winston currently lives in the South of France on the French Riviera.

Discography

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Albums

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Year Album Peak chart positions
FRA FRA (DD)1 BEL (WA) SWI
[16]
GER AUT GRE UK US
2007 Make Way
2009 Hobo[17][18]
1
1
3
9
16
57
12
2011 Running Still
5
12
24
2015 Curio City
6
5
15
2018 Square 1
51
2022 As I Am

Singles

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Year Single Peak chart positions
FRA FRA (DD)1 BEL (FL) BEL (WA) SWI GER AUT UK US
2009 "Like a Hobo"[21][22]
1
3
3
27
11
8
"In Your Hands"[23][24]
9
17
16
46
"Kick the Bucket"[25]
32
16*
(Ultratip)
2010 "I Love Your Smile"
"Tongue Tied"
2011 "Secret Girl" [1]
"Hello Alone"
41
24
2012 "Where Can I Buy Happiness"
22*
(Ultratip)
"Speak to Me"
2014 "Lately"
88
30*
(Ultratip)
5*
(Ultratip)
"Wilderness"
177
2015 "Truth"
101
99*
(Ultratip)
10*
(Ultratip)
2015 "Say Something"
2016 "Too Long"
2018 "The Weekend"

1 Digital Downloads
*Did not appear in the official Belgian Ultratop 50 charts, but rather in the bubbling under Ultratip charts.

Featured in

Year Single Peak chart positions Album
FRA FRA
(DD)
BEL (WA)
2013 "Dusty Men"
(Saule featuring Charlie Winston)
13
10
Saule album Géant
2017 "It's Not Impossible"
(Stefano Lentini featuring Charlie Winston)
Stefano Lentini album La Porta Rossa (The Red Door)

References

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  1. ^ Khan, Imran. "Make Way for Mr. Winston". Inside Entertainment. Retrieved 31 October 2008.
  2. ^ Issimdar, Mariam (24 July 2007). "Review: Peter Gabriel at Blickling". BBC Suffolk. Retrieved 31 October 2008.
  3. ^ "Charlie Winston – Hobo" (in French). lescharts.com. Retrieved 4 July 2009.
  4. ^ "Charlie Winston". Real World Records. Retrieved 4 July 2009.
  5. ^ "Palmarès IFOP – Singles – 11/04/2009" (in French). lescharts.com. 11 April 2009. Retrieved 4 July 2009.
  6. ^ "Charlie Winston – Like a Hobo" (in French). lescharts.com. Retrieved 4 July 2009.
  7. ^ "2010 European Border Breakers Award winners". 10 November 2009. Archived from the original on 18 October 2013. Retrieved 6 March 2012.
  8. ^ Day, Peace One. "Peace One Day 2010 Star-Studded Celebration Announced for September 17 in Paris". Prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  9. ^ "(Banned) VW Polo Singing Dog ad". YouTube. Retrieved 9 April 2010.
  10. ^ O'Meara, Ryan (29 March 2008). "RSCPA Complain About 'Abused' Dog in Volkswagen TV Advert – Let's Get Our Priorities Right Shall We?". K9 Magazine. K9 Media Ltd. Archived from the original on 20 September 2008. Retrieved 31 October 2008.
  11. ^ Judd, Terri (25 June 2008). "Kiss goodbye to your sales, Stonewall tells 'homophobic' Heinz after advert is pulled". The Independent. Retrieved 2 November 2008.
  12. ^ Gaillard, Rémi (18 July 2015). "Rémi Gaillard pranks Charlie Winston". YouTube. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
  13. ^ Woodger, Andrew (3 June 2009). "Doing it for herself". BBC Suffolk. Retrieved 4 July 2009.
  14. ^ "Suffolk Sessions: The cat in the hat". BBC Suffolk. 4 December 2007. Retrieved 31 October 2008.
  15. ^ Woodger, Andrew (3 March 2009). "Brothers in arms". BBC Suffolk. Retrieved 4 July 2009.
  16. ^ "Discographie Charlie Winston". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  17. ^ "Charlie Winston : Hobo". Lescharts. Retrieved 23 January 2010.
  18. ^ "French Digital Albums Chart – 16 January 2010". Lescharts. Retrieved 23 January 2010.
  19. ^ "Charlie Winston – Square 1". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  20. ^ "Top Albums (Week 40, 2022)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  21. ^ "Charts – Charlie Winston – Like a Hobo". Lescharts. Retrieved 23 January 2010.
  22. ^ "French Digital Singles Chart – 25 April 2009". Lescharts. Retrieved 23 January 2010.
  23. ^ "Charts – Charlie Winston – In Your Hands". Lescharts. Retrieved 23 January 2010.
  24. ^ "French Digital Singles Chart – 25 July 2009". Lescharts. Retrieved 23 January 2010.
  25. ^ "French Digital Singles Chart – 16 January 2010". Lescharts. Retrieved 23 January 2010.
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