Stay (Maurice Williams song)
{{Short description|1960 song by Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs}}
{{More citations needed|date=June 2010}}
{{Use mdy dates | date = November 2022}}
{{Use American English | date = November 2022}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Stay
| cover = Stay_-_Maurice_Williams_and_the_Zodiacs.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs
| album =
| B-side = Do You Believe
| released = August 1960
| format =
| recorded = 1960
| written = 1953
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Doo-wop
| length = {{Duration|m=1|s=36}}
| label = Herald
| writer = Maurice Williams
| producer = Phil Gernhard
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| next_title =
| next_year =
}}
"Stay" is a doo-wop song written by Maurice Williams and first recorded in 1960 by Williams with his group the Zodiacs.{{cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/Maurice-Williams-The-Zodiacs-Stay-Do-You-Believe/master/239664 |title=Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs - Stay / Do You Believe at Discogs |website=Discogs.com |year=1960 |access-date=2016-09-26}} Commercially successful versions were later also issued by the Hollies, the Four Seasons and Jackson Browne.
Maurice Williams original version
The song was written by Williams in 1953 when he was 15 years old. He had been trying to convince his date not to go home at 10 o'clock as she was supposed to. He lost the argument, but as he was to relate years later, "Like a flood, the words just came to me."
In 1960, the song was put on a demo by Williams and his band, the Zodiacs, but it attracted no interest until an eight-year-old heard it and impressed the band members with her positive reaction to the tune.{{cite web | url=https://www.ourstate.com/maurice-williams/ | title=Oh, Won't You Stay? | date=July 2, 2012 }} The band's producer, Phil Gernhard, took it along with some other demos to New York City and played them for all the major record producers that they could access. Finally, Al Silver of Herald Records became interested, but insisted that the song be re-recorded as the demo's recording levels were too low. They also said that one line, "Let's have another smoke" would have to be removed in order for the song to be played on commercial radio. After the group recorded the tune again, it was released by Herald Records and was picked up by CKLW radio. It entered the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 on October 3, 1960, and reached the number one spot on November 21, 1960. It was dislodged a week later by Elvis Presley's "Are You Lonesome Tonight?". On the Herald recording, Williams sang lead and Henry Gaston sang the falsetto chorus.
The original recording of "Stay" was the shortest single ever to reach the top of the American record charts at that time, at 1 minute 36 seconds.
By 1990, it had sold more than 8 million copies. Its popularity revived when the Dirty Dancing soundtrack included it.
Chart history
{{col-begin|width=67%}}
{{col-2}}
=Weekly charts=
;Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs
{{col-2}}
=Year-end charts=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Chart (1960)
! style="text-align:center;"|Rank |
|---|
| U.S. (Joel Whitburn's Pop Annual){{cite book |last=Whitburn |first=Joel |date=1999 |title=Pop Annual |location=Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin |publisher=Record Research Inc. |isbn=0-89820-142-X}}
| style="text-align:center;"|18 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100{{Cite web|url=https://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1960.htm|title=Top 100 Hits of 1960/Top 100 Songs of 1960|website=Musicoutfitters.com|access-date=1 May 2021}}
| style="text-align:center;"|98 |
{{col-end}}
The Hollies version
In November 1963, the song was released by British band the Hollies, whose version reached No. 8 on the UK Singles Chart. It remained on the chart for a total of 16 weeks.{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/10698/hollies/|title=HOLLIES | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company|website=Official Charts}} The song is from their debut album Stay with The Hollies.
The Four Seasons version
{{Infobox song
| name = Stay
| cover = StayTheFourSeasonsSingle.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = the Four Seasons
| album =
| B-side = "Goodnight My Love" (from the album Big Girls Don't Cry and 12 Others) (second release)
| released = December 1963
| format =
| recorded = 1963
| studio =
| venue =
| length = {{Duration|m=1|s=52}}
| label = Vee-Jay
| writer = Maurice Williams
| producer = Bob Crewe
| prev_title = Dawn (Go Away)
| prev_year = 1963
| next_title = Ronnie
| next_year = 1964
}}
The Four Seasons' version was first released on their June 1963 album The 4 Seasons Sing Ain't That a Shame and 11 Others; it was later released as a single in December 1963. Vee Jay originally released it as the B-side of "Peanuts" in December, but when disc jockeys started to "turn the single over" to play "Stay" on the air, the record company superseded the single with a new one with "Stay" as the A-side and "Goodnight My Love" as the new B-side.Tom Neely, Goldmine Price Guide to 45 RPM Records, 5th edition (KP Books, 2005) {{ISBN|0-87349-840-2}} It peaked at number 16 on the US Billboard'' Hot 100{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1964-04-04|title=Billboard Hot 100 - April 4, 1964|magazine=Billboard |access-date=September 12, 2017}}{{cite book |title= The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Eighth Edition |last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=2004 |publisher=Record Research |page=238}} in April 1964. In Canada it reached number 12.{{cite web|url=http://chumtribute.com/64-04-27-chart.jpg| title=CHUM Hit Parade - April 27, 1964}}
{{clear}}
Jackson Browne version
{{Infobox song
| name = Stay
| cover = Stay single.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Jackson Browne
| album = Running on Empty
| B-side = Rosie
| released = 1978
| format =
| recorded = 1977
| studio =
| venue = Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, Maryland
| genre = Soft rock{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/style/soft-rock-ma0000011841/songs|title=Soft Rock Music Songs|website=AllMusic}}
| length = {{Duration|m=3|s=28}}
| label = Asylum
| writer = Maurice Williams
| producer = Jackson Browne
| prev_title = Running on Empty
| prev_year = 1978
| next_title = You Love the Thunder
| next_year = 1978
}}
A version of the song with revised lyrics is the last track on Jackson Browne's 1977 album Running on Empty. The song, which follows on the heels of Browne's "The Load-Out" begs the audience to stay for an encore and includes an extensive playout. It includes backing contributions from David Lindley and Rosemary Butler. Billboard described this version as "spirited and gospel-like".{{cite news|newspaper=Billboard|access-date=2020-07-09|title=Top Single Picks|page=110|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/70s/1978/Billboard%201978-06-03.pdf|date=June 3, 1978}} Cash Box said that it has "effective guitar and keyboard solos and an easy beat" and "pleasing lead vocals", and that "David Lindley draws appreciation from the audience with his teasing falsetto".{{cite news|title=CashBox Singles Reviews|date=June 3, 1978|page=24|newspaper=Cash Box|accessdate=2022-01-01|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1978/CB-1978-06-03.pdf}} Record World said that "David Lindley's falsetto vocals and guitar lend an able hand, and the live quality is appealing."{{cite magazine|magazine=Record World|date=June 3, 1978|accessdate=2023-02-13|title=Hits of the Week|page=1|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/70s/78/RW-1978-06-03.pdf}}
Browne, Butler and Lindley each contribute a similar verse in turn in ascending vocal ranges. It was released as a single and reached number 20 in the U.S. as well as number 12 in the UK.
=Charts=
{{clear}}
Dreamhouse version
{{Infobox song
| name = Stay
| cover =
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Dreamhouse
| album = Sha-La-La and Dreamhouse
| released = 1995 (UK/Europe), 1998 (US)
| format =
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Reggae fusion, dance-pop
| length = {{Duration|m=3|s=25}}
| label = Chase Records, Ariola, Trauma
| writer = Maurice Williams
| producer = Gary Miller
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| next_title = Hay Que Linda
| next_year = 1996
}}
British reggae fusion pop/dance trio Dreamhouse released their version of "Stay" as their debut single in 1995, which reached No. 62 on the UK Singles Chart.{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/31629/dreamhouse/|title=DREAMHOUSE | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company|website=Official Charts}} In the United States, it was released in 1998 as the lead single from the U.S. album Dreamhouse.
{{cite web| last=Prato| first=Greg| url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/dreamhouse-r366141| title=Dreamhouse - 'Dreamhouse' - Review| publisher=Allmusic (Rovi Corporation)}} In a positive review for the 13 June 1998 issue of Billboard magazine, the song was featured in the "New & Noteworthy" section, saying "This wildly appealing working-class UK trio is poised to seriously penetrate the stateside market with an instantly infectious dance rendition of Maurice Williams' pop chestnut... Pop music doesn't get much more obvious than this single, which is destined to become the guilty top 40 pleasure of the summer season."{{cite magazine | date=1998-06-13| title=Singles - New & Noteworthy| magazine=Billboard| publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc. | volume=110| issue=24| page=23 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YQ4EAAAAMBAJ&q=dreamhouse&pg=PA23}}
Cyndi Lauper version
{{Infobox song
| name = Stay
| cover = Stay23.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Cyndi Lauper
| album = At Last
| released = 2004
| format =
| recorded =
| studio =
- Livewire Recording (New York, NY){{discogs release|1661879|name={{noitalic|Cyndi Lauper}} – At Last}}
- Avatar Studios (New York, NY){{discogs release|1661879|name={{noitalic|Cyndi Lauper}} – At Last}}
- Right Track Studios (New York, NY){{discogs release|1661879|name={{noitalic|Cyndi Lauper}} – At Last}}
- Clinton Recording Studios (New York, NY){{discogs release|1661879|name={{noitalic|Cyndi Lauper}} – At Last}}
| venue =
| genre = Pop
| length = {{Duration|m=3|s=15}}
| label = Sony
| writer = Maurice Williams
| producer =
| prev_title = Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)
| prev_year = 2004
| next_title = Time After Time
| next_year = 2005
}}
"Stay" was the third and final single from Cyndi Lauper's 2003 album At Last. It was a promo-only single, released only in the U.S., Australia and France. The video that accompanied it is rarely seen but is commercially available as a special feature on the DVD, Live at Last. The single peaked at No. 64 on the French Singles Chart.{{cite web|url=http://infodisc.fr/Tubes_Artistes_L.php |title=infodisc.fr Note : You must select Cyndi Lauper |publisher=infodisc.fr |access-date=March 1, 2020 |language=fr}}
Other versions
- In 1960, the song was covered by Little Joe and the Thrillers.
- In 1964, the song was recorded by the Dave Clark Five on their studio album Glad All Over.
- In 1966, the Virginia Wolves released a soul version of the song.
- The song was recorded in 1968 by Jan & Dean for release on their album Carnival of Sound but the album was not released until 2010.
- Singer-songwriter Andrew Gold recorded a version of "Stay" for his 1976 album What's Wrong with This Picture?.
- Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band recorded a version with Jackson Browne, Tom Petty and Rosemary Butler for the No Nukes album in September 1979.{{Cite web|title=No Nukes '79|url=https://brucespringsteen.net/news/2018/no-nukes-79|access-date=2021-12-15|website=brucespringsteen.net|date=December 24, 2018 |language=en-US}}
- In 1980, Austrian singer Georg Danzer wrote a German text to the Jackson Browne medley "The Load Out"/"Stay". It was performed live on the album Direkt as "Roadie Song".
- Italo disco duo Marx & Spencer released their version in 1983.
- In 1984, P.D.Q. Bach (a.k.a. Peter Schickele) lampooned the song in his opera The Abduction of Figaro in the aria "Stay with Me".{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rO-W1AESUno |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211214/rO-W1AESUno |archive-date=2021-12-14 |url-status=live|title=P.D.Q. Bach - Abduction of Figaro COMPLETE OPERA|date=January 22, 2018 |access-date=1 May 2021|publisher=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}
- Lyrics from the song were interpolated on reggae artist Buju Banton's song "Hush Baby Hush" on his 1995 album 'Til Shiloh.
- Australian group Human Nature included their version of the song on the 2014 album Jukebox.
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
{{The Four Seasons}}
{{The Hollies}}
{{The Dave Clark Five}}
{{Jan and Dean}}
{{Andrew Gold}}
{{Jackson Browne}}
{{Bruce Springsteen}}
{{Cyndi Lauper singles}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs songs
Category:The Four Seasons (band) songs
Category:Dreamhouse (band) songs
Category:Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles
Category:Vee-Jay Records singles
Category:Asylum Records singles
Category:Ariola Records singles
Category:Trauma Records singles