Stay Another Day

"Stay Another Day" is a pop song recorded by British boy band East 17. Released in late 1994, it was their only number one on the UK Singles Chart, becoming the Christmas number one of 1994. Outside the United Kingdom, "Stay Another Day" topped the charts in Denmark, the Republic of Ireland and Sweden and peaked within the top ten of the charts in many other countries, including Australia, France and the Netherlands.

"Stay Another Day"
Single by East 17
from the album Steam
B-side"Remix"
Released01 December 1994
GenrePop
Length4:29
LabelLondon
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Phil Harding
  • Ian Curnow
East 17 singles chronology
"Steam"
(1994)		 "Stay Another Day"
(1994)		 "Let It Rain"
(1994)
Music video
"Stay Another Day" on YouTube

Background

"Stay Another Day" was the third single from East 17's second album Steam, following up "Around The World" and the album's title track. It was their first ballad, written by the band's lead songwriter Tony Mortimer and is about his brother who had taken his own life. Mortimer explained:

"It was based on my brother’s suicide and losing someone. What would you do if you had one more day with a loved one?... It was all based on conversations I’d had with my brother and I was trying to change it into a love song about the end of a relationship."[1]

Mortimer was aided in the composition by his co-manager Rob Kean and songwriter Dominic Hawken, who had once been Boy George's keyboard player.[2] Christmas bells were included towards the end of the song to appeal to the lucrative Christmas singles market. The most familiar arrangement is unusual among pop records in that it uses almost no drums, save for timpani rolls during the introduction and towards the end of the track.

Music videos

Two music videos were made for the song. One video features the band recording and performing the song in a studio. The other video features the band in a black background. The group are seen wearing white furry parkas and black leather jackets. A woman wearing a dress and veil also appears whilst it snows. The latter video is shown usually around Christmas, while the first version is shown outside Christmas. The black-and-white video version was published on YouTube in September 2017.[3]

Reception

Commercial reception

In late November 1994, "Stay Another Day" entered at number seven on the UK Singles Chart.[4] The following week it climbed to its peak of number one.[5] For the last three weeks of the year, "Stay Another Day" faced stiff competition for the 1994 Christmas number-one from the popular Mariah Carey single "All I Want for Christmas Is You".[6] It outsold Carey's hit single for the weeks commencing 11, 18 and 25 December, selling roughly 130,000, 120,000 and 160,000 copies respectively.[6] The sales lead over Carey in the week before Christmas was around 60,000, and thus securing 1994's Christmas number one to East 17.[6]

It was also the 4th biggest selling boy band single of the 1990s in the United Kingdom. The single is also the 31st biggest seller of the 90s decade. As of December 2019, the single has accrued 1.14 million charts sales, including streams.[6]

Tony Mortimer won an Ivor Novello songwriting award for this song. The single was also nominated for 'Best Single' at the 1995 Brit Awards.[7]

"Stay Another Day" was not released as a single in the United States; however, after its success in the UK it went on to become a major hit all over Europe and internationally, topping the charts in five European countries, as well as reaching the top spot in Zimbabwe and reaching the Top 3 in Australia.

Critical reception

The song received largely positive reviews from critics. Sunday Mirror commented, "A tinkkling piano, a gorgeous melody, a sweet and soulful lead vocal those little devils East 17 have gone all angelic for Christmas. The result, a slow and lovelorn ballad called Stay Another Day".[8]

Legacy

The Guardian ranked "Stay Another Day" at number 41 in their list of "The 100 greatest UK No 1s" in 2020.[9] Ben Beaumont-Thomas wrote:

"One of the greatest Christmas No 1s of all time is a triumph of emotional candour. It resembles a breakup song with its talk of final kisses, but was written by Tony Mortimer after his brother killed himself. The pain of those sudden calls of 'stay now' is so acute, voicing the suddenness of loss."

The song has featured on Christmas compilation albums and is usually a mainstay on radio during the festive period. However, scepticism remains within the British public as to whether the song can be labelled a Christmas song.[10] In December 2017, YouGov carried out a poll asking the British public whether they agreed if "Stay Another Day" is a Christmas song. Just over one third, or 34% disagreed, while 29% agreed. This left a large proportion of 37% in the don't know category, which includes all of those who were unaware of the song.[10]

Track listings
CD maxi - UK [LONCD354]
  1. "Stay Another Day" (S.A.D. mix) – 4:29
  2. "Stay Another Day" (less sad mix) – 4:44
  3. "Stay Another Day" (more sad mix) – 8:34
  4. "Stay Another Day" (not so sad mix) – 6:16
CD single
  1. "Stay Another Day" (S.A.D. mix) – 4:29
  2. "Stay Another Day" (less sad mix) – 4:42

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Austria (IFPI Austria)[47] Gold 25,000*
Germany (BVMI)[48] Gold 250,000^
Sweden (GLF)[49] Gold 25,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[50] Gold 25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[51] 2× Platinum 1,200,000

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Girls Aloud version
"Stay Another Day"
Song by Girls Aloud
A-side"Sound of the Underground"
Released16 December 2002
GenrePop
Length4:24
LabelPolydor
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Andrew Ian Murray
  • Christian Ballard
  • Denis Ingoldsby

Background

Girls Aloud were formed through Popstars: The Rivals by a public vote on 30 November 2002.[52] The concept of the programme was to produce a boyband and a girlband who would be "rivals" and compete for the Christmas number one single in 2002. Girls Aloud competed against One True Voice, managed by music producer Pete Waterman. Girls Aloud recorded a cover version of "Stay Another Day", intended as their debut single,[53] with Cheryl Cole providing lead vocals. After Girls Aloud recorded "Sound of the Underground", "Stay Another Day" was instead released as its B-side. The release was originally meant to be a double A-side,[54][55] and it is often mistakenly labelled as such.[56][57] "Stay Another Day" was performed on This Morning, Top of the Pops and Top of the Pops Saturday to promote its parent single.[58][59][60]

Girls Aloud gave the song a "romantic slant," which surprised East 17's Mortimer since it is about his brother's suicide.[61] Mortimer said, "I found it really odd they were singing a song about my dead brother. It should've been left alone for a few years," adding that he did like Girls Aloud.[61]

Reception

Colin Paterson of The Guardian remarked on the unoriginality of Girls Aloud's cover: "A group formed on a TV show by a phone poll and then doing a cover of a former Christmas No 1. Life seldom gets less imaginative."[55]

Waltham Forest Youth Choir version

On 3 December 2019, London Recordings uploaded a new version of the song to YouTube, performed by Waltham Forest Youth Choir, with Mortimer on piano. Mortimer himself appears in the video. The track was released to raise money for mental health charity CALM.[62]

References
  1. "UK Newspaper Interview - The sad story behind the lyrics to East 17's 'Stay Another Day'". The Independent. 23 December 2016. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  2. 1000 UK Number One Singles by Jon Kutner & Spencer Leigh, page 402
  3. "East 17 - Stay Another Day (Official Video)". YouTube. 28 September 2017. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  4. "Official Singles Chart Top 100: 27 November 1994 - 03 December 1994". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  5. "Official Singles Chart Top 100: 04 December 1994 - 10 December 1994". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  6. Copsey, Rob (12 December 2019). "Official Charts Flashback 1994: Mariah Carey - All I Want For Christmas Is You". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  7. Clark-Meads, Jeff (21 January 1995). "Brit Awards". Billboard. Vol. 107 no. 3. p. 85. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  8. Sunday Mirror. 20 November 1994. p. 48. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  9. Beaumont-Thomas, Ben; Petridis, Alexis; Snapes, Laura (5 June 2020). "The 100 greatest UK No 1s: 100-1". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  10. Cashin, Declan (18 December 2017). "Is East 17's Stay Another Day actually a Christmas song?". BBC. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  11. "Australian-charts.com – East 17 – Stay Another Day". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  12. "Austriancharts.at – East 17 – Stay Another Day" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  13. "Ultratop.be – East 17 – Stay Another Day" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  14. "Ultratop.be – East 17 – Stay Another Day" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  15. Billboard 21 January 1995. Billboard. 25 February 1995. Retrieved 1 December 2010. hits of the world.
  16. Billboard 28 January 1995. Billboard. Retrieved 1 December 2010.
  17. source: Pennanen, Timo: Sisältää hitin - levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972. Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava, 2006. ISBN 9789511210535. page: 280
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  19. "Offiziellecharts.de – East 17 – Stay Another Day". GfK Entertainment Charts.
  20. "Tonlist Top 40". DV. Retrieved 9 February 2017.
  21. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Stay Another Day". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  22. "Hit Parade Italia - Indice per Interprete: E". Hit Parade Italia. Archived from the original on 14 October 2013. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
  23. Oricon Singles Chart Oricon Singles Chart (Retrieved 2 November 2012)
  24. "M-1 TOP 40". M-1.fm. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
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  26. "Norwegiancharts.com – East 17 – Stay Another Day". VG-lista.
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  30. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
    • Zimbabwe. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: singles chart book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000
  32. url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ugsEAAAAMBAJ&lr=&rview=1
  33. "Jaarlijsten 1994" (in Dutch). Stichting Nederlandse Top 40. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  34. "Årslista Singlar, 1994" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
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  36. 1995 Austrian Singles Chart Austriancharts.at Archived 24 September 2010 at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved 30 March 2009)
  37. 1995 Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart Ultratop.be (Retrieved 20 May 2009)
  38. 1995 Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart Ultratop.be (Retrieved 30 March 2009)
  39. "Single top 100 over 1995" (PDF) (in Dutch). Top40. Retrieved 17 April 2010.
  40. "JAAROVERZICHTEN - Single 1995". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  41. "1995 Year-End Sales Charts: Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  42. "Snepmusique.com, le site du Snep". Disqueenfrance.com. Archived from the original on 31 March 2014. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
  43. "INFINITY CHARTS: German Top 20". Ki.informatik.uni-wuerzburg.de. 28 November 1997. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
  44. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 31 August 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  45. "Årslista Singlar, 1995" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  46. Steffen Hung. "Swiss Year-End Charts 1995". swisscharts.com. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
  47. "Austrian single certifications – East 17 – Stay Another Day" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  48. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (East 17; 'Stay Another Day')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  49. "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  50. "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (East 17; 'Stay Another Day')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
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  52. "Popstars girl group picked". BBC News. BBC. 2 December 2002. Retrieved 28 February 2009.
  53. "Blobby voted worst Christmas hit". BBC News. 3 December 2002. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  54. "Derry's Nadine wins Popstars place". RTÉ.ie. 2 December 2002. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  55. Colin Paterson (7 December 2002). "The real meanie of Christmas". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  56. "Girls Aloud's year at the top". BBC News. 20 October 2003. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  57. "Girls Aloud to pop into Playhouse on first tour". The Scotsman. 4 December 2004. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  58. girls aloud stay another day this morning dec 02 on YouTube
  59. Girls Aloud: Top Of The Pops 10.01.2003 - Stay Another Day on YouTube
  60. Girls Aloud - Stay Another Day (Live @ TOTP's Saturday 21/12/2002) on YouTube
  61. Fiona Edwards (11 May 2006). "Mortimer shocked at Girls Aloud cover". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  62. "East 17's Tony Mortimer re-records Stay Another Day with Walthamstow choir for Christmas". itv.com. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
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