| "Stay" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Bernard Butler | ||||
| from the album People Move On | ||||
| Released | 5 January 1998 | |||
| Recorded | 1997 | |||
| Genre | Britpop | |||
| Length | 5:15 | |||
| Label | Creation | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Bernard Butler | |||
| Producer(s) | Bernard Butler | |||
| Bernard Butler singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Stay" is the debut single from Bernard Butler released in January 1998. It is the lead single taken from the album People Move On and charted at number 12 on the UK Singles Chart. [1]
The song begins with a gentle acoustic guitar, which leads into Butler's vocals. Drums, electric guitar, keyboards and backing vocals all get introduced gradually, before coming together in one last climax and quiet coda. [2] Butler has said that "Stay" is not a love song but a song about change. "The process of change is hard but you've got to do it. It's about when you know you've got to do something but there's an element of risk. It's about when I first went to France to record. A lot of the lyrics come from a conversation with Elisa, my wife. I wrote them on the train over to France." [3]
The music video for the title song was directed by David Mould, whose directing credits include Suede's "Trash", the first single released after Butler's departure. B-side "Hotel Splendide" features backing vocals from Edwyn Collins. [2]
Reception to Butler's debut single was very positive. Ned Raggett of AllMusic wrote: "The title track is one of the more self-consciously grandiose things out there, but its big advantage is that it builds rather than overwhelms." [2] Select praised the song's composition, writing: "a classic rock collage: descending chords a la "Dear Prudence", "Whatever", "The Changingman", an impassioned middle eight that sounds almost gospel-esque, a huge arrangement, and plaintive lyrics, sufficiently simple to need no deciphering whatsoever." [4]
Caspar Llewellyn Smith of The Daily Telegraph called the song "epic stuff, progressing from acoustic balladry to a monumental wall of sound." He felt that the song "abandons the traditional verse-chorus-verse structure that established Suede as early Britpop frontrunners, but the tension between the layers of guitar effects and a simple piano motif gives the song its own dynamism." [5] British music charts commentator James Masterton wrote: "The quality of the record is undeniable even if he will forever be more famous for his guitar playing than his singing. Sounding like a close relation of George Michael's Praying For Time, the single builds up into a dramatic climax that borders on the epic. Easily one of the most outstanding singles of the year to date (and even after three weeks that is no idle claim)." [6]
The single charted at number 12 on the UK Singles Chart, selling 60,000 copies. [7]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Stay" | 5:23 |
| 2. | "Hotel Splendide" | 5:49 |
| 3. | "The Sea" | 4:51 |
Bernard Joseph Butler is an English musician, songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the first guitarist with Suede, until his departure in 1994. He has been hailed by some critics as the greatest guitarist of his generation; BBC journalist Mark Savage called him "one of Britain's most original and influential guitarists". He was voted the 24th greatest guitarist of the last 30 years in a national 2010 BBC poll and is often seen performing with a 1961 cherry red Gibson ES-355 TD SV with a Bigsby vibrato tailpiece.
Deep is the third solo studio album by English musician Peter Murphy. Produced by Simon Rogers, the album was released on 19 December 1989 through Beggars Banquet Records in the UK and RCA/Atlantic Records in the US. The album features contributions from Murphy's backing band, The Hundred Men.
The Tears were an English rock supergroup formed in 2004 by ex-Suede bandmates Brett Anderson and Bernard Butler, along with the former Delicatessen and Lodger members Will Foster (keyboardist), bassist Nathan Fisher, and Bernard Butler session drummer Makoto Sakamoto. The duo Anderson and Butler were a much anticipated reunion and music critics praised their first concerts and debut album, Here Come the Tears. However, the project was short-lived as they disbanded in 2006, which allowed Anderson to focus on his solo career and the latter Suede's reformation in 2010, Butler become as full-time producer, and Foster worked as additional musician for The Fratellis since 2008.
Coming Up is the third album by English alternative rock band Suede, released on 2 September 1996 through Nude Records. It was the band's first album since the departure of guitarist Bernard Butler, who was replaced by Richard Oakes. Also added to the band was keyboardist Neil Codling. The album was nominated for the 1997 Mercury Prize. A commercial and critical success, Coming Up was the second by the band to reach no. 1 on the UK Albums Chart, producing five top ten singles and receiving a favourable reception at home and in the US. Coming Up was the album that introduced Suede to a worldwide audience, in places such as Europe, Canada and Asia.
"Metal Mickey" is the second single by the English rock band Suede, released on 14 September 1992 on Nude Records. It was included the following year on the band's debut album Suede. It charted at No. 17 on the UK Singles Chart, a vast improvement on the previous single "The Drowners", which fell short of the top 40. The song also reached the top 40 in Australia and Sweden.
"Stay Together" is a non-album single by Suede, released on 14 February 1994 on Nude Records. It is the last single released while guitarist Bernard Butler was in the band, though subsequent singles from Dog Man Star feature his music. It is tied with "Trash" as the highest-charting single the band has released, reaching No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart. The song also charted in Ireland, peaking at No. 18. The single was released in the US on 26 April as a six-song EP, and was the first release by the band as the London Suede. The State-side name change was the result of a successful lawsuit brought by Suzanne deBronkart, who had already been performing and recording in the US under the name Suede.
"The Wild Ones" is the second single from the album Dog Man Star by English rock band Suede, released on 7 November 1994 through Nude Records. The song peaked at number 18 in the UK.
"New Generation" is the third and final single from the album Dog Man Star by English rock band Suede, released on 30 January 1995 through Nude Records. It is the first single to feature music by new guitarist Richard Oakes. Though the title track is written by Anderson and departed guitarist Bernard Butler, Oakes contributes on "Together" and "Bentswood Boys". The single reached No. 21 in the UK.
"No Excuses" is the lead single from American rock band Alice in Chains' third EP, Jar of Flies (1994). Written by guitarist and co-lead vocalist Jerry Cantrell, the song was well received by music critics and was a charting success, becoming the first Alice in Chains song to reach No. 1 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, spending a total of 26 weeks on the chart. It has gone on to become one of the band's most popular songs. The song was included on the compilation albums Nothing Safe: Best of the Box (1999), Music Bank (1999), Greatest Hits (2001), and The Essential Alice in Chains (2006). Alice In Chains performed an acoustic version of "No Excuses" for its appearance on MTV Unplugged in 1996, which marked the last time they performed the song with Layne Staley, and that version was included on the band's Unplugged live album and home video release.
"Up the Hill Backwards" is a song by English musician David Bowie, released on his 1980 album Scary Monsters . It was later issued by RCA Records as the fourth and final single from the album in March 1981. Originally written under the title "Cameras in Brooklyn", the song was recorded between February and April 1980 at the Power Station in New York City and Good Earth Studios in London. The recording features backing vocalists, guitar contributions from Robert Fripp and acoustic guitar played by co-producer Tony Visconti. Lyrically, the song concerns the struggles of facing a crisis, partially influenced by Bowie's divorce from his wife Angie. Musically, the song contains numerous time signature changes and a Bo Diddley-inspired beat.
"Angry Chair" is a song by the American rock band Alice in Chains. It was the third single from their album Dirt (1992). It is the eleventh song on most copies of the album and twelfth or tenth song on others. The song was included on the compilation albums Nothing Safe: Best of the Box (1999), Music Bank (1999), Greatest Hits (2001), and The Essential Alice in Chains (2006).
"I Stay Away" is a song from Alice in Chains' 1994 EP Jar of Flies, and the second single from the album. This song marked the first time the band wrote with bassist Mike Inez. The single reached No. 10 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks, and stayed in the chart for 26 weeks. "I Stay Away" was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance in 1995. The song was included on the compilation albums Nothing Safe: Best of the Box (1999), Music Bank (1999), Greatest Hits (2001), and The Essential Alice in Chains (2006).
"Yes" is the debut single of English music duo McAlmont & Butler, released on 15 May 1995 and later included on their debut album, The Sound Of... McAlmont & Butler. The soul ballad was their first UK hit, peaking at number eight on the UK Singles Chart, and remains their most successful single, selling over 200,000 copies in the United Kingdom to earn a silver sales certification. The song also charted in Ireland, reaching number 24, and in New Zealand, peaking at number 40. In 2014, British magazine NME ranked the song at number 174 on its list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".
Holy Smoke is the fourth solo studio album by English musician Peter Murphy. It was released on 14 April 1992 through Beggars Banquet Records. Produced by Mike Thorne, the album features contributions from Alison Limerick, Jonathan Carney, Audrey Riley and The Hundred Men, his backing band since 1988's Love Hysteria album.
People Move On is the debut studio album of English singer-songwriter Bernard Butler that was released on 6 April 1998 through Creation Records. After a dispute with David McAlmont over the McAlmont & Butler project, Butler collaborated with various artists before starting his solo career. Following a brief period with Sony LRD in early 1996, by the end of that year, Butler had signed to Creation and switched managers from Geoff Travis to Gail Colson. Butler produced the sessions for People Move On at RAK and Air Studios, both in London, between February and July 1997. The album, which is described as a pop, rock, and folk release, has been compared to the work of Jeff Buckley, Neil Young, and Wilco.
"Cattle and Cane" is a song by the Australian alternative rock band The Go-Betweens, released as the first single from their second album Before Hollywood. It was released as a single in the United Kingdom by Rough Trade Records in February 1983 and reached No. 4 on the UK Independent Chart. The single and album were both released in Australia on Stunn, a small label allied with EMI. The Stunn pressings were of poor quality and their distribution limited.
"Not Alone" is the second single from Bernard Butler released in March 1998. It was taken from the album People Move On and charted at number 27 on the UK Singles Chart.
"A Change of Heart" is the third single from Bernard Butler released in June 1998. It is the final single taken from the album People Move On and charted at number 45 on the UK Singles Chart.
"A Strange Kind of Love" is a song by English musician Peter Murphy, from his third solo studio album, Deep (1989). Produced by Murphy himself and Simon Rogers, it was released as the third single off the album in 1990 through Beggars Banquet and RCA Records.
"When I Kiss You " is a 1995 electronic dance music song by American rock band Sparks, released as the second single from their 16th album, Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins (1994). Written and produced by the Mael brothers, it also has a reference to American jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker. The song peaked at number 36 in the UK, number 61 in Germany and number 24 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart in the US. Originally it was released as "(When I Kiss You) I Hear Charlie Parker Playing", before being re-named to its present title.
