Stay by David Bowie Song Info
"Stay" is a song by English musician David Bowie, released on his 1976 album Station to Station. The song was recorded in late 1975 at Cherokee Studios in Los Angeles. Co-produced by Bowie and Harry Maslin, the recording featured guitarists Carlos Alomar and Earl Slick, bassist George Murray, drummer Dennis Davis, pianist Roy Bittan and Warren Peace on percussion. The track features prominent dual guitar work from Slick and Alomar, who mostly composed it in the studio. Based on the chord structure of "John, I'm Only Dancing (Again)", a funk reworking of "John, I'm Only Dancing" (1972), "Stay" emulates funk rock, soul and hard rock. Lyrically, the song is about a character who begs his lover to stay, fearing she will leave him for the last time. Bowie debuted the song on the variety show Dinah! on 3 January 1976. In July the same year, RCA Records released "Stay" as the B-side of "Suffragette City" and again as an A-side in edited form in the United States; both failed to chart. The track has received positive reviews from music critics and biographers, with many praising the performance of the band. "Stay" was a live staple throughout Bowie's concert tours, performances of which have appeared on numerous live albums. The song was remixed by Maslin in 2010 for reissues of Station to Station and remastered in 2016 for the Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976) box set. Bowie recorded a new version of "Stay" in 1997 during the rehearsals for the Earthling Tour, which appeared on the 2020 EP Is It Any Wonder? as "Stay '97".
