If You Want Me to Stay

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"If You Want Me to Stay"
Single by Sly and the Family Stone
from the album Fresh
Released1973
Recorded1973
GenreFunk
Length3:01 / 2:40 (alternate take)
LabelEpic
11017
Songwriter(s)Sly Stone
Producer(s)Sly Stone
Sly and the Family Stone singles chronology
"(You Caught Me) Smilin'"
(1972) 		"If You Want Me to Stay"
(1973) 		"Frisky"
(1973)

"If You Want Me to Stay" is a 1973 hit single by Sly and the Family Stone, from their album Fresh.

Background[]

Stone recorded the song without much input from the rest of the band; by the early 1970s, he had begun crafting most of his material by himself. An alternate version of "If You Want Me to Stay", as well as most of the rest of the Fresh album, was completed before Stone decided to scrap the masters and re-record the album. These alternate versions have surfaced in underground markets, online auctions, and specialty shops. However, five bonus tracks are included in Epic's 2007 reissue of Fresh, all of which are directly from the alternate mix of the album.

Song analysis[]

The lyrics of "If You Want Me to Stay" feature frontman Sly Stone informing his lover that she has to let him be himself, otherwise he feels that he would have to leave. The composition has its origins in an apology Stone wrote to his future wife, Kathleen Silva, after a fight.

Chart performance[]

"If You Want Me to Stay" was the band's final Top 20 pop hit, and is the best-known of its post-There's a Riot Goin' On recordings. The single reached number 12 on the Pop Chart, and number three on the Billboard R&B Singles Chart.[1]

Personnel[]

Note: A transcription of the bass part for this song appears in the October 2006 issue of Bass Player magazine (pages 78–81). According to the article accompanying the transcription, written by Chris Jisi:

"The ambitiously named 'Fresh' hit the streets in early July. A stripped-down, more raw outing than previous Sly albums, the 11-track set was boosted by the bass waves of Graham's hand-picked replacement, Rustee Allen. Sly himself laid down some of the album's bass tracks."

Cover versions[]

The song has been covered extensively since its introduction, by artists including Etta James, Eric Benet, Mercury Rev, Victor Wooten, Soulive, Pama International, Ronny, and Kermit Ruffins. The song has also been featured in the movies Made in Heaven, Talk to Me, Dead Presidents, and Money Talks.

In 2020, Ari Lennox and Anthony Ramos released a cover in partnership with Main Street Alliance — a nonprofit organization committed to supporting small businesses in the United States — and Crown Royal in donation to help the landmark small businesses and communities all over the country.[2]

Mica Paris cover[]

"Stay"
Mica Paris - Stay.jpeg
Single by Mica Paris
Released1998
Genre
Length4:36
Label
  • Cooltempo
Songwriter(s)Sly Stone
Producer(s)
  • Julian Jackson
Mica Paris singles chronology
"One"
(1995) 		"Stay"
(1998) 		"Carefree"
(1998)
Music video
"Stay" on YouTube

British soul singer Mica Paris released a version of "Stay" in 1998, as the lead single from the album Black Angel.[3] Her version spent two weeks on the UK Singles Chart before peaking at number forty on May 16, 1998.[4] It also reached the top forty of the New Zealand Singles Chart.[5]

Track listing[]

CD single[3]

No.TitleLyricsProducerLength
1."Stay" (Original Edit)Sly Stone
  • Julian Jackson
  • Richie Stevens
4:20
2."Stay" (Blacksmith Club Rub featuring Know ?uestion)Sly Stone
  • Blacksmith
 
3."Stay" (Brooklyn Funk R'n'B Mix)Sly Stone
  • Brooklyn Funk
 
4."Stay" (Booker T's Vocal Lick)Sly Stone
  • Booker T
 
5."Stay" (K-Klassic Mix)Sly Stone
  • K-Klassic
 
6."Stay" (B Drop Radio Edit)Sly Stone
  • B Drop
 

Credits and personnel[]

Performers[6]

  • Mica Paris – vocals
  • Backing Vocals – Jackie Farris, Jackie Gouche, Jackie Smiley
  • Bass – Raphael Saadiq
  • Drum Programming – Richie Stevens
  • Guitar – Keven Frost
  • Keyboards – Pete Adams
  • Remix – Richie Stevens
  • Saxophone [Tenor] – Ben Castle
  • Trumpet – Raul D'Oliveira

Charts[]

Chart (1998) Peak
position
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[5] 31
Scotland (OCC)[7] 67
UK Singles (OCC)[8] 40
UK R&B (OCC)[9] 10
UK Dance (OCC)[10] 11

Sample[]

As with most of Sly Stone's work, many songs have sampled the bass line from "If You Want Me to Stay", including:

References[]

  1. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 534.
  2. ^ "INTERVIEW: ANTHONY RAMOS & ARI LENNOX ENRAPTURE WITH COVER OF "IF YOU WANT ME TO STAY"". 3 September 2020.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b "Mica Paris – Stay at Discogs". Discogs. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  4. ^ "Mica Paris – full Official Chart History (Singles)". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b "Charts.nz – Mica Paris – Stay". Top 40 Singles.
  6. ^ One (CD booklet). Mica Paris. Chrysalis Records. 1995.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  7. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  8. ^ "Mica Paris: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  9. ^ "Official R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company.
  10. ^ "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company.
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